Ent Center for the Arts
The Ent Center for the Arts opened in January to much excitement. The state-of-the-art facility offers a 774-seat theater, a 245-seat recital hall and a gallery of contemporary art.
“Whether it’s hosting an off-site event or watching a performance, it’s a very versatile site for groups,” said Offutt. “It’s associated with the University of Colorado Springs, so students are involved in the art programs, such as performing onstage or curating the art.”
The 92,000-square-foot performing and visual-art complex hosts performances by the professional, regional theater company Theatreworks. The company produces a range of quality shows each year and chose “A Raisin in the Sun,” “Little Shop of Horrors” and “A Christmas Carol” among its first productions in the new 300-seat Dusty Loo Bon Vivant Theater.
Groups can also explore the Marie Walsh Sharpe Galleries of Contemporary Art for free. The 2,500-square-foot gallery space features professional artists, emerging artists and University of Colorado Springs faculty.
Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center
Alice Bemis Taylor saw the rampant unemployment during the Great Depression and felt compelled to act. With $600,000 of her own money, she funded the construction of the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center in 1936 to create employment opportunities and an accessible place to view art. Taylor also donated her extensive Native American, Hispanic and Americana art collection to the center’s museum.
“When it was built during the Depression, there was an art scene here at the time,” said Offutt. “It was considered very impressive when it was built. The architecture is renowned. It is a beautiful place with a lot of different ways to experience art.”
On the National Register of Historic Places, the Fine Arts Center’s design integrates Southwestern, Art Deco and Classical architectural elements. In 2007, the center received a $30 million renovation and expansion of more than 48,000 square feet. This massive structure houses not only art galleries but also a 450-seat theater, an art school and a restaurant.
Guides can help visitors grasp the importance of the museum’s collection of works by modern American artists, among them Georgia O’Keeffe, John Singer Sargent and Dale Chihuly. The center also features one of the country’s strongest Hispanic, Latin American and Native American collections.
Architectural tours provide artistic insight into the building and its designer, John Gaw Meem. Those seeking an evening’s entertainment can pair a production from the center’s theater company with a theater tour. The behind-the-scenes tour illuminates the inner workings of the theater with stops in the prop, scene and costume shops.
