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DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20260916T120000
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SUMMARY:Rural Creative Connections: The Mountain and Valley Fiber Arts Festival Comes to Durango
DESCRIPTION:Join us for our next Rural Creative Connections session with co-hosts Jill Knuckles and Lise Poulsen from the 2026 Mountain and Valley Fiber Arts Festival (MVFAF). \nFor over 40 years\, this festival called Taos\, NM home. This year marks its first time in Durango\, Colorado! Jill and Lise will share what’s ahead for the festival’s Durango debut\, happening October 3 & 4\, 2026 at the La Plata County Fairgrounds & Event Center (free admission\, free parking). \nThe festival brings together fiber artists\, animals\, and makers from across the region\, including a juried natural fiber market featuring yarns\, finished goods\, and fiber arts tools; fiber animals like sheep\, alpacas\, goats\, llamas\, and yaks; hands-on workshops led by expert instructors; live demonstrations of spinning\, dyeing\, sheep shearing\, and more; and a brand-new Yarn Bombing initiative\, where acrylic-yarn scarves\, shawls\, mittens\, mukluks\, and blankets will be hung around Durango to announce the festival\, then collected\, washed\, and donated to local assistance programs. \nDuring this virtual session\, Jill and Lise will talk about what makes MVFAF special\, what to expect at this first Durango event\, and how rural creatives can get involved\, whether as vendors\, volunteers\, or attendees. Rural creatives are encouraged to attend and explore how this festival could be a source of connection\, inspiration\, or opportunity for their own creative work. \nWe’ll also open up space for conversation\, connection\, and resource-sharing among rural creatives across Colorado. \nJoin us for this Rural Creative Collective‘s call to learn more about the Mountain and Valley Fiber Arts Festival\, connect with fellow creatives\, and celebrate this exciting new chapter for a beloved regional tradition.
URL:https://startupcolorado.org/event/rural-creative-connections-the-mountain-and-valley-fiber-arts-festival-comes-to-durango/
LOCATION:Online
CATEGORIES:Community,Rural Creative Collective
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://startupcolorado.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Rural-Creative-Connections-Startup-Colorado-The-Mountain-and-Valley-Fiber-Arts-Festival-Comes-to-Durango-1.png
ORGANIZER;CN="Vanessa McCrann":MAILTO:vanessa@startupcolorado.org
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DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20260820T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20260820T130000
DTSTAMP:20260819T214513Z
CREATED:20260724T111006Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260819T214513Z
UID:10000323-1787227200-1787230800@startupcolorado.org
SUMMARY:Ready to Reach Further: A Brand-First Plan for Expanding Your Creative Business
DESCRIPTION:You’ve built something real. You have a product or service\, paying customers\, and momentum in your local community. So how do you grow beyond it? Join brand specialist Amber Andrews of Andrews Artistry for a practical\, growth-stage session on expanding your creative business regionally\, statewide\, or nationally without losing what makes it yours. \nAmber will start where sustainable growth actually starts: brand clarity. You’ll get honest about your mission\, your visual identity\, and whether your brand shows up consistently everywhere people find you. From there\, you’ll learn how to choose marketing channels based on your brand and your exact audience — not the other way around — and start on a repeatable 90-day marketing plan you can build as you grow. \nAttendees of our Rural Creative Collective‘s call will leave with a clear picture of who they’re really talking to\, a channel strategy that fits their capacity\, a 90-day plan template\, and clarifying questions answered as you build your brand guide. Time for discussion and Q&A included. \nSpeaker Bio: \nAmber Andrews (they/them) is the founder and creative director of Andrews Artistry\, a queer-owned\, human-led creative studio in Denver. With 15+ years of experience across brand photography\, web design\, and visual brand strategy\, Amber helps creatives and small business owners build brands that are clear\, consistent\, and unmistakably theirs — so their work can reach the people it’s meant for\, wherever they are. When they’re not behind a camera or building a website\, you’ll find them tap dancing or being supervised by the studio’s most opinionated members: the cats.
URL:https://startupcolorado.org/event/ready-to-reach-further-a-brand-first-plan-for-expanding-your-creative-business/
LOCATION:Online
CATEGORIES:Rural Creative Collective
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://startupcolorado.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Rural-Creative-Connections-Startup-Colorado-Amber-Andrews.png
ORGANIZER;CN="Vanessa McCrann":MAILTO:vanessa@startupcolorado.org
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20260730T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20260730T130000
DTSTAMP:20260721T151210Z
CREATED:20260513T162341Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260721T151210Z
UID:10000284-1785412800-1785416400@startupcolorado.org
SUMMARY:Rural Creative Connections: Meet the Verra App
DESCRIPTION:For our July Rural Creative Connections session\, we’re meeting Paul Spitzer from Durango. He’s the founder of Verra\, a social marketplace app for handmade goods rooted in authenticity\, creativity\, and community. \nPaul brings a unique mix of experience to this conversation. With a long career in technology and a background in art and design\, he approaches entrepreneurship through a deeply creative lens. He is also an active artist and photographer\, giving him firsthand insight into the needs\, challenges\, and opportunities facing makers and creative entrepreneurs. \nDuring this virtual session\, Paul will share more about Verra\, how the platform is being built to support handmade goods and the people who create them\, and what it means to design technology around trust\, storytelling\, and community. Verra is currently accepting new artists and makers\, and rural creatives are encouraged to attend\, explore the platform\, and consider whether it could be a fit for sharing and selling their work. \nWe’ll also open up space for conversation\, connection\, and resource-sharing among rural creatives across Colorado. \nJoin us for this Rural Creative Collective‘s call to learn more about Verra\, connect with fellow creatives\, and explore how digital tools can help strengthen creative businesses and handmade economies.
URL:https://startupcolorado.org/event/rural-creative-connections-meet-the-verra-app/
LOCATION:Online
CATEGORIES:Community,Rural Creative Collective
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://startupcolorado.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Rural-Creative-Connections-Startup-Colorado-Paul-Spitzer.png
ORGANIZER;CN="Vanessa McCrann":MAILTO:vanessa@startupcolorado.org
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20260624T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20260624T130000
DTSTAMP:20260522T160000Z
CREATED:20260514T150538Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260522T160000Z
UID:10000285-1782302400-1782306000@startupcolorado.org
SUMMARY:What’s Next: A Roadmap for Bringing Your Creative Business to Life
DESCRIPTION:If you have an idea for a creative business but aren’t sure what comes next\, this workshop is for you. Join creative business coach Chereen Leong Schwarz for an encouraging\, action-oriented session designed for idea-stage creatives who are starting from the ground up. \nChereen will open with a grounding exercise\, then lead a workshop-style presentation focused on helping you move from idea to action. Together\, you’ll explore how to get clear on your direction\, identify practical next steps\, and build momentum in a way that feels aligned with your values\, creativity\, and capacity. \nAttendees will leave with actionable takeaways\, a stronger sense of direction\, and time for discussion and Q&A around the real questions that come up when you’re just getting started. \n  \nAbout the Speaker: \nChereen is a creative business coach and founder of Smeeny Made Wild. She helps creatives and small business owners turn ideas into action through intentional\, practical support that builds clarity\, confidence\, and momentum.
URL:https://startupcolorado.org/event/whats-next-a-roadmap-for-bringing-your-creative-business-to-life/
LOCATION:Online
CATEGORIES:Community,Rural Creative Collective
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://startupcolorado.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Rural-Creative-Connections-Startup-Colorado-Chereen-Leong-Schwarz.png
ORGANIZER;CN="Vanessa McCrann":MAILTO:vanessa@startupcolorado.org
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20260528T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20260528T130000
DTSTAMP:20260514T195156Z
CREATED:20260420T152939Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260514T195156Z
UID:10000275-1779969600-1779973200@startupcolorado.org
SUMMARY:Rural Creative Connections with Mesa County Fantasy Faire
DESCRIPTION:For our first Rural Creative Connections session of the year\, we’re heading (virtually) to Grand Junction to meet Dierdre Monroe—co-owner of Sweet River Event Venue and organizer of the returning Mesa County Fantasy Faire. \nOriginally held in the 2010s\, the Fantasy Faire built a loyal following—and now\, a decade later\, Deirdre is bringing it back with a fresh vision. Designed as a family-friendly cultural festival\, the Faire creates paid opportunities for local artists\, makers\, and performers while offering accessible arts experiences for families across the Western Slope. \nWith early momentum and support from the Grand Junction Commission on Arts & Culture\, Deirdre is reimagining what this event can be—blending creativity\, community\, and economic opportunity for rural creatives. She’ll share what it takes to revive a beloved event\, build new partnerships\, and grow something sustainable from the ground up. \nAfter the spotlight\, we’ll move into rounds of 1:1 networking—a chance to share what you’re working on\, what you need help with\, and connect with fellow rural creatives.
URL:https://startupcolorado.org/event/rural-creative-connections-with-mesa-county-fantasy-faire/
LOCATION:Online
CATEGORIES:Networking,Rural Creative Collective
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://startupcolorado.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Rural-Creative-Connections-Startup-Colorado-Deirdre-Monroe-1.png
ORGANIZER;CN="Vanessa McCrann":MAILTO:vanessa@startupcolorado.org
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