This week, arts and culture funding goes two ways – with federal cuts announced for the federal Institute for Museum and Library Services and new awards granted to Denver locals via RiNo Art District’s Social Impact Grants.
It’s also announcement season, with new schedules released for 2025/2026 at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts and the Colorado Symphony.
Read on for your weekly arts and culture recap, plus find things to do and places to be.
Colorado libraries, museums, zoos and other archival collections threatened by new Trump order
Colorado archives — including libraries, museums and zoos — are now unsure if their federal funding will be cut under an executive order signed by President Donald Trump last week.
Trump’s executive order aims at what it calls unnecessary funding, including funding for the federal Institute for Museum and Library Services. The IMLS distributes congressional funds to state libraries and other archival programs across the country. Colorado receives millions of dollars for local initiatives from the IMLS each year. The funding supports everything from literacy and language-learning programs to support for rural libraries and museums.
According to IMLS data, Colorado organizations have received more than $27 million in the past five years, including millions overall for the Colorado Department of Education, Colorado museums, libraries and special collections at Colorado colleges and universities.
History Colorado has been a recipient of 7 grants totaling over $1.5 million since 2021.
“IMLS is such a key partner in our ability to bridge the urban-rural divide,” said April Legg, head of education at History Colorado. “They've enabled work that has made it possible for us to bring our resources to as many people as possible.”
She said that includes online exhibits and digital learning platforms for K-12 students, as well as the Museum of Memory program in the San Luis Valley and Sand Creek Massacre exhibitions.
“No other entity is funding this kind of work at this scale,” Legg said. “The real impact of this kind of loss would be to rural communities, and especially the students in those communities, who lack access to the cultural resources that we have in metro areas. And countless studies show that this kind of access is key to student success.”
Abbie Krause, executive director of the Pueblo Zoo, echoed a concern for students.
“Our program was called ‘Zoom to the Zoo, Alternative Avenues to Learning Adventures,’ and it came out of the COVID crisis.” She said the funding allowed the zoo to bring students to the zoo, or bring the zoo to students, during school shutdowns.
“Some of our teachers said we were lifesaving because [the program] was interesting. It kept their kids engaged … We basically turned a crisis into an opportunity that we still use today.”
Zoos are eligible for IMLS funding because they have “living collections.”
“Losing funding really bites into all of our work,” Legg said. “Not just the research, not just the projects, not just the education of our future generations; but also the today, here and now funding.”
The American Alliance of Museums has come together to appeal to the White House to keep and restore federal funding. According to AAM data, Colorado museums provide 16,162 jobs per year and generate $767 million in annual income. AAM data also shows 96 percent of Americans would approve of lawmakers who act to support museums and 96 percent of Americans want to maintain or increase federal funding for museums.
RiNo Art District awards $125,000 to Denver arts organizations
Denver’s RiNo Art District just gave $125,000 in Social Impact Grants to eight local organizations addressing critical issues in the community; from education and environmental justice to cultural preservation and accessibility in the arts. This is the largest funding amount in program history, exceeding last year’s total by $50,000. Each awarded group will receive $15,625.
Awardees include:
- The Black American West Museum & Heritage Center
- Brother Jeff’s Cultural Center
- Colorado Youth Congress
- El Sistema Colorado
- Groundwork Denver
- Heart & Hand Center
- Lincoln Hills Cares
- Phamaly Theatre Company
"Our latest Social Impact Grant recipients are addressing critical issues in our community, from education and environmental justice to cultural preservation and accessibility in the arts, and it’s a privilege to support their work,” said Alye Sharp, executive director of programs and partnerships at RiNo Art District. “We are incredibly grateful for the RiNo Business Improvement District’s commitment to expanding the program’s funding, allowing us to reach more organizations and make an even greater impact in our community.”
Now in its fifth year, the Social Impact Grant program has provided more than $350,000 in unrestricted funding to organizations serving the neighborhoods of Five Points, Globeville, Elyria-Swansea, and Cole.
As part of the district’s commitment to equity, recipients are nominated by a diverse committee of local community members familiar with impactful organizations in the district.
DCPA announces 2025-2026 Broadway season
The upcoming season at the DCPA includes longtime favorites and Denver firsts, bringing a total of 22 shows to Colorado.
Familiar titles include “The Phantom of the Opera,” “The Sound of Music,” “MJ,” “The Lion King” and more.
New-to-Denver performances are Tony-winning “The Outsiders,” “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” and “Hell’s Kitchen.”
Right now, tickets are only available to DCPA season subscribers. Individual tickets will be available later.
Here’s the full 2025-2026 lineup:
- “Bluebird Improv with Tim Meadows, Matt Walsh, Brad Morris and Joe Canale,” May 16-18, 2025 at the Garner Galleria
- “Forbidden Broadway: Merrily We Stole a Song,” May 28-June 29, 2025 at the Garner Galleria
- “Dixie’s Tupperware Party,” July 16-Aug. 17, 2025 at the Garner Galleria
- “Dixie’s Never Wear a Tube Top While Riding a Mechanical Bull …” Aug. 20-Sept. 7, 2025 at the Garner Galleria
- “Shucked,” Oct. 7-19, 2025 at the Buell Theatre
- “Disney’s The Lion King,” Oct. 23-Nov. 16, 2025 at the Buell
- “Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors,” Nov. 8, 2025-May 10, 2026 at the Garner Galleria
- “The Hip Hop Nutcracker,” Nov. 21-23, 2025 at the Buell
- “Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical,” Dec. 3-7, 2025 at the Buell
- “The Notebook,” Dec. 16-28, 2025 at the Buell
- “Six,” Jan. 7-11, 2026 at the Buell
- “Water for Elephants,” Feb. 11-22, 2026 at the Buell
- “Meredith Wilson’s The Music Man,” Feb. 27-March 1, 2026 at the Buell
- “The Phantom of the Opera,” March 18-April 5, 2026 at the Buell
- “Hell’s Kitchen,” April 14-26, 2026 at the Buell
- “Hadestown,” May 5-10, 2026 at the Buell
- “MJ,” May 13-17, 2026 at the Buell
- “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child,” May 30-June 27, 2026 at the Buell
- “The Sound of Music,” July 29-Aug. 2, 2026 at the Buell
- “Beetlejuice,” Aug. 4-9, 2026 at the Buell
- “Monty Python’s Spamalot,” Aug. 11-23, 2026 at the Buell
- “The Outsiders,” Sept. 8-27, 2026 at the Buell
Colorado Symphony appoints new CEO, announces 2025/2026 season lineup
The Colorado Symphony just appointed a tech leader and former symphony board member as the organization’s new president and CEO.
Daniel Wachter, formerly the CCO and CEO of Chromatic Technologies, Inc., will step into his new role on April 1, succeeding former symphony president Mark Cantrell.
Cantrell “leaves the organization after a successful two-year tenure filled with significant achievements in artistic programming, community engagement, and financial growth,” the Colorado Symphony said in a statement. “Under Cantrell’s leadership, the Symphony expanded its partnerships, strengthened its financial position, and reached new audiences across Colorado, leaving the organization well-positioned for continued success under Wachter’s leadership.”
“Music has always been a powerful joy and force in my life – an art form that connects, inspires and unites us in ways that transcend words,” Watcher said in a statement. “I am honored to take on this serving leadership role and look forward to working alongside our musicians, board, staff, and supporters to ensure that the Colorado Symphony remains a beacon of artistic excellence and innovation in Denver and Colorado, and far beyond.”
The 2025-2026 Colorado Symphony season includes the usual mix of classics, scored film screenings, collaborations, tributes and holiday programming. Highlights include:
- “Mahler Symphony No. 9” with Andrew Litton
- “Jurassic Park” in Concert
- Beck with the Colorado Symphony (dates at Ford Amphitheatre in Colorado Springs and at Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Morrison)
- Latin Beats: Sonidos de las Américas
- BLACKSTAR Symphony: The Music of David Bowie
- “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire” in Concert
- Lang Lang with the Colorado Symphony
Things to do in Colorado this weekend
Thursday
- Colorado Poet Laureate Emeritus Bobby LeFebre presents a night of poetry and prose. The Mulliken Black Box Theater at Pikes Peak State College, 5 p.m.. 5675 S Academy Blvd, Colorado Springs. Free, with a suggested donation of non-perishable food items.
Friday
- Local bands Root Beer Richie, Big Dopes and Same Dude at Lulu’s Downtown. 32 S Tejon St., Colorado Springs. 8 p.m. $17.
Saturday
- Cirque of Fortune at Cleo Parker Robinson Theatre, 6 p.m.. 119 Park Ave W., Denver. $28+.
- Romeo & Juliet “The Choice” at the Mapleton Arts Center. 7480 Broadway, Denver. 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. showtimes. $50+.
Sunday
- Local indie film “The Flamingo Effect” screening at The Bug Theatre. 3654 Navajo St., Denver. Screening at 7 p.m. with networking starting at 5:30 p.m. $8.
All weekend
- Tony Award-winning play, “Life of Pi,” at the Denver Center for Performing Arts. 1400 Curtis St., Denver. 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. showtimes. $143+.
- “Revived” by Boulder Ballet at the Dairy ARTS Center. 2590 Walnut St., Boulder. $25+. Performances at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.
- New exhibit exploring Mexico’s invertebrates at the Butterfly Pavilion. 6252 W. 104th Ave., Westminster. Included with admission. $12+ with additional deals for SNAP recipients.
Some groups mentioned in the CO Arts Spotlight may be financial supporters of CPR News. Financial supporters have no editorial influence.
How we pick our events: CO Arts Spotlight highlights events around the state to give readers a sense of the breadth of Colorado’s arts and cultural happenings, it is not — and can not possibly be — a comprehensive list of all weekly events. Entries are not endorsements or reviews. Each week’s list is published on Thursday and is not updated.
