8 W E S T W O R D F a l l A r t s G u i d e 2 0 2 5 westword.com A Penny for Your Thoughts HOW SCFD’S TIER I INSTITUTIONS USE THE FUNDING TO KEEP ARTS, CULTURE AND SCIENCE ALIVE AND THRIVING. BY KRISTEN FIORE Arts and culture have been a signifi cant part of the human experience for as long as humans have existed, but in modern times, those experiences are usually the fi rst to be cut from budgets. That’s certainly what was happening in Denver in the late 1980s, when the metro economy faced a serious economic downturn during the oil bust. Many cultural organizations were on the brink of collapse after rapidly losing city and state funding. That’s when a group of local individuals and organizers, as well as political and community leaders, pushed for a regional tax that would give one penny from every $10 purchase back to cultural institutions across seven coun- ties: Denver, Boulder, Jefferson, Adams, Arapahoe and Douglas (Broomfi eld was added later). The tax proposal passed in 1988 with 67 percent of voters in favor, and the Scientifi c and Cultural Facilities District was born. SCFD, which has been renewed by voters three times since its founding nearly forty years ago (the last was in 2016; the next time it will be on the ballot is in 2028), is the only cultural funding model in the U.S. to serve a region of seven counties. Today, it distributes more than $80 million each year to nearly 300 organizations in the region, ranging from the Art Students League of Denver to the Black American West Museum & Heritage Center, the Boulder Symphony and the Chicano Humanities and Arts Council. The money makes “Free Days” possi- ble, giving people hundreds of opportu- nities each year to get into SCFD-funded museums and institutions for free. “It’s thanks to SCFD Free Days that I was exposed to the arts and culture from a young age,” says SCFD’s new executive director, Andrea Albo, who started her role this month. “I am looking forward to working with the cultural community I call home to advance the accessibility of arts, culture and science for all district residents.” “This funding allows our grantees to do what they do best for the good of the community, whether that’s presenting new exhibitions or theatrical productions, stewarding citizen science projects or expanding education programs, hosting free days, or collaborating with other or- ganizations to reach new audiences,” adds Jessica Kato, deputy director of SCFD. SCFD funding cannot be used for cap- ital projects, acquisition of buildings or to create a building or endowment, payment of debt, re-granting of funds to other orga- nizations, scholarships, or expenditures in excess of $10,000 in a single year for either improvements to free-standing exhibits or physical accessibility improvements. But the funding does help Colorado’s cultural organizations work together, rather than separately, points out Janice Sinden, president and CEO of the Denver Center for the Performing Arts. “Through SCFD, voters have expressed their desire to have a culturally vibrant community — one that inspires, educates, engages and entertains everyone every day,” she says. “This support sets us apart from any other community in the nation, if not the world.” The DCPA is one of the fi ve institutions in SCFD’s top tier — arts, culture and sci- ence organizations that are large economic drivers for the metro area and receive more than half of SCFD’s funds as a result. The other four are the Denver Art Museum, the Denver Botanic Gardens, the Denver Mu- seum of Nature & Science and the Denver Zoo Conservation Alliance. In 2024, those fi ve organizations received more than $51 million total in SCFD funding; they’re ex- pecting a little more this year. SCFD has two other tiers. Tier II organi- zations receive 22 percent of the funds and include institutions such as Central City Opera, the Butterfl y Pavilion, the Museum of Contemporary Art Denver and the Colo- rado Railroad Museum. Tier III recipients receive 14 percent of the funds and include an array of smaller organizations ranging from RedLine Contemporary Art Center to Su Teatro Cultural and Performing Arts Center and Cleo Parker Robinson Dance. While arts advocates occasionally complain about how SCFD funds are distributed, there’s no denying how the tax has enriched the overall cultural scene over the decades. Tier I representatives say they con- sider their role as SCFD’s top grantees an “honor and a great responsibility.” West- word checked in with each of the SCFD’s Tier I institutions on what this great responsibility has enabled them to do. Denver Art Museum In 2024, the Denver Art Museum received $10,379,035 in SCFD funding; it’s expect- ing a similar sum this Pumpkin Festival at Denver Botanic ......................... KRISTEN FIORE continued on page 10
