The Creede Arts Council is a 501(c)(3) organization formed in 1991 by a group of local artists and performers. Our mission is to promote the arts and humanities in Creede & Mineral County through education, exhibition, and performance.
Creede, located in the San Juan Mountains, began its life as a booming silver-mining town. When the mines closed in the 1980’s, the town was left with huge unemployment and poverty rates. Over the past 30 years, the community has reinvented itself as an arts town, with economic development dependent on tourism. In 2010, Creede received the Governor’s Award for Excellence in the Arts due to the valiant efforts of the arts organizations in town, including CAC. Creede was also recognized as one of the 100 Best Small Art Towns in America by John Villani, an authority on creative communities.
Over the past 25 years, CAC has enriched our community life through several programs including school art programs, poetry gatherings, concerts, art exhibits, public art, literary publications and promoting local artists and performers. In 2010, CAC was instrumental in the revitalization of the Collins Memorial Art Park. In 2016, CAC created and presented the first public sculpture show in Mineral County.
The arts play a vital role to Creede’s economy. Tourists choose Creede & Mineral Country because of its natural resources and public lands, and the commitment to arts programming in the county. By promoting the arts in Creede, the CAC provides enrichment for residents in addition to assisting the community grow economically.