September 6 marked the beginning of Longmont Arts Week, a weeklong celebration in downtown Longmont that the Longmont Creative District calls “a collective effort to increase awareness and promote creatives and creative organizations throughout the Longmont Community.” The celebration is made up of various events, classes, parties, performances, and more hosted by various businesses and organizations in downtown Longmont.
Longmont Arts Week began with Rhythm at Roosevelt on September 6, a local music festival that took place in Roosevelt Park and celebrated its 30th anniversary this year. Since then, various businesses have hosted jewelry making classes, art swaps, concerts, drawing sessions, and more for local community members.
This week, Longmont Public Media will host a panel with local podcast artists, Longmont Museum will host an “Art and Sip,” Wax Crescent will host a candle-making class, and more than two dozen other arts-related events will occur throughout town. A full calendar and list of events can be found on the Longmont Creative District’s webpage.
Longmont Arts Week will conclude on Saturday, September 13. On Saturday, Firehouse Art Center will present an ArtWalk on Main in partnership with Downtown Longmont and the Longmont Creative District. The event will occur from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Main Street between 3rd Avenue and Longs Peak Avenue. It will feature live performances from musicians, dancers, and artists, as well as booths featuring the works of dozens of local artists.
At the ArtWalk, seven artists selected by the Longmont Creative District will also be completing live painting sessions on panels to be installed as “Disco Dumpsters,” which are five-foot-by-three-foot cement boards that will be used to close off seven side access points on all east alleyway enclosures in downtown Longmont. The live painting sessions will occur between 6th Avenue and 3rd Avenue and between Kimbark Street and Main Street from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.
“We have incredibly talented artists in Longmont and across the Front Range,” said Longmont Creates Director Eric Kawczynski. “The partially live-painted disco panels are a uniquely symbiotic experience for both the artist and viewer by bringing the two together in a place that is rarely associated with art and intention… a trash enclosure. Viewers are invited to observe the artists’ creative process in real time and inquire deeper into the artist and their work; while artists are invited to connect with the community, showcase their talents, share inspirations, and allow the viewer to observe painting techniques in a more intimate way.”
Longmont Arts Week occurs annually in September.
