A Letter from adsf board president

Dear Art District on Santa Fe Community,

As we approach our September First Friday this week, I’d like to take a little time to reflect on an amazing summer season! We appreciate each and every one of the thousands of visitors who come to the District and the impact you have made, both big and small, simply by showing up and supporting local artists and culture here in Denver.

As one of Colorado’s first Certified Creative Districts, the Art District on Santa Fe has spent more than two decades creating a place where art is part of the everyday life of our city. Each month, First Friday invites thousands of people to experience the artists, galleries, studios, cultural organizations, and creative businesses that make Santa Fe Drive so special.

I know firsthand how meaningful that invitation can be.

I began coming to First Fridays on Santa Fe Drive when I was in high school. At the time, I was simply a young person who loved art. Walking through the District gave me the opportunity to see real, working artists creating, exhibiting, selling their work, and building lives around their creative practices. It showed me that a life in the arts was possible.

Those early experiences helped lead me toward my own career in the arts and a lifelong commitment to supporting artists. Years later, it is incredibly meaningful to now serve as Board President of the Art District on Santa Fe and help steward the same creative community that had such an impact on me.

That is why the work we do matters.

Maybe you came to your first First Friday this summer. Maybe you have been walking Santa Fe Drive for decades. Maybe you are an artist, know an artist, have purchased a piece that now hangs in your home, discovered a favorite gallery here, or simply believe that a vibrant city is one where artists have the opportunity to thrive.

However you found your way to this community, you are a part of it.

This fall, I hope you will consider furthering your impact by making a gift to the Art District on Santa Fe. Your support helps us create opportunities for emerging artists, strengthen our creative community, and ensure that Santa Fe Drive remains a place where people can encounter art, and perhaps discover a future they had never imagined for themselves.

I know that can happen, because it happened to me.

Thank you for visiting, creating, collecting, volunteering, sharing, and showing up for this community. Together, we can ensure that the Art District on Santa Fe remains a place for art, culture, access, and community for years to come.

Sincerely,