Students take virtual center stage at The Arts Academy at Pueblo County High with their new original musical ‘Disaster Monthly’

Students take virtual center stage at The Arts Academy at Pueblo County High with their new original musical 'Disaster Monthly'.

Pueblo, CO, October 12, 2020 – As part of The Arts Academy at Pueblo County High’s (TAAPCH) commitment to keeping the Arts alive, even during the time of a global pandemic, Disaster Monthly was written and performed by the students under the direction of Kennedy Pugh. To celebrate the completion of this masterful  production from the eyes of the students, The Arts Academy hosted a Virtual Premiere online for students, faculty, staff, and the general public on Friday, October 16, 2020 at 7:00 pm (Mountain Time). The Premiere Event included a live welcome at the beginning of the broadcast and the evening  concluded with a brief Q&A session. To view the Zoom Q & A use passcode: OG%J7XM9

According to Kennedy Pugh, Artist in Residence and Teaching Artist Coordinator, “this opportunity with these students reminded me of the importance of the Arts in our formation of a human race! The Arts are an integral need!” Disaster Monthly offers an unflinching, intimate glimpse into the world of a high school student during the time of a global pandemic. When the students learned that their beloved spring musical was cancelled due to Covid-19,  they decided that the ‘show must go on’. What transpired over a very short period of time with many deadlines along the way is short of an entertainment miracle. The cast ensemble includes Joy Lopez, Alexandria Shrum, Chloe Vanevera, Bryana Lark, Gavin Grant, and Mark Gomez. The cast was assisted  by three entertainment industry professionals, Ed Chapman, Kate Chapman, and Mary Ann Ivan, who have decades of experience working with some of the very best on many of the most famous theater productions ever to hit audiences. 

 “Just when we thought there was no opportunity to produce or perform when COVID-19 shut down our beautiful spring musical in March, Disaster Monthly made its way and The Show Must Go On! ,” says Roxanne Pignanelli, the Founding Director of The Academy. “Theater is the most collaborative of all art forms and the ancestor to entertainment. The Arts Academy at Pueblo County High is dedicated to keeping the work alive and this amazing project written and performed by students under the direction of Kennedy Pugh is a living testament to our commitment to Arts in education!,” says Roxanne, the director of this production.

The Arts Academy’ now has a  ‘Growing the Arts’ tab on the TAAPCH website which is exclusively dedicated to Disaster Monthly. This page includes the official film trailer, conversations with the cast, and full biographies of the industry professionals who served as Teaching Artists (https://www.taapch.org/disaster-monthly).

CONTACT: Kennedy Pugh, Artist in Residence / Teaching Artist Coordinator

The Arts Academy at Pueblo County High (TAAPCH)

(303) 489-1982 • kpugh@district70.org

Website https://www.taapch.org/disaster-monthly

Premiere Link on YouTube https://youtu.be/FShnYyRss0Y

Download the Press Release

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About The Arts Academy at Pueblo County High (TAAPCH)

The Arts Academy at Pueblo County High is a first for the region. It is an innovation 14 years in the making, an educational institution dedicated solely to all aspects of the performing arts. The Arts Academy at Pueblo County High "TAAPCH",  offers the first of its kind career track arts instruction in the performing arts (Dance, Music, Band, Theater Arts and Technical Stagecraft). All disciplines will include college prep and industry training. This professional arrangement allows the students of The Arts Academy a greater range of high school experiences and elective course choices while maintaining the educational philosophy, rigorous curriculum, and small school field training experience. Housed at Pueblo County High School, courses will be in the newly constructed ‘Arts Corridor’, a bond initiative of 2015, with state-of-the-art facilities. College credit is available for many of the courses and the certificate of completion for higher education and vocational pursuits will be awarded to full Academy students. All faculty members will be required to have spent significant time in the professional entertainment industry as well as being licensed as a certified teacher in the State of Colorado. This will provide students with a learning opportunity from instructors that can impart the "real world" application of the techniques and studies that they are receiving at the Academy. The considerably unique addition to the Academy is the inclusion of the "teaching artist and clinicians". Professionals from all disciplines offered at the Academy will be scheduled to teach workshops, on a monthly basis, to enhance the instructions with extraordinary presentations from dance, music, theater, technical theater, digital music, instrumental music and performance presentation. Certain workshops will be open to the public (for a small fee) and filmed for a library of digital instruction.

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48 Hour Film Festival Themes to be Announced on October 23, 2020

48 HOUR FILM FESTIVAL IS RESCHEDULED AND THE THEMES WILL BE ANNOUNCED TO THE PUBLIC ON OCTOBER 23, 2020

The Pueblo 48 Hour Film Festival invites filmmakers and creative teams to shoot, edit and submit a film within 48 hours. Our judging panel, consisting of industry professionals, will evaluate the submitted films the week before the festival. The short films that receive the highest scores will be screened during the LIVE stream Awards Ceremony. Audience members will also vote on their favorite film during the main event and the People's Choice winner will be announced with all other category winners at the end of the evening.

You may register HERE.

RULES

1. Thematic elements such as a genre, character, prop and line of dialogue will be announced on Oct. 23.  All elements must be incorporated for the film to be judged.

2. All submissions must be an original film created in the allotted 48-hour time frame between Oct 23-25.  Any creative work in advance of the competition is prohibited.  No films or film segments created for other projects may be submitted.  Animation and special effects are allowed, but must be created during the official 48-hour time frame.

3. The only work to begin prior to the Official Time Period is: organizing crew, organizing cast, securing equipment and scouting/securing locations.

4. All films must be uploaded to YouTube or Vimeo and submitted by sending the link to filmfestival@pueblolibrary.org.  No hard copies, jump drives or discs will be accepted.

5. Any type of filming equipment and/or cameras may be used.  Multiple cameras are permitted.

6. Any stock photos or music used in the film must be original or the team must acquire rights for use.

7. Films must be no longer than 6 minutes and 30 seconds (including credits).

EVENTS

Thematic Elements Reveal Party: October 23. LIVEstream from PCCLD's YouTube or Facebook pages.

Come find out what the required thematic elements will be for the 2020 Pueblo 48-Hour Film Festival! 

Film Submission Deadline: October 25

All films must be submitted by October 25. Please upload your film to YouTube or Vimeo and share the link to filmfestival@pueblolibrary.org

Red Carpet Screening and Awards: October 30, LIVE stream.

Join us for the screening of this year’s 48-Hour Film Festival submissions and submit your vote for the 2020 People’s Choice Award!  The film screening will be followed by an awards ceremony to recognize the work of filmmakers of all ages and skill levels.  Co-sponsored by the Pueblo Regional Film Commission.

WORKSHOPS

October 21, 2020 LIVE 6:00 pm

Editing 101: Setting yourself up for success 

A seasoned editor explains how to set up your file system and editing software in advance, and coordinate with your cinematographer and composer. When footage and sound arrive, you won’t have to waste time, and you’ll be ready to dig in and start editing!

Led by cinematographer and editor Adrian Montgomery, who just finished editing a feature-length documentary that he recorded all the video and sound for, in 9 interviews around the country. Adrian participated in a 48HFP in Denver a couple of years ago, so will offer his top tips on what to make sure to do, as well as what to watch out for.  

Pueblo Filmmakers Premiere New Productions to the Local Community in October

Voyage of the Chimera

His family on the brink of ruin, young aristocrat Marcus DeVol takes command of the destroyer/escort starship Chimera in a last attempt to restore his status by running down pirates and blacklisted vessels for prize money. It's a "safe" job by military standards, but a change of orders just before cast-off will send Marcus and his crew far from home and into very real danger.

Marcus has few illusions about his purchased commission. An academic, he is untested as a leader of men, and his curious mix of officers and crew regard him with a wary eye. Like Chimera herself, they've been pieced together based more on Marcus' tight budget than their experience and reliability. Many of them are foreigners with pasts who have joined the service for a clean slate. Some are more competent than others; few of them have seen real combat.

In the course of their mission, they will encounter both friend and foe, and venture into uncharted territories whose occupants each come with their own strange agendas. Marcus and his crew will soon be tested by combat, by uncertainty, and by fear, as every leg of their journey and every encounter brings a new set of unknowns and challenges. Nothing in the Void is certain.

The Show

The year is 2641. Humanity has spread out and colonized the galaxy. Some colonies remain loyal to their masters, others rebel or request independence. Instead of monolithic United Federations ruling the galaxy, individual worlds play host to many nations, each with their own culture, traditions, and territorial claims in space.

​Voyage Of The Chimera is, first and foremost, a story of characters, of military men far from home and cut off from family and loved ones -- imagine a submarine movie, set in space. There will be action, but it will always be in service to the story. We've even made a deliberate effort to strip down the tech and avoid the usual gimmicks. No aliens, no laser guns, no holographic interfaces, no fusion reactors... and NO SHIELDS -- these guys are going to have to rely on heavy armor, countermeasures, and strategy to survive. Chimera is not a wealthy vessel; her crew is making do with both limited provisions and materials during their perilous mission.

Shot entirely using green screen technology at Watertower Place in Pueblo, Colorado!

Watch the Official Trailer Now

Live Premiere Screening on October 10, 2020 at 8:00pm (MT)

Tonight’s the night! Get your popcorn ready and questions prepared for the filmmakers and cast, as they will be doing a LIVE Q&A after the season 1 movie airs tonight at 8pm MT. Register now and you will receive an email before we start the live stream of Voyage of the Chimera: access.live/Voyage If you’re not registering, make sure to go to the URL above tonight at 8pm MT to watch. See you there!

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“Pat McCarthy’s second film, Red Writing Hood, continues his tradition of casting Pueblo, Colorado as a central character in his storytelling. The film moves at an extraordinarily unpredictable pace and heightened editing and unexpected animation prepare audiences for a number of genuinely frightening moments spread throughout the film’s short running time. McCarthy - along with his team of creatives - has infused the film with an unmistakably (and irresistibly) raw sensibility, which does ensure that the characters and storyline remain endlessly fascinating in terms of their visceral qualities and emblematic of Pueblo’s fascinating history and culture. ”

— Gregory Howell • Storyteller & Founder of Pueblo Regional Film Commission

Sunset Revolutions Productions & Rocky Mountain Blockbusters

Sunset Revolutions Productions (SRP) was founded by Pat McCarthy and home grown in the city of Pueblo Colorado. SRP is a leader in conceptual development, production design, capture execution and post production services for video projects of every caliber and nature. The SRP Team captures special events, commercials, music videos and full feature length films of all genres.

Red Writing Hood is a short and fun Halloween season film shot entirely on location in Pueblo, CO. Headphones or speakers make it even better!

Community Leaders and Investors in the Arts Tour Historic Colorado Theater in Downtown Pueblo

At the corner of 4th & Main in Downtown Pueblo and adjacent to the Historic Federal Building is the Colorado Theater. The theater sits atop the footprint of the former Pueblo Opera House which was designed by Adler & Sullivan and opened in 1890. It was their first project out of their home city of Chicago. Frank Lloyd Wright was also a junior draftsman for Louis Sullivan and is credited with the engineering and design of the single span mezzanines of the famed Opera House. Unfortunately after the Annual Grocers' Ball in March 1922 which had taken place in the upper event spaces, a fire started and destroyed the landmark building on a frigid winter day.

Pop Kite, who was the beloved barber in the basement in the Opera House, pledged that the building would be rebuilt and he would return with his business as a symbol of resilience and solidarity. The city was devastated the year prior in June 1921 by the Great Flood, so Pop became the cheerleader for the rebuilding effort which was completed in 1926. Pueblo has an extraordinary legacy of theater and entertainment establishments and in the early 1900s had over 80 theaters dotting the city and its neighborhoods which presented everything from vaudeville to "talkies". As the second largest city in Colorado, Denver and Pueblo were the stops for Hollywood actors as they did their rounds to promote their films (most stayed in the Vail Hotel in Pueblo).

The Colorado Building & Theater have been closed for over 15 years, but there is renewed interest in restoring the historic theater for film and visual & performing arts. There is also an opportunity to convert the upper floors (2, 3 and 4) of the commercial building into housing and mix use. The recently established Pueblo Regional Film Commission has made the restoration and renovation of one of Pueblo's historic movie houses part of its mission. Pueblo is also fortunate to have Eric Gubelman as the new director of Southern Colorado Economic Development District (SCEDD) and he brings some of the best experience in the the operations and management of historic movie houses. His background includes owning and operating small market first run movie theaters, and stacking capital to get difficult deals done. For much of the last decade, he lived in Knoxville, a city slightly larger than Pueblo. Their downtown includes a vibrant entertainment district that has a historic theater that does a mix of live performance and film, a repurposed movie theater catering to music acts, an eight-screen first run theater, and a single screen retro movie house that creatively programs film series and avant garde fare. He has an interest in helping the film commission and promoting downtown development. We had a wonderful group of citizens yesterday who are interested in helping Pueblo bring back one of its historic gems. I have also included images of the Opera House including some of the original drawings that Puebloan Margi Grund discovered while she was in Minnesota conducting research on the Nuckolls Packing Company and the architect Hans Peter Henschien. #thefutureofthepast

Pueblo Regional Film Commission Takes Over Instagram Account of Office of Film, TV & Media

Follow us from May 4 to 8, 2020 as we take over the Instagram account of the Colorado Office of Film, Television and Media (COFTM). Look for @filmincolorado and you will find images and stories of the best kept secret in the film industry - PUEBLO • COLORADO • USA.

The 48 Hour Film Festival Launches a Month of Film in Pueblo

The 48 Hour Film Festival Launches a Month of Film in Pueblo

The Pueblo 48 Hour Film Festival invites filmmakers to shoot, edit and submit a film within 48 hours. The judging panel, consisting of industry professionals, will evaluate the submitted films the week before the festival. The short films that receive the highest scores will be screened during the Red Carpet Screening in the InfoZone Theater (4th FL). Audience members will also vote on their favorite film during the main event and the People's Choice winner will be announced with all other category winners at the end of the evening.  

Films are judged and viewed at a public screening. Winners will be awarded with free admission to the 2020 StoryMode Independent Short Film Awards (SISFA) and winning films will be screened during the SISFA Festival in Pueblo, Colorado on April 17-18.

AWARDS

• Judge’s Choice

• Best Cinematography

• Best Script

• Best Performance

• Best Musical Score

• Best Youth Production (16 yrs and under)

• Best Film Shot With Smart Phone

• People’s Choice

RULES

1. Films must not exceed 6 minutes and 30 seconds (including credits).

2. Thematic elements such as a genre, character, prop and line of dialogue will be announced on Friday, Mar. 27th at 5 p.m.  All elements must be incorporated for the film to be judged.

3. All submissions must be an original film created in the allotted 48-hour timeframe between March 27 at 5 p.m. and March 29th at 5 p.m.  Any creative work in advance of the competition is prohibited.  No films or film segments created for other projects may be submitted.  Animation and special effects are allowed, but must be created during the official 48-hour timeframe. 

4. The only work to begin prior to the Official Time Period is: organizing crew, organizing cast, securing equipment and scouting/securing locations.

5. All films must be uploaded to YouTube or Vimeo and submitted by sending the link to filmfestival@pueblolibrary.org.  No hard copies, jump drives or discs will be accepted.

6. Any type of filming equipment and/or cameras may be used.  Multiple cameras are permitted.

7. Any stock photos or music used in the film must be original or the team must acquire rights for use.

EVENTS

Producing 101: How to make the most of every hour by planning ahead  

Saturday, Mar. 21, 9 a.m.-10:30 a.m., RA, Ryals Room (4th FL)

Film production has three phases: pre-production, production, and post-production. A 48 hour filmmaking competition gives you a chance to experience all three in record time! This workshop will take you on a brief tour of what to focus on in each of the three phases, so you can maximize the quality of your film. Topics will include: what makes a good script; how to plan your shoot with a shot list and storyboards; crew roles (who’s who on set); and best ways to organize your footage for editing. Led by Polly Washburn, an award-winning film producer and director who organized the first Toronto 48 Hour Film Project.

Lights, Camera, Action: An introduction to film equipment  

Saturday, Mar. 21, 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m., RA, Ryals Room (4th FL)

A look at different types of cameras, lights and sound gear that you can use to make a film, from using your cell phone and available light, to using a DSLR to renting higher-end equipment.

Led by cinematographer and editor Adrian Montgomery of Distant Peak Productions, who is currently editing a feature-length documentary that he recorded all the video and sound for, in 9 interviews around the country. Adrian participated in a 48HFP in Denver a couple of years ago, so will also offer his top tips on what to make sure to do, as well as what to watch out for.

Thematic Elements Reveal Party

Friday, Mar. 27, 5 p.m., Solar Roast Coffee (3206 W. Northern Ave.) 

Come find out what the required thematic elements will be for the 2020 Pueblo 48-Hour Film Festival!  The announcement will also be shared via Facebook Live.  Tune in to PCCLD’s Facebook page for the livecast. Co-sponsored by Solar Roast and the Pueblo Regional Film Commission.

Film Submission Deadline

Sunday, Mar. 29, 5 p.m.

All films must be submitted by 5pm on Sunday, March 29th. Please upload your film to YouTube or Vimeo and share the link to filmfestival@pueblolibrary.org

Screening of Previous Winning Films

Friday, Apr. 3, 6:30 p.m., RA, InfoZone Theater (4th FL)

Join us for a celebration of short film on the big screen as we honor past winners of the 48-Hour Film Festival! The screening in the InfoZone Theater (4th FL) will feature some of our favorites from the archives!

Red Carpet Screening and Awards

Saturday, Apr. 4, 6:30 p.m., RA InfoZone Theater (4th FL)

Join us for the screening of this year’s 48-Hour Film Festival submissions and submit your vote for the 2020 People’s Choice Award!  The film screening will be followed by an awards ceremony to recognize the work of filmmakers of all ages and skill levels.  Popcorn provided. Co-sponsored by the Pueblo Regional Film Commission. 

New Legislation to Create Transferable Tax Credits for the Film Industry in Colorado

Representative Bri Buentello, 47th District

Dustin Hodge, Bri Buentello, Donald Zuckerman, Gregory Howell

Daneya Esgar, District 46

Dustin Hodge, Daneya Esgar and Gregory Howell visit Representative Esgar at her office at the Capitol.

NEW LEGISLATION TO CREATE TRANSFERABLE TAX CREDITS FOR THE FILM INDUSTRY IN COLORADO

On February 12, 2020,. Dustin Hodge and Gregory Howell represented the new Pueblo Regional Film Commission during a visit to the Colorado State Capitol in Denver to meet with our legislators to discuss a new bill coming to the floor of the legislature. Donald Zuckerman, Film Commissioner, and Mariel Rodriguez-McGill, Deputy Film Commissioner of the Colorado Office of Film, Television and Media (COFTM), joined the Pueblo delegation as we met with Senate President Leroy M. Garcia, Representative Daneya Esgar, HD 46 and Representative Bri Buentello HD 47. We discussed the existing film tax incentives, workforce and economic development, and ways to recruit and keep creative industries in Colorado through a transferable tax credit for film which would be a tremendous boost for our industry.

Just hours before the first meeting, the Denver Business Journal published a lengthy story aptly titled The End? which discusses the near collapse of our film industry in Colorado which is on the brink of extinction. The current state of the film industry requires bold and thoughtful measures to ensure a strong and sustainable future for creatives and the industry.

The new bill would pass into law a $5 million/year transferable tax credit (TTC) for film, television, and media, helping our state's film industry get back to opening new businesses, building infrastructure, and providing career opportunities for Coloradans. '“TTCs, which are used in other states, are credits based on a percentage of a qualified spend that a producer can use to offset tax liability or can take to a bank or private-equity firm to sell on the open market to a company with significant tax liability. In states like Georgia and California, such credits can fetch about 90 cents on the dollar and are attractive because of their portability and flexibility” according to the Denver Business Journal article. This tax credit program would work alongside the current cash rebate program, which, although much smaller, continues to be helpful to smaller local productions. Last year, 100% of the $750,000 in the rebate program was spent on productions by Colorado-based production companies.

Legislators indicated they're open to a new tax credit program, but they need to hear from constituents to understand its importance to the state. The Pueblo Regional Film Commission felt the urgency to personally meet with local legislators in an effort to get the bill passed. We as a community need to tell our state legislators why this new tax credit is so important. We encourage all interested parties to sign up here and when it's time to act, we'll email everyone a prepared letter for them to send to their legislators (along with the names and emails of each person's legislators). Once you have signed, please share the link with friends and colleagues within the industry – and with anyone outside the industry whose business or career has been helped as a result of film production.


We welcome the help of any organizations whose members stand to benefit from the increased economic opportunity that would come from this bill. Please encourage all to share the link with their members and partners, it will greatly help our chances of getting this bill passed.

Anyone interested in other ways of helping this cause should email John VanWyck at jvanwyck@gmail.com or his colleague Samantha Sigler at ssigler3@gmail.com.

Thank you.

Documenting America - Organizing Impactful Film Festivals - A project for Russia

On Friday, February 7, 2020, the Pueblo Regional Film Commission was honored to host a group of Russian film industry professionals in conjunction with the US State Department and the World Affairs Council Colorado Springs. For over 80 years, the highly competitive International Visitor Leadership Program at the State Department has been ranked as the elite professional program for visitors coming to the USA from around the world. Our guests included film festival organizers, professors of film, public relations and marketing experts from Moscow to Vladivostok (see bios below).

Our two hour morning program began with a lot of snow and smiles from our Russian guests who felt very much at home. We offered self-introductions around the room which was followed by the origin story of the Pueblo Regional Film Commission including the goals and objectives from film recruitment to workforce development. We also Illustrated how to organize and promote film festivals in a variety of venues, particularly documentary and independent film festivals. Pueblo is home to the 48 Hour Film Festival, SISFA Film Festival and MountainFilm. We also discussed the task of managing staff and volunteers for these special events.

We also touched upon a series of topics in the world of film including :

• Understanding co-production during festivals

• Management of community engagement at festivals, such as workshops and speaking events

• Publicity, media coverage, media relations

• Fundraising, advertising

• Communication

• Branding

• American cinema history and theory at U.S. universities

• Latest trends in documentary

Special thanks to Dustin Hodge and Tyler Shown for sharing their experiences as filmmakers here in Pueblo and beyond. The Pueblo Regional Film Commission thanks Jamie Bequette, International Visitor Program Manager, for developing the itinerary and for including Pueblo in its storytelling effort. At the conclusion of the event, all guests visited the 4th floor of the former meat packing plant for a group photo to commemorate the program.

For more information, click the links below.

International Visitor Leadership Program

Russian Visitor Biographies

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Special thanks to Regan Foster of the Colorado Springs Independent for attending our event and submitting a story to The Wire. (Left: Cover art • Above: Tyler Shown of Jolly Mule Productions share his experience as a filmmaker with our guests.

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New Pueblo Regional Film Commission Meets with Mayor of Pueblo

The Pueblo Regional Film Commission Development Team met with the Mayor at City Hall on January 22, 2020 to discuss the launch of this new commission and to secure support from the City of Pueblo. From left: Dustin Hodge, Cathy Valenzuela, Gregory Howell, Mara Alexandru, Mayor Nicholas Gradisar, Alan Lamberg, Tyler Shown, Sam Ebersole, Perry Perkins. Not shown is Laura Solano and Jeff Madeen.

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The Pueblo Regional Film Commission aims to help foster the growth, sustainability, competitiveness and business attraction of Pueblo’s film, television and digital media industry. This in turn supports rural economic development, promotes tourism, employs Puebloans and brings diversity to our regional economy. The film industry directly employs skilled local workers, with many other businesses being impacted by production-induced spending, such as hotels, caterers and lumber companies.

The Pueblo Regional Film Commission is comprised of industry professionals with experience from Los Angeles to New York City and just about everywhere in between. The Commission enjoys the support of the Mayor’s Office and the Colorado Office of Film, Television and Media (COFTM).

The interest in filming here is at a pitch fever for many reasons, including the state's location diversity, its overall cost productions savings, its proximity to New Mexico and the professional support you'll receive from the Pueblo Regional Film Commission. We are here to help. Our team is well versed in these matters, and we’re happy to guide you through this process. Whether you are still considering Pueblo or have already decided to shoot here in Southern Colorado, you'll get red carpet treatment.

Valuable information about filming in Pueblo is available on our website. If you have further questions, just e-mail us or give us a call at 719.299.1492. To send us more detailed information about your project, please complete the Contact Form so we can better serve your needs.

Take One,

Pueblo Regional Film Commission

The International Light Painters Visit Pueblo

Photo by Ben Lutze

Aerial Aura Captured by Light Painters

Photographer: DYMedia
Light Painter: Russell Klimas
Aerials: Chris Wegert and Emily Wegert

Dan Chick

Light painter: Dan Chick
Model: Sylvia Ross — with Sylvia Ross at Watertower Place.

The Pueblo Regional Film Commission embraces innovation and creativity in the arts. Light painting takes digital media to a whole new level with a powerful mixture of visual and performing arts. Recently they descended upon Pueblo and explored the spaces at Watertower Place in the heart of the historic Grove neighborhood.

One of our primary objectives at Watertower Place is to encourage and foster a destination where art and engineering flourish. Recently, Watertower Place hosted Colorado Light Painting which is the largest group of its kind in the USA. Photographers, models, and painters from around the state descended on the former meat packing plant and created some powerful work which is too hard to explain with words alone.

The Origin of Light Painting

Light painting (also called light drawing) dates back to 1889 when Étienne-Jules Marey and Georges Demeny traced human motion in the first known light painting Pathological Walk From in Front.

The technique was used in Frank Gilbreth's work with his wife Lillian Moller Gilbreth in 1914, when the pair used small lights and the open shutter of a camera to track the motion of manufacturing and clerical workers.

Man Ray, in his 1935 series "Space Writing," was the first known art photographer to use the technique. He made a self-portrait with a time exposure and while the shutter was open, with a penlight he inscribed his name in cursive script in the space between him and the camera, overwriting the letters with more cryptic marks. Historian of photography Ellen Carey (*1952) describes her discovery of the artist's signature in this image while examining it in 2009.

Photographer Barbara Morgan began making light paintings in 1935-1941. Her 1941 photomontage Pure Energy and Neurotic Man incorporates light drawing and realises her stated aim; "that if I should ever seriously photograph, it would be...the flux of things. I wanted then, and still do, to express the ‘thing’ as part of total flow." In making innovative photographs of dancers, including Martha Graham and Erick Hawkins she would have them move while holding lights.

In 1949 Pablo Picasso was visited by Gjon Mili, a photographer and lighting innovator, who introduced Picasso to his photographs of ice skaters with lights attached to their skates. Immediately Picasso started making images in the air with a small flashlight in a dark room. This series of photos became known as Picasso's "light drawings." Of these photos, the most celebrated and famous is known as Picasso draws a Centaur.

Peter Keetman (1916–2005), who studied photography in Munich from 1935 to 1937, was the 1949 co-founder of FotoForm (together with Otto Steinert, Toni Schneiders et al.), a group with great impact on the new photography in the 50s and 60s in Germany and abroad. He produced a series Schwingungsfigur (oscillating figures) of complex linear meshes, often with moiré effects, using a point-source light on a pendulum.

During the 1970s and 80's Eric Staller used this technology for numerous photo projects that were called "Light Drawings". Light paintings up to 1976 are classified as light drawings.

In 1977 Dean Chamberlain extended the technique using handheld lights to selectively illuminate and/or colour parts of the subject or scene with his image Polyethylene Bags On Chaise Longue at The Rochester Institute of Technology. Dean Chamberlain was the first artist to dedicate his entire body of work to the light painting art form. The artist photographer Jacques Pugin made several series of images with the light drawing technique in 1979. Now, with modern light painting, one uses more frequently choreography and performance to photograph and organize.

In the 1970s and early 1980s, Steve Mann invented, designed, built, and used various wearable computers to visualize real-world phenomena such as sound waves, radio waves, and sight fields by light painting using computational photography.

Since the 1980s, Vicki DaSilva has been working exclusively in light painting and light graffiti. In 1980, DaSilva started making deliberate text light graffiti works, the first being "Cash". She continued these light graffiti photographs throughout the 1980s and eventually started using 4 foot fluorescent bulbs hooked up to pulley systems to create sheets of light. In the early 2000s she began making work with 8 foot fluorescent lamps, holding the lamp vertically and walking through spaces with it.

From the late 1980s Tokihiro Satō's photographs combine light, time and space in recording his movements in a series beginning with his “photo respirations” where his use of an 8 x 10-inch view camera fitted with a strong neutral-density filter to achieve lengthy exposures lasting one to three hours provide the opportunity for him to move through the landscape. When shooting in daylight, with a mirror he flashed light from the sun into the camera lens, resulting in points of light and flares that punctuate the image and track his movements, though his presence is not seen directly. For nocturnal or interior views he “draws” with a small torch.

Light painting as an artform enjoyed a surge in popularity in the 21st century, partly due to the increasing availability of dSLR cameras and mobile phone cameras enabling immediate feedback for adjustments of lights and exposure; advances in portable light sources such as LEDs; and the advent of media sharing websites by which practitioners can exchange images and ideas.

In March 2007, JanLeonardo coined the term light art performance photography (LAPP) which emphasises the performative aspect that is evident earlier in Satō's work, and used it to describe the creation of new figures and structures only with light. Following the original Greek meaning of Photography (Greek φῶς, phos, genetive: φωτός, photos, "light" (of the luminary), "brightness" and γράφειν, graphein, "drawing", "carve", "create", "write") it is a symbiosis of light art and photography. The main difference from other light painting or light writing, it has been claimed, is the role of the background in the photo.[clarification needed] Locations in the natural landscape or amongst buildings, such as industrial ruins, are carefully researched for distinctive backgrounds for each composition and LED-lamps are often used for contrasting cold and warm light to emphasise the existing structures. Collaboration is usually required in the performance of the work, with one person creating light figures and structures while the other operates the camera. In collaboration with Jörg Miedza, JanLeonardo founded the project LAPP-PRO.de that further developed the technique until in 2011, the pair disassociated. LAPP has grown internationally since its inception.

Light Painting at Watertower Place

Artist Paul Burns. (see works below) led the first group of light painting creatives at Watertower Place. Since then Watertower Place has hosted a variety of painters who continue to expand our understanding of the art form and the many applications that can be considered to achieve a heightened understanding of creativity and self-awareness.

Paul Burns

Paul Burns

Paul Burns

Paul Burns

In Pueblo we want creatives to thrive. Over the past year Watertower Place has enjoyed the amazing company of light painters who have taken over massive areas of the the former meat packing plant to showcase their amazing artistic and technical spirit. One of the light painters who visited Pueblo from the Boulder area is Margarita Rubiera and she recently released this video Welcome to Lucid Flow. Lucid Flow is more than just a photo or video booth. It is an interactive experience designed to empower you to become the creative through the making of your own unique light painting video and final image in a space adaptable to your event’s needs. To learn more about this powerful art form and to contact Margarita directy about light painting visit her website.

Pueblo Goes Global with Harley Davidson 2019 Model Release

The spark that ignited the creation of a local film commission was the arrival of Harley Davidson in 2018. Each year the iconic motorcycle manufacturer chooses a destination in the USA to shoot their latest models. Under top secret, the motorcycles arrive in a stealth-like operation behind oversized black screens. Initially Pueblo was to serve as backdrop for about 20 percent of the models, but in the end the final images showcased much more of Pueblo and its iconic landscape.

The images were seen on the Harley Davidson website by more than 20 million visitors and translated into more than 20 foreign languages. The images also found their way into 500,000 legendary calendar which were distributed throughout throughout the world.

The iconic Heritage Classic model captured in Downtown Pueblo in front of City Hall and the Vail Hotel. Here the website is translated into Japanese.

Shorty after the images went public, the Pueblo Chieftain published the full story of the project and the Colorado Office of Film, Television and Media (COFTM) reached out to learn more about our efforts to recruit projects to Southern Colorado. COFTM invited a core group of Puebloans to Denver to discuss future endeavors and with their blessing and seed funding, we established the Pueblo Regional Film Commission as a Colorado non-profit entity.

Pueblo Regional Film Commission aims to help foster the growth, sustainability, competitiveness and business attraction of Pueblo’s film, television and digital media industry. This in turn supports economic development, promotes tourism, employs Puebloans and brings diversity to our regional economy. The film industry directly employs skilled local workers, with many other businesses being impacted by production-induced spending, such as hotels, caterers and lumber companies.

Read the full story in the Pueblo Chieftain.