Organization Mission

Our mission is to engage Coloradans of all ages in innovative arts programming that inspires creativity, builds community, & advances equity. Our vision is that all communities can experience the transformative benefits of arts education, which we work towards through our values:
-Equity, Diversity, Inclusion & Accessibility
– Creativity & Delight
– Learning & Curiosity

Areas of Expertise

  1. Arts Education, Integration, and Teaching Artist Training: Since 1963, Think 360 Arts for Learning (Think 360 Arts) has integrated the arts into public school classrooms, community sites, and spaces for older adults across Colorado. As an affiliate of Young Audiences and the Wolf Trap Institute for Early Learning through the Arts, we provide arts education for underserved PK-12 and 65+ learners in both urban and rural areas. A cornerstone of our work is empowering professional teaching artists through tailored training, enabling them to engage meaningfully with schools, libraries, and communities. Together with our teaching artists and partners, we enhance learning outcomes, mental wellness, and creative expression statewide.
  2. Leader in Arts Education for Colorado: Think 360 Arts plays a pivotal role in advancing arts education statewide through partnerships with Colorado Creative Industries and the Colorado Department of Education. As a regrantor for the Equity in Arts Learning for Colorado Youth initiative, funded by a collaboration of philanthropic organizations and the state arts agency led by the Bonfils-Stanton Foundation, we help achieve Colorado’s arts education goals. These efforts shape the future of arts learning by increasing access and fostering systemic change.
  3.  Professional Development and Capacity Building for Arts Integration: We are deeply invested in building capacity for arts education through initiatives like our flagship Institute for Creative Teaching, developed in collaboration with the University of Denver 35 years ago and continuing at the University of Northern Colorado today. This program equips educators and teaching artists with advanced strategies to integrate the arts into classrooms and community spaces. By providing the tools to create impactful, arts-infused learning experiences, we strengthen the foundation for arts education in Colorado. These efforts not only support local programs but also position Think 360 Arts as a leader in advancing arts education regionally and nationally.

Current Top Priorities for Guidance or Collaboration

Contact us to learn more about these current priority areas or to explore collaboration opportunities.
  1. Advocacy and Policy for Arts Education: We are advancing the field of arts education through statewide advocacy, fostering partnerships that promote policies focused on inclusivity and sustainability for arts learning programs. This year, we are conducting an analysis to compare the current number of arts educators in Colorado with pre-pandemic levels. This study builds on previous research and will guide strategic advocacy efforts to address gaps and opportunities in arts education.
  2. Increasing Access to Arts Learning for All Statewide: Through initiatives like the Equity in Arts Learning for Colorado Youth grant and subsidized direct services, we aim to expand access to high-quality arts education in underserved urban and rural areas. Our work focuses on breaking down systemic barriers to ensure that all students, educators, and communities can benefit from creative learning opportunities.
  3. Building Sustainable Foundations for All Programs: We are committed to strengthening our organizational infrastructure and financial resources to ensure the longevity and impact of our programs, including Creative Aging and teaching artist development. These efforts are key to maintaining the stability and success of our statewide initiatives.

Geographical Areas Served:

Rural/Remote, Southwest, Suburban/Exurban, Urban,

Primary Audience Served:

Children (0-15), Teaching Artists, Youth (15-24),

Artistic Discipline:

Multidisciplinary Arts, Visual Arts,

Title: 2280 Pasos Bajo un Cielo Nublado | Artist: Hernán Jourdan | Medium: Film

When I was asked to create a work of art exploring literacy, I wanted to create a dance but I had no dancers or a studio, so I chose to use my own body in the space I had, my yard. Fluent Nature is video of micro-choreography that explores what cannot be expressed with words, how nature has its own language, and how placing the human body in nature changes the story.

Title: What Is Me and What Is Not Me | Artist: Alex Chadwell | Medium: Music

My thinking on arts and literacy centers around the concept of literacies and artmaking as both sense-making and meaning-making processes that organically and inevitably overlap, intersect, and reciprocate. Compositionally, What is me and what is not me is a sound collage of sorts (there is no notation for the piece, and I'd be hard pressed to recreate it accurately) that abstractly and aurally represents the relationships between literacies and artmaking.

Title: A Curious Honeybee | Artist: Gideon Young | Medium: Film

Offering welcome through traditional and digital elements of literacy, A Curious Honeybee provides an experiential learning environment by activating visual, musical, natural, and emotional literacies.

Title: Tercera Llamada | Artist: Karilú Forshee | Medium: Audio

La Carpa Theatre is a project that I am currently directing in the Detroit Latinx community. The project aims to strengthen and uplift youth voices through devised theatre, in the style of the Mexican Carpas. This audio was created in the theatrical environment envisioned for our project. The ways in which literacies are re-defined are at the heart of La Carpa Theatre's mission.

Title: Literaseas | Artist: MJ Robinson | Medium: Graphite and ink on paper with digital edits

Title: A Riddle | Artist: MJ Robinson | Medium: Graphite on paper with digital edits

Title: False Binaries | Artist: MJ Robinson | Medium: Graphite on paper with digital edits