The Art of Resiliency
by Dan Greeson
This article originally appeared in the Summer 2025 issue of Art with Altitude.
Art is a reflection of the times—a mirror held up to society and culture. But behind every theatrical performance, art exhibit and concert is a different story: how it all gets funded. In Colorado, the success of the arts is closely tied to political shifts, and local organizations have to be light on their feet.
Meredith Badler, deputy director of the Colorado Business Committee for the Arts (CBCA), has seen firsthand how these political shifts impact Colorado’s arts climate. “The arts and creative industries were the first to close during the pandemic, and it became very clear that we needed to get loud as a sector,” she says. While advocacy has always been a part of CBCA’s mission, the last five years have shown a significant shift.
“There was a tremendous influx of some federal and state support that happened during the pandemic that was vital—it helped organizations keep their lights on and keep staff hired, and weather that storm,” Meredith says. “But those one-time funds are gone now, and were gone as of 2023 and 2024. Private philanthropy, corporate giving, even some of our government funding—they’re not filling that gap.”
Still, steps have been made in the right direction. CBCA has led efforts to secure recovery funds for creative organizations, and in April 2024 helped Colorado Creative Industries, Colorado’s state arts agency, receive its first budget increase in over a decade.
The arts are an essential part of the Colorado economy, according to Josh Blanchard, Director of Colorado Creative Industries, who says arts and culture contribute $18.1 billion, or 3.7% of the state’s economy, and support 104,163 jobs.
Despite the importance of the arts, funding is inconsistent—especially in rural areas like Steamboat Springs. “Rural areas often have a smaller pool of funders,” says Kim Keith, executive directer of the Steamboat cultural nonprofit Steamboat Creates. “In Routt County, we have many cultural nonprofits competing for the same dollars. There are fewer local foundations, a smaller donor base and fewer government agencies that prioritize arts funding. Funding freezes, workforce reductions, market fluctuations and delayed grant disbursements have created a sense of fear and uncertainty like nothing we have ever experienced.”
In some cases, politics affect the arts in terms of not only funding, but presentation. At Steamboat Creates, Kim is contending with the implications of the Trump Administration’s recent Executive Order titled “Ending Radical And Wasteful Government DEI Programs And Preferencing.”
“Do we change DEI language on our website? How do we talk to our staff about the chaos in the media? How do we protect marginalized groups? How might we comply with the order, but reinforce our commitment to the spirit of DEI initiatives?” Kim says.
Meredith has seen these concerns echoed across the state. “When it comes to the arts, some folks are concerned about what they will be able to produce and show as art,” she says. “It’s not always necessarily, ‘Will I lose funding?’ but, ‘Will there be constraints on how I can or can’t present my work?’”
For all the pressures the Colorado arts community faces, it continues to be resilient. “We’re still here, we’re still making it work,” Meredith says. “If anything, artists are scrappy and creative, and we know that our work adds value to people’s lives. We know that it adds value to communities. It adds jobs, it fuels tourism, it makes us healthier, we’re still going to do that work and find a way.”
“This is a time when the arts community can provide such a critical industry and workforce and value-add to our state,” Meredith adds. “We’ll just do our best to make sure that it can continue to flourish. And I think it will.”
In a time when political tensions are heightened and funding is uncertain, the arts are there not only to reflect society, but to hold it together.
Elevate the Arts: For more information about Colorado Business Committee for the Arts, visit cbca.org. To find out about local, national and international creative trends, sign up for Undiscovered Earth’s newsletter at: undiscoveredearth.org DG
