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Photo by Christopher Duggan.

Transforming Arts and Entertainment

The opportunity:

The Vilar Performing Arts Center and Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater are two of our Valley’s greatest assets. These iconic venues are powerful economic drivers for our community. The type, caliber, and volume of programming that is now offered at our venues has eclipsed our facilities’ infrastructure.

What we will do:

We envision capital improvements that will ensure a grand future for our iconic venues. These improvements will significantly improve the experience of our guests, allow us to attract the greatest artists in the world, extend our programming seasons, and offer even more diverse programming during our peak season and off seasons.

The power to amaze

Few things can measure up to the experience of witnessing artistic mastery. The people of our community have long invested in the idea that we are home to some of the world’s finest performing arts venues and performances. As time change, so do the needs of the venues, artists, and audiences we serve.

Classical Ballet Endowment

The Carol F. Storr Endowment for Classical Ballet was established to ensure the inclusion of classical ballet in the Vail Dance Festival in perpetuity. We currently have raised $2 million toward our endowment goal of $4 million. As performance rights, artist fees, transportation and production costs rise, this endowment fund will guarantee that classical ballet offerings are always part of our Festival, and allow the Vail Dance Festival to continue to honor the legacy that President and Mrs. Ford created around cultural exchange through dance.

Vail Dance Festival Artistic Direction Endowment

The artistic direction of the Vail Dance Festival is critical. We have extraordinary artistic leadership today with our Artistic Director, Damian Woetzel. Damian is a former New York City Ballet Principal dancer and the current President of The Juilliard School. This endowment will allow us to ensure that we always have the greatest artistic direction possible for our next 35 years.

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The Vail Dance Festival is a place where artists and fans, dancers and dreamers, come together and challenge each other to push the boundaries of artistic excellence, attain new heights, and explore what the best of all possible futures may hold.
Damian Woetzel Vail Dance Festival Artistic Director

25 years of making history

For two and half decades, the Vilar Performing Arts Center has brought world-class arts and entertainment to Beaver Creek.

Vilar Performing Arts Center Renovation Project

Upon celebrating our 25th anniversary in 2022, the Vail Valley Foundation began a renovation project at the VPAC to ensure that we can continue to offer the highest quality arts programming to our community for another 25 years. We are well on our way to meeting this campaign goal.

Renovations include:
• Sound system and acoustic panel improvements
• Front and back of house upgrades
• Lighting upgrades
• New HVAC system
• New projector and screen

Mountains of potential

The Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater (The Amp) is one of most stunning natural amphitheater environments in the world. Its architecture is renowned and its stage has been host to the world’s greatest orchestras, dancers, rockers, comedians, and more.

It took great vision to build a summertime venue in a town known for its wintertime activities, but even those present at the Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater’s 1987 grand opening didn’t anticipate that the venue would become the bustling entertainment destination it is today.

Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater – A Renewal for The Next Generation of Performing Arts Enthusiasts

We have an opportunity to renew The Amp to meet the needs of our growing audience base and provide for our next generation. Our why is simple: It will be good for you, our audience. The overall Amp experience will be better—better seats, improved food and beverage offerings, better acoustics, and of course, significantly increased programming from April to October, and more.

It will be better for our artists. Our improvements will provide a better back-of-house and green room experience, better production, sound, lights, and food and beverage, and an overall better stage experience. These much needed upgrades will allow us to attract the best artists in the world. Much of the The Amp was designed for a shorter, less active season. By focusing our resources on upgrading and expanding, we can ensure all elements of this iconic venue will meet the needs of our audience, artists, and community for generations to come.

Our Empowering Possibility campaign will allow for a series of exciting capital improvements to include:

  • Multi-use studio and special event space
  • Box Office upgrades
  • Green room, dressing room, and artist dining and lounge
    improvements
  • New expanded storage areas
  • Remodeled and expanded concessions
  • Increased office space
  • Expanded loading dock
  • Replacement of pavilion seating
  • Safety railings
  • Roof repair and replacement
  • Lighting upgrades
  • Acoustic improvements
  • Installation of solar panel system

These improvements will allow us to achieve the following:

  • Grow our operating season from 80 days to 130+ days
  • A 30% increase to our food and beverage operations and revenue
  • A 25% increase in diverse programming during the highest peak of our summer season— between late June
    and late July
  • The ability to attract the most iconic artists in the world
  • A competitive advantage for Vail in the highly competitive landscape of live entertainment in the state of
    Colorado
  • To allow Bravo! Vail Music Festival to maintain its position as one of the world’s greatest classical music
    festivals
  • An annual increase of up to $3 million in economic impact for the Town of Vail

The Amp Operating Fund

To ensure the health and vitality of The Amp and guarantee artistic excellence for generations to come, our Empowering Possibility campaign will create a nonpermanent, board directed Operating Reserve Fund for facility and artistic reserves. This Operating Reserve Fund will provide the VVF with critical financial support and allow The Amp to continue to make bold artistic programming decisions and be sustainable for another 35 years.