TODAY · 4:00pm
Reading Buddies at NoBo
NoBo Library
TODAY · 6:00pm
Making It: Boulder Arts Business Cohort Pitch Session and Showcase
Thursday, October 29 at Boulder Public Library Canyon Theater, Boulder
About this event
Event Details Making It: Boulder Arts Business Cohort Pitch Session and Showcase Date: Thursday, October 29, 2026 Time: 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Location: Boulder Public Library, Canyon Theater Cost: Free, and includes light refreshments Registration: Please RSVP. About the Event Meet the artists of the Boulder Arts Business Cohort as they share their creative practices and plans for growth. Over eight weeks, cohort members worked with the City of Boulder Office of Arts and Culture and the Boulder Small Business Development Center (SBDC) to build the skills and tools that support a sustainable creative career. At this celebratory evening, each participant will present a short pitch about their work, their business model and where they are headed next. This is a chance for community members to discover new work, meet local artists, and hear from national leaders in arts and culture about what it takes to build a thriving creative practice. Featured Guests Following brief remarks, a panel of guest respondents will offer reflections and advice for artists building sustainable practices: Michael Bobbitt, President and CEO, OPERA America Frances Pollock, Director, Cultural Innovation Lab at Yale Michael Uy, Director, American Music Research Center, University of Colorado Boulder Accessibility The Boulder Arts Blueprint envisions a Boulder where every community member, regardless of age, ability, income or background, can access creative experiences. To request an accommodation or interpretation services for any Office of Arts and Culture events, contact culturalplan@bouldercolorado.gov at least three business days in advance. Contact Cindy Sepucha, sepuchac@bouldercolorado.gov
Who's playing
The presenters are the artists of the inaugural cohort, a group that works in photography, music, tattooing, bookmaking, pottery, painting, stained glass, poetry and fiber arts. They trained with the City of Boulder Office of Arts and Culture and the Boulder Small Business Development Center. The respondent panel has Michael Bobbitt of OPERA America, Frances Pollock of Yale's Cultural Innovation Lab, and Michael Uy of CU Boulder's American Music Research Center.
What to expect
After brief remarks, each cohort member gives a short pitch covering their work, their business model and their next steps. The guest panel then offers reflections and advice for artists building sustainable practices. Light refreshments are served. The Canyon Theater is a 190-seat room in the library's north building, with a raised stage and a projection screen, so the pitches are easy to see and hear.
Why go
The cohort covered pricing, budgeting, legal structure, marketing and funding, and this evening shows what the artists did with those lessons. You can meet working Boulder artists and see a wide range of crafts in one sitting. The city also calls the evening a celebration of the program's first group. The advice from the visiting arts leaders is useful to anyone trying to make a living from creative work.
Where
Boulder Public Library Canyon Theater · 1001 Arapahoe Ave · Downtown, Boulder CODirections
