Summary
Organization name
Athena Project
2012
Tax id (EIN)
47-4154570
Category
Arts, Culture & Humanities
Organization Size
Small Organization
Address
5761 S Youngfield StLittleton, CO 80127-5210
Jefferson County, CO, US
Denver, CO, US
We are inspiring and courageously highlighting women and the art they create. Art helps find our way through these tough times. Art is change, strength & hope. Be the reason to help us keep art and hope alive!
Testimonials
"This was one of the most organized, most in-depth, most thoughtful and focused discussions about a play that I have ever participated in… and I’ve been writing for forty years. Athena takes the nurturing of women playwrights seriously, and I encourage playwrights to submit work and also to drop in and give a listen. It was a privilege to be part of it. As a woman on the spectrum, I actually felt welcome at the table." - Carolyn G., Playwright participant in Read & Rant
“Having a community like Athena Project is so important in society–it feels like I’m not alone, like I’m with my aunties and sisters!” - Melissa I., musician
“As a writer, I’m also a big reader and we see culturally and throughout history that women’s voices were stifled all the time but they create some of the greatest art. Art is the most passionate human thing we can do.” - Clover, mentor, Girls Create
“As an artist who works on her own, I don't often have the opportunity to hear or see how the work impacts other people. This experience helped me remember that what I do matters. It was a gift.” - Sharon S. - Mixed media artist, (re: Artful Reflections pilot)
“I've been so grateful for the support Athena Project has given me over the years. It's a breath of relief to have a woman-run company on your team who supports you, gets what you do and is always looking out for your best interest.” - Megan B., Singer/Songwriter
Mission
Mission: Athena Project empowers women through the arts.
Vision: We envision a world with gender equity where women's voices are valued and amplified in the arts.
We value: (in order)
1) The inherent power in the artistic voices of women
2) Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion
3) Equitable access to the arts
4) Equality in opportunities, representation, and pay
5) The creative process
6) The power of art to connect communities
Background Statement
Athena Project is Colorado's nonprofit that celebrates and nurtures women's artistic expression, working actively for equality of opportunity, recognition and pay based on artistic merit alone. Since 2012, we've amplified women's artistic contributions by curating opportunities for artists to showcase their work throughout Denver and intentional partnering. Supporters like you have made it possible for us to serve 2,100+ women artists, develop 60 new plays, produce 7 visual art shows, participate in 88 community collaborations, put on 226 performances, educate 197 summer camp students and reach 365,055 audience members.
Our founding was due to the lack of women playwrights' stories represented on stage. In 2009, only 17% of plays produced on Broadway, off-Broadway, and in regional theatres were written by women (Opening the Curtain on Playwright Gender by Emily G. Sands). This was appalling and we decided to do something about it.
Current programs are:
Curating Art for Impact: supports relationships between businesses, organizations, and artists. This program authentically connects missions to stakeholders in a thoughtful and engaging way while uplifting and paying women artists; With #ArtFindsUs, we filled the pandemic-fueled arts void by curating mobile art projects to safely engage Denver residents from a distance. In 2021, the program evolved into artBURSTS which continues breaking down transportation and access barriers, pays and uplifts women artists, and shares the joy a burst of art can bring.
Read & Rant - A Plays in Progress Series: a book club that reads plays and partners with playwrights, dramaturgs, and community members to elevate women’s stories.
Girls Create: Summer camp series (stand-up comedy, fashion, playwriting) that empowers young women between 6th-10th grade to become future artistic leaders.
#WomenCrushWednesdays: Digital program featuring past and present women of color artists, to uplift, honor and amplify diverse voices.
#AmpUpArt: Digital program amplifying the essentiality of arts and creativity. Serves to raise Colorado artist voices to encourage recovery/growth. (This program is in collaboration with Colorado Business Committee for the Arts (CBCA)
Artful Reflections: Taking place at a gallery either owned or curated by a woman* artist, we invite a woman artist who is featured in the gallery to listen to the impact of her/their work while audience members (artists and nonartists) gather to reflect upon the work itself and individualized meaning. Conversation and connection happen when we are able to let the art in.
Community Partners across Denver Metro include: Bonfils Stanton Foundation, The Women's Foundation of Colorado, TEDXMile High, Rocky Mountain College of Art + Design, MSU's Center for Visual Arts, Aurora Fox Arts Center, Cleo Parker Robinson Dance, Samba Colorado, Denver Center for the Performing Arts, Colorado Ballet, Arts Students League of Denver, DU's Trauma Disaster & Recovery Clinic (TDRC), Focus Points Family Resource Center, Women's Bean Project 40 West Arts District, History Colorado, Print Pointe, Center for Colorado Women's History, American Heart Association, Walker Fine Arts Gallery, Union Hall, and Westwood Community Partners.
Whether serving youth, curating community performances, partnering with playwrights, or dancing in the streets, our programs are united by our mission. Athena Project exists as a platform to empower women in the arts and shine a spotlight on the artistic contributions from women of color. Our work requires us to listen humbly, dig in and get uncomfortable, speak out against injustice, and own our mistakes, always working towards understanding and empathy, and valuing the voices of women at all stages in their artistic development.
*We recognize that the term "women'' doesn't automatically include all aspects of the gender spectrum. We continue to create a safer space for expression and growth of all women, non-binary, trans, and LGBTQIA+ individuals.
Athena Project is committed to diversity, equity and inclusion. Our organization was founded to address systemic inequities long existing in the arts world. With humility, intention, and action we work to uplift and nurture women artists and create opportunities for them to showcase their work in our community. We are committed to action on behalf of our communities of color and will create space for all artists to empathize with each other, build relationships and share resources. We are also committed to providing an inclusive and welcoming environment for all artists, community partners, volunteers, independent contractors, audiences and vendors.
Media gallery
Organization Data
Littleton, CO 80127-5210