Idris Goodwin, who was named the first person of color to lead the centennial Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center at Colorado College just a month before the pandemic closed in February 2020, resigned on Friday.
Goodwin, who has been at Colorado College for eight years, including a time as a professor, is a successful playwright whose play “Blackademics” is currently in production at the Vintage Theater in Aurora through June 19.
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Goodwin, who was named one of 60 National Fellows by United States artists last year, told The Gazette today that he has not accepted any position elsewhere and has no plans to leave Colorado, but he is not yet ready to go into more detail. about his decision to leave. “But I’ll be fine,” he added.
FAC includes world-class galleries, the Bemis School of the Arts, and one of the top three professional theater companies in the state. Goodwin made two important personnel moves during his tenure: he appointed Pirronne Yousefzade as Artistic Director of the Fine Arts Center Theater Company and Michael Christiano as the museum’s new director.
Goodwin has responded proactively to the pandemic by launching City as a Venue, a new program designed to bring theater, dance, music and more to outdoor venues in Colorado Springs last summer, including the construction of a new outdoor stage in the Sculpture Garden.
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This year’s program starts on Wednesday and includes a production of the women’s football play “Wolves” in an open-air theater; a series of children’s plays on Saturday afternoons at local parks and community centers; and various practical art classes.
Colorado College Senior Vice President Mike Edmonds confirmed Goodwin’s resignation “with mixed emotions” in a memo.
“FAC has made great strides in Idris’ 27 months in office, including the FAC Museum being re-accredited by the American Alliance of Museums, launching the City as a Venue program, and leading the museum during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic,” he said. wrote.
Edmonds called Goodwin “a respected artist in his own right” and added, “I know we all greatly appreciate Idris’ contributions to Colorado College and Colorado Springs and wish him continued success.” He added that the college will consider the next steps to fill the position once activities begin this weekend.
When he was hired, Goodwin said making art accessible to everyone was his top priority. “One of the words in our mission statement that I’m obsessed with is ‘life force,'” said Goodwin. “That’s 100% what the role of an art and culture space is for me: to show, display and encourage the signs of life.”
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