Cultural Community Programs#
Program at a Glance
Cultural Community Programs, envisioned in the 2019 FoCo Creates Arts and Culture Master Plan, aim to integrate arts and culture experiences into the Fort Collins community. The Program supports local artists and creates opportunities for community members to connect with local artists, dabble in all types of artmaking, and even learn about diverse cultures.
The Program uses the following approaches to develop a range of arts and cultural experiences, from small neighborhood engagements, to large special events.
- Co-creation: Nearly every program or event the Program plans or supports is designed by local artists and/or with community input.
- Pop-ups: By activating underutilized public spaces or assets like neighborhood parks and school parking lots, pop-ups allow the Program to reach community members where they already are. Pop-ups are usually brief and have featured all types of art, from printmaking to music, dance to photography, and much more.
- Supporting external partners: Many non-profits, schools, neighborhoods, or informal organizations plan events and programming. The Program supports some of these initiatives by compensating artists, or even recruiting the right artists to plug in to support externally-driven projects.
- Curation: The Program curates every experience by becoming familiar with the Fort Collins creative scene and integrating artists into initiatives for the of art form fit based and a projects goals.
Past Programming#
The collapsible sections below include archived lists of Cultural Community Programs' past programming by year. Open a section to view a list of past programming.
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![A local artist vends at Harmony in Diversity in Feb. 2025.]()
In 2025, Cultural Community Programs supported or initiated the following programs:
- Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day celebrations in partnership with Black Professionals Network
- Asian Lunar New Year in partnership with Unified Workforce
- Harmony in Diversity exhibit and special event at Center for Creativity
- International Women's Day proclamation reception
- Spring into Artmaking in partnership with CSU's Arts Management Program
- Cirque du Slay in partnership with Poudre Libraries
- Asian American Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander Heritage Month proclamation reception
- to speak and to thrive exhibit at Center for Creativity
- Fort Collins Pride in partnership with Fort Collins Pride, Inc.
- Spoken word event in partnership with local artists
- Juneteenth in partnership with Black Professionals Network
- FoCo POP in partnership with City of Fort Collins Cultural Services
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![Drag artist Ambrose performing for Teatro Latino]()
In 2024, Cultural Community Programs supported and initiated the following programming:
- Weekly programming with Boys and Girls Clubs of Larimer County
- Winter Bike to Work Day in partnership with the City's Community Services
- Asian Lunar New Year in partnership with Unified Workforce
- Cultural Enrichment Center opening
- Black History Month proclamation reception
- Hair and Fashion Show in partnership with CSU's Black African American Cultural Center
- Asian American Pacific Islander and Desi American Heritage Month proclamation reception
- Annual Lu'au in partnership with CSU's Asian American Pacific Islander Cultural Center
- Creative Confluence in partnership with CSU's Arts Management Program
- Belong in partnership with La Familia
- Art at the Stops transit-oriented pop-up series
- Petrichor Collective spring workshop series in partnership with Petrichor Collective
- Pop-up dances with CSU's Dance Department
- Pride Performing Arts event in partnership with Full Expression Dance Collective
- Unity Portraits photography pop-up series
- Race Amity Day in partnership with Fort Collins Baha'i
- Summer BBQs in partnership with CARE Housing
- Juneteenth in partnership with Black Professionals Network
- Boys and Girls Club Summer of Discovery Art Week
- Wearable Wonders fashion and textiles pop-up series
- Bimonthly programming with Murphy Center and Homeward Alliance
- Chalk the Block illustration and chalking pop-up series
- Teatro Latino bilingual theatre pop-up series
- MidAutumn Festival
- Capoeira Roda in partnership with Capoeira Canavial
- Diwali in partnership with CSU's Asian American Pacific Islander Cultural Center
- Trans Day of Remembrance proclamation reception
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![Full Expression Collective dancers after a performance in Lee Martinez Park]()
In 2023, Cultural Community Programs supported or initiated the following programs::
- Weekly programming with Boys and Girls Clubs of Larimer County
- Our Animal Body sculptural and literary arts project in partnership with local artists
- GPS in partnership with CSU's Black African American Cultural Center
- Winter Bike to Work Day in partnership with the City's Community Services
- Larry & Joe live performance in partnership with ISAAC
- United Men of Color's annual celebration in partnership with CSU's Black African American Cultural Center
- Hair and Fashion Show in partnership with CSU's Black African American Cultural Center
- Dancing in our Sorrow and Joy dance pop-up series in partnership with Full Expression Dance Collective
- Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month screen printing pop-up series in partnership with CSU's Asian American Pacific Islander Cultural Center
- Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month proclamation reception
- Pop up dance performances in partnership with CSU's Dance Department
- Let's Ride transit-oriented poetry pop-up series
- Mother's Day portraits in partnership with ISAAC
- Magical Masquerade in partnership with Poudre Libraries
- Open Streets in partnership with City's FC Moves Department
- Rainbow Rhythms music-by-bike pop-up series
- Race Amity Day in partnership with Fort Collins Baha'i
- Juneteenth in partnership with Black Professionals Network
- Boys and Girls Club Summer of Discovery Art Week
- Chalk art pop-up series
- Summer BBQs in partnership with CARE Housing
- Popsicles in the Park in partnership with they City's Recreation Department
- ImpressIt print making pop-up series
- Neighborhood Night Out
- Hispanic Heritage Month proclamation reception
- Las Serenatas bilingual music pop-up series
- Hispanic Heritage Month in partnership with the City's Equity Office
- Self Care Fair in partnership with Museum of Discovery
- Bitter Moon in partnership with Alpine Arts Collective
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![Liz Barnez playing guitar along the Poudre Trail at Lee Martinez Park]()
In 2022, Cultural Community Programs supported or initiated the following programs during it's inaugural year:
- Native American singing and dancing at Whitewater Park
- Artist inclusions with Poudre Libraries Bookmobile in partnership with Museum of Discovery
- Rogers Park annual block party
- Redwood Meadows Neighborhood Night Out in partnership with the City's Neighborhood Services Department
- Harmony Village community event
- Latine and Hispanic Heritage Month with Studio Colombia in partnership with CSU's El Centro
- Open Fort Collins in partnership with the City's Natural Areas Department
- Open Streets in partnership with the City's FC Moves Department
- Performances in the Parks classical music pop-up series
- CARE Housing 30th Anniversary celebration
- Community Dances pop-up dance performances in partnership with CSU's Dance Department
- Harmony Village Fall Festival
- Weekly programming with Boys and Girls Clubs of Larimer County
Gallery#
Click through images of various Cultural Community Programs from 2022 through present. Below the gallery, you'll find select videos created in partnership with the City's Communications and Public Involvement Office.
Susan Zhang and Rieko Tsuchida of The Concert Truck perform at Fossil Creek Park during FoCo POP in July 2025.
Grammy-winning Okee Dokee Brothers perform to 1,000 community members in Library Park to kick off FoCo POP (Parks and Outdoor Performances) in June 2025.
SF1 performs at the Center for Creativity during Harmony in Diversity in February 2022 surrounded by an art exhibit of the same title.
Denver Taiko performs during 2025 Asian Lunar New Year event.
Banda la Patrona performs at Gardens on Spring Creek during 2024 Latine and Hispanic Heritage Month celebration.
A community member creates chalk art at Skyview Mobile Home Park during Chalk the Block chalk art pop-up series in August 2024.
Drag artist Krisa Gonna accepts the June 2024 Pride Month proclamation from Mayor Arndt after performing in City Hall.
Ryan Stover creates art at University MAX station during Art at the Stops transit-oriented pop-up series in May 2024.
Ping Dou and her Taiji students perform in City Hall for Asian American Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander Heritage Month proclamation reception in April 2024.
Elisa Garcia performs during Las Serenatas pop-ups in Alta Vista in September 2023.
Community members create prints with artist Chelsea Ermer during ImressIt pop-up in August 2023.
Students make jewelry with artist Amanda Laudermilch in August 2023 during a Recreation Department back-to-school event.
Aerica Raven chalks at Avery Park in July 2023.
Local musician Alysia Kraft serenades community members during Rainbow Rhythms in June 2023.
Poet Cori Storb sets up at W. Elizabeth and S. Taft Hill Rd. during May 2023's Let's Ride series.
CSU dance students perform at Old Town Library with the Library's all-electric mobile library, Evie, in May 2023.
Graphic artist Seojung Lee instructs a community member on t-shirt screen printing at Funktional in April 2023.
Belly dancer Kisha Witty performs during Dancing in Our Sorrow and Joy in April 2023.
A community member helps assemble a collaborative community poem titled Our Animal Body in March 2023.
Musician Russick Smith performs at Sugar Beet Park in September 2022 during the Programs first pop-up series.
CSU dance students perform at Buckingham Park in November 2022.
Members of Studio Colombia perform on CSU campus for 2022 Latin Hispanic Heritage Month.
Members of the Iron Family Singers and Dancers perform during the Programs first activation on June 21, 2022.
Susan Zhang and Rieko Tsuchida of The Concert Truck perform at Fossil Creek Park during FoCo POP in July 2025.
Grammy-winning Okee Dokee Brothers perform to 1,000 community members in Library Park to kick off FoCo POP (Parks and Outdoor Performances) in June 2025.
SF1 performs at the Center for Creativity during Harmony in Diversity in February 2022 surrounded by an art exhibit of the same title.
Denver Taiko performs during 2025 Asian Lunar New Year event.
Banda la Patrona performs at Gardens on Spring Creek during 2024 Latine and Hispanic Heritage Month celebration.
A community member creates chalk art at Skyview Mobile Home Park during Chalk the Block chalk art pop-up series in August 2024.
Drag artist Krisa Gonna accepts the June 2024 Pride Month proclamation from Mayor Arndt after performing in City Hall.
Ryan Stover creates art at University MAX station during Art at the Stops transit-oriented pop-up series in May 2024.
Ping Dou and her Taiji students perform in City Hall for Asian American Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander Heritage Month proclamation reception in April 2024.
Elisa Garcia performs during Las Serenatas pop-ups in Alta Vista in September 2023.
Community members create prints with artist Chelsea Ermer during ImressIt pop-up in August 2023.
Students make jewelry with artist Amanda Laudermilch in August 2023 during a Recreation Department back-to-school event.
Aerica Raven chalks at Avery Park in July 2023.
Local musician Alysia Kraft serenades community members during Rainbow Rhythms in June 2023.
Poet Cori Storb sets up at W. Elizabeth and S. Taft Hill Rd. during May 2023's Let's Ride series.
CSU dance students perform at Old Town Library with the Library's all-electric mobile library, Evie, in May 2023.
Graphic artist Seojung Lee instructs a community member on t-shirt screen printing at Funktional in April 2023.
Belly dancer Kisha Witty performs during Dancing in Our Sorrow and Joy in April 2023.
A community member helps assemble a collaborative community poem titled Our Animal Body in March 2023.
Musician Russick Smith performs at Sugar Beet Park in September 2022 during the Programs first pop-up series.
CSU dance students perform at Buckingham Park in November 2022.
Members of Studio Colombia perform on CSU campus for 2022 Latin Hispanic Heritage Month.
Members of the Iron Family Singers and Dancers perform during the Programs first activation on June 21, 2022.
Cultural Community Program Video Highlights#
2024 Black History Month
On February 20, 2024, the City issued the 2024 Black History Month proclamation, received by members of the Cultural Enrichment Center. Youth members engaged with the public prior to the proclamation during a reception highlighting the CEC. Youth prepared information about local historical Black figures and families who had an impact on the Fort Collins community to speak to during the reception. View video here.
2023 Latine and Hispanic Heritage Month
To celebrate the 2023 Latiné and Hispanic Heritage Month proclamation, the City of Fort Collins Cultural Community Program and Equity Office hosted a community reception on September 19 featuring Fort Collins photographer Yamel Alfaro and her portrait project titled The Chair, a series of portraits of local women of color. The chair, 23 portraits, and accompanying biographies were shown in City Hall before the proclamation was read. See the highlight video here, y en español.
ImpressIt Printmaking Pop-ups
Throughout August 2023, Cultural Community Programs popped up at nine public locations with various local artists to facilitate print making activities with community members. Learn more about the engagement and hear from artists involved in the video here.
Contact us#
For more information about current or past programming, contact Nick Heimann, Cultural Community Programs Manager, at nheimann@fcgov.com.
We welcome introductions from creatives, and while we can't reply to all inquiries immediately, rest assured—we'll be in touch when programming aligns.