Thinking Outside the Box

The Rocky Mountain Foundry aims to be a Mecca for Northern Colorato artists -- all it needs now is money and a location.

http://www.fortcollinsweekly.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=127&Itemid=35

Greg Campbell
Fort Collins Weekly
September 2006

Imagine this: Tucked somewhere amidst Old Town’s meticulously kept turn-of-the-century homes and its newly constructed loft towers—each eagerly competing with cities like Boulder, Aspen and Vail in terms of ever increasing real estate values—is a collection of decidedly singular homes that are not only highly coveted for their uniquely minimalist architectural style but which are also permanently affordable.

In a city where affordability is an ever-present concern, that would be interesting enough in itself … but now imagine if this collection of homes were made almost entirely of recycled material and housed some of Fort Collins’ most creative artists working in fields as varied as metalsmithing and woodworking, glassblowing and weaving.

Lastly, imagine this collective of working artists opening their efforts to the community at large, creating a living museum of sorts dedicated to the arts, where people can see the creative process in action, view completed works displayed at a community gallery and even try their own hand at sculpting or painting.

If this sounds like the sort of conversation you might overhear at a coffee shop among artists griping about the cost of housing and resources … well, you may have. That’s precisely how the idea for the Rocky Mountain Foundry germinated and was nurtured, with friends batting around a combination of ideas and utopian fantasies for artists to find communal support in pursuit of their crafts.

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