Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center

The Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center is made up primarily of the Taylor Art Museum--but also features the FAC Theatre Company and the Bemis School of Art.
The museum also offers a high-end bistro called Amuze, as well as a Museum gift shop full of wonderful, educational souvenirs and oddities.

We recently went for an evening visit to the Taylor Art Museum, taking advantage of their “free night” for the public.

Every third Tuesday of the month, you can visit the Colorado Spring Fine Arts Center for free--tours included. The price otherwise is $10.00.

So if you’re looking for affordable things to do, take a look at the FAC.


THE ART MUSEUM

One thing I love about an art museum is the quietude--roaming through the galleries, taking in the peaceful glow of the art work under light.

It can be mesmerizing.

So our choice to visit on a Tuesday evening was a good one, as it was pretty quiet.

The Taylor Museum is comprised of a permanent collection as well as several visiting exhibitions from around the world.

To begin, we walked up the main corridor, and past several sculptures, including giant purple spiked orbs, and a massive bronze statue of a Native American drawing his bow to the sky.

Upstairs, we viewed a temporary collection of photogravures by Edward S Curtis, which showed the faces and lives of American Indians. Most of the images we saw were people from the Blackfoot tribe in 1926. It was definitely intriguing to take a glimpse into the past.

Down the courtyard corridor gallery was the Our Lady of Guadalupe exhibit—several wooden carvings depicting the Virgin with rays of light surrounding her. These took on a haunting quality at night, as they appeared to be literally glowing beneath the spotlight illumination of the dark hallway.

The highlight had to be the Dale Chihuly blown glass exhibit. Part of the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center permanent collection, this started out as a temporary visitor, but was so popular that the Taylor Museum decided to acquire several works.

The dazzling glow of the blown glass sculpture “Orange Hornet Chandelier” really draws you in.

It’s also surrounded by a collection of blown glass basket cylinders that look like bizarre flowers, and several of his brightly colored mixed media works.

All of it makes for a bit of a magical visit.

Other exhibits included Mexican Ceramics, Arts of the Southwest, and several works of Latin American art.

We did eventually see several families roaming the art collections, as well as a few groups of students. So keep that in mind if you’re looking for family activities.

The Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center also has a free Family Adventure Day, which includes lots of interactive, hands-on art projects with things like color, clay, and paint.



OTHER FEATURES:

The Theatre – The Fine Arts Center Theatre Company stages several productions annually, from musicals to comedies to dramas. Tickets range from $24-$38.

The Bistro – “Amuze at the FAC” serves lunch Tues-Sat from 11a-2p, has a four-course Chef’s menu every Tuesday night, jazz on Friday nights at the Deco Lounge, and Sunday brunch from 10a-130p.

The School – Everyone can learn art at the Bemis School of Art, where they offer courses for students of all ages and skill levels. Sign up to take classes in drawing, painting, ceramics, jewelry making, mosaics, and even digital arts.

The Gift Shop – Museum gift shops always seem to be chock full of the most interesting trinkets and souvenirs, and this one is no exception. I found “Old West” Shrinky-Dinks for my niece, and saw a dozen other fascinating pieces of art and decorations that I would have loved to have taken home.

For Tours, call 719.475.2444 or email at: tours@csfineartscenter.org

Getting There: Located just north of downtown Colorado Springs, the FAC is on W Dale Street, intersecting N Cascade Avenue.

Contact Info: Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center, 30 West Dale Street Colorado Springs, CO 80903 719.634.5583



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