A Rising Tide
Undiscovered Earth and the New Cultural Landscape of Steamboat Springs
by Dan Greeson
This article originally appeared in the Summer 2024 issue of Art with Altitude.
There’s a new nonprofit in town that’s raising eyebrows, stepping on toes and doing work that’s already been done—or at least, that’s the rumor. But is Undiscovered Earth just another arts organization, or does it fill important needs in the Steamboat Springs arts community? Let’s dive deeper into the role of Undiscovered Earth in the context of the local cultural landscape.
Undiscovered Earth’s goal is to ignite a new era of creativity in Steamboat, helping artists to thrive in Northwest Colorado. Under the leadership of Executive Director Dagny McKinley, the organization’s projects have sparked community-wide dialogue, both positive and negative.
“Dagny has always advocated for the performing arts, and Undiscovered Earth is a part of that advocacy,” says Joe Haines, executive director of Perry-Mansfield Performing Arts School and Camp.
Undiscovered Earth’s goals include creating affordable, inclusive performance spaces and boosting the local economy through the arts.
“Undiscovered Earth was created to address the top needs expressed by performing arts groups in a 2019 needs assessment,” says Jennifer Grathwohl, board chair of Undiscovered Earth. “The top two needs identified were affordable venues and rehearsal space.”
From the start, Undiscovered Earth has collaborated with community arts organizations, aiming to fill gaps instead of duplicating efforts. “The entire arts community needs to work on a collaborative basis rather than a competitive basis,” says Jim Cook, board member of Undiscovered Earth. “I think that our goal of creating venues for the various disciplines in our arts community makes us a good neighbor rather than programming and putting on shows or performances ourselves.”
Many local arts organizations share the opinion that Undiscovered Earth’s initiatives complement—rather than compete with—their missions.
Betse Grassby, executive director of Steamboat Art Museum, drew parallels between past and present collaborations. She highlighted the inception of Strings in the Mountains, which she started with her husband, John, in 1987. “It was successful for Steamboat,” she says. “I mean, we expected 50 people, maybe 200 over the whole summer, and 200 people came the first night.”
Strings’ surprise success led to Grassby’s involvement with the Steamboat Arts Council, where Council President Lynn Greco emphasized collaboration. “She would say, ‘I’m going to work with Strings in the Mountains,’ and the council was all nervous. They went, ‘Oh my God, how can you go talk with them? This is competition.’”
Over time, some Arts Council members viewed Strings as a positive community development, while others viewed it as a threat. However, the consensus evolved to see Strings and similar organizations as positive for the community. “I remember someone on the council saying, ‘As the tide rises, all ships go up,’” Grassby says.
This collective effort has since enriched Steamboat’s cultural scene. “You have all these wonderful performing arts venues and we collaborate a lot,” Grassby says. “It’s about the tapestry of all these wonderful arts organizations, and we work together.”
Kim Keith, executive director of Steamboat Creates, explained how collaboration with Undiscovered Earth may affect other community stakeholders. “There will always be some duplication of efforts,” Keith says. “My hope is that creative groups will cross-pollinate and become partners, developing collaborations that are beneficial to all and support the creative community in the region.”
Julie Maykowski, general director and CEO of Opera Steamboat, highlighted the specific needs of opera performances that a new performing arts center could potentially meet. “I could see us presenting multiple productions at the Undiscovered Earth venues,” Maykowski says. “The spectacle of our performances would be amazing!”
Lori Biagi, executive director of Steamboat Dance Theatre, echoed this sentiment. “By having additional capacity for performances, we can look to host nationally acclaimed performers, as well as stabilizing our own annual concert program,” Biagi says.
Meanwhile, Piknik Theatre’s executive director, Stuart Handloff, offers a balanced perspective, acknowledging Undiscovered Earth’s challenges while emphasizing its exciting potential in the Steamboat community.
“I’ve been encouraging the Undiscovered Earth staff and board to support the Piknik Theatre Amphitheater so we can, in turn, demonstrate the need for more sophisticated and elaborate facilities,” Handloff says. “I wouldn’t be pursuing the vision of an outdoor performance space as a step toward the development of a vibrant performing arts scene if I didn’t see the potential for what Undiscovered Earth envisions.”
Financial sustainability and the quest for community-wide support are hurdles that Undiscovered Earth and its partners may need to navigate together.
“There is a lot of money in this town,” Grassby says. “There are a lot of art lovers, and I think there are a lot of grants and things like that out there too. But $12 million (needed for the proposed performing arts center), it’s huge. I think the market will tell—can they raise it, or do they have to scale back?”
Beyond creating more performing arts spaces, Undiscovered Earth’s commitment to arts education ensures that the Steamboat Springs performing arts community stays dynamic. “Our long-term vision for sustainability includes regular check-ins with the groups and organizations we are serving, ensuring we remain adaptable to changing community needs and aware of new possibilities,” Grathwohl says.
Undiscovered Earth’s emergence on the Steamboat Springs arts scene is more than just a matter of duplication or competition: It represents an opportunity to address community needs and encourage collaboration. By bridging gaps between existing arts organizations, Undiscovered Earth could help Steamboat Springs become not just an outdoor sports mecca, but also a hub for the performing arts.
“The arts create year-round opportunities to be enjoyed not only by our winter visitors, but the ever-increasing numbers of people that come to our community in the summer and fall,” Cook says. “We need to be a destination resort!”
Elevate the Arts: Find out more about Undiscovered Earth and their initiative to bring Steamboat a performing arts center at UndiscoveredEarth.org
