Breckenridge International Festival of Arts

Breckenridge International Festival of Arts (BIFA) Returns with 10 Days of Adventure, Creativity and Play

The 2023 Breckenridge International Festival of Arts (BIFA) begins on Friday, August 11 for 10-days of celebration of Adventure + Creativity + Play. Local, national and international artist talent and organizations, both traditional and unconventional, mingle together to create an eclectic mix of music, dance, film, visual arts and family entertainment. Throughout the festival, Breck Create produces dozens of events across the Town of Breckenridge’s cultural venues, public parks, trails and open spaces. 

The festival begins on Friday, August 11, 2023, runs through Sunday, August 20, 2023, and includes ticketed Performances, Art Installations, Art classes and Workshops. There are dozens of opportunities for free, family-friendly experiences.

Breck Create has built a dynamic, year-round creative community in Breckenridge. The organization’s mission is to deliver inspiring creative experiences that enrich the quality of life for all residents and quality of place for visitors while supporting and serving artists, creatives, and cultural enthusiasts, with a year-round schedule of performances, exhibitions, screenings, art classes and workshops as well as other engagement opportunities. The Breckenridge Arts District is also a certified district within the Colorado Creative Industries Creative District program

“Breck Create activates Breckenridge with an exciting lineup of talent for this year’s BIFA,” says President/CEO of Breck Create, Tamara Nuzzaci Park. “We will transform public places with provocative art and fuse art forms with athletics and wellness. This year offers a range of experiences, from awe-inspiring physical theater to an interactive installation of invented instruments. Our hope is that BIFA gives all kinds of people the opportunity for reflection, surprise, delight and conversation around issues important to our mountain community.” 

2023 BIFA Lineup

Circa

For 2023, BIFA tapped Circa, a contemporary modern circus out of Australia, as the resident artist. Circa will perform during the BIFA AirStage Summer Après community events as well as a ticketed performance at the Riverwalk Center. The group also will lead a youth circus workshop. The ticketed performance is titled What Will Have Been by Circa, created by Yaron Lifschitz with the Circa Ensemble (a Norfolk and Norwich Festival and La Teatreria Mexico commission). Accompanied on stage by a live violinist and fusing together the music of Bach and Philip Glass as well as spine-tingling electronica, this explosive production is guaranteed to tug at your heartstrings and have you on the edge of your seat. 

Artist Sharon Louden

BIFA 2023 welcomes exhibiting artist Sharon Louden. Louden, who is based in New York, creates abstract installations, and her piece Barriers to Entry will be on view at Old Masonic Hall. BIFA attendees can enjoy music paired with Louden’s work during the Wonder Hour series. Louden will give a public artist talk during one of the Wonder Hour events. She also will offer a workshop for kids and their parents called Glowtown that develops individual creativity and teamwork within a community-building environment. 

Trail Mix & Camille Hoffman

Camille Hoffman, also currently based in New York, comes to BIFA as the featured Trail Mix artist. Trail Mix combines art and nature whereby hikers follow a trail to an art installation. Opportunities exist for guided mindfulness hikes to see Hoffman’s Soft Gaze as well as music and art pairings during the Chirp! series. Hoffman will give an artist talk on the opening day of the festival. Soft Gaze will be accessible via the Illinois Creek, Iowa Hill and Moonstone trails August 11th through September 4th. 

National Repertory Orchestra (NRO) & The Schick Machine

Breck Create and the National Repertory Orchestra (NRO), continue their BIFA partnership with Exuberant Moderns: A gallery guide to the modern concert stage. Select NRO fellows extend their residency in Breckenridge for this pay-what-youcan performance at the Riverwalk Center, which features a program of contemporary classical chamber music paired with artwork by modern masters and narration by Steven Schick. On the experimental side of things, the Schick Machine features Schick, the “philosopher king of percussion” according to The New York Times, exploring a visually compelling world of mechanical devices, invented instruments and seemingly infinite sonic possibilities. The Schick Machine is a collaboration created by a multidisciplinary team including composer/instrument builder Paul Dresher, writer/director Rinde Eckert, Schick, lighting and visual designer Tom Ontiverson, instrument inventor/educator Daniel Schmidt and mechanical sound artist Matt Heckert. The festival features two performances: a family concert that is free with registration and a pay-what-you-can evening performance. 

Concrete Jams: Skateboarding + Jams

Concrete Jams: Skateboarding + Jams returns to BIFA 2023. This community event brings together professional skateboarders and musicians in unexpected ways. The events are free and feature a community skate during the closing musical set. 

Fran Lebowitz

Humorist and author Fran Lebowitz performs at the Riverwalk Center on Friday, August 11th, which is opening night of the festival. Tickets currently are on sale now for this performance at breckcreate.org. Rounding out BIFA are Acoustic Flow (daily morning yoga + music) as well as art camps for kids and a full week of art classes and workshops for folks of all ages to be announced closer to the event. 

TICKETS and Registration

Tickets, registration instructions and more information for all of the festival offerings can be found at breckcreate.org/bifa. Early ticket buying and registration opportunities begin for Breck Create members on April 12th and for the general public on April 14th at breckcreate.org. Learn more about becoming a Breck Create member at breckcreate.org. 

Learn more at breckcreate.org/bifa. 

Stay in Touch with Events in Colorado’s mountain towns with our: Colorado Events Calendar and Learn More about Breckenridge: www.mountaintownbreckenridge.com

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