Two Montrose arts organizations will receive state grant funding this year, with the money helping pay for everything from theater productions to art supplies for local students.
Magic Circle Players and the Montrose Center for the Arts are among 187 organizations across Colorado selected to receive 2026 Colorado Creates grants through Colorado Creative Industries, a division of the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade.
Magic Circle Players will receive $10,000, with $5,000 coming from state funding and $5,000 from federal funding, Executive Director Lisa Rediger said.
The Montrose Center for the Arts also received a grant, although board President Pat Chaloupek said the organization received $6,000.
MCA plans to use the funding to help support its Youth Art Locker program, which allows local art teachers and other eligible youth programs to apply for funding to purchase needed art supplies.
The program launched late in 2025 and received eight applications from Montrose schools, resulting in $1,241 worth of requested art supplies being purchased. MCA has budgeted more for the program in 2026.
This year, the program has also expanded beyond public schools in the Montrose County School District to include private schools and agencies that work with youth and can demonstrate a need for art supplies.
Individual art educators and programs can request funds available to each educator or program each calendar year. Applications can be submitted throughout the year.
Chaloupek said MCA also had an opportunity to host representatives from the Colorado Creates program before receiving the grant.
“We had a group from Colorado Creates that came and visited us. We had 12 people who came out and visited here, and they awarded us the grant after that,” Chaloupek said. “We are certainly happy to be recognized by the folks from Denver.”
For Magic Circle Players, the Colorado Creates grant provides general operating support that can help cover some of the substantial costs associated with staging productions.
Rediger said musicals can cost the community theater about $15,000 each just for royalties. Magic Circle typically produces two musicals each year, and Rediger said those productions are an important part of both its season and its role as a community theater.
“Musicals are a very important part of our season,” Rediger said. “We have a responsibility as a community theater to create theater that is challenging, that does educate and entertains. And we have a responsibility to create these opportunities that appeal to families and have broad appeal.”
Magic Circle has previously received Colorado Creates funding, including while the theater was undertaking a roughly $600,000 exterior renovation.
The previous grant went toward expenses such as production royalties rather than directly funding construction, but Rediger said having those operating costs covered allowed Magic Circle to direct more of its other resources toward the renovation.
“We were able to spend the grant money on royalties, which gave us another $10,000 to put toward the remodel,” Rediger said.
Magic Circle also received support for the renovation from the Gates Family Foundation, El Pomar Foundation, the City of Montrose and DMEA, Rediger said.
Statewide, Colorado Creates grants provide one year of general operating support to arts organizations, with awards ranging from $6,000 to $14,000. Award amounts are based on each organization’s cash operating income.
The 187 organizations receiving grants this year are located in 33 Colorado counties. According to the state, 37% of the recipients are based in rural counties, a focus of the Colorado Creates program. Another 20% of recipients have annual operating budgets below $100,000.
“The creative industries contribute nearly $20 billion to Colorado’s economy and support over 120,000 jobs annually,” OEDIT Executive Director Eve Lieberman said in announcing the grants. “These arts organizations’ work strengthens our creative economy and reinforces the vital role arts and culture play in our communities.”
Colorado Creates grants are funded through a partnership between Colorado Creative Industries and the National Endowment for the Arts.
Justin Tubbs is the Montrose Business Times editor. He can be reached by email at justin@montrosebusinesstimes.com or by phone at 970-765-0915 or mobile at 254-246-2260.
