Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Cultural Arts Commission?

The Cultural Arts Commission is a body created and chartered by the Englewood City Council to oversee public art in the community.

In addition, the Commission was mandated to define the desired cultural environment of the community, to set specific goals, and to develop a strategic plan for achieving those goals. These efforts include studies of the community by communicating with organizations within the City and the Metro area, with individuals knowledgeable and interested in the arts, and with the City Council. The plan thus established is reviewed periodically by the City Council, and by the other organizations involved, to ensure a comprehensive and complementary cultural view of the community.

What will be the role of Englewood Arts in the Arts Center?

The Cultural Arts Commission initiated the creation of the Englewood Cultural Arts Center Association (Englewood Arts) as a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. The Association, under contract with the City, will manage the Cultural Arts Center and act as its Governing Board. The Board of Trustees will:

- Oversee the operations of the Center including programming, scheduling and issues with artistic implications;

- Direct fund raising efforts and ensure fiscal responsibility;

- Involve a wide range of constituents, including representatives of the community’s ethnic groups, in its organizational structure to provide input on Center operating policies;

- Include representation with special emphasis on financial and management expertise, as well as fund raising capability;
Include artistic leaders and management representatives of resident organizations and of leading community groups;
Include high-level volunteer leadership from arts groups, resident organizations and civic constituencies; and
Include representation from the Englewood School District.

This unique model will serve to create not only a magnificent Center for Englewood and the surrounding communities, but will draw regional and national attention to the revitalization of one of Denver’s founding cities.

Within the acceleration of metro Denver’s growth, the community will greatly benefit from a new attractive entertainment and learning facility. The proposed Center, located in the heart of historic downtown Englewood, will have easy accessibility by car, bus, light rail, and foot traffic.

Where is the Englewood Cultural Arts Center Building Site?

The Englewood Urban Renewal Authority (EURA), in conjunction with the Community Development Office of Englewood, has designated a parcel of land in historic downtown Englewood as the building site for the Cultural Arts Center. The proposed site is in the 3400 block of South Acoma Street – The Acoma Property. It offers space for a 50,000 square foot building with views of the mountains, visible from two major city arteries and is adjacent to a small public park, with ample open space surrounding the center and easy parking nearby.

Former President John F. Kennedy stated, "I see little of more importance to the future of our country and of civilization than full recognition of the place of the artist. If art is to nourish the roots of our culture, society must set the artist free to follow his/her vision wherever it takes him/her."

Author Eric Jensen supported these thoughts by stating "the most significant learning occurs when emotions are integrated with instruction because all body systems are united. The arts are strongly linked to emotions, enhancing the likelihood that students will remember something."

In his book Teaching with the Brain in Mind, Eric Jensen discusses the power of movement as an element in learning: "Give a school daily dance, music, drama, and visual art instruction where there is considerable movement, and you might get a miracle."

Henry James supported these thoughts by writing "It is art that makes life, makes interest, makes importance, and I know of no substitute whatever for the force and beauty of its process."

Former Secretary of Education, Richard Riley stated, "I have long believed in the important role that music and the arts can play in helping students learn, achieve, and succeed. Education in theatre, dance and the visual arts is one of the most creative ways we have to find the gold that is buried just beneath the surface. They (children) have an enthusiasm for life, a spark of creativity and vivid imagination that need training…training that prepares them to become confident young men and women."

Henry Miller stated, "Art teaches nothing, except the significance of life."

The arts are essential parts of the human experience, they are not a frill. We recommend that all students study the arts to discover how human beings communicate not only with words, but through music, dance, and the visual arts. During our visits (to schools) we found the arts to be shamefully neglected. Courses in the arts were the last to come and the first to go.

Dr. Ernest Boyer
The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching

Paul Ricouer says, "The arts offer us models for the redescription of the
world. They attach us to others, to our history, and to ourselves by
providing a tapestry rich with threads of time, place, character, and even
advice on what we might do with our lives."

The Arts are an essential part of public education. From dance and music to theatre and the visual arts, the arts give children a unique means of expression, capturing their passions and emotions, and allowing them to explore new ideas, subject matter, and cultures. They bring us joy in every aspect of our lives.

Arts education not only enhances students' understanding of the world around them, but it also broadens their perspective on traditional academics. The arts give us the creativity to express ourselves, while challenging our intellect. The arts integrate life and learning for all students and are integral in the development of the whole person.

The Arts communicate and speak to us in ways that teach literacy and enhance our lives. We must continue to find a place for arts programs and partnerships not only for what it teaches students about art, but for what it teaches us all about the world we live in.

--Dr. Terry Bergeson, State Superintendent of Public Instruction,
Washington State, November 2001