As the year winds down, I’ve been doing something I didn’t fully anticipate when we decided to relaunch Arts Perspective: I’ve been going back.
Not in a vague, nostalgic way—but very intentionally. I’ve been spending time with the archived print issues now available on artsperspectivemag.com, flipping through page after page of a magazine that first started in 2004. There are 37 print issues in total, published quarterly, each capturing a moment in the creative life of this region.
I joined the story a bit later. In 2010, six years after the magazine started, I bought Arts Perspective. By then, the publication already had a strong identity and a loyal audience. Being part of it felt less like starting something new and more like being trusted with an ongoing conversation—one shaped by many voices before I arrived.
Revisiting those early issues has been unexpectedly moving.
Some names are instantly familiar people who are still here, still creating, and still sharing their work with the community. Their paths have changed over time, but their artistic presence persists. Other names cause a moment of reflection. Some artists have moved away. Some venues and programs no longer operate. Some projects shone brightly for a while and then quietly concluded. And some people whose work filled those pages are no longer with us.
Yet none of it feels gone.
What the archive shows is a living, growing creative ecosystem. Expression in this region has always taken many forms—what we see in galleries, hear on stages, read in poems and essays, share around tables, or experience in more personal, healing ways. When one chapter ends, another begins. The urge to create, connect, and contribute continues to find new ways forward.
Reading through the issues reminded me why Arts Perspective mattered then. It wasn’t about spotlighting a single discipline or chasing what felt current. It was about paying attention—listening closely to the people shaping our cultural life and giving their stories space to breathe.
That purpose still guides us.
What feels different now is the moment we’re living in. Across Southwest Colorado and the Four Corners, there’s a renewed sense of hope. The growth of Colorado Creative Districts has provided structure, visibility, and shared energy to creative communities across the state. Locally, we see artists, musicians, writers, makers, chefs, and healers stepping into leadership roles—often crossing boundaries between disciplines and discovering new ways to work together.
Many of the people shaping this moment aren’t new. They appeared in those early pages, laying foundations, experimenting, teaching, performing, feeding others, and building spaces for connection. Others are just beginning, finding their voices in a region that has long valued creativity, even when resources were limited.
The decision to relaunch Arts Perspective brought a mix of feelings: excitement, gratitude, uncertainty, and a touch of overwhelm. There’s something heartfelt about reopening an archive like this—about recognizing that these stories mattered deeply then and still do now.
This relaunch isn’t about recreating the past. It’s about honoring it while making space for what’s next. Arts Perspective has always reflected the creative life of its time—not just what we see on walls, but what we hear on stages, read on pages, share at tables, and experience in quieter, more personal ways. This moment feels worth capturing: a time of renewed creativity, collaboration, and connection across the many forms of expression that shape our community.
Eye on the Arts has become part of that rhythm—a weekly pause to notice what’s happening around us and stay connected. The response has been encouraging. Familiar names have come back. New voices have stepped forward. And the conversation feels open again.
If you haven’t yet checked out the archived print issues on artsperspectivemag.com, I encourage you to spend some time there. They aren’t just records of the past—they serve as reminders of how much care, curiosity, and creative energy have always thrived here.
As this year ends, I feel grateful. For the artists and creatives who trusted us with their stories in the early years. For those sharing them now. And for the chance to continue telling them together.
