What a year it has been!

December 15, 2020 - We started off 2020 with the opening of our new Tavern at the Wright for the New Year’s Eve Bash, and what a success that was. As we all know, the rest of the year has been one crazy roller coaster ride, with ups & downs, twists & turns and starts & stops the likes of which no one was prepared for. Some of these events made us anxious, but some of the events instilled excitement and great anticipation for the future. 

We had specific goals for the 2020 New Year’s Eve Bash and they were all surpassed by margins that were doubled and in some cases tripled. This propelled us to start working in January on increasing our programming goals for 2020. We had a marvelous time hosting parties & meetings for the 2020 Ice Fest in January, and launched the 2020 OCPAG Season with a Valentine’s Day Concert, Love Duets for the Ages. Our movie programming was also moving along smoothly, two of the highlights being the expansion of our More-than-a-Movie Events and our inaugural Ouray International Film Festival. Our calendar for the 2020 Summer, Fall & Winter Seasons was full!

In the operations end of The Wright, we were gearing up to hire people for specific job opportunities that our growth would both require and support. These positions were a Programming Director, a Tavern Manager, a Marketing Director and a Bookkeeper. We also were looking to expand our Fundraising & Development efforts with the expansion of our Development Committee. The beginning of 2020 also had the Board of Directors looking to update our Master Plan in order to include the Wright Next Door into our overall mission of The Wright. 

As we all are aware, mid-March saw a shift in life as we knew it. We ended up suspending in-person programming until the end of June. We implemented State and County guidelines and pivoted in a manner that allowed us to continue offering programming that held the health and welfare of our community at the forefront. We chose to look at this change as an opportunity to use our creative minds in coming up with alternative ways to support the arts in Ouray County and beyond. Some of the ideas and events were an online art show -  Art in Isolation;  a revitalization of an early 20th century pastime with a modern twist - The Shadow; moving our education series, WrightED, to an online event - Maps that Changed the World; an outdoor artisan’s market - The Wright Summer Faire; a migration of an in-person film festival to a combination in-person/online film festival - Ouray International Film Festival. 

While we were very sad to cancel some of our traditional favorites, like the annual melodrama & monthly concerts from OCPAG, we insisted on remaining positive and forging ahead. We still have the desire to be the place where our community gathers, and believe that the day will come when we can make this a reality. 

In the meantime, we have suspended in-person events at least until the end of January, 2021. In the coming weeks we will discuss a re-open date and will keep everyone informed of decisions that are made. We already have many events planned for 2021 and are moving forward with all the planning those events entail. Thank you for all your support, encouragement and belief in The Wright. You truly are what makes her so grand!