Breckenridge International Festival of Arts August 11-20, 2017
Adventure + Play + Creativity
One of Breckenridge's newest Summer Installations, the Breckenridge International Festival of Arts (informally referred to as BIFA) has joined the ‘cultural fray’ by presenting one of the newest multidisciplinary arts festivals in the U.S.! Back for its third year, this multi-arts program of extraordinary events in spectacular places and spaces across Breckenridge is a 10-day festival inspired by the themes of environment and mountain culture in Breckenridge. This remarkable event brings together a variety of performances, exhibitions, screenings, workshops, talks and collaborations along with an eclectic mix of music, dance, visual arts and family entertainment.
The event definitely has a ‘Breckenridge feel’ with art exhibits that link closely with the natural environment. From a number of free outdoor musical performances in the new Breckenridge Arts District campus to an exciting lineup of local, national and global talent as well as a truly unique program entitled Trail Mix. Quickly becoming a significant addition to the state’s festival landscape as well as a premier destination event, BIFA promises to be a one of a kind experience that you will not want to miss this Summer!
Overview of Events 2017 :
- Featured Art Exhibits
- Ongoing Art Exhibits
- Visual Art & Theatre
- Music
- Film
- Environmental Installations
- Activities for Kids
- Activities for Adults
Featured Art Exhibits
Monuments
August 11-20 8:30p-11p | Blue River Plaza
Internationally acclaimed projection artist Craig Walsh creates a haunting synergy between the human form, natural environment and the act of viewing. Moving images transform trees into sculptural portraits surveying the immediate surroundings. For his Breckenridge engagement, Walsh will create tree projection portraits featuring three local subjects—historian Maureen Nicholls, biking enthusiast Jeff “Westy” Westcott and dancer Zoe Gallup—that will travel to a series of in-town locations throughout the 10 nights of BIFA.
Artist Talk with Craig Walsh
August 13 7-8p | Old Masonic Hall
Internationally acclaimed projection artist, Craig Walsh, will talk about Monuments, a BIFA installation in which trees are transformed into sculptural portraits, surveying the immediate surroundings. Immediately following his talk, Mr. Walsh will accompany participants to his projection site in downtown Breckenridge.
Local Luminaries Lecture with Breckenridge Heritage Alliance
August 20 11a-12p | Welcome Center
Join Heritage Alliance tour guides in an outdoor lecture on Local Luminaries. Inspired by Craig Walsh’s “Monuments,” guides will discuss the characters that have shaped Breckenridge to date.
Ongoing Art Exhibits
Los Trompos, Héctor Esrawe + Ignacio Cadena
August 9, 2017 – October 23, 2017 | Arts District Campus
Los Trompos, or ‘the spinning tops,’ is a joyful interactive art installation by contemporary Mexican designers Héctor Esrawe and Ignacio Cadena. Inspired by the popular children’s toy, each woven top has a unique shape inspired by nature and traditional Latin American design, architecture and folk art. Five of these colorful, large-scale sculptures will be on display on the Arts District campus through October.
Visual Art & Theatre
Contemplative Environments, by Pamela Olson + Kelly Yarbrough
August 11, 2017 – August 20, 10a-5p | Old Masonic Hall
A mixed media exhibition by Pamela Olson + Kelly Yarbrough that brings the outdoors in, creating a space to contemplate the fragility of our environment and how it resonates with our consciousness.
Ephemeral Pathways, by Kia Neill
August 11, 2017 – August 20, 10a-5p | Breckenridge Theater
An exhibition by Kia Neill of photo based collage inspired by the Rocky Mountains that hints at an ephemeral experience that is not only seen, but felt.
Birdmen, by Close-Act Theatre
August 16, 18 & 19 5p & 8.30p | Blue River Plaza
Large, illuminated pterodactyl-like creatures descend upon Blue River Plaza and roam through the streets of downtown Breckenridge. Created by Dutch artists Close-Act Theatre, Birdmen is a spectacular piece of street theater that features stilt-walkers outfitted as strange, enlightened beings that inhabit and animate our public space.
Driftwood, by Casus Circus
August 18 & 19 7.30p and August 20 2pm | Riverwalk Center
$20 Adults, $10 Kids | Purchase Tickets
Performing seemingly impossible feats of brute strength, Casus Circus is an internationally recognized Australian company that has traveled worldwide with their mesmerizing acrobatics and aerial stunts. Having received stellar reviews at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and winning Best Circus at Festival d’Avignon, this highly skilled quartet makes their Colorado debut at BIFA, where they will test the limitations of the human body in stunning displays of flexibility.
Music
Itchy-O
August 11 6p-10p | Riverwalk Center
Itchy-O is a 30-plus-piece marching band that draws its inspiration from many cultures that include Japanese Taiko drumming, Chinese Lion dancing, Mexican street processions, ancient esoteric symbology and American drum corps. A blazing aural assault from the darkest depths of Colorado, Itchy-O is a wholly immersive, musical experience on a massive scale. Special musical guests DJ f-ether and Ned Garthe Explosion open.
Rhiannon Giddens: The Freedom Highway Tour
August 17 7.30p-9.30p | Riverwalk Center
Tickets $35 | Purchase Tickets
With soulful musicality, singer, violinist and banjo player Rhiannon Giddens is considered one of the most promising voices in American roots music. After helming Grammy Award-winning string band Carolina Chocolate Drops, Giddens broke out as a solo performer and continues her mission to create a vibrant new life for old-time music. She appears at BIFA in support of her newest album, Freedom Highway.
PerQ, by Close-Act Theatre
August 15 & 17 11a & 1.30p | Blue River Plaza
A choreographed drumming show featuring percussionists dressed as 19th century soldiers.
Film
Charlie Chaplin’s The Gold Rush
August 12 7.30p-9.30p | Riverwalk Center
Tickets $30-$45 ($7 Youth) | Purchase Tickets
Charlie Chaplin’s classic 1925 silent comedy, The Gold Rush, is screened with live music, performed by the Breckenridge Music Festival Orchestra. A story of the race for gold and hope for a new life illuminates the four destinies of an adventurer, a dancer, an outlaw and a tramp in the great North. Co-presented by Breckenridge Music Festival and Breckenridge International Festival of Arts.
Breckenridge and the Gold Rush: Lecture with Rick Hague
August 12 6.30-7.15p | Old Masonic Hall
In conjunction with BIFA and the Breckenridge Music Festival’s presentation of “Charlie Chaplin’s The Gold Rush”, local historian, Rick Hague, will provide a short background of the social, political and technological significance of various gold rushes in the 19th century. Hague’s presentation will illuminate the historical context of Chaplin’s film, which will be screened with live music performed by the Festival Chamber Orchestra at the Riverwalk Center after the lecture. Presented in partnership with the Breckenridge Heritage Alliance.
Environmental Installations
Tree-o
Aug 10, 17, 18, 19, 20 12-12.30p
Illinois Creek Trail
Elevating music to new heights, Tree-o features three musicians — cellist Russick Smith, violinist Karen Lauffer and mandolinist Kevin Larkin – in a series of free concerts held in the forest, high among the pine boughs and branches. A performance art installation, each musical session features instrumental melodies performed with the trio perched aloft upon the trees.
Aurous Trove
August 11-20
Iowa Hill Trail
Aurous Trove subtly interrupts the landscape to remind us of the history of the gold rush at the Iowa Hill Mine. The Trove invites viewers to consider the value of resources as they are naturally in juxtaposition of conquest and the consequences of extraction.
Peoples’ Puzzled Place
August 11-20
Illinois Creek Trail
Created using rings made by the Breckenridge community, Peoples’ Puzzled Place demonstrates how individual elements supporting one another can reinforce the larger whole. Each piece, arranged or puzzled like a wooden mosaic are linked together amongst the trees creating a unique, defined space to investigate and explore.
By Sarah Langsam
There’s Always Something Here
August 11-20
Moonstone Trail
There’s Always Something Here is a space meant to modify our perceptions of the forest setting. The intent with the work is to encourage visitors to briefly pause and downshift their focus, to inhabit another scale, and try on a new perspective.
By Michael McGillis
...Health + Wellness...
Trail Mix
Combining art, music, hiking and biking along the trails of Breckenridge through free outdoor concerts and environmental installations, featuring 27 pop-up performances over the 10 days of BIFA. Featuring artworks by Sarah Langsam, Michael McGillis and Nikki Pike.
- Iowa Hill Trail | Aug 10, 12 & 14-20 10am
- Moonstone Trail | Aug 10 & 12-20 2pm
- Illinois Creek Trail | Aug 10 & 13-19 4pm
Acoustic Flow
combines music, nature and wellness along the relaxing shores of the Blue River with free outdoor classes in yoga, meditation and healing arts, featuring five sessions with live music over the 10 days of BIFA. Co-presented with Breckenridge Music Festival.
- Riverwalk Center | Aug 12, 13, 15 & 19-20 8-9a
Interactive Activities
...For Kids...
Ants, by Polyglot Theatre
An interactive roving performance which has giant Ants bringing children together in a gentle and intriguing landscaping project. Ants is an enchanting investigation into the nature of work and children’s relationship with their environment.
Rocking Garden Gnomes,
with Kia Neill
Gnomes are dwarf like creatures that are believed to help in the garden at night. Paint your own rock gnomes to place in potted plants or outdoor garden.
Folky Figures, with Kia Neill
Folk art is the playful art of the everyday, conveying shared community values, aesthetics and culture. Create your own folk art figure from items such as pine cones, feathers, bottle caps or string, and finish off with colorful paints.
Hot Shop
Aug 12 | Aug 13
9a-4p | 9a-12p
Making Art with Beeswax + Sap, with Victoria Eubanks
2-day workshop. Class will begin by making the encaustic medium by combining beeswax and pine sap. After complete, participants can then paint, fuse and scrape colored medium to create beautiful artwork.
Build a Bug Home for Kids,
with Lynn Drager
Children ages 5 and up will construct a creative bug habitat and learn about some of the insects we have up in Summit County.
Zumba Among Los Trompos
Allow the Latin and World rhythms to guide your movement in Zumba Kids, an outdoor dance and fitness workshop. Recommended for ages 8 to 12, but all are welcome to join.
Upcycled Bird Feeder,
with Lynn Drager
Children will use upcycled materials to make a functional home for birds.
Cultivate an Herb Garden,
with Lynn Drager
Children will paint and plant their own herb garden for cultivation. Growing your own food helps reduce waste and benefits the environment.
Exploring Insects Large & Small, with Mountain Top Children’s Museum
Inspired by Polyglot Theater’s “Ants,” children will investigate the creatures beneath our feet. Through the lens of a microscope they’ll be able to appreciate the tiniest of details!
Mountain Mosaics,
with Lynn Drager
Kids ages 5 and up will create a mountain mosaic using dried seeds and beans.
Birdwatching,
with Keystone Science School
Kids will learn to identify local birds on the trail with Keystone Science School instructors by concentrating on field identification, bird behavior and ecology. *First come first serve. Limited to 15 participants.
Nature Discovery Walk, with Mountain Top Children’s Museum
Discover the Moonstone Trail Mix Installation on foot with the Mountain Top Children’s Museum. Start at Carter Park and embark on a light hike to find this hidden treasure.
Nature Printmaking, with Joanne Stolen
Children will create prints using natural materials such as leaves, pinecones and even a fish!
Girls Writing Club,
with Kathleen Willard
Tween Girls (ages 11-14) are invited on a creative outdoor journey where they will learn about female authors inspired by nature & have the opportunity to compose on the trail.
...For Adults...
Landscape Drawing,
with Ben Pond
This workshop will introduce students to techniques for drawing landscapes. Using traditional drawing tools to create atmospheric landscapes full of depth and mood.
Writing Workshop: Nature + Mountain Culture, with Kimberly Nicoletti
Using inspiration from the Breckenridge International Festival of Arts, participants will write nonfiction or fiction revolving around nature and our mountain lifestyles.
Moving Mountains: Mixed Media Landscapes, with Suzanne Jenne
Create loose abstract landscapes where you move mountains by letting the paint and media do the work for you by focusing on shapes, values and manipulating materials. All levels are welcome.
Crafting Herbal Elixirs,
with Erica Ragusa
Students will make an herbal elixir focusing on the bitter and astringent qualities of herbs. Learn about herbs that have these energetics, including ones that grow locally and how to take bitters and blend them into a tasty elixir.
Sunset Sounds on the Trail,
with Andrew Dengate
Observe sounds on a local trail and create a map to document your experience.
New Moon Magic,
with Leslie Glenn
Spark your creative energy and align with the energies of the August new moon. Step into awareness and ignite your intentions with yoga, meditation, mudras, pranayama (breathwork) and mantra (sound).
Zen Painting,
with Suzanne Jenne
De-stress and get into the zone with the experience the flow of “Zen Painting”. Simple, elegant brush strokes on paper have a way of taking you to another place. Learn a relaxing method for expressing yourself with minimal setup and fuss.
Herbal Smudge Sticks,
with Erica Ragusa
We will discuss herbs traditionally used in spiritual ceremonies. Participants will then make an herbal smudge stick with locally and sustainably sourced herbs and gemstone crystals.
