The Rampart Library District has dedicated October as its own arts month, aligning with a broader Pikes Peak regional commitment to promoting creativity during that time. "We believe that being creative creates community," said the district's community relations coordinator. "A creative community creates culture. Every age group can benefit from this as well."
Offerings span a wide range of disciplines, among them theater, performance, animation, digital art, stained glass, and writing. Almost all sessions take place at the Woodland Park branch, with one exception held elsewhere.
The schedule opens Oct. 3, when local authors, community leaders, and representatives of creative organizations set up destination sites throughout the library for a morning session that includes activities, games, and snacks. Later in the month, a class covering the basics of reading and adjusting sewing patterns is offered on the morning of Oct. 7, while a stained-glass session fills the afternoon of Oct. 16.
The Florissant branch is hosting scrapbooking-style sessions built around a newer practice called "junk journaling," in which participants paste everyday scraps and keepsakes — such as a snack wrapper from a recent trip — onto journal pages to create lasting personal mementos. Those gatherings run for one hour each Wednesday morning beginning Oct. 14.
A workshop organized in partnership with Lightbulb Theatre Company welcomes children ages 5 through 11 for a 90-minute session in which they develop storytelling, teamwork, and expressive performance skills through movement and character exploration.
A six-week creative aging course that got underway Sept. 29 invites older participants to mine their own memories as inspiration for constructing a personalized playing card deck. The class is taught by the founder of Reserve Our Gallery, who also holds a curatorial role at the Eichman Gallery inside Park State Bank & Trust.
The month wraps up with a lower-level gallery display at the Woodland Park library, drawing together work produced in the makerspaces and creative stations at both branches, and participants will have a chance to win cash prizes. Residents seeking more information can contact the district by calling (719) 687-9281.
Which sessions draw the largest attendance and who ultimately takes home the cash prizes will not be known until the programming concludes at the end of the month.