I think that artistic experiences fuel wellness. — Scott Levy
Music, dance, art and poetry are blooming like mountain wildflowers at the 15th annual Green Box Arts Festival in Green Mountain Falls.
This year’s festival, which opened June 30 and runs through July 15, is bigger, better and more innovative than ever, with more than 80 scheduled events, Green Box Executive Director Scott Levy said.
The hallmark event of Green Box’s year-round programming, the festival presents a variety of exhibitions, theater, movies, dance performances, classes, workshops, camps, conversations with creatives and special events like a Fourth of July block party and water lantern launch at Gazebo Lake.
Five new public art installations have been added to the existing eight works in town, and patrons can access an audio walking tour and map to view them and learn about Green Mountain Falls’ history and architecture. The James Turrell-designed Skyspace, an installation perched on a butte above Gazebo Lake that integrates nature, Turell’s light art in a structure topped by an oculus, debuted last year and is expected to continue attracting many viewers.
A map of festival locations is available here.
“We have a lot more live music this year, and we have developed a health and wellness track in our programming, which incudes almost daily hikes and daily yoga sessions and even private fitness training at the Keith Haring fitness courts,” Levy said.
It might seem that health and wellness are a little outside the box. But given Green Box’s commitment to the Green Mountain Falls community, there’s a connection, Levy said. The festival has provided yoga classes for several years, so expanding fitness offerings seemed like a natural extension.
“We always existed in a place where nature and art intersect,” he said. “Because there are so many wonderful trails here, we thought this was an interesting area for us to explore. And I think that artistic experiences fuel wellness.”
Another new feature is a Friday, July 14, book club discussion focusing on Dee Brown’s 1970 book, “Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee.” Brent Learned, a Native American artist based in Oklahoma, will lead the discussion.
This year’s artists in residence, the Paul Taylor Dance Company, will perform several times during the festival. In addition, Levy said, the company is in rehearsal with Green Box’s co-founder, internationally renowned dancer and choreographer Larry Keigwin, who has been commissioned to create a new ballet that will premiere at New York City’s Lincoln Center in the fall.
Another highlight is Theatreworks’ performance of Shakespeare’s “Pericles” at 1 p.m. Saturday, July 1, at Mountain Road Corner.
The festival closes Saturday, July 15, with the third annual ArtDesk pooch parade around Gazebo Lake and a block party at the Farm Stand.
Space is limited at some of the venues, and some are already sold out, so Levy encourages patrons to access the festival website to plan their visit and register in advance.
Although the festival ends in mid-July, Green Box’s celebration of the arts continues throughout the year.
Four artists have been in residence during the first half of the year, and three more will come to Green Mountain Falls after the festival, Levy said.
Edwin Ushiro, a Hawaii native who lives in Southern California, will arrive Sept. 1 for a monthlong residency. Ushiro’s credits include work in the entertainment industry as a concept designer, storyboard artist and illustrator, and his style is reminiscent of animé, Levy said.
“My artwork focuses around mythology and oral traditions,” Ushiro said. “I’m hoping to reach out to the community and collect their stories of the supernatural and have it preserved as illustrations during my residency.”
These stories “are a way to connect us to history, so whenever a story is shared with me, I try to get an understanding of the time period,” he said.
Ushiro wants to start discovering stories of ghosts and legends of the Pikes Peak region now and will use them to create a large installation that will be displayed on Lake Street during the winter.
If you have a story you’d like to share with Ushiro, connect with him through email at ed@mrushiro.com.
