Courtesy photo
Kid’s Camp participants, summer 2023.

By Shelley Widhalm
The Surveyor

Each year the Berthoud Weekly Surveyor kicks off the holiday season by highlighting opportunities for gratitude and giving. This is the second installment of a five-part series, each week featuring an organization that provides services to members of our community.
The Wildfire Holiday Artisan Market has a two-fold benefit—artists have a venue to sell their creations and shoppers have a place to get one-of-a-kind gifts.
The artisan market is one of two main events hosted by Wildfire, with the other the annual StreetFest on a closed-off block near the arts center. This year, the fest was Sept. 16 and included live music, food vendors, art activities and a fundraising silent auction.
“It’s kind of a local block party,” Zimmerling said. “It’s a showcase of the dance and music programs here.”
Wildfire, a nonprofit founded in 2002 by Elizabeth Kearney, started out as a venue for dance and art for youth, soon adding theater and adult tap and ballet classes.
“Her vision was to build community through the arts,” said Bethany Bailey, programs director of Wildfire. “Through classes, people meet each other and meet the teachers who often are local artists. We have successfully built community that way.”
The theater ran its course, and in 2017 the space was turned into an art studio to house the U-Create Open Studio and other art classes. Wildfire develops the programming for the classes with input from local artists, becoming an “art hub of sorts” for artists to bring their ideas, ask questions and connect with other artists, Zimmerling said.
The studio is open 10 a.m.-noon Saturdays from October to May for artists to access materials and supplies or participate in a project for $5 a session. From May to September, Wildfire moves the art activity to Berthoud’s Fickel Farmer’s Market every Thursday and calls it Art in the Park.
“The whole goal is to have an open space where they can come and create freely, or the teacher will suggest a project in case you need something to get you started,” Zimmerling said. “It’s inexpensive, and you get to dabble with all of our supplies. You can come here and try things out.”
Wildfire is offering a few new classes, such as Paint & Sip Junior, where youth ages 8-12 can partake in a hot chocolate bar with painting lessons 3-4:30 p.m. Dec. 9 for $35. A second session will be added to the After-School Art Club—the sessions will be 4:30-5:30 p.m. Wednesdays from Jan. 17 to May 15, 2024, for ages 5-8 and 4:15-5:15 p.m. Thursdays from Jan. 18 to May 16, 2024, for ages 9-12. The sessions will cost $50.
“Since Hannah and I are both new in the last year, we’re trying to make it a consistent class offering,” Bailey said. “They fill up every time and pretty quickly. We added the second session because of its popularity.”
Wildfire also offers homeschool and preschool classes. Preschool Art Explorer for ages 3-5 is 3:30-4:15 p.m. the first Friday of the month and is $14 per class.
For adults, there are dance lessons in ballet, tap and country line dancing, plus art classes, including two new classes. One is a Meditative Art Series for adults, which will be 6:30-8 p.m. Thursdays from Jan. 18 to Feb. 22, 2024, and will cover various media, including acrylic, charcoal and pastels The second is a Shrinky Dink Earrings class 1-3 p.m. Feb. 24, 2024, to create jewelry out of what will be made to look like beads. The classes cost $130 and $65 respectively.
“They’re adorable, very cool, whimsical artistic earrings,” Bailey said.
In the area of music, there will be a beginning ukulele class for ages 12 and up 5:30-6:30 p.m. Tuesdays Jan. 2-30, 2024.
“With these classes, if they’re popular and there’s interest, we’re open to having it continue,” Zimmerling said. “We just try new things to see what sticks.”
Wildfire’s other offerings include the Art and Drumming Spring Break Camp and several summer camps, plus the nonprofit participates in other activities such as Berthoud Open Studios and the Berthoud Day Parade. In 2022, Wildfire Community Arts Center served 3,520 individuals.
“The amount of opportunities we provide is diverse for a community our size,” Zimmerling said. “It’s definitely an option for everyone. Art is for everyone here.”
Wildfire is a 501 (c) 3 not-for-profit organization. Support from generous donors makes Wildfire possible. Donations of any amount help continue and expand programming and make a lasting impact on our community and its residents.
For more information or to search out volunteer and donation opportunities, visit www.wildfirearts.org.