The Headliners of the 2016 Green Box Arts Festival
On the heels of exhibiting the celebrated Back to Kansas installation by Spencer Finch, which explores the subjunctive perception of color through vivid imagery from the classic film The Wizard of Oz (1939), the 2016 Green Box Arts Festival, held June 26 through July 4, will play host to a variety of seminars, classes, concerts, performances and artwork. Among the many Festival highlights, attendees will enjoy the outdoor whimsical craftsmanship of world-renowned “stick sculptor,” Patrick Dougherty, as well as performances by the Oklahoma City Ballet and New York’s KEIGWIN + COMPANY, and their artist-in-residency collaboration with acclaimed New York-based composer, Adam Crystal, creator of the original ballet score for the Golden Globe-nominated Flesh and Bone TV Miniseries.
This year at Green Box Arts Festival, the celebrated Patrick Dougherty will bring his infamous twisting, curling branch sculpture work to the town of Green Mountain Falls. Over the last thirty years, Dougherty has become internationally-acclaimed for constructing over 250 works of monumental scale, environmental creations which require saplings by the truckloads. His sculptures have been seen worldwide—from Scotland to Japan to Brussels, and all over the United States. His creation will be supported by local volunteers and will aid in a conservation effort, in partnership with Colorado Springs Utility.
Festival-goers will enjoy new works created and performed during the Festival by the Oklahoma City Ballet and New York’s KEIGWIN + COMPANY. Boasting 35 dancers from around the world, the Oklahoma City Ballet seeks to inspire audiences through classical and contemporary performances from the industry’s top choreographers in Oklahoma City and on tour. Under the direction of Green Box Arts Festival Co-Founder Larry Keigwin, KEIGWIN + COMPANY is celebrating its 10th year with the Festival. Keigwin and Associate Director Nicole Wolcott will construct a new dance and musical composition alongside revered classical composer, Adam Crystal, of Flesh and Bone fame, which was recently nominated for a 2016 Golden Globe Award for Best TV Movie or Miniseries. Crystal’s versatile work spans scoring films, documentaries, modern dance and ballet pieces, commercials and videos. Additional musical ensemble performances, such as The Hennessey 6, will be curated by Manitou Springs native and musician David Siegel, Executive Director of the Bee Vradenburg Foundation, and are sure to delight patrons under the mountainous summer night skies.
2016 Green Box Arts Festival Highlights
The 2016 Green Box Arts Festival features a variety of activities, exhibits and classes. In addition to access to various art installations, offerings include dance workshops; performances by award-winning musicians and dance companies; silversmith, cooking, quilting, and astronomy classes; nature walks; a variety of youth and teen photography, music, literature and visual art classes; square dancing; a Bingo night in the historic Sallie Bush Community Building; and four ArtDesk Conversations that will take place in the natural setting of Green Mountain Falls. The full schedule of events will be posted online May 26 at www.greenboxarts.org, and on the Green Box Arts Facebook page. Registration is required for classes, and is available online. Many events are free to the public. A video from last year’s festival can be viewed at www.vimeo.com/153333227.
History of The Green Box Arts Festival
The Green Box Arts Festival was founded in 2009, and is held in Green Mountain Falls each summer. The Festival’s goal is to provide artists and visitors an opportunity to nurture the creative process, and explore new artistic directions in the picturesque small town setting. A selection of past participants includes a musical art installation “10 Swings” by Canadian design firm Daily tous les jours, the Colorado Springs Youth Symphony, Kyle Dillingham and Horseshoe Road, folk band Haunted Wind Chimes, sculptors Ben Roth and Jason Hackenworth, performances by the American Ballet Theatre Studio Company, and American author and Pulitzer Prize nominee Blake Bailey. Additionally, artwork from installation artist Tomás Saraceno, Spencer Finch, sculptor Olafur Eliasson and contemporary sculptor and photographer Kenneth Snelson has been showcased at the festival.
The festival’s foundation was laid in 2006 when Christian Keesee, whose family history with the Pikes Peak area dates back to the 1900s, sponsored an artist-in-residency program with New York-based Larry Keigwin and KEIGWIN + COMPANY. An interest in diversifying and expanding activities quickly grew in the community, which culminated in the formation of the Green Box Arts Festival. Since that time, Keesee and Keigwin have continued their collaboration by forming a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, The Green Box Arts Project, with a mission to bring dance, installation art, music, and art classes to Green Mountain Falls each summer. Partnerships with the Town of Green Mountain Falls and the Church in the Wildwood make the full range of activities possible.
Green Mountain Falls Access and Area Attractions
At an altitude of 7,800 ft., picturesque Green Mountain Falls is home to various festivals and events year-round. Most notably, however, it is known for the nationally acclaimed Green Box Arts Festival. Surrounded by Pikes Peak National Forest on three sides, the town is located near popular area attractions including the famous Cave of the Winds, the Cliff Dwellings Museum, Garden of the Gods, Pike’s Peak and the COG railroad. An extremely popular hiking destination, visitors also enjoy fishing, swimming, biking, tennis courts, and ice skating in winter, as well as the town’s unique restaurants, pubs, and shops.
Green Mountain Falls is located just 30 minutes from the Colorado Springs Airport, while Denver International Airport, offering direct flights from most major markets, is located 100 miles away, or a little more than an hour’s drive. Green Mountain Falls is just minutes from the towns of Woodland Park, Chipita Park, Manitou Springs and Cascade.
About The Green Box Arts Festival
The Green Box Arts Festival was launched in 2009 to provide artists and visitors with an opportunity to nurture the creative process and explore new artistic directions in the natural beauty of Green Mountain Falls, Colo. The foundation for the festival was laid in 2006 with the sponsorship by Christian Keesee of a dance residency program by New York’s Keigwin + Company, and grew as interest in diversifying and expanding activities increased each year, through partnerships with the Pikes Peak Library District, Town of Green Mountain Falls and Church in the Wildwood. Members of the Kirkpatrick family have been in continuous residence in Green Mountain Falls since 1900; during that time, the family has been active supporters of the community and the development of its cultural environment. More information can be found at www.greenboxarts.org.
