My Page: Mollie Fager

January 25th Premiere of “Catch and Release” sells out at Boulder Theater

I love it. The invitation to the pre-party event to the premiere of Boulder’s very own “Catch and Release” movie starring Jennifer Garner (Alias) and Tim Oliphant (Deadwood) and directed by Susannah Grant (screenplay for Erin Brokovich) clearly stated the dress code as cocktail attire. And try as we may, Boulderites just couldn’t get it together for our moment of fame. Yes—there were some cute, strappy black dresses and the occasional trendy men’s jackets but overall the masses of attendees were wearing Boulder business casual or full on jeans, Patagonia jacket and sensible Dansko clogs. I tried to break the mold with my short black skirt complete with sexy knee boots and a red knit sleeveless turtleneck. However I must confess that I fell far short of red carpet material. But who cares? Boulder sold the house and we packed the Boulder Theater, all to cheer on our hometown. [more]

The latest economic research shows arts and culture as a strong economic driver

Scenario: It’s morning, you’re commuting into work listening to your favorite radio station and the announcer interrupts the program with breaking news from Wall Street…. “Colorado arts organizations have just posted their quarterly earnings reports and are proud to report that their investors are realizing a 10 to 1 return on investment (ROI).”

Sound like a pipe dream? Guess again. The latest study measuring the economic impact of the arts in the Denver Metro area reveals findings that should send every congressional representative, municipal leader, business person and philanthropist running to the nearest phone to set up a meeting with their favorite arts organization.
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How to go crazy in five easy steps

Non profits carry with them a unique environment which can be challenging to those who work there. Hence this blog, normally arts focused, is my attempt to capture some of this struggle. [more]

The boulder arts blog

When I tried to convince a friend of mine to go see Madame Butterfly last year at the Central City Opera in Colorado she remarked, “What for? If it’s like all opera there’s a lot of dramatic singing, unrequited love and then a tragic death in the end.” I was forced to admit that she had a point, having been a soggy eyed observer of many an opera death myself. However, I remained steadfast in my support of the art form and have related the main points of my argument here below. Employ them freely in your own endeavors to convert the opera pagan. [more]

Lyons, Colorado sculpture trail delights all ages and is worth the drive.

“I feel gooder than anything right now, for some reason” was what my 7 year old son said to me as we finished at sculpture number 57 of the second annual Lyons sculpture trail. The moment was too special to bother with correcting his grammar, instead I echoed back, “I feel great too.” [more]

After 13 years away, the lure of the lights has grabbed me again.

It’s opening night for Danelle Helander’s new show, “Yams: A Chance Encounter” at The Dairy Center for the Arts in Boulder, Colorado. I am so pumped with adrenaline that the director has serious fears I’m going to rocket out of the atmosphere before the show even starts. You see it’s been 13 years since I’ve been in front of an audience and now here I am ready to go out and strut my stuff in front of peers, colleagues, board members and strangers alike. Did I have a momentary lapse of reason when I said yes to being in this show? A long time ago I would have had the confidence and routine of regular performing to carry me. The normal pre-performance jitters only sharpened my performance. However this time I am more than out of shape for dancing, I can barely memorize my own cell phone number much less a monologue and I’m performing in front of a gaggle of professional artists, critics and directors who know me only as an all-business, occasionally goofy, but mostly serious and stressed arts administrator. For the opening scene I’m wearing an orange and brown hippy skirt, my hair is in a sprout-like topknot and I’m banging on a drum chanting “yam, yam, yam not a yam, not a yam”. The plot is way too off the charts to detail here but let’s just say it revolves around a fateful encounter with another shopper while buying yams at a grocery store. [more]

The Colorado Academy of Art is on to a good thing

I’m wearing faded jeans, sipping a glass of red wine, listening to cool jazz on the stereo and doing what else?…staring at a naked woman for the next three hours. Well, okay—so in addition to staring I am also sculpting the woman’s figure into clay, along with about 7 other classmates in a sculpture class at The Colorado Academy of Art in Boulder. [more]

A diamond in the rough, priceless beyond measure

Recently I had the pleasure of enjoying a cup of coffee with a friend of mine and the conversation turned to one of my favorite subjects, art and poetry. He mentioned that the only poetry he’s ever read was his Aunt Pearl’s poetry. As I asked more questions about Aunt Pearl, the story that unfolded about this unique woman held even more insight for me as a writer, art lover and parent. [more]

Breathtaking exhibit on the human body at The Denver Museum of Nature and Science

Last Thursday I had the privilege of attending the opening night reception for the Body Worlds II exhibit at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science www.dmns.org. This educational exhibit displays real human cadavers and various body parts that have been plastinated. This unique preservation process allows the body to be displayed in plain air, without formaldehyde or other chemicals. Even more fascinating is that the bodies are sliced, diced and exposed in such a way that the observer can actually see inside the bodies and look at real organs or look at muscles “in action” so to speak. [more]

Poetry is like sushi. You either love it or you hate it.

I confess, if I don’t read poetry daily I get the shakes, drool from the mouth and slump listlessly in my office chair for lack of inspiration. It’s part of my lifestyle. I subscribe to on-line poetry websites and I can’t enter a bookstore without walking away with a poetry journal or a new poet’s work that I’ve just discovered. [more]