Public creative outlets are essential to the development of healthy communities. Festival-scale concerts, local art shows, and other types of creative events all rely on each other to sustain the creative heartbeat of a community.
Open mics are expressive spaces for musicians, poets, comedians, and spoken word artists to practice, perform, and share their material in a low-stakes environment. Over the past few months, the Collective in Snowmass Base Village has been hosting a new open mic series that is expanding on the traditional open mic style.
The Collective first opened its doors in December 2019. The current layout and concept of the space are products of trial, error, and reflection. Andy Gunion is one of the leaders in the development of Snowmass Base Village and the Collective.
“The original intent for the building (Mastodon Museum) didn’t pan out,” Gunion said. “So then we had this building without a use. What should it be? Something like the Belly Up? – where locals come to see performers from afar? The valley already has that in spades,” said Gunion.
What the development team landed on was a much more intimate space where locals, guests, and outside performers can come together to learn, connect, and share a unique experience.
“We call it a Platform for Passion,” Gunion said.
“It’s a living, breathing, evolving thing that reflects and supports our community.”
One of the events that exemplifies the intention behind the Collective is a weekly open mic series called “On the Rise.” This event has taken place every Monday from the beginning of January, and it will end on March 30th. Similar to other open mics, the hosts, Sarah Sanders and Romy Ancona, encourage participants to step in front of a microphone and give a live oral performance. However, they also encourage other types of artists to share their work. Each week, the hosts invite photographers, dancers, visual artists, and anyone else who has something to contribute up onstage. In addition to being a host, Sanders is also the Director of Events in Snowmass Base Village.
“What motivates me is seeing what happens when people are given a platform and a supportive room,” Sanders said. “These events are less about perfection and more about expression.”
The night has a relatively loose structure, meaning audience members can sign up to perform any time they feel comfortable and/or inspired.
“When people see their neighbors, coworkers, or friends share something vulnerable or beautiful on stage, it reminds us that art is everywhere,” Sanders said. “My hope is that the audience feels inspired, entertained, and maybe even encouraged to participate themselves someday.”
Not all of the inspiration and encouragement is saved for the audience. There is plenty left over for the artists as well. Aspen High School senior Eli Genshaft has been regularly performing as a guitarist/vocalist at On the Rise over the past few months.
“These open mics are so important to me because they give me an opportunity to share something that I love doing with a wider audience and with the community,” Genshaft said. “Just getting up there, sounding good, and keeping the audience engaged is my main goal.”
This is the dynamic that makes On the Rise, and creative events in general, so influential for the strength of a community. The most important aspects are a supportive audience, and a group of artists who want to provide an engaging experience. It is this mutualism that fosters genuine connections between community members. A shared love for art and creativity is all made possible by spaces like the Collective.
As this specific open mic series is coming to an end, it is important to reflect on what this event stands for and appreciate the impact that it has made on members of our community.
“We are so fortunate to share this place, and any chance we get to come together and make connections is a gift,” states On the Rise performing artist and the Viceroy Managing Director, Brian Harrier.
