I continue to be blown away by the innovative business ideas in Fort Collins, CO! I’m here for a month to research this city as a place to live in retirement and I’m having a blast! There’s some really cool stuff to do here.
Last night I went to Tasty Harmony, a local restaurant on S. Mason St., just N of Oak St. The owners have generously donated their second dining room to artist and entrepreneur, Lauren Howell, for Wednesday night guided painting classes. Wow! What fun! In October, Lauren received a small grant of $1000 from Art Lab Fort Collins, which was seed money to start her new company, Gadabout Art. Art Lab FC is a whole story themselves! They turn empty store fronts in FC into places for art – a gallery, a music venue, a theatre, etc. If you have an artistic endeavor and need space for it, you can rent it from them. Not only do they provide space for local artists to host their events, they also fund local artists, such as Lauren. Art Lab FC hosts a supper club event to raise money to fund local artists’ entrepreneurial ideas. The first event, held in October 2010, provided funding for Gadabout Art. At the supper club event, diners enjoy food and hear presentations from local artists regarding his or her business idea. Afterwards, diners get to vote for their favorite business idea and the winners receive the proceeds of the night’s event. What a creative way to support local artists in FC! I should mention that Art Lab FC is not always in the same location. They are in empty stores that are for rent (or sale?) and occupy the space temporarily and for free until the owner rents or sells the space. What a great way to fill empty store fronts in FC and support local artists! The entrepreneurial spirit is not only alive and well in Fort Collins, but it is kicking butt!
Do you want to support the arts? Contact Lauren Howell about her guided painting class (more on my painting experience later…) at http://www.gadaboutart.com/. Go to www.artlabfortcollins.org for info on renting their space for your next event, their upcoming supper club event on April 23rd (tickets are $15 in advance and sell out quickly), and other upcoming events, such as the “Circle of Light Photo Project” this Saturday, 3 to 8 p.m. You just might see me there! And don’t forget a visit to Tasty Harmony www.tastyharmony.com, a local business supporting the arts in Fort Collins.
Not in Fort Collins? Check out those Web sites anyway for some very creative business ideas to bring to YOUR community.
Two thumbs up for the small business community here in Fort Collins, the innovative spirit driving it and the support they give each other. Competition is here, yes, but so is cooperation. I love this city!
 |
| Lauren Howell, founder of Gadabout Art, shows me how to paint Colorado aspens in a guided painting class. |
No comments:
Post a Comment