Breckenridge International Festival of Arts 2024
Breck Create is thrilled to announce the Breckenridge International Festival of Arts 2024 (BIFA).
Breckenridge International Festival of Arts 2024 aka BIFA is a 10-day celebration of Adventure + Creativity + Nature + Play. Local, national and international artists come together to deliver traditional and unconventional experiences across Music, Dance, Film, Visual Arts and Family Entertainment.
From August 16 to August 25, 2024, the festival will transform the Town of Breckenridge into a vibrant hub of Art & Cultural exploration, with events spanning in the towns performance venues, public parks, trails, and open spaces. Ticketed performances, immersive art installations, and art classes and workshops as well as dozens of opportunities for free, family-friendly fun are all available for you to Discover and Experience.
“BIFA draws inspiration from Breckenridge’s spectacular landscape and the fearless spirit of people who live, work and play here,” says President/CEO of Breck Create, Tamara Nuzzaci Park. “This year we delve into the reciprocal relationship between humans and earth, a connection reflected in the talent, art and events that we curated for the festival.”
BIFA embodies Breck Create’s commitment to respecting the natural and cultural environment. With thought-provoking exhibitions and immersive experiences, we question assumptions and address critical issues of our time from sustainability to marginalized identities. Each aspect of BIFA, including the performers, culturally relevant artist talks, and recycled material used in exhibited artworks is driven by a commitment to our values and the community we serve.
This year’s focus on the complex relationship between humans and earth comes to life through a county-wide weed pull turned outdoor art installation, interactive theater inspired by the mysterious life of bees, a physicist-narrated string quartet confronting a planet under siege and so much more.
“We strive to create a nexus for contemporary art in the Rocky Mountain West,” Park explains. “Our environmental focus distinguishes us; BIFA represents the culmination of our year-round program and endeavors to spark meaningful reflection, conversation, or change far beyond Breckenridge.”
Breckenridge International Festival of Arts 2024 Schedule of Events
Everything you need to know is found in this digital Program Book:
Interactive Art
Trail Mix
Breckenridge International Festival of Arts 2024’s signature program, Trail Mix, showcases California-based artists Megan Geckler and Gerald Clarke, alongside local talent Bill Orisich. Trail Mix combines art and nature whereby hikers and mountain bikers follow Breckenridge’s popular trails to art installations and performance destinations. Geckler creates stunning, large-scale installations from flagging tape
in a vibrant array of colors. Clarke, a citizen of the Cahuilla Band of Indians, uses humor to uplift Indigenous narratives in sculptural pieces influenced in part by roadside monuments. Orisich offers a site-specific sonic experience inspired by the Reiling Dredge’s history and beauty.
A complementary series of on-trail live music, theater shorts, artist talks and mindfulness interventions as well as a live “branding” event will be announced closer to the event. Trail Mix art installations will be accessible via the Illinois Creek, Iowa Hill, Moonstone and B&B trailheads during the festival with some exhibits extending through September 8th. Clarke’s and Geckler’s work will also be on display at Old Masonic Hall. Detailed directions to trailheads and more information can
be found at breckcreate.org.
Mixed Media
Finding a Line: Skateboarding, Music + Media
BIFA kicks off with an epic free opening night event, where athletes and artists converge inside the Riverwalk Center. Witness pro and local skaters tearing up the halfpipe while elite jazz musicians drop live responses. This unforgettable event, “Finding a Line: Skateboarding, Music + Media,” is led by trendsetter jazz pianist Jason Moran who Rolling Stone calls “the most provocative thinker in current jazz.” Moran is a recipient of the prestigious MacArthur “Genius Grant” Fellowship
and the Kennedy Center’s Artistic Director for Jazz.
“Street skaters navigate a landscape finding ways to approach a rail in the same way a drummer approaches the beginning of a song. The mode of improvisation is paramount to how both skaters and jazz musicians approach life through different
media.” —Jason Moran
Catch Moran and The Bandwagon in a ticketed show at the Riverwalk Center, celebrating the timeless genius of legendary composer Duke Ellington during the festival’s first weekend. Tickets are available now at breckcreate.org.
Performance Art
Adding the “international” to BIFA 2024 is Australian-based Polygot Theatre, presenting “BEES” August 16th through 18th.
BEES is an interactive performance art piece that transforms public spaces into bustling bee communities. Children play and dive into the intricate world of bees, immersing themselves in sounds, shapes, and scents. Supported by Australia’s Victorian Government through Creative Victoria, this collaboration with Inlet Dance Theatre promises to be buzz-worthy.
Returning for the festival’s second weekend is STREB EXTREME ACTION, a contemporary movement company pushing the boundaries of physicality and entertainment. Led by founder Elizabeth Streb, known for her philosophy of “Extreme Action,” STREB mesmerizes audiences with daring feats of grace and strength. The company will offer free teasers at the Breckenridge Arts District, a free youth workshop and a ticketed performance at the Riverwalk Center titled “Time Machine:
From Ringside to Extreme Action.” This explosive production featuring large scale, jaw-dropping “action machines” is guaranteed to have you on the edge of your seat. Tickets are available now at breckcreate.org.
Theater
Breck Create and the Breckenridge Backstage Theatre Company partner to present a new show, “A Lady’s Guide to Mountains,” at the Breckenridge Theater August 22nd to 25th.
The production artfully weaves a live solo violin into a celebration of Colorado’s outdoor culture with three true stories of women pushing their limits and meeting their edge. BIFA closes on August 25th with “Rising Tide: The Crossroads Project,” a multidisciplinary concert experience featuring
physicist Dr. Robert Davies and the Fry Street String Quartet. Co-presented with the National Repertory Orchestra (NRO), this feature-length cinematic performance uses compelling science, evocative imagery, and powerful music to explore nature, humanity, and the paths ahead.
Yoga
Rounding out BIFA are morning yoga classes with live music (Acoustic Flow) and classes and workshops for all ages with details to be announced closer to the event. Tickets, registration instructions and more information for all the festival offerings can be found at breckcreate.org/bifa.
Early ticket buying and registration opportunities begin for Breck Create members on March 14th and for the general public on March 20th at breckcreate.org. Learn more about becoming a Breck Create member at breckcreate.org.
Learn more about this years Breckenridge International Festival of Arts 2024 at:
www.breckcreate.org/bifa
Discover Everything About Breckenridge at www.BreckenridgeMagazine.CO
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