Artist-in-Residence Program

YMCA of the Rockies Summer 2023 Artist-in-Residence Artists

Look for the Artist-in-Residence around property throughout the summer! Details on each artist can be found below. 

June 18-25 National Repertory Orchestra Alumni String Quartet

The National Repertory Orchestra is a summer symphony orchestra that trains young professional musicians for careers in music through performances, masterclasses, and workshops. Originating in Estes Park in the 1960s under the name of the Blue Jeans Symphony, the NRO alumni string quartet will be returning in 2023 to YMCA of the Rockies. Comprised of two violins, a viola, and a cello, enjoy family performances and a formal concert all week long.

• Wednesday, June 21 at Legett Youth Building for Day Camp from 1:30-2:30pm
• Thursday, June 22 at Library from 10:30-11:30am for story time
• Friday, June 23 at Craft Shop 10-1am for family performance
• Saturday, June 24th at Hempel Auditorium 7-8pm for Formal Concert - OPEN TO THE PUBLIC, $5 admission fee, free for guests and YMCA of the Rockies members

June 25-July 8 Lio Bumbakini (street artist)

Lio Bumbakini is an artist who envisions the modern western experience in swaths of folkloric imagery inspired by his Congolese heritage, Belgian upbringing, and the two decades he’s now spent across the USA, in diaspora. His work often combines the abstraction of vibrant colors, the use of symbols & archetypes, and the blend of traditional African motifs with contemporary western ideas. Ranging from small works to large-scale murals - Lio’s mixed media approach spans the realms of painting, illustration, photography, decoupage, and film. Lio believes that art is the bridge that connects us all to our collective innermost self - he believes art making to be a spiritual practice. Lio has been featured or has collaborated with organizations including NYFA (New York Foundation of the Arts), The ACLU, MTV, and Urban Outfitters to name a few. Lio will be demonstrating live mural painting and drawing throughout his two-week residency.

• Monday, June 26 at Craft Shop 10am- 2pm
• Tuesday, June 27 at Library 3-5pm
• Monday, July 3 at Craft Shop 10am-12pm
• Wednesday, July 5 at Museum 3-5pm
• Thursday, July 6 at Library 7-8pm

July 9-July 22 Julie Rothschild (dance and loom)

Julie Rothschild is a Boulder, CO based movement and visual artist. Ever curious about the myriad of ways in which we move in relationship to our environments and each other, she make dances and art works in order to materialize her questions and fleeting discoveries. During her two-week residency, Julie will be demonstrating her work with a variety of looms, as well as movement performance using nature was inspiration.

• Monday, July 10 & July 17 Weaving at Library 3-5pm. You are invited to observe Artist in Residence, Julie Rothschild, working with a variety of looms and materials. Questions are welcome!
• Tuesday, July 11 & July 18 Youth Dance Making Workshop with Day Camp 1:30-3pm. Using nature as our inspiration, Julie and the campers will create an original work of choreography. 
• Thursday, July 13 & July 20 Installation/Performance at the Craft Shop 7-8pm. Julie will be presenting a movement performance and hand-woven art installation made specifically for this environment. The audience will have the option to move and observe from inside the installation. This will conclude with a Q&A.

July 23-August 5 Ben and Melissa Panter

Ben and Melissa Panter are both artist-educators from New Jersey. Ben is a landscape photographer and adjunct professor at Rutgers University. He works in digital as well as alternative photographic processes like cyanotype, pinhole, and large format. Melissa is a certified art teacher, with experience teaching art in grades K-3. She enjoys drawing, printmaking, and embroidery.  Together, they organize "Creation Journaling" gatherings, where all generations are invited to draw and observe nature together. Their passions include hiking, fishing, and exploring with their two sons, and making art about those experiences.

• Tuesday, July 25 & August 1 at Day Camp 1:30-2:30pm
• Wednesday, July 26 & August 2 at Library 7-8pm
• Friday, July 28 & August 4 at Craft Shop 12:30-2pm
• Sunday, July 30 at Dorsey Lake 8:30-10am

August 13- 26 Laurie Simmons (Musician)

Laurie Simmons is a musician, puppeteer and educator from Fort Worth, Texas.  She teaches piano, guitar and ukulele to students of all ages in her private studio and also provides music for both contemporary and traditional worship services. Laurie enjoys sharing music with people in community and feels that music is meant to be shared.  Come join the fun and experience a “hands-on” musical journey with multiple instruments! 

• Monday, August 14 at Craft Shop 10am
• Tuesday, August 15 at Day Camp 1:30-3pm
• Wednesday, August 16 at Library 3-4pm 
• Thursday, August 17 at Kathie Mennel Amphitheater
• Saturday, August 19 at Craft Shop 10am 
• Sunday, August 20 at Library 3-4pm
• Friday, August 25 at Kathie Mennel Amphitheater

August 27-September 9 Laura Pritchett (Writer)

Laura Pritchett’s fiction is rooted in the natural world—and celebrates the people who live close to it. She’s the author of six novels, two nonfiction books, and editor of three anthologies, and her work has been the recipient of the PEN USA Award, the Milkweed National Fiction Prize, the WILLA, the High Plains Book Award, and several Colorado Book Awards. She developed and directs the MFA in Nature Writing at Western Colorado University. When not writing or teaching, she’s generally found exploring the mountains of her home state of Colorado, particularly those near the ranch where she was raised. www.laurapritchett.com

“Care for the Nature Writer’s Soul” Writing Workshop: September 1 - 3, 2023

Open to all levels and genres, we will explore the basics of contemporary nature writing with four main activities; prompts to generate writing, readings from contemporary writers to provide context and community, craft lessons on the fundamentals of writing and time to share your words with others. WAIVED registration fee! Call to register: 970-586-3341 ext. 1104

• September 1 - Meet @ the Library 7-8:30 pm
• September 2 - Meet at the Museum 9am-6pm (break for lunch)
• September 3 - Meet at the Museum 9am-12pm

History of the Artist-in-Residence Program at YMCA of the Rockies 

The Camp Artist Program has existed at the YMCA of the Rockies since 1943, with our first artist, Al Wands, teaching summer art classes in exchange for a cabin. Wands, a plein air painter, shared his passion for painting with Y guests for many years.  The YMCA has a long tradition of hosting notable artists at the Estes Park center. Ruby C. McIntosh, whose work was inspired by Colorado artist Vance Kirkland, had a different approach to painting. An expressionist painter, Ruby McIntosh replaced Al Wands in 1959, and stayed at the Y as our summer artist until 1973. Most recently, our Y-Artist was muralist and plein air painter Susan K. Dailey. Susan Dailey’s murals appear throughout the Estes Park Center and can be seen in the historical Administration Building and the Lula W. Dorsey Museum. In addition, her murals can be seen adorning grain towers and buildings in agricultural towns such as Berthoud Colorado.

Using this program as inspiration, we recognize the value of having an artist on property. Financial support gives artists more freedom to create, and an opportunity to experience the Rockies in the summer. The YMCA benefits through an increased emphasis on art and culture, new experiences for guests, and programming hosted by high-quality artists and performers. It will also highlight our rich history in cultural programming, plus draw attention to our Craft and Design Center, Youth Programs, and outdoor amphitheaters.