Community Highlights: Meet Amy Kimberly of Carbondale Arts

Today we’d like to introduce you to Amy Kimberly. 

Hi Amy, so excited to have you on the platform. So, before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I started out in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania as a child of creatives. My mother was very active in demonstrations against the Vietnam War and Civil Rights and I grew up as a junior hippie, sure that our world was changing for the better due to marches, Martin Luther King, the Beatles, and revolution. Theater was my place for expression and I was ready to express. I ended up going to Webster College, majoring in theater, but soon found a yearning to head west, dropping out of college and traveling to the Bay Area. There I started a theater company, grew magic mushrooms, and got married. This journey ended up taking me to Telluride Colorado where I invested in a nightclub, Fly Me to the Moon Saloon. This was the mid 80’s and the heyday of jam bands…Phish, Widespread Panic, Spin Doctors, String Cheese Incident, Galactic, Sublime, and many, many more passed through our doors. During this time, I raised two beautiful daughters and remained true to my hippie roots, which led me to nonprofit work. While running the club I took on the position of Executive Director of Telluride Arts for five years. From there I became Executive Director of the Telluride AIDS Benefit, expanding our reach from the Western Slope of Colorado to Denver Children’s Hospital and into Swaziland Africa, which TAB still continues to support. During this time, I also helped create Telluride Nightgrass, the late-night side of the Telluride Bluegrass Festival, of which I worked as ARTIST relations for 21 years. I also worked for The Telluride Film Festival, Taos Solar Music Festival, Rocky Grass, and Lyons Folk Fest. I moved to Carbondale in September of 2001 as I was preparing to present at the International Conference on AIDS in Miami. Unfortunately, that opportunity never happened due to 9/11. I continued my nonprofit work in Carbondale as Development Director for KDNK Community Radio and hosted a popular music show called The Shimmy Shack. I began working with Carbondale Arts in 2004 as Director of The Carbondale Mountain Fair, one of the original Colorado hippie festivals, now in its 51st year, and soon became Executive Director of Carbondale Arts in 2011. I still help produce a festival in Palisade Colorado called the Palisade Bluegrass and Roots Fest. Muti genre arts and nonprofit work is my passion but music is a close second. 

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It is never smooth being a single mother of two with an addictive spouse and running a nightclub but we managed to create lots of good memories along the way. Also, living in a resort town has its challenges. One of my daughters had a difficult time fitting into the Telluride scene and that eventually brought us to Carbondale and the Colorado Rocky Mountain School. This was a life changer as we really found a sense of belonging in Carbondale. I say this town is my “muse” and has allowed my girls and I to become the people we are today. I still feel the struggle of civil rights, inclusion, and equality and, no matter how good my life has become, this issue is still more challenging and immediate than ever. 

Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Carbondale Arts?
Carbondale Arts just celebrated 50 years. Our mission is building community through art and we are dedicated to creating opportunity around unity. The Carbondale Mountain Fair is the crown jewel of Carbondale summers. This people-powered festival is free and features over 120 arts and crafts vendors and three days of great music, spoken word, circus arts, and family entertainment. Carbondale Arts is located in The Launchpad, a Space for the Arts, also housing a gallery, performance, and movement arts spaces, and a gift shop. Carbondale became a certified Creative District in 2016 and Carbondale Arts oversees the district, wrapping our arms around all the creativity emerging here, working with our local government, business, artists, Chamber, and Tourism entities to create a unified vision for Carbondale that keeps us all thriving. We create several renowned experiences in Carbondale that bring many diverse people together including Green Is the New Black Fashion Extravaganza featuring sustainable fashion and dance, The Garden Music Series, and Dia de Los Muertos. The Rio Grande ARTway, a one-mile stretch of paved bike trail through Carbondale, is an ongoing placemaking project of Carbondale Arts and, to top it all off, we have our Rosybelle, mobile maker bus, that travels the valley bringing opportunity to youth. Continuing the vision of which this organization was born, and strengthening it through new programming and expanded outreach, has been my strength as a director. Many of my days are spent talking with creatives who want to take a leap to follow their passion and giving them tools to do so. We spread inspiration like seeds and watch what grows. I could clearly see a path forward through the state Creative District program and collaboration with our town government and other entities, to forge a cohesive vision and brand for Carbondale. This brand has attracted fresh interest from our neighboring communities like Basalt and Aspen, and has positioned Carbondale as “a place people want to be”. Unfortunately, the cost of living in our valley is threatening the community we are building so advocating for more affordable housing and live/work spaces is crucial to the success of this vision. 

What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
Collaboration is key. There is not a project that we do that does not take collaboration of some kind. Not only is it key to our success but it’s just about my favorite way to create. That being said, collaboration is not always easy and takes lots of good communication and insight. 

Contact Info:

• Email: amy@carbondalearts.com
• Website: www.carbondalearts.com and www.carbondalecreativedistrict.com
• Instagram: carbondalearts and carbondalecreativedistrict
• Facebook: Carbondale Arts and Carbondale Creative District

Image Credits:
Sarah Overbeck
Eric Allen
Renee Ramge