Evolving Greeley’s Art Scene and the Need for Creative Space: Creative District’s Executive Director Looks Ahead

Greeley’s art scene is about to change as the Greeley Creative District’s new full-time executive director steps up, furthering art appreciation and creating a space for artists to explore their craft downtown.

Becca Vaclavik, a former theatre kid with a background in arts management, aims to show Colorado what makes Greeley special through the expansion of its arts. For Vaclavik, the arts are a source of fulfillment, and something she wants to share with everyone.

“I love creating space for others to do that work and to celebrate them and lift them up,” Vaclavik said.

Vaclavik points to research that shows that cities with higher rates of art engagement have lower poverty rates and higher graduation rates. According to Vaclavik, research also shows that art can reduce the severity of mental conditions like PTSD.

“I know it’s good for the soul, I feel that it’s good for the soul, but also research shows that it is good for the soul,” Vaclavik said. “It’s good for a community to have access to culture and the ability to make things, and create things, and enjoy those things that others have made and created.”

The GCD’s Creative Center, located at 702 13th St. in the Macy-Allnutt building, will be the next step in evolving Greeley’s arts scene. The center, which is still under construction, is expected to launch its first phase this holiday season. It will offer spaces for members to work on projects, as well as take classes made for the general public across a variety of mediums.

“If you love the arts, if you love making things with your hands, if you like plays, if you like music, we want people to go, ‘Oh, you know where you have to go,’” Vaclavik said. “I want people to feel delighted to be there and that it gives them a sense of meaningful community.”

Vaclavik said she hopes the Creative Center and the GCD’s plans for the future will get people talking about Greeley.

“I want it to feel bustling, both from an economic development standpoint… but also just from a sense of place making and how it makes people feel to live and spend time in a community that folks are excited to be in,” Vaclavik said.

Vaclavik said she sees Greeley as a unique space for the arts because of its small-town feel.

“Even as we’re growing, we sort of have this neighborly energy,” Vaclavik said. “I do think it is easier to make connections here, to find other folks that you overlap with.”

Vaclavik believes that Greeley’s racially diverse and younger population makes it an exciting space for creatives.

“Those are things that contribute to the way we make art, the way we create community, the events we get excited about, and that impacts what our art space looks like, which is really exciting,” Vaclavik said.

UNC’s proximity to downtown Greeley and its own art departments contribute to this environment of growth. Vaclavik said it always makes her happy to see UNC graduates being recruited to work in art spaces in Boulder when she was working there.

“The kids who come here and learn and practice here and start their careers here are so talented and such hard workers,” Vaclavik said. “I hope we can create a sort of emerging community so when young adults graduate from UNC, they’re like, ‘Oh, I don’t need to leave, I can be here, I can work here, I can make art here.’”

Vaclavik said she hopes the GCD can increase the number of events in the coming years, potentially having events monthly rather than a few times a year.

“For me, it’s not about a new event as much as it’s an evolution of the cadence,” Vaclavik said.

The Creative Center and Vaclavik’s vision for the future of the GCD are only just beginning; as a nonprofit organization, success relies on word of mouth to keep going.

Vaclavik encourages anyone interested in the GCD or the arts to check out the center when it launches this winter. The GCD will begin opening membership options and public classes around the same time, giving everyone the chance to get involved.

For more information on the GCD and the latest updates on the center’s development, visit greeleycreativedistrict.org.