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Arts & Culture

We support our culture. And it shows.

Working together for a vibrant future. It's how we do business in Metro Denver.

 

We support our culture. And it shows.

At a time when museums, theaters, and other venues found themselves scrambling for funding, the leadership and citizens of Metro Denver voiced strong, collective support for our cultural groups. In 1988, voters approved a sales tax that earmarked one cent of every $10 to support art, historical, and scientific organizations in the seven-county Metro Denver region. 

The arts flourish in Metro Denver:

  • Colorado is home to some of the largest and preeminent cultural venues in the nation. The Denver Performing Arts Complex is the nation's largest arts complex under one roof.
  • Colorado ranked No. 6 among states for arts grant funding (National Endowment for the Arts, 2019).
  • Over the past 20 years, the Scientific and Cultural Facilities District (SCFD) has funded organizations throughout Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Broomfield, Denver, Douglas, and Jefferson Counties. A national model for funding culture, the SCFD is funded by a 1/10 of 1% sales and use tax and distributes $60 million annually to over 300 arts and culture organizations and serve a total of 15 million people. In November 2016, voters in Metro Denver overwhelmingly extended the district and tax to 2030.
  • Our regional support for arts and culture is also evident in the Colorado Business Committee for the Arts (CBCA), a 200-business member organization that helps companies leverage the arts for innovative and creative success. Launched in 1984 by local business leaders, the CBCA is one of eight affiliates of the national Business Committee for the Arts founded by David Rockefeller in 1967.
  • During the pandemic, Colorado state legislature passed House Bill 1285, which created the Colorado Arts Relief Fund. The fund awards grants to support arts, cultural and entertainment artists, crew members and organizations affected by COVID-19. The fund provided $7.5 million during its first round in early 2021 and will provide an additional $15.5 million in its second round of funding, which is still ongoing.