Watch CBS News

Arts Organizations Going Virtual To Connect With Audiences

DENVER (CBS4) – Denver Arts Week is an annual event that celebrates Denver's vibrant and diverse arts community. That community has struggled under the limitations of coronavirus, and so Denver Arts Week is now Denver Arts Week(end). A three day celebration with hundreds of virtual and limited in-person events to support arts organizations.

"Denver is a community that really values our arts and culture, and we really are a hub for it throughout the region. So we've always wanted to showcase how accessible it is here, how big the arts and culture scene and industry is here," said Ashley Geisheker of VISIT Denver.

Among the hundreds of offerings is a virtual tour of Colorado's Women's Suffrage movement put on by Historic Denver. This is usually a walking tour, but due to COVID-19 it's turned into an online presentation.

DAW Women's Suffrage PKG.transfer_frame_57
(credit CBS)

"I'm an election nerd, and I'm also a history nerd," said Leah Charney, a volunteer tour guide for Historic Denver.

Charney leads the way on this virtual journey.

"I love the stories," she told CBS4. "My favorite woman on the tour is Elizabeth Piper Ensley. She was an African American Suffragist. She very much embodied that. There's a famous Shirley Chisholm quote, 'If there aren't seats at the table bring a chair.' And Elizabeth was doing this 80-years before Shirley Chisholm every said that."

DAW Women's Suffrage PKG.transfer_frame_1084
(credit Historic Denver)

Charney has turned the 2-hour walking tour into a 75-minute zoom presentation.

"Doing them online, I get to show all kinds of photos," Charney explained.

LINK: Women's Suffrage Tour at Historic Denver

It's an immersive experience that walks through the incredible women who were key to getting the vote a full 25-years before the national amendment was ratified.

"I also talk a lot about modern women, so we do talk about the city council, and our current city council makeup is majority female," Chareny said.

DAW Women's Suffrage PKG.transfer_frame_2419
(credit Historic Denver)

The virtual format allows people from all over the state and beyond to join.

"I've had people from D.C., New Mexico, Arizona join the tour," Charney explained.

It's another tool that arts organizations can use to reach more people.

LINK: Denver Arts Week(end)

Denver Arts Week(end) runs November 6th  – November 8th.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.