Think 360 Arts

Today on March 2nd, the Colorado Senate passed a bipartisan resolution, co-sponsored by Senator Marc Snyder (D-12) and Senator Mark Baisley (R-4), to officially designate March as Arts Education Month in Colorado.⁠
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This initiative, led by Colorado Business Committee for the Arts () and Think 360 Arts for Learning (), elevates the importance of recognizing arts education as a core subject in Colorado schools.⁠
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The resolution affirms the essential role of dance, media arts, music, theatre, and visual arts in providing a well-rounded education, while also acknowledging the need for stronger statewide data collection and instructional access.⁠
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A public toolkit is now available on CBCA’s website to help you celebrate all month long! Resources include:⁠
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✔ Activation ideas for classrooms, schools, districts and community organizations⁠
✔ Ready-to-use social media graphics and messaging⁠
✔ An easy form to submit your current or ongoing activity to highlight this month⁠
✔ Advocacy tools, research and policy recommendations⁠
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Join us in recognizing, elevating, and strengthening arts education statewide! ⁠
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We are deeply grateful to Bonfils Stanton () for awarding us a grant in support of our programs and team! Their generosity and steadfast partnership strengthens our ability to bring high-quality art programs to people of all ages across Colorado, empowers our teaching artists, and helps us respond to the unique needs of the communities we serve.

Thank you for believing in our mission and making this work possible!

🌟 It’s Colorado Gives Day! 🌟⁠
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For more than 60 years, Think 360 Arts has worked to bring high-quality arts education to people of all ages across Colorado. Since our founding, we’ve grown from presenting K–12 arts programs to becoming Colorado’s leading arts resource for teachers, teaching artists, students, and communities — delivering transformative programs in music, dance, theatre, visual, and literary arts.
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Today, your support goes even further. Every gift helps us expand access to creative experiences for kids, older adults, educators, and community partners statewide.⁠
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If you’re able, please consider donating today to support our mission: https://www.coloradogives.org/organization/think360
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- 📚 $50 ($4.17/mo) provides classroom supplies for a Wolf Trap program ⁠

- 🍎 $120 ($10/mo) provides a teacher scholarship for the Institute for Creative Teaching ⁠

- 🖋️ $240 ($20/mo) provides teaching artist training in SEL, anti-racist, anti-ageist, or disability justice practices ⁠

- 🎨 $360 ($30/mo) covers materials for a 6-week Creative Aging program ⁠

🎶 $500 ($41.67/mo) provides a whole-school interactive musical performance⁠

- 🧶 $1,000 ($83.33/mo) provides a Creative Aging residency in poetry, ceramics, songwriting, or fiber arts⁠

- 🥁 $2,500 ($208.33/mo) provides a multi-session teaching artist residency in improv, printmaking, dance, or drumming⁠
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From all of us at Think 360 Arts - thank you for believing in the transformative power of the arts!

As we debut our 2025 Community Report, we’re taking a moment to reflect on this past year with deep gratitude. From classrooms and community centers to senior spaces across Colorado, we’ve witnessed the transformative power of the arts bring connection, creativity, and joy to thousands.

We are profoundly thankful for our teaching artists, whose passion and dedication make every program possible, and for our incredible community partners, who share our unwavering belief that all Coloradans—no matter their age or where they live—deserve access to meaningful arts experiences. Your support is the reason this impact is possible.

📖 Explore the full Community Report—https://think360arts.org/community-report

With Colorado Gives Day tomorrow, your support can help sustain and grow this work into 2026. Contributions made through Colorado Gives are boosted by the $1M+ Incentive Fund, and new monthly donations are matched up to $100—allowing your gift to go even further.

Thank you for being part of this community and for championing access to the arts for all Coloradans. 💛

We’re thrilled to partner with Pikes Peak Library ()
to bring our Creative Aging programs to their community! 🎨✨

Join us on December 17th, 12–1 PM at the Calhan Library Branch for a hand puppet workshop led by teaching artist Patti Smithsonian.

Get creative as you craft your very own hand puppet! Using a premade base, you’ll add hand-sewn decorations to design a unique face, eyes, hair, and a simple costume. Once your puppet is complete, learn how to bring it to life in storytelling and share your creation with others. All materials are provided.

This program is free, but registration is required—link in bio to reserve your spot! https://ppld.librarymarket.com/event/story-creations-tbd-526292

A big thank you to for helping make this Creative Aging program at Pikes Peak Library possible! 💛

Colorado Gives Day is just 4 days away!

Your donation can have a powerful impact on arts education across Colorado. Every gift, no matter the size, helps us bring creativity, learning, and joy to people of all ages. Here’s how your support can make a difference:⁠
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📚️ $50($4.17/mo) would provide scarves, slide whistles, or other classroom supplies for a Wolf Trap early childhood education program ⁠
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🍎 $120 ($10/mo) would provide a teacher scholarship for the Institute for Creative Teaching next year ⁠
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🖋️ $240 ($20/mo) would provide a teaching artist training in social-emotional learning, anti-racist, anti-ageist, or disability justice practices ⁠
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🎨 $360 ($30/mo) would provide the materials costs for a 6 week Creative program in printmaking, bookbinding, watercolor, or mixed media⁠
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🎶 $500 ($41.67/mo) would provide a whole-school interactive musical performance⁠
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🧶 $1,000 ($83.33/mo) would provide a Creative Aging residency in poetry, ceramics, songwriting, or fiber arts⁠
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🥁 $2,500 ($208.33/mo) would provide a multi-session teaching artist residency at a school in theatrical improv, printmaking, dance, or drumming ⁠
Support our mission of engaging Coloradans of all ages in innovative arts programming that inspires creativity, builds community, & advances equity by making a donation today: https://www.coloradogives.org/organization/think360
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This Giving Tuesday, we’re filled with immense gratitude. Because of supporters like you, Think 360 Arts brought meaningful arts experiences to thousands of people —from curious preschoolers to inspired older adults—across our state.

Here’s what we achieve together this year:

- 🎨 173 programs delivered statewide

- 🤝 Collaborated with 92 community partners to bring unique art experiences to their community members.

- 🖼️ Creative Aging: Nearly 914 older adults took part in art programs that fostered joy, community, and creativity.

- 🎶 Youth Experiences: 15,298 youth got to experience transformative art programs they might not otherwise had access too.

- 🎭 Wolf Trap: 14 early childhood residencies, supporting 32 educators and 200 children ages 3–5 with arts-integrated learning.

- 🍎 Professional Development: Over 1,288 teachers strengthened their practice through specialized arts-integrated learning opportunities.

And today, your gift goes even further. 💛

Did you know? If you make a donation today on Giving Tuesday, it also counts toward Colorado Gives Day—unlocking a share of the $1 million+ Incentive Fund and boosting your impact.

Plus, new monthly donations are matched!

Colorado Gives Foundation will match your first month’s gift up to $100. It’s an incredible way to double your support and help sustain arts learning all year long!

Ready to make a gift? Here’s how:

- 1️⃣ Visit our Colorado Gives Day page: https://www.coloradogives.org/organization/think360

- 2️⃣ Click “Donate” and choose either a one-time gift or a recurring monthly donation

- 3️⃣ If you go monthly, your first gift is automatically matched!

Thank you - we truly couldn't do the work we do without your support and belief in our mission 💙⁠ ⁠

Think 360 Arts is thrilled to receive a grant from the Denver Arts & Venues () Denver Creates Fund to support our Creative Aging program!

Established in 2016, our Creative Aging program seeks to improve the lives of older adults across Colorado through arts education. We do this by promoting the inclusion of quality arts programs in communities that serve older adults; preparing teaching artists to work with older adults; and fostering lifelong learning within our communities.

We are deeply grateful to Denver Arts & Venues for supporting this work and recognizing the transformative power of the arts for older adults!

🎨 GT Adventures in Art Day at Westridge Elementary! 🌟

For the third year in a row, Think 360 Arts partnered with Westridge Elementary to host a full-day art experience for the students in the GT Center, celebrating creativity, community, and artistic growth. This special day brings together 1st through 5th graders, intentionally mixing them across grade levels to strengthen connections and foster collaboration.

Over the course of the day, students rotated through five different workshops led by Think 360 teaching artist:

🕺🏻 David Rueille – Dance: In small groups, students collaborated to create their own dance routines, discovering freedom in movement and building confidence to perform.

📖 Gwylym Cano – Storytelling: Students across all grades were grouped into teams to create original stories together, gaining confidence in sharing ideas with each other.

🎨 Ren Cannon – Painting: In this collaborative painting sessions, students learned how to compromise and combine their unique styles into one giant art piece!

🐛 Nicole Banowetz – Air Dry Clay: Students crafted imaginative sculptures representing microscopic organisms and the relationships these tiny creatures have with humans - like microbes living in ice cream that could give you hypothermia!

🪘Bob Hall - African Drumming: Students explored the history and cultural significance of African drumming, then got hands-on experience making music together.

From creating stories with clay microbes to performing group dances and drumming together, students were inspired to experiment, collaborate, and celebrate their unique creativity.

Thank you Jefferson County for helping us make this program possible!

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✨ Help make programs like this possible! Support Think 360 Arts this Colorado Gives Day and give more students across Colorado experience transformative art programs like this one. https://www.coloradogives.org/organization/think360

The deadline to submit an LOI for the 2026-27 Equity in Arts Learning grant opportunity is THIS Friday, Nov. 21st 11:59 pm MST!

🚨Still got questions? We have our final EAL Virtual Office Hours Session this Thursday, Nov. 20th from from 3 pm to 5 pm! Drop in and get personal support from our team before you submit your LOI!

💻️The submission portal and Zoom link for the Office Hours can be found on our Grants page along with other EAL resources: https://think360arts.org/grants⁠
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This grant opportunity is made possible by the generosity of our collaborative funders: , , and .⁠
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Don't forget! The LOI Deadline for the 2026–27 Equity in Arts Learning Grant is next week, Friday November 21st!

This funding opportunity is open to Colorado-based arts and culture nonprofits, schools and school districts, working in collaboration with artists and culture bearers. With a focus on removing systemic barriers and reaching historically underserved communities across Colorado, the fund aims to grant nearly half a million dollars for projects of up to one year.

Visit our Grants page to access all the EAL resources including:

✔ LOI submission portal
✔ 2026–27 guidelines & timeline
✔ Virtual office hour Zoom links
✔ Informational video
✔ FAQs & project examples

👉 Visit https://think360arts.org/grants to get started.

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This grant opportunity is made possible by the generosity of our collaborative funders: , , and .⁠

Think 360 Teaching Artist Lauri Lynnxe Murphy recently led students at Lone Tree Elementary in creating a bio sculpture—an organic installation made from upcycled natural materials woven across the school’s fence.

As materials were donated from the community, students learned to think on their feet, adapting their designs in real time and discovering creativity through spontaneity. Working outdoors also offered incredible teachable moments—from observing wasps building a nest inside a stump to learning about bark beetles in donated tree limbs.

“What started with alarm turned into a beautiful learning moment,” shared Lauri. “The students developed respect and curiosity for the wasps, realizing why it’s so important to create spaces for pollinators.”

Students not only collaborated and built confidence (especially when learning to use drills!) but also sparked curiosity and excitement among neighbors walking by. Community members joined in the fun—donating materials and pledging to help sustain the habitat the students helped build.

This project beautifully demonstrates how art can inspire environmental awareness, empower young creators, and strengthen community connection 💚

This program was made possible thanks to generous funding from Douglas County.

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✨ You can make more programs like this possible! Make a gift to Think 360 Arts this Colorado Gives Day. Every gift, no matter how small, helps us bring art programs to more communities across Colorado. https://www.coloradogives.org/organization/think360