Caribou Ranch was, at one time, home to an artistic endeavor: the Caribou Ranch recording studio. This studio once hosted hundreds of musicians in the 70s and 80s before a fire damaged the structure in 1985. Michael Jackson, Carol King, Elton John, U2 and the Beach Boys are just some of the artists who drew inspiration from living and recording in the mountains in Boulder County. With a similar concept in mind, the Artist-in-Residence (AiR) Program of Caribou Ranch is now a way for artists of many genres to find inspiration in Boulder County’s natural beauty.
The AiR Program gives county residents a tangible connection to today’s artists – not only musicians, but painters, illustrators, photographers, visual/film artists, sculptors, performers, poets, writers, composers and crafts/artisans, too.
The program also gives artists an opportunity to experience open space in a setting tailored to the artist’s needs. In the past three years, photographers, song writers, painters, quilters and authors have participated in the AiR Program. Here is what three had to say about their experience:
The most amazing event was one evening a coyote walked into the open space west of the cabin and sang to the mountains for 20 or 30 minutes. The echo and delay made its voice sound at times like a whale song.
-Bob Story
That barn was the perfect environment for concentrated creativity. In a typical week, I write 2,000 words. At the DeLonde Barn, I wrote 20,000. I can’t believe how much work I got done.
-Greg Hill
My first encounter was a golden eagle circling overhead just moments after sitting down at the picnic table having just unpacked my stuff. I saw the moose, three bulls, two cows and a calf every day but the last morning.
-Barbara Yates Beasley
The Boulder County Parks and Open Space Department is now accepting applications for 2015. For more information, program guidelines and an online application, visit www.BoulderCountyOpenSpace.org/air or contact Pascale Fried at 303-678-6201.
The application deadline closes on February 15, 2015!
