17th Green Box Arts Festival Showcases Colorado and Global Artistic Voices

Celebrating Colorado's Creative Spirit: From Local Icons to Global Artists - Colorado Ballet, Poetic Kinetics, and More Illuminate Festival Programming as State Approaches Historic 150th Anniversary

/EIN News/ -- Green Mountain Falls, Colorado, Feb. 27, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Green Box proudly announces the 17th Annual Green Box Arts Festival, scheduled for Friday, June 27th - Saturday, July 12th in beautiful Green Mountain Falls, CO. As Colorado approaches its sesquicentennial celebration in 2026, this year's Festival showcases the state's rich artistic legacy and contemporary creative excellence through performances, installations, and events featuring renowned Colorado artists alongside diverse national and international talent. 

"We are ecstatic to showcase an extraordinary lineup of arts events, featuring a plethora of Colorado artists during the Festival in 2025,” says Scott RC Levy, Executive Director of Green Box. “This year's programming promises to highlight an incredible diversity of talent, through acclaimed national and international artists, and more from the Centennial State than ever before.  We are thrilled to provide a platform for these artists to shine and for thousands of attendees to experience the vibrancy and creativity that makes Colorado's arts scene so abundant. The energy and passion that our artists bring to the Festival will be truly inspiring." 

Each day of the two-week Festival offers a range of opportunities to engage with world-class artistic experiences immersed in a scenic, intimate mountain setting. Events include: 

DANCE! Green Box is thrilled to present Colorado Ballet as the Festival's headlining performing arts event. This renowned company, celebrating 65 years of artistic excellence, brings their world-class talent from Denver to the picturesque mountain hamlet of Green Mountain Falls. The company will showcase their artistry, versatile repertoire, and technical mastery through eight spectacular performances, including the world premiere of a new work by Yoshihisa Arai, commissioned by Colorado Ballet, alongside other classical works. Audiences will also have the unique opportunity to engage directly with company members during an ArtDesk Conversation, where dancers and artistic leadership will share insights into their creative process and artistic journey. Additionally, dance enthusiasts of all experience levels are invited to join in a rare masterclass, offering everyone the chance to experience the joy and artistry of Colorado Ballet firsthand. 

VISUAL ARTS! Green Box will unveil four incredible new installations this summer, showcasing a distinguished selection of internationally celebrated and Colorado-based artists. The centerpiece is Off the Beaten Path, a 6,000-square-foot undulating canopy of color by Colorado Springs-based artist Patrick Shearn of Poetic Kinetics, the latest addition to his acclaimed Skynet Series. Known for transforming public spaces across the globe, from the Demilitarized Zone in Korea to the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival and Burning Man, Shearn's large-scale installations merge cutting-edge technology with inspiration from the natural world. Drawing from his visual effects background, including films such as "Jurassic Park" and "Fight Club", Shearn's work invokes a dialogue between the organic and the manmade. Playing upon the landscape of Green Mountain Falls, this new site-specific artwork will be a profound and awe-inspiring artistic destination this summer. Another Colorado Springs-based artist, Sarah Wright, will debut an expressive, bold abstract painting that will ornament this summer's Lake Street Display. 

The two other works stem from Green Box’s year-round Artist in Residency Program. Inside the historic Lakeview Terrace building, internationally recognized Japanese artist Yasuaki Onishi will create a site-specific installation that challenges viewers' perception of space and form using stone-based copper foil molds created from nearby waterways. Through his innovative use of these natural and everyday materials and precise attention to spatial relationships, Onishi crafts ethereal environments that blur the boundaries between presence and absence, inviting audiences to experience familiar spaces in entirely new ways. Also creating an installation inside the historic structure, Chicago-based designer and sculptor CoCo Ree Lemery brings her groundbreaking approach to sustainable design and storytelling through art. Recently named Best Independent Designer of the Year by Interior Design magazine and NYCxDesign, Lemery creates transformative experiences using innovative materials like mushroom mycelium and salvaged waste. These new works join Green Box's existing collection of public art, including Brian Wall's large sculpture Skye and the Green Mountain Falls Skyspace by visionary light and space artist James Turrell, which will offer its signature sunrise, sunset, and closed-roof shows each day of the Festival. Guided Art Walks will be available during the Festival for those curious to learn more about Green Box's expansive public art collection throughout town. 

MUSIC! An extraordinary lineup of musicians across multiple genres offer unique experiences throughout the Festival. GRAMMY Award-winning duo and childhood friends from Denver, Joe Mailander and Justin Lansing, The Okee Dokee Brothers, bring their nature-inspired Americana folk music with their outdoor adventures turned into captivating musical stories, delivering family music that resonates with audiences of all ages! The Festival will also feature The MOTH PROJECT, an innovative performance duo from New York featuring Grammy-nominated producer Peter Kiesewalter and violinist Whitney La Grange. This captivating 70-minute multimedia experience combines stunning macro photography and slow-motion video of moths with an eclectic musical repertoire spanning from Bach to Joni Mitchell to KISS.  

Headlining the annual 4th of July Block Party, Green Box’s most popular community event, Denver's own Badda Boom Brass Band will ignite the celebration with their signature blend of New Orleans street music, hip hop, and funk. This exciting block party offers family-friendly activities, including a pie contest with tastings, lawn games, and food trucks, culminating in a stunning presentation of glowing water lanterns launched on Gazebo Lake, set against the evening sky and accompanied by patriotic music. 

Singer, fiddler, and Fulbright recipient Lily Henley brings her groundbreaking interpretations of Sephardic Jewish ballads to Green Mountain Falls. Her performances weave together ancient and modern influences, bridging her musical heritage with broader folk traditions through expressive songwriting and bell-like vocals.  

The dynamic father-son piano duo Ryan & Ryan delivers dynamic interpretations spanning classical, jazz, ragtime, and funk. For Green Box, the Ryans will perform an evening of music by George Gershwin, including Rhapsody in Blue. For more classical music, audiences can enjoy a performance by the Colorado Springs Youth Symphony. For an unforgettable evening of cabaret, Green Box welcomes former Broadway performers and Colorado Springs locals, ICONS bar owners Josh Franklin and John Wolfe, whose combined decades of experience in beloved shows like Jersey Boys, Legally Blonde, and Grease promise an unforgettable evening of entertainment.  

Additionally, Green Box is excited to welcome back master santur player Amir Amiri following his 2023 Green Box residency. A virtuoso of his ancient 72-string instrument, Amiri will present multiple musical immersions within the unique setting of the Green Mountain Falls Skyspace, creating mesmerizing soundscapes that bridge Persian traditional music with contemporary expressions. 

EVENTS! Green Box welcomes back fan favorites such as Astronomy & S'mores with the Colorado Springs Astronomical Society, film under the stars with five time Oscar winner "The Unsinkable Molly Brown”, and a high energy Silent Disco Party! The ever popular ArtDesk Conversations will feature prominent performers and thinkers. Previous ArtDesk Conversationalists include Pulitzer Prize-winning author Emily Nussbaum and scientist, author, and inventor Temple Grandin. 

CLASSES & CAMPS! Returning this year, Plein Air Painting and Visual Arts classes offer participants the chance to explore artistic expressions in new or expanding ways. New classes debuting this year include Ikebana floral and table centerscape design, and a poetry writing workshop. Festival favorites including mixed media crafts, piemaking, and wine tasting classes are also available. 

This summer, young creatives can immerse themselves in the arts and the outdoors with Green Box's popular camps. The Green Box Arts Camp (June 17-27) invites rising 1st-5th graders to explore dance, visual arts, music, and theatre while enjoying mountain adventures, stream visits, and mindful outdoor moments. For older campers, Clowning Around in the Woods (June 4-13) offers rising 6th-9th graders the chance to develop theatre skills in a fun, supportive environment led by professional actors. Through physical theatre, comedy, and Shakespearean play, middle schoolers will discover the joy of performance—no experience needed! 

HEALTH & WELLNESS! Green Box's growing commitment to offering health and well-being experiences which enhance mind, body, and spirit continues with new and classic Festival offerings. Local athlete and instructor LaDonna Reed returns with fitness classes and presentations. Free strength guided workouts will be available at the Keith Haring Fitness Court and multiple themed hikes led by Friends of Ute Pass Trails will be offered across the two-week event. Festival favorite yoga sessions will be led by three of Colorado Springs' most respected instructors, each bringing their unique expertise to these rejuvenating sessions. Back by popular demand, Aqua Zumba returns, and new this year, participants can experience regular Zumba classes or choose to go on a guided bike ride through the picturesque mountains. 

Music therapist and sound healer Judith Piazza returns to provide her wildly popular healing sound journeys which guide attendees through a transformative experience inside the Green Mountain Falls Skyspace. Participants will explore indigenous sound wisdoms from around the world while being enveloped in closed-roof light sequences and elevated vibrations. 

Folder of Festival Media Images Here 

Exclusive invitations and advance tickets are available with a Green Box Membership starting at $150. Memberships available at greenboxarts.org/support. Visit greenboxarts.org for a complete schedule and to purchase tickets and class registrations. While some events are free, all require registration. The Green Box Arts Festival Box Office opens in-person and online to members on May 5th and to the general public on May 19th. 

ONLINE: greenboxarts.org  

PHONE: 719-465-3065   

IN PERSON: 6990 Lake Street, Green Mountain Falls (Mon-Fri, 9AM-5PM) 

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About Green Box: 

Green Box was launched in 2009 in Green Mountain Falls, Colorado, and has grown into a year-round incubator of multidisciplinary visual and performing arts. The organization provides residents and visitors from Colorado and around the world the opportunity to participate in the creative arts in the natural beauty that awaits at the foothills of Pikes Peak. Anchored by an annual summer arts Festival, Green Box also engages with the community year-round through an active Artist-in-Residence program, arts education, and public art installations. 

About Green Mountain Falls and Ute Pass:   

At an altitude of 7,800 ft., Green Mountain Falls is home to various festivals and events year-round. Most notably, however, it is known for the nationally acclaimed Green Box Arts Festival. Surrounded by the Pike National Forest, the town is located near popular area attractions including the Cave of the Winds, Manitou Cliff Dwellings, Garden of the Gods, Pikes Peak, and the Manitou and Pikes Peak Cog Railway. An extremely popular hiking destination, visitors also enjoy fishing, swimming, biking, tennis courts, and ice skating in winter, as well as the town's unique restaurants, pubs, and shops. The town is just 20 minutes away from the center of Colorado Springs, and closer to Manitou Springs, Woodland Park, and other Ute Pass communities such as Cascade and Chipita Park. 

Attachments

• Green Box is thrilled to welcome Colorado Ballet to its 17th Annual Arts Festival
• The arts destination of the summer -beautiful Green Mountain Falls, CO!

Anna Faye Hunter
                    Green Box
                    7193151012
                    af.hunter@greenboxarts.org