fac history

1. General History Section
When Gen. William Jackson Palmer arrived in the Colorado territory, he helped found a
colony in the foothills of Pikes Peak. He hoped that the colony would eventually grow into
an oasis of culture and refinement amidst the rugged and untamed Colorado landscape
surrounding it. By 1879, Fountain Colony had grown into a town, now called Colorado
Springs.
Nearly a century and a half since Palmer founded Fountain Colony, the Colorado Springs
community has transformed dramatically. The Fine Arts Center has remained a central
cultural fixture of the community since its early days as the Broadmoor Art Academy.
Through the decades, the FAC has produced influential artists in the local and national art
worlds, while fostering a sense of community amongst Colorado Springs residents. Today,
we remain an amazing rarity - a museum, a theatre, and an art school, essentially an entire
arts district, under one roof. We invite you to explore our history and learn about the
people and events that have contributed to shaping this unique institution.
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Artists: ​Willard Nash​, ​Ward Lockwood​, ​Kenneth Adams​, ​Tabor Utley​, ​Laurence B.
Field​, ​Ernest Fiene​, ​Warren Chappell​, ​George Biddle​, ​Paul Burlin​, ​Charles Locke​,
Henry Varnum Poor​ and ​Frank Mechau​.
Early Years: The Broadmoor Art Academy
Since its days as a colony, artists such as renowned landscape painter Albert Bierstadt
traveled to the Colorado Springs area, searching for inspiration in the stunning scenery and
geographic surroundings. Artists and patrons formed groups such as the Colorado Springs
Art Society, dedicated to recognizing and showcasing the vibrant and growing local art
community.
Julie and Spencer Penrose were transplants who came to Colorado separately for reasons
which were typical of the time. Spencer headed west, hoping to find success in the boom
and bust mining towns springing up across the frontier. Julie was a young wife and mother
who relocated to Colorado Springs in hopes that the region’s famous climate would heal
her husband’s tuberculosis. When he passed away, Julie was left a widow. However, she
found new love with Spencer and courted the “declared bachelor” both during and outside
of society events. The couple wed in 1906, beginning a long and philanthropic union.
The Penroses had already been involved in other significant Colorado Springs projects by
the time they decided to create what they hoped would become a first-class art institution.

2. With other prominent members of the community, they established the Broadmoor Art
Academy, which was incorporated on October 10, 1919.
Despite its youth and its removed location, the BAA grew in prominence and prestige
throughout the early 20th century. A 1920 New York Times article commented on the BAA,
remarking that “an art school with competent instructors in a place remote from centres of
art exhibitions and teaching has a more direct influence [on a community]. People are
always more interested in what they do than in what they see, and there is an admirable
chance to develop a fresh and strong school of landscape painting in the Western part of
the country.”
As capable instructors and eager students alike took interest in the school, the early years
of the Academy saw great success. Instructors took advantage of the natural space available
in the Academy, such as the gardens, as well as the surrounding area. In the field, students
could explore Garden of the Gods, Monument Valley Park, and other nearby locations,
painting and working ​en plein-air. The BAA’s first instructors were Robert Reid and John F.
Carlson, who instructed students in painting, figure, and portrait classes. Prolific
photographer and Colorado Springs native Laura Gilpin documented much of the BAA’s
early years, helping to create pamphlets and promotional material for the school.
The Broadmoor Art Academy became a home for the fine arts; in addition to the visual arts,
the BAA was also home to the Drama League, the Colorado Springs Musical Club, and the
American Music Society. During this period many prominent instructors worked at the
Academy, including Boardman Robinson, Willard Nash, Ward Lockwood, Frank Mechau,
and Kenneth Adams.
In 1929, the Great Depression struck, devastating the livelihoods of Americans everywhere.
New Deal programs began rolling out in 1933 in the hopes of alleviating some of the
economic hardship Americans faced. In May of that year, Broadmoor Art Academy
instructor George Biddle wrote to a former Groton classmate, describing his vision for a
program that would provide artist relief. In the letter, Biddle envisioned a system where
professional artists could earn government commissions to create murals on public
buildings. These public works of art would not only provide employment, they would also
allow young artists to express themselves. Biddle argued that the national adversity they
faced would produce artistic greatness, and that the artwork would embody the social
ideals of the New Deal.
The classmate to whom Biddle wrote was President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, and the
program he described later became the Public Works of Art Program. The PWAP and its

3. successor, the Federal Art Project, employed tens of thousands of struggling artists, many
of whom were students or instructors of the Broadmoor Art Academy. Two murals
commissioned under the PWAP hang in the Colorado Springs City Auditorium, created by
BAA instructors Tabor Utley and Archie Musick.
Throughout its first decade, the Broadmoor Art Academy established itself as the focal
point of the region’s art community. With an impressive collection of instructors and an
abundance of breathtaking surroundings, these years laid the foundation for a bright future
in spite of the economic hardships of the time.
The Birth of the Fine Arts Center
George Biddle was not the only Depression-era visionary in Colorado Springs. As the
country’s economy struggled, the Broadmoor Art Academy looked into diversifying and
expanding its offerings. Thanks to the tremendous contributions of three extraordinary
women, the dream of the Fine Arts Center was realized. Julie Penrose, Alice Bemis Taylor,
and Elizabeth Sage Hare brought their time, passion, and vision to a formidable project in
the midst of an economic crisis.
All three women’s families had migrated west and settled in Colorado Springs in hopes of
improving the health of family members. Each woman laid deep and long lasting roots in
the community, committing to the betterment of Colorado Springs in a myriad of ways.
Julie Penrose donated the land, readily supporting the evolution of the institution she had
founded. A prominent member of the Academy’s Board of Trustees, Elizabeth Sage Hare,
quickly became involved in the project. She was an opinionated New York transplant who
was well-connected in the national art and intellectual communities. Hare propelled the
early development and success of the Fine Arts Center’s programs with her refined artistic
sensibilities and management skills. Alice Bemis Taylor, who had grown up in the Springs,
was an enthusiastic collector of Southwestern artifacts and Americana books. She initially
approached the Academy in hopes of creating a small museum for her collection, but the
scope of the project quickly expanded when the three women collaborated.
Taylor funded the construction of the museum as well as an endowment, and enlisted her
niece’s husband as the architect for the project. John Gaw Meem was already well known as
a pioneer of the Pueblo Revival movement, a style which was well-suited to the
Southwestern collection. However, Hare pressed him to incorporate elements of the
emerging Modernist movement into his design, and Meem came to view the commission as
an opportunity to showcase the full range of his architectural ability. It was a cutting-edge
project, one which also provided employment for unemployed laborers.

4. While the concept of a single structure housing all of an art center’s activities has been
taken up in many communities, this idea was groundbreaking in the 1930s. Meem’s design
incorporated the monumental simplicity of the Pueblo style with Art Deco’s geometric
severity, resulting in a building that was recognized internationally as one of the finest in
the Southwest. The Fine Arts Center won a silver medal at the Fifth Quadrennial Pan
American Congress of Architecture in 1940, and was listed on the National Register of
Historic Places in 1986.
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Subsection: Opening Night at the Fine Arts Center
Despite the harsh economic conditions, the Fine Arts Center opened to wide acclaim in
April of 1936. Hare used her New York contacts to contract some of the period’s most
significant artists and performers. Demand for seating at the event quickly outgrew
capacity, and Hare decided to make the event invitation-only to the indignation of many.
She also organized a special preview of the building as a treat to the workmen, with movie
screenings in the theatre.
Opening night was an extravagant and elegant event, with prominent members of the
community in attendance. 5,000 of the town’s 30,000 residents attended, with some
well-known out-of-towners also present, such as famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright. On
display was an exhibition of French paintings by artists such as Paul Cezanne,
Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Henri Matisse, Pablo Picasso, Georges Braque, Fernand Leger, and
Vincent Van Gogh.
The festivities continued for a week, including a violin recital by Albert Spalding and
performance of ​Socrate, a symphonic drama by composer Erik Satie sung by Eva Gauthier
which perplexed audiences. Modern dance innovator Martha Graham’s performances,
while bewildering, were met with acclaim and intrigue. While the more conservative pieces
were met with the warmest reception, Graham’s efforts introduced the “utterly modern” to
Colorado Springs and were revisited as part of the FAC’s 75th Anniversary celebration.
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Artists: Palmer Hargrave, Arnold Ronnebeck, Andrew Dasburg, Kenneth Adams, Ward
Lockwood, Albert Spalding, Paul Cezanne, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Henri Matisse, Picasso,
Georges Braque, Fernand Leger, Vincent Van Gogh
Instructors: Otis Dozier, Arnold ​Blanch,​ ​Peppino Mangravite​, ​George Vander Sluis​,
Adolf Dehn​, ​Edgar Britton​, ​Rico LeBrun​ and ​Lawrence Barrett​, the last of whom put the
Fine Arts Center school on the map for lithography.

5. Evolution of Theatre & the Performing Arts
After the shocking, barefoot spectacle of Martha Graham, Elizabeth Sage Hare organized a
series of more palatable, professional shows. The summer of 1936 saw shows such as ​The
Russet Mantle by Laura Riggs and ​Dangerous Corner by J.F. Priestly in a season directed by
Broadway actor George Colouris, who would later go on to play roles in Hollywood films
such as ​Citizen Kane and the 1948 ​Joan of Arc.
Throughout the 1930s and 40s the annual Winter Concert Series offered three or four
shows per season. These concerts featured nationally acclaimed musicians such as classical
guitarist Andr​é​s Segovia and soprano Lotte Lehmann. In the years since, a diverse selection
of dance performances have graced the stage, including both international and local
companies. Included among these are the Maria Benitez Spanish Dance Company, as well as
groups from India, Africa, and the South Pacific.
In 1977, the FAC created the Play Factory. This program was a major project, funded in part
by the city of Colorado Springs, which traveled all over the state performing for children in
parks. Today, the Youth Repertory Theatre program is the only professional training
program for student actors and design technicians in the Pikes Peak region. Students from
ages 6-18 can attend one of the educational programs offered by the Youth Repertory
Theatre for an opportunity to engage in all aspects of theatre and performance. A tradition
of youth theatre opportunities has continued throughout the Fine Arts Center’s history,
remaining a vital component of the FAC’s programming.
Today, the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center Theatre Company is a professional TCG
Member Theatre that operates in both the ​SaGāJi​ Theatre and the 108-seat Music Room. he
Theatre Company hires Equity and non-Equity performers, directors, designers, musicians,
and technicians from Colorado Springs and throughout the country. In addition to the
regular season, the ​SaGāJi Theatre and Music Room have both hosted comedians, dance
performances, and music performances over the years.
Recently, SaGaJi theatre has served as a primary venue for regional film festivals, including
the Rocky Mountain Women’s Film Festival. In its time, the theatre has seen over 10,000
performances of all kinds and has earned a reputation for high-quality productions.
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Subsection: Theatre Design
Though the Fine Arts Center began as a project to display Alice Bemis Taylor’s collection of
Southwestern art, Meem’s designs did not overlook the performing arts. The building’s
offerings were enhanced by this beautiful, modern theatre. Meem’s design included a
dramatic, proscenium arch framing the opening between the stage and the auditorium, and

6. a 43x53 ft stage. At the theatre’s inception, the stage included a 36-line counterweight fly
system, which enabled backdrops and other scenery to be hung; in later renovations, this
system was expanded. Included in the backstage area are scene shops, storage space, a
green room, and dressing rooms. In 1952, Finnish architect Alvar Aalto added 36 chairs
along the back of the house, bringing the total seating to 399. Finally, the orchestra pit
below the stage can be covered for additional acting space, if needed.
[Decoration was not ignored, Meem took care to ensure that his theatre was beautiful].
German-born artist Arnold R​önnebeck cast bas-relief aluminium friezes that depict kachina
masks from Pueblo and Hopi Indian dancers which now hang over the theatre exit doors.
The 950-pound “sunflower” chandelier of aluminum and opaque glass was designed by Los
Angeles based artist Palmer Hargrave, who also designed other major lighting fixtures.
Framing the stage curtain was valanced, hunter green Austrian drapery.
Three Taos artists painted the art deco style murals in the theatre lobby which now houses
the restaurant: modernist painters Andrew Dasburg and Ward Lockwood, as well as figure
and landscape painter Kenneth Adams. Dasburg created the mural over the theatre doors,
Adams painted the mural over the lobby entryway, and Lockwood [verbed] the library
murals. ​The theatre lobby’s concrete ceiling was modeled after Spanish Colonial missions,
with a faux wood grain representing the latillas and vigas used in Spanish adobe
architecture.
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Subsection:​ From the Drama League the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center Theatre Company
1916: Drama League organized; began collaborating with Broadmoor Art Academy upon
founding in 1919
1936: Drama League begins using FAC stage for all its performances
1946: Name changed to Civic Players
1970: Name changed to Civic Theatre
1988: Repertory Theatre Company
2003: Shortened to REP
2007: Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center Theatre Company
The Drama League was organized in 1916 and began collaborating with the Broadmoor Art
Academy upon its founding in 1919. After the FAC was built, the Drama League used its
stage for all their performances. In 1946, the name was changed to Civic Players and then
to the Civic Theatre in 1970. The group became the Repertory Theatre Company in 1988,
shortened to The REP in 2003. Finally, in 2007, the group became the Colorado Springs
Fine Arts Center Theatre Company.

7. Growth of the FAC
The decades following the 1936 opening saw exciting developments and growth
throughout the Fine Arts Center. Strong leadership helped guide the FAC in its early years,
particularly in the school and in the museum. One of these leaders was muralist, cartoonist,
and illustrator Boardman Robinson, who moved from New York to Colorado Springs in
1930. He had accepted a position as an art teacher at the Fountain Valley School of
Colorado, a newly-opened school founded by none other than Robinson’s dear friend and
FAC co-founder Elizabeth Sage Hare. Only a year later, Robinson joined the Broadmoor Art
Academy as an instructor and when the FAC opened in 1936, it did so with Robinson as
director of the art school. Until he retired in 1947, Robinson remained a key member of the
Fine Arts Center community.
In the 1950s, the museum’s modern art collection grew dramatically with the efforts of FAC
director James B. Byrnes. He believed that such a strong modern art center should have a
strong modern art collection and compared the FAC to the New York Museum of Modern
Art. Though his tenure was short, Byrnes’ leadership saw the acquisition of works by
artists such as Georgia O'Keeffe, Arthur Dove, and Walt Kuhn.
The FAC also focused on expanding opportunities for museumgoers of all ages in the 1950s.
For only 50 cents, children could purchase a junior membership to the FAC. With this
membership, kids were able to explore art on their own, without being dragged by their
parents. A group of children might get together to see a classic movie at the FAC, or just
browse the exhibits on their own terms.
A less joyous milestone came in 1956, when Julie Penrose, the last of the FAC’s three
founders, passed away. Alice Bemis Taylor and Elizabeth Sage Hare had passed away in
1942 and 1948, respectively. In 1957, the Fine Arts Center’s art school and the Colorado
College Art Department merged, with Bernard Arnest as director. The Colorado Springs
Debutante Ball Committee began in 1967 and established the Debutante Ball Acquisitions
Fund for the Fine Arts Center. Since the beginning, proceeds from the annual Debutante
Ball event have benefitted the FAC and allowed for the purchase of some of our most iconic
works by Ansel Adams, John Singer Sargent, Laura Gilpin, Jamie Wyeth, and more.
Since Martha Graham’s original and shocking performance, both the woman herself and
her dance company have returned to the Fine Arts Center throughout the years. Graham
visited in 1984, at age 90, and the Martha Graham Dance Company performed for the FAC’s
50th anniversary celebration. The company returned for the FAC’s 75th anniversary in

8. 2011. With modern dance an established art form, these performances were met not with
the bewilderment of Graham’s 1936 performance, but with delight.
The middle years at the Fine Arts Center saw great expansion and development in the art
school, the museum, and the theatre. Leaders in each of the three branches found ways to
move the institution forward and promote growth, while staying true to the FAC’s original
mission and vision. Throughout the years, the FAC has paid many homages to the past
through retrospective exhibitions and preservation of the historic building, while keeping
an eye on the future.
Expansion and Renovation
As the Fine Arts Center grew as an institution, so did its needs. While the FAC had
undergone minor renovations, 1970 saw the completion of the building’s first major
addition. Colorado Springs native Carlisle Guy designed an east wing addition that
increased gallery space, art storage, and administrative office space. Other 20th century
changes include: the Bemis School of Art for Children building, completed in 1968 and
designed by Dietz Lusk and John Wallace; a modest theatre renovation completed in 1984;
and the opening of the Tactile Gallery in 1991. Aside from these, the Fine Arts Center
building stood largely unchanged.
The first of several big changes came in 2005, under President and CEO Michael
DeMarsche. Thanks to a generous, $1.5 million donation the Fine Arts Center’s theatre
underwent a significant renovation. This project focused on balancing a respect for the
original space’s beauty and design with a need for increased functionality. The sound, light,
and scene capabilities of the theatre were upgraded dramatically during this renovation.
An upper scene shop and experimental black box rehearsal space were added, in addition
to the expansion of the fly system to 44 lines. Other updates include: a surround system
enhancing the acoustics; an innovative, computerized light board that allows for
sophisticated lighting effects with approximately 300 instruments; a new carpet and
curtain; and the re-stuffing and re-upholstering of audience seats. ​To complete the
renovation, the name was changed to the “SaGāJi Theatre” in honor of the donor’s three
daughters. It opened with Cole Porter’s “Anything Goes.”
In 2007, the Fine Arts Center underwent its most dramatic renovation, with a design that
introduced significant changes while staying true to the building’s roots. ​For Denver
architect David Owen Tryba, this was a dream assignment. A Colorado Springs native,
Tryba had strong ties to the FAC throughout his upbringing: his mother was a docent, he
learned to ride a bike in the parking lot, and he had acted on the FAC stage. The capital

9. campaign for this renovation, co-chaired by Katherine H. Loo and Buck Blessing, raised
more money for this single nonprofit endeavor than any other in the city’s history.
Expansion plans had been proposed before, with a 2001 plan failing due to its proposals to
dramatically alter Meem’s original 1936 designs. Rather than replacing Meem’s work,
Tryba chose to demolish the 1970 expansion. His design involved a 48,000-square foot
expansion, built up, around, and behind the original building. This plan tripled the amount
of exhibition space, expanded the museum shop, and incorporated behind-the-scenes
improvements, such as improved climate control and security systems. Together, these
updates allow the FAC to host “international traveling exhibitions.” The renovations also
opened up space with the South Events Gallery, or the glass corridor. “This invites people
in,” said project manager Bill Moon of the space to ​The Gazette. “It’s sort of like a living
room for Colorado Springs.”
From August 2-5, 2007 the updated FAC held an “Extremely Grand Opening” which
attracted almost 700 attendees. Some of the opening night’s special guests included:
Colorado Governor Bill Ritter, Broadway legend and photographer Joel Grey, outrageous
film director and artist John Waters, New Orleans gallery owner Arthur Roger and
Weisman Art Foundation Director Billie Milam Weisman, and international art icon and
former Metropolitan Museum of Modern Art (NYC) director Thomas Hoving. In a talk
during the first day of the celebration, Hoving lauded the Fine Arts Center’s “rich and
intriguing roots,” saying: “this rebirth is monumental and sets the stage for an infinite
future for the arts in the region.”
Following the opening, the Fine Arts Center showed blockbuster exhibitions, utilizing the
new and beautiful space made available by the expansion. Each of these construction
projects has expanded the opportunities of each branch to grow and better serve the
Colorado arts community.
Modern Era & Looking Ahead
Over the decades, the Fine Arts Center has continuously sought to expand its offerings and
refine the visitor experience. Providing a center for the community and increasing
accessibility to those who the FAC serves have remained top priorities throughout the
years. In 2015, a generous grant by G.E. Johnson Construction Company helped to further
these goals by reinstating our Museum Free Day on a monthly, rather than semi-annual,
basis. Since June 2015, the Fine Arts Center has opened its doors to the community on the
third Friday of each month, completely free of charge.

10. Today, the FAC is fortunate to have strong leadership in the museum, the performing arts,
and in the school. Executive Museum Director Rebecca Tucker, Executive Producing Artistic
Director Scott RC Levy, and Executive Director of Education Tara Thomas have all brought
their unique strengths and talents to the FAC, working to strengthen all of the arts
represented by the Fine Arts Center.
The museum, the art school, and the theatre have all experienced growth and development
in recent years. Theatre attendance has been strong and continues to break new records as
award-winning shows appear on the FAC stage. In the past couple of decades, the museum
has been fortunate to acquire and receive as gifts many significant works, including works
by: James Surls, Cindy Sherman, Isamu Noguchi, Roy Lichtenstein, Paul Cadmus, Luis
Jimenez, Marisol Escobar, and Richard Diebenkorn. Many intriguing and blockbuster
exhibitions alike have appeared in the FAC galleries, including pieces and shows by Dale
Chihuly, Peter Max, El Mac, and our Year of Georgia O’Keeffe.
For nearly a decade, the Fine Arts Center has been proud to offer Military Healing Programs
to the Colorado Springs community. Through these programs, the FAC has sought to
educate the community about the power of the arts on the healing process, and to provide
healing opportunities for individuals and families “dealing with trauma and post-traumatic
stress issues.”
The Fine Arts Center and Colorado College announced an historic alliance in 2016. While
this presents opportunities for an exciting future together, collaboration with Colorado
College is not unprecedented in the Fine Arts Center’s history.
Since its early days as the Broadmoor Art Academy, the Fine Arts Center has enjoyed a
relationship with CC. Perkins Fine Arts Hall, constructed on CC’s campus in 1899 where
Armstrong Hall now stands, was the school’s building for music and art. Throughout the
1920s and 30s, BAA students and teachers alike showed their work at Perkins and
performances took place there.
In 1926, the Broadmoor Art Academy became affiliated with Colorado College. In 1957, the
Colorado College Art Department merged with the FAC’s art school. In the following
decades, the two art schools collaborated extensively and taught emerging young artists.
Until Packard Hall was built in 1976, the art school and the Art Department were close,
with professors having their studios located in the FAC.
As this transition progresses, the Fine Arts Center and Colorado College will work to ensure
that these institutions form a strong and symbiotic relationship that serves not only the

11. college or the FAC, but which also emphasizes the Colorado Springs community. By
summer 2020, the alliance will be complete, with all three branches of the Fine Arts Center
having transitioned. This is a thrilling period of change and growth; but more exciting still
is the vast potential that this partnership has for both institutions and for the community at
large.
Director Timeline!
16 directors (including 2 interim)
Stanley Lothrop 1935-1939
Paul Parker 1939-1945
Mitchell A. Wilder 1945-1953
James B. Byrnes 1954-1955
Fred S. Bartlett 1955-1971
Milo M. Naeve 1971-1974
Arne R. Hansen 1975-1979
Paul M. Piazza 1979-1986
David J. Wagner 1987-1994
David G. Turner 1995-2003
Jon Stepleton 2003
Michael DeMarsche 2003-2007
Sam Gappmeyer 2008-2013
Interim: Jim Raughton 2013, Nieche Hall 2014
David Dahlin 2014-2017
CC: Erin Hannan
Significant People & Exhibitions
The Broadmoor Art Academy
Robert Reid, John Carlson: 1st full time instructors (1920)
20s:
The Fine Arts Center
The Middle Years
Recent