The Sky's the Limit at Breckenridge International Festival of Arts

You have to credit Robb Woulfe of Breckenridge Creative Arts for wanting to bring world-class arts programming to the Colorado mountain town. And judging from events like June’s inaugural WAVE: Light + Water + Sound festival and this week’s second annual Breckenridge International Festival of Arts, he’s succeeded in his mission, inviting artists from around the globe to come to Breckenridge. The sky’s the limit at BIFA — and that’s mighty high in Breck.

Woulfe’s original inspiration came from multi-disciplinary fests in faraway places like Europe and Australia. “I felt there was room for that in the festival landscape of Colorado,” he recalls, “but it had to be relevant to Breckenridge, to have a place-based relevancy to the environment here. I wanted it to be accessible to everyone, too, with an eclectic mix of free and ticketed, indoor and outdoor, and unexpected events — so some are a little more thoughtful, while others are just for sheer entertainment and spectacle.”
And all of the fest’s presentations, from the wonderful cyanotype sculptures of butterflies and hoofed herbivores by artist Tasha Lewis to the high-energy STREB Extreme Action Company’s bouncing-off-the-walls movement performances, represent new work, regional premieres and content tailored specifically to the landscape of Breckenridge. “Imagine being able to go up on the trails and stumble upon a string trio playing classical music or a site-specific art installation,” Woulfe says. “Or you can go down into town and hear Calexico play.”

BIFA gets under way today and runs through August 21 at locations throughout Breckenridge. While many events and exhibits are free, others require a fee; for a schedule and to reserve tickets for paid events, visit breckcreate.org/bifa.