Over the past eight years, there has been a cultural resurgence in Colorado Springs and the Pikes Peak region. Many arts organizations have expanded, been renovated, or launched, including the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center, Colorado College's Cornerstone Arts Center, Theatreworks' Dusty Loo Bon Vivant Theatre, and the Pikes Peak Center for the Performing Arts. New arts groups and festivals have also emerged like the Colorado Springs Philharmonic, Out Loud gay men's chorus, Everybody Welcome Diversity Festival, and All Pikes Peak Reads. Public art installations and outdoor music events have grown across the region.

1. Eight Years of Cultural Resurgence in Colorado Springs and the Pikes Peak Region

2. Eight Years at a Glance The Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center undergoes a $28 million, 48,000-square-foot renovation and expansion.

3. Eight Years at a Glance Colorado College’s Edith Kinney Gaylord Cornerstone Arts Center opens.

4. Eight Years at a Glance Theatreworks opens the flexible-space, 300-seat Dusty Loo Bon Vivant Theatre.

5. Eight Years at a Glance The downtown Art on the Streets program has now installed 15 permanent pieces of public art, in addition to the roughly 15 temporary pieces each year – and the artist prizes have grown and caliber of work has improved.

6. Eight Years at a Glance The Pikes Peak Center for the Performing Arts undergoes a $5 million renovation that includes outfitting the Studio Bee blackbox, now home to a monthly, free, after-work concert series.

7. Eight Years at a Glance With help from a substantial gift by El Pomar, the Julie Penrose Fountain – created by locals David Barber and Bill Burgess – opens in America the Beautiful Park.

8. Eight Years at a Glance Cottonwood Center for the Arts finds a permanent home with 36,000 square feet and nearly 80 studio spaces now serving about 100 artists.

9. Eight Years at a Glance The Colorado Springs Philharmonic emerges from the ashes of the symphony, with record season ticket sales into its seventh season.

10. Eight Years at a Glance The Fine Arts Center opens a satellite gallery in the Plaza of the Rockies.

11. Eight Years at a Glance Colorado Springs gets its own gay men’s chorus when Out Loud launches with beyond-capacity crowds at its first concerts.

12. Eight Years at a Glance FutureSelf emerges to provide intensive arts workshops to disadvantaged youth.

13. Eight Years at a Glance COPPeR, the Cultural Office of the Pikes Peak Region, emerges, bringing with it: PeakRadar.com, a downtown arts information office, an annual Business & Arts Awards Lunch, training and workshops, The COPPeR Pages free guidebook, Sounds of the Pikes Peak Region music program …. And more!

14. Eight Years at a Glance Husband-and-wife team Jim Jackson and BirgittaDePree launch Manitou Art Theatre, now with its own intimate theater and serving thousands of adults and children each year.

15. Eight Years at a Glance The Business of Art Center renovates a historic livery into a performance space, café and offices. Venue 515 is now home to concerts, film screening, artist trading card sessions and more.

16. Eight Years at a Glance The new Everybody Welcome Diversity Festival, a project of Colorado Springs Diversity Forum, brings arts, music, dance and food by many cultures to downtown.

17. Eight Years at a Glance The Colorado Springs Conservatory expands and finds a home at Galileo magnet school. The Conservatory now serves 400 students a year through partnerships with Urban League, District 2 and Head Start.

18. Eight Years at a Glance Imagination Celebration opens Celebration Place in The Citadel mall, a new space for children’s art exhibits, workshops, rehearsals and more.

19. Eight Years at a Glance Theatre ‘d Art launches in 2003, providing an absurdist, avant-garde option on the local theater scene.

20. Eight Years at a Glance Recognized nationwide as one of the best “one book, one city” programs, All Pikes Peak Reads, now in its eighth year, reaches tens of thousands annually through book groups, lectures, theater performances and more.

21. Eight Years at a Glance KRCC launches Blues Under the Bridge and the MeadowGrass Music Festival (in partnership with La Foret), in addition to expanded concert production and on-air cultural features such as The Big Something and Colorado Culture Cast.

22. Eight Years at a Glance Entering its third year in 2010, the Indie Spirit Film Festival has, to date, showcased about 90 films and hosted numerous filmmaker forums.

23. Eight Years at a Glance Exuberant artist extraordinaire Steve Wood forms Concrete Couch, a nonprofit that builds community by building public art and public-works projects. Concrete Couch works with kids, war veterans and anyone interested in creating things!

24. Eight Years at a Glance Pikes Peak Poet Laureate Project The Club of Arts Pikes Peak Blues Community Improv groups such as Stick Horses in Pants, The RIP and Improv Colorado Smokebrush Gallery expands offerings to Aspen Valley Ranch Outdoor music explodes with more than 100 opportunities to hear free, live music outdoors in the summer

25. Eight Years at a Glance Bee Vradenburg Foundation provides more than $1 million in grants to arts nonprofits!