Colorado Creative Industries

06/03/2026

The 2026 CCI Summit is in full swing! Welcome to Trinidad Colorado!

06/02/2026

Leading through art and advocacy.

Meet Ashley Cornelius, recipient of the 2026 Arts & Advocacy Award and one of this year’s honorees at the Governor’s Creative Leadership Awards Luncheon during the Colorado Creative Industries Summit in Trinidad this week.

An award-winning spoken word poet, licensed therapist, and the first Black Poet Laureate of the Pikes Peak Region, Ashley uses poetry as a tool for healing, activism, and collective liberation. Through her leadership with Poetry719 and her work across Colorado and beyond, she continues to amplify marginalized voices and demonstrate the power of art to inspire change.

05/28/2026

The 2026 CCI Summit Guide is Live!

From film screenings, literary summits, to public art, performances, workshops, networking, and downtown activations, the Create Trinidad Creative District will be alive with creativity from June 3-5, with programming beginning Wednesday evening!

When you download the Whova app, you can:
- Explore the Summit schedule
- Start building your agenda
- Connect with attendees and plan meetups
- Discover exhibitions, tours, screenings, and activations
- Get acquainted with downtown Trinidad before you arrive

Don't miss:
- The Welcoming Reception at the Museum
- The SOCO Skateland After Party hosted by and
- Pop-Up performances by Starry Night Productions on the Trolleys
- The Pinon Canyon Exhibition at the A.R. Mitchel Museum

Tap the link in our bio for the 2026 CCI Summit Visitor Guide!

05/05/2026

Are you a local changemaker collaboratively working to build a better Colorado through arts and culture?

CCI is now accepting applications for CO Change Leaders, a leadership program designed to build effective, ethical leaders and leadership pipelines for stronger communities working together across the state. Applications are open through July 05, 2026.

Apply or send to leader in your community! Learn more about program commitments, timeline, and structure by tapping the link in our bio.

05/04/2026

The OEDIT Portal Applicant Guide for Colorado Creative Industries provides step-by-step instruction for setting up an account, managing existing accounts, submitting reports and viewing submitted materials.

We strongly recommend setting up your account early, confirming access ahead of application deadlines, and drafting your application responses in a separate document.

After reviewing the guide, if you are still encountering any technical issues or need additional support, please contact CCI Grants and Accessibility Manager Katy Zeigler, at [email protected].

Review the guide: https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vTR7jXtaSQVeuBmiH35UGMnexR1H0khJED750Oo4PSvLRiXbLMHJNnSzpsEkExi4gEkt6fytuDwJXXv/pub .npaue146aojh

05/04/2026

The 2026 CCI Summit is officially Sold Out!

We're incredibly excited to welcome a full house to the C R E A T E Trinidad Creative District!

Didn't get a ticket? Stay connected with us by signing-up for the CCI Newsletter for the latest updates on grants, opportunities, and regional arts news.

Upcoming Announcements
- The release of the full CCI Summit schedule and program.
- The Governor's Creative Leadership Award Honorees.
- Plans for the 2027 & 2028 statewide convenings!

Stay tuned!

05/01/2026

When poetry moves you!�Meet Selma Abdalla, Colorado’s 2026 Poetry Ourselves State Winner with .co.

A student at DSST Green Valley Ranch High School, Selma’s original poem “To Her Immigrant Parents” is a lyrical exploration of borders, belonging, and the questions we inherit.

Filmed at the at , this performance brings her words to life in a space dedicated to community and creativity.

Submissions came from young writers across the state, and Selma’s voice rose to the top—honest, lyrical and deeply human.

On the final day of National Poetry Month, we’re taking a moment to reflect on the power of young voices, the stories that shape us, and the questions that still ask something of us.

04/29/2026

DB Henderson proudly represented Colorado at the National Poetry Out Loud Semifinals in Washington, D.C. this evening. Making it to the third round, here he recites “The Tide Rises, The Tide Falls” by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.

While he did not advance to the finals, we celebrate his talent, dedication, and the courage it takes to perform on a national stage. We’re proud of you, DB!

A special thank you to coach and Colorado Springs Poet Laureate Ashley Cornelius for her guidance and support.

Tune in to the National Finals streaming April 29 at arts.gov, at 7 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. MT

Hosted by actress Justine “Icy” Moral, the evening will culminate with the announcement of the 2026 Poetry Out Loud National Champion.

04/27/2026

Celebrating National Poetry Month with Colorado Poet Laureate Crisosto Apache at the Untitled Artist Takeover. This past week, Apache performed “Gahé Dzíl Mountain Spirits,” after a reflection inspired by Judy Watson’s painting “Black Ground” (1989), currently on view in The Stars We Do Not See: Australian Indigenous Art exhibition.

The poem appears in their recent book called is(ness).

04/27/2026

Honoring Josephine Lobato (1936–2026), San Luis Valley artist, cultural historian, and one of only three National Heritage Fellows from Colorado. A master of traditional Colcha embroidery, she preserved generations of cultural memory through her work. Her legacy lives on in every stitch she shared and every artist she inspired.

Acclaimed San Luis Valley folk artist, National Heritage fellow, dies at age 90