Cultural Kickstarter

The city’s slowly jelling Imagine 2020 cultural plan might feel difficult to unravel to us laymen, but as Arts & Venues deputy director Ginger White notes, its real challenge is in finding ways to engage both the creative community and the general community at large with limited resources. But because it’s still a step in a new — and hopefully better — direction for Denver, she’s been doing her homework, which included reading Peter Kageyama’s book For the Love of Cities after seeing him speak at last year’s Rocky Mountain CitySummit. She was so moved by the book that she immediately bought five copies for her office.

“His message is pretty broad, but it certainly has sort of an arts focus to it,” she notes. “The point is that, from a city official’s perspective, for cities to be really engaged in a community, they need to find a way to fall in love with the community. Aesthetics and art and beauty are ways in which people fall in love with their city, and that investment should be just as important as infrastructure.”
How does that involve you? Find out when the 2020 Speaker Series presents For the Love of Denver, a talk with Kageyama tonight from 5:30 to 8 p.m. in the Studio Loft at the Ellie Caulkins Opera House, located in the Denver Performing Arts Complex. While in town, the author will also meet with mayoral appointees and city council members to spread his gospel. Admission to this evening’s talk is free, but registration is required in advance at eventbrite.com.

Wed., Aug. 27, 5:30-8 p.m., 2014