40 WEST ARTS DISTRICT WELCOMES BLAKE BALLARD AS NEW ARTIST IN RESIDENCE IN 2021

Lakewood, CO – 40 West Arts District welcomes Blake Ballard (he/him) as our second 2021-2022 Artist in Residence, beginning in August 2021. As a 40 West Arts Districts Artist in Residence, Blake will lead free programming and inclusive art workshops for the West Colfax community. His tenure will focus on implementing art projects along the 40 West ArtLine, as well as a variety of beginner-friendly crafting workshops from punch needle embroidery to crochet (or even printmaking!).

Blake, an Academic Advisor at Rocky Mountain College of Art & Design, enters his role as a 40 West Artist in Residence with community at the forefront. “The last year has been challenging for everyone and I looked to my community for inspiration. 40 West Arts District is an extension of that community and I hope to contribute my time, energy, and passion with this Artist in Residence program.” Blake made his debut in the District at 40 West Arts 10 Year Anniversary on August 6th.

“We are honored to partner with Lakewood Methodist Church to bring Blake on board in 2021. Blake’s vibrancy and positivity align exactly with our mission here at 40 West Arts, and we can’t wait to see his work with the West Colfax Community,” says Executive Director Liz Back. “This partnership allows us to bring more arts and culture programming to Lakewood West Colfax, and we are grateful for this opportunity, so we’d like to extend our thanks to both Lakewood Methodist Church, and Blake .”

The 40 West Artist in Residence program hosts free classes, open studio hours, and First Friday craft-making projects during the year. Courses and classes are geared toward beginners with the idea that creativity is an innate human trait. 40 West Arts welcomes artists of all levels and believes that anyone can tap into their creative presence through learning and doing.

The program was launched in 2014 to partner with local, emerging artists on a one-year residency to offer free programming to the general community. This program is intended to serve as a powerful and catalytic initiative that brings energy to the area and demonstrates to the community the ability for multiple organizations and agencies to collaborate on a common mission: to energize the corridor.

40 West Arts is a non-profit, state-certified creative district along Lakewood’s historic West Colfax Avenue with the mission of energizing West Colfax through community art spaces,  experiences, exhibitions, and events that engage the whole family. We are an inclusive organization with a commitment to creativity that inspires artistic experimentation for both the novice and professional, and expands the creative, cultural, entrepreneurial, economic, and physical vitality of our community. Create, connect, and celebrate with us.

Lakewood Methodist Church is a neighborhood church focused more on where we are going than on where we have been. We believe that Christian friendship requires a non-judgmental embrace, in the image of Jesus, and our commitment is to offer that embrace to you, your family and your neighbors.

To learn more about Blake’s upcoming class opportunities, stay connected with 40 West Arts on social media, and via our monthly newsletter. More information at: www.40WestArts.org.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Katy Zeigler, Director of Communications
40 West Arts, WCCA, Lakewood-West Colfax BID
katy@40westarts.org | https://GoWestColfax.org