Aspen announces 2025 Cultural Vibrancy Fellowship recipients

The city of Aspen has announced the 2025 Cultural Vibrancy Fellowship recipients, including 12 adult and seven youth artists. 

This initiative celebrates and supports local talent by providing funding and opportunities for growth, collaboration, and creative expression.

The selected artists, representing a variety of disciplines, were notified earlier this month and will begin the fellowship in February. Financial support is tailored to individual needs, with youth artists receiving up to $750 and adult artists receiving up to $4,000.

“The Cultural Vibrancy Fellowship is a key arts and culture initiative of the city of Aspen, supporting the creative endeavors of our community’s exceptional artists,” said Mike Harrington, executive director of the Wheeler Opera House. “Emerging from a highly competitive applicant pool with inspiring projects across numerous disciplines, we look forward to seeing how the artists develop their projects while fostering new relationships and potential collaborations within the fellowship cohort.”

Adult artists will start their sessions on Feb. 11, facilitated by Renee Prince, a theater maker, story-sharing facilitator, and social worker. Prince emphasizes the power of the creative process in deepening connections with oneself and others.

Youth artists will begin their fellowship on Feb. 18, with sessions led by Cassidy Willey, a multilingual and multidisciplinary theater artist and educator from the Roaring Fork Valley. 

Willey, a founding member of Consensual Improv and former director of community programming for VOICES, focuses on using creativity to inspire connection, healing, and personal growth.

Both groups will take part in five convenings between February and May, culminating in a celebratory event at the Wheeler Opera House.

“The convenings are a cornerstone of the fellowship, providing local artists with the opportunity to build meaningful and supportive relationships that bolster community mental health,” said Sarah Roy, executive director of the Red Brick Center for the Arts. “These gatherings also offer a valuable platform for artists to expand their professional networks, fostering growth both personally and professionally, which in turn positively impacts the cultural vibrancy of Aspen.”

For more information about the 2025 Cultural Vibrancy Fellowship, visit aspen.gov.