As the local arts agency for the City of Colorado Springs and the Pikes Peak region, Cultural Office programming is thoughtfully designed to serve, support, and showcase our vibrant creative sector. Continue to follow our growth and get involved!
Since the Cultural Office is not membership-based, our programming is open (and often free) to all residents of El Paso and Teller counties, as well as visitors to the Pikes Peak region. We are an independent nonprofit building a community united by creativity. If you are inspired by our programs, support us here.
Cultural Promotion & Tourism
The Cultural Office increases cultural participation among local residents and tourists, connects our arts community with peers in the tourism and media industries, and ultimately works to build our region as a regional, national and international arts destination.
Jonathan Toman leads the Cultural Promotion and Tourism program vertical, where he builds local and tourist arts audiences, and the Pikes Peak region’s visibility as an arts destination. He is a local thought leader in cultural promotion & cultural tourism, convening and cultivating the creative sector to advance this topic together. Have questions about tourism and promoting the Pikes Peak region as an arts destination for all? Send Jonathan an email at Jonathan@CulturalOffice.org
Creative Economy
These programs ignite economic activity in the creative sector of the Pikes Peak region through proven programs and new interventions. Strong connections with the local business community and new research into our arts market work to chart a new trajectory of growth.
Dylan Craddock leads the Creative Economy program vertical and supports the vitality of the Pikes Peak region’s creative sector. She works to strengthen the Cultural Office’s collaboration with diverse chambers of commerce and business initiatives, develops interventions and programs that build capacity for the creative sector, conducts & releases research, and leads the Arts Month campaign each fall. Ultimately, Dylan seeks to build a stronger creative economy that empowers artists, creative businesses, cultural nonprofits, and the entire community. Have questions about the creative economy? Email Dylan at Dylan@CulturalOffice.org
Arts Education
The Arts Education program vertical increases equitable access to arts education for all ages in our community by investing in centralized coordination, far-reaching tools, professional connections, and strategic trainings. Functioning as a nerve center for formal and informal arts education together, the Cultural Office is strengthening the fabric of how local arts education works.
Melissa O’Rear leads the Education Program vertical and brings over 20 years’ experience in arts education as a teacher, director and administrator. Her expansive experience in formal education empowers her to speak relevantly to the needs of arts educators in school settings, design curriculum and professional development, and integrate the arts with diverse educational standards. Melissa is also the founder and Executive Director of Theatre Across Borders, which focuses on arts-integration programs and interactive theatre hikes for families. COPPR’s Arts Education program uplifts and centers educators in community settings, for all ages and abilities. Email Melissa at Melissa@CulturalOffice.org.
