People participate in various organizations and communities to be part of something larger than themselves. The arts community in particular helps people connect to each other, to themselves, and even to some higher power or spiritual energy. The arts enrich the quality of life within a community, and connected communities tend to produce more art.
At BCAC, our mission involves fostering connections through creative expression and collaboration. We work to enrich the community by connecting people through art and through cultural celebration.
To help fulfill our mission, we host public events focused on different types of artistic expression. In recent years, we’ve held events in which we’ve…
- supported mental health through collage-making
- celebrated books, book-related artwork, poetry, and readers’ theater
- dedicated murals that celebrate Brighton’s founders and Brighton’s inspiring women
- featured square dancing, country music, and cowboy poetry
- sponsored the district-wide 27J Youth Art Show.
All these events brought people together through the power of the arts.
Beyond that, we’ve hosted outreach efforts at festivals in and around Brighton. We recently sponsored a booth at the City of Brighton’s annual Summerfest, where we asked you, the community, to help us identify the artistic and cultural programs and activities that speak to you the most.
We enjoyed hearing which parts of the Brighton arts and cultural scene matter the most to you: performing arts, like the plays and concerts at the Armory; cultural festivals, like Día de Los Muertos; and visual arts, like the sculptures and murals around town. We’ll use this data to help us prioritize the activities and projects we plan next year.
Celebrating all elements of our diverse community is a core value of BCAC. We connected with the LGBTQIA+ community at Adams County Pride a few weeks ago. Later in the year, we hope to have a presence at the Adams County Festival Latino, the Día de Los Muertos celebration, Brighton’s Japanese American Celebration, and other local cultural events. Whether you’re honoring your own heritage or discovering your neighbor’s, these events celebrate the rich tapestry of stories that connect us — highlighting Brighton’s shared struggles, triumphs, and cultural roots.
One service that BCAC has started this year is a community calendar of events. We host this calendar on our website. Click here https://brightonculturalarts.org/events/ to learn about local events ranging from art classes and paint ‘n sips to book clubs and lectures, as well as open mics, concerts, and other performances.
In addition, local businesses, art galleries, libraries, museums, and other community organizations can list their arts-related events on our community calendar for free here: https://brightonculturalarts.org/submit-your-event/. We hope you will use our calendar as your “go to” resource to find what’s going on in the community, to help you enjoy the local arts scene, and to connect with local artists, performers, and others who share your passion for the arts.
Finally, none of these events would be possible without our valued volunteers. Our 2024 year in review video, which you can view here https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Ga2fClKxs6Q, highlights our events and the fun we had together putting them on for the community.
Now we’re looking for people to join our growing group of dedicated volunteers. Can you help with any of the following?
- One-day commitments to help out at events
- Planning and organizing our events
- Writing articles for our newsletter
- Creating content for social media
- Serving on our board of directors
For more information on how you can help connect our community through the arts, click here: https://brightonculturalarts.org/about/bcac-volunteer/. We look forward to connecting with you!
The author welcomes community members to learn more about BCAC at Brighton’s Summerfest, June 7, 2025.
BCAC’s first-ever Art Heals the Heart event connected local residents with an art therapist who demonstrated the mental health benefits of participating in a community art project.