Curry tapped to head up new PAC

Clayton will chair Capital Campaign

Former state Rep. Kathleen Curry has been appointed executive director of the Mt. Crested Butte Performing Arts Center (MCBPAC) and Dave Clayton will take the job of the project’s Capital Campaign chairman.

The public/private partnership includes plans for a 450-500 seat theater, coffee shop, post office and other amenities.
“I’m their first official hire, I’ll do whatever needs to be done as executive director and pick up the project where it’s at now and run with it,” said Curry, who represented House District 61 including the Gunnison Valley in the Colorado General Assembly from 2004 to 2010.
“I’ll be working closely with the MCBPAC board and the Crested Butte Music Festival board, the Arts Alliance and other people working on the project,” she said. “I’m excited—I feel like the arts are a proven economic development mechanism that is a really good fit for our valley, an economic tool people can get behind.”
Curry says her “primary function is making sure we’ve assembled adequate funds to construct and operate the facility.”
Curry officially took over as executive director February 1 and project development is her focus. “We have a lot of diversity, which is what makes this area so appealing. There are a whole lot of different folks and hopes and dreams for the area. This is one of those projects where there won’t be a huge group of people opposed to arts in the valley.”
But first things first; Curry will set up an office and have all the “tools in place to move forward with the capital campaign and build momentum.”
“It’s positive all around, positive for the community,” Curry said. “For me it’s a win-win.”
MCBPAC’s new chairman of the Capital Campaign, Dave Clayton, is the former general manager of local Crested Butte radio station, KBUT, and he is a Mt Crested Butte town council member and the current mayor pro tem.
“We could not be more fortunate than to have Dave Clayton leading the MCBPAC Capital Campaign. He is deeply skilled and experienced, and Dave is a true believer in the project. His knowledge of the culture and the people of the Gunnison Valley will insure that the project is successful and remains authentic to the area,” said PAC president Margery Feldberg.
Clayton was involved with non-profit and for-profit companies before moving to Mt. Crested Butte from Florida and has extensive fundraising experience. Clayton was actively involved with capital campaigns as a member of Indian River Community College Foundation and Florida Institute of Technology Board of Trustees.
“I am thrilled to be part of this game-changing project. The Performing Arts Center will galvanize branding of the area as an arts and educational destination,” Clayton said. “It will meet a huge unmet need on the part of arts groups and the community as a whole. We are already the prettiest valley in Colorado and we have the chillest bikers, hikers and skiers. Now we will deepen and extend the tourist season and leverage the arts and educational institutions already flourishing here by giving them a first-class building in which to perform and operate. This will be extremely positive for the valley’s economy.”
Mt. Crested Butte mayor and MCBPAC vice-president William Buck said, “It is a testament to the appeal and the importance of the Performing Arts Center project, as well as testament to the community commitment of these two individuals that they are taking on these roles. Dave and Kathleen will be a powerful team in accomplishing MCBPAC’s goals. I have every expectation they will be successful.”