2022 Creative Workshops Schedule COMING SOON!

Through artistic expression participants discover new ways of expressing themselves, being present, and applying creative coping skills for a strengthened sense of personal empowerment. Pivot Point workshops provide a welcoming and supportive environment with a diversity of creative activities. All welcome!
Made possible by the Moniker Foundation.
Please email program director Sylvie Piquet with questions or scholarship application:
sylvie@steamboatcreates.org

Allies United: Creative Gatherings
Sunday, May 15th
3:30pm – 5:00pm
As an extension of 2021 Pivot Point and in partnership with Yampa Valley Pride, Allies United is continuing with monthly creative gatherings. All are welcome to join these creative gatherings for connection and creativity! LGBTQIA+, allies and families are encouraged to come for a different creative project each gathering. This is an informal opportunity for meeting community members, sharing resources and getting artsy together. All ages welcome (guardians must accompany those under 12 years old).
Email sylvie@steamboatcreates.org with questions.
Location: Depot Art Center, 1001 13th St. Steamboat Springs
Cost: Donation at the door
RSVP here: https://forms.gle/gbspnEydqWmgQgfz6

2021 Workshops Schedule
Scholarships available for all Pivot Point programs – Email sylvie@steamboatcreates.org for brief application.
Trip to the TANK Center for Sonic Arts
Sunday, October 24
9:30am – 5:00pm
Join this field trip for adults! Meet at the Depot Art Center for a day trip to Rangely to experience the magic and healing of the TANK Center for Sonic Arts. This hidden gem is worth the 2-hour drive, especially paired with a surprisingly tasty Mexican restaurant for lunch and a lively group of LGBTQIA+ and allies. The ticket fee covers transportation and a private concert by the sonic guides at the TANK; we will ‘go dutch’ for lunch expenses.
Learn more about the TANK: tanksounds.org/
Location: Meet at Depot Art Center for trip to Rangely, CO
Cost: $30
Register here: www.eventbrite.com/e/194735618477
Mistakes as Magic
Wednesday, November 10
5:00-7:00pm
Maxx Schaller and Whitney Bakarich present Mistakes as Magic: Creative Rebellion to a Culture of Perfection with a combination of watercolor painting and working with fabric. This creative process encourages embracing accidents and featuring them instead of trying to cover them up. A lot of people struggle with creativity because they have a fixed idea of what they want to make. Set yourself free by working with processes where the result isn’t clear, but always has character.
Masks required for those unvaccinated.
Location: Depot Art Center
Cost: $30 (for one-time workshop, including supplies)
Register here: www.eventbrite.com/e/198413699717
Email sylvie@steamboatcreates.org for scholarship!
Song Bird Series
Sundays, November 7 – 21
November 7th, 5:30 – 7:00pm
November 14th & 21st, 6:00-7:00pm
Chelsie Holmes presents this songwriting and recording workshop for all music abilities. Using very basic recording equipment, we will record a layer of song on a rotating basis so that each final piece is a collaboration of multiple song writers. Personal empowerment will be the theme for the lyrics of the songs. Come play through music and sound!
Bring a smartphone to play around with recording apps. Masks required for those unvaccinated.
Location: Depot Art Center
Cost: $60 (for all three sessions)
Register here: www.eventbrite.com/e/198427611327
Allies United
Saturday, November 13, 10:00 – 11:30am
Sunday, November 14, 1:00 – 2:30pm
Join this workshop to meet other families and friends of LGBTQIA+ community members. This workshop is presented by a small panel of allies who have family members ages 7 – 21 years who are nonbinary, transgender and LGBTQIA+. This is a safe space that will include creative projects to allow for self-expression, asking hard questions, and discovering a community of allies. Having LGBTQIA+ family members and friends poses a process for loved ones as well. Learn how to navigate new language and understand the challenges faced by those who are LGBTQIA+, become more informed about supportive community resources in Routt County, and feel supported in your unique journey as an ally.
Location: Depot Art Center
Cost: $45 for 2-day workshop, supplies included
Register here: www.eventbrite.com/e/201096965437
Envisioning You
Thursday, November 11
5:30 – 7:00pm
This workshops is presented by Steamboat Creates very-own, Sylvie Piquet. Join Sylvie and Whitney Bakarich for an evening of vision boarding! Vision boarding entails finding images (from magazines, patterned paper, or photographs brought from home) and tearing into them to discover something new. Through a guided creative process, we will create vision boards and then uncover themes, surprises, and directions that emerge.
Location: Depot Art Center
Cost: $25 (including supplies)
Register here: www.eventbrite.com/e/198433037557
Envisioning You
Date & Time TBD
This workshops is presented by Steamboat Creates very-own, Sylvie Piquet. Join Sylvie for an evening of vision-boarding! Vision boarding entails finding images (from magazines, patterned paper, or photographs brought from home) and tearing into them to discover something new. Through a guided creative process, we will create vision boards and then uncover themes, surprises, and directions that emerge.
Location: Hayden Library
Cost: $25
Register here: COMING SOON!
QPR Training (Question, Persuade, Refer Suicide Prevention)
Tuesday, November 16th
6:00 – 7:30pm
Presented by REPS (Reaching Everyone Preventing Suicide) this impactful training teaches how to address and prevent suicide. The more people in our community with this training, the safer we all are!
This training will be presented on zoom. Please email sylvie@steamboatcreates.org if you cannot make the workshop time, but would like to receive the zoom recording.
Cost: FREE
Register here: Email sylvie@steamboatcreates.org for the Zoom link to attend.
Speak Your Truth
Tuesdays, October 26 & November 9
5:00 – 7:00pm
Program Managers at Advocates of Routt County, Chelsie Holmes and Graham Hackett present this unique writing/ storytelling workshop for LGBTQIA+ and allies for addressing difficult topics. By providing a safe approach to exploring and writing your story, then learning public speaking techniques, participants are empowered to carefully shape their ideas and verbally deliver them to an audience with confidence.
Location: Depot Art Center
Cost: $40 for both workshop sessions
Register here: www.eventbrite.com/e/194033057097
In the News
Steamboat Pilot & Today, March 13, 2021: Steamboat Creates to launch project focusing on LGBTQ community and mental health
https://www.steamboatpilot.com/news/steamboat-creates-to-launch-project-focusing-on-lgbtq-community-and-mental-health/
Steamboat Pilot & Today, April 27, 2020: Pivot Point program blends art, mindfulness, mental health support
https://www.steamboatpilot.com/news/pivot-point-program-blends-art-mindfulness-mental-health-support/
Pivot Point Team Bios

Whitney Bakarich (She/Hers), Mental Health Professional
Whitney Bakarich is the Youth Resiliency Program Manager at Northwest Colorado Health. She is a Licensed Professional Counselor with a passion for learning and positive youth development. She earned her Masters in clinical psychology from the University of Alaska Anchorage with an emphasis on rural mental health. Whitney has been serving youth and their families in the Routt/Moffat region since 2014. Born and raised in Colorado, she loves adventuring outside with her husband and dogs.

Dr. Jo Anne Grace (She/Hers), Mental Health Professional
Dr. Jo Anne Grace is a health educator, a practical theologian and a spiritual healthcare specialist. Dr. Grace received her Ph.D. from The Union Institute and University in Cincinnati, Ohio. Her 30-year experience as a stress/pain management specialist, a health motivation coach, a grief/trauma counselor and a spiritual director informs her teaching, writing and research about Pneumasomatic Care™ which explores the intimate connection between Spirit and body. Jo Anne integrates health-strategies from the fields of physiology, psychology and theology to encourage NeuroHealth and wholeness. Currently, Dr. Grace directs the NeuroHealth Center in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. In addition, she serves as Chaplain for Northwest Colorado Health’s Hospice Program.

Graham Hackett (He/Him), Speak Your Truth Instructor
Graham Hackett serves as the Social Change Program Manager for Advocates of Routt County. A lifelong educator and justice advocate, Graham worked with juvenile inmates for many years as part of a gang violence prevention initiative in North Carolina, which instilled a deep understanding of social conditions, impacts of trauma, and the roots of toxic behavior. In 2014, he built and led a touring program, Culture
of Consent, for colleges across the United States for several years before serving as Education Coordinator and ultimately Director of Prevention Programs for Our Voice, the rape crisis center for Buncombe County, NC. In his current position with Advocates, Graham coordinates outreach efforts and facilitates original skill-building programs for schools, businesses, and the community.
With two decades in the creative sector as a performer and writing coach, Graham has also been on stage hundreds of times at various arts events, while leading new writers to compose and share their work from coast to coast.

Artemis Hamrick (She/They), Mental Health Professional
Artemis is a parent of three young humans, a maker of useful things such as cutting boards, knitted items and canned edibles and is a Licensed Professional Counselor (CO LPC.0014734). Artemis received their MA in Professional Counseling and Psychology from Lesley University in Cambridge, MA and has spent much of their professional career working for non-profits in the Community Mental Health field. Artemis loves the parallels between art and counseling; both offer a space for healing and remind them that the process of self-expression is vast and unique and does not need to fit into a box, look or move in a certain way to be beautiful.

Chelsie Holmes (She/Hers), Song Bird and Speak Your Truth Instructor
Chelsie Malynn is a singer/songwriter whose most recent album, Mad Creek, was released this past July and is now available on all major streaming platforms. All of Chelsie’s recordings were completed using simple technology on her phone. She is excited to share her process so that others may create in this way as well. Chelsie is also a passionate advocate for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault, as well as a local activist of the LGBTQIA+ community.

Ellen McGuinness(She/Hers), Mental Health Professional
Ellen McGuinness is a Licensed Professional Counselor in Steamboat Springs. Ellen earned a MA in Counseling Psychology with an emphasis in Couple & Family therapy from University of Colorado at Denver (2007) and a BA in Psychology from University of Michigan (1999).
Ellen’s career path has included a long history of working in helping, teaching, and healing positions. Earliest work being in schools and recreation programs with high-need populations and more recent work being focused on individual and family mental health. Since earning a MA Ellen has worked in community mental health crisis response, addiction treatment programs, supervised visitation/parenting coaching programs, and as a support group facilitator for childhood sexual abuse survivors. Currently, Ellen operates an independent therapy practice providing mental health services to individuals, couples, and families, while also volunteering with local non-profits in various roles, and spending time with her husband and kids.

Sylvie Piquet (She/Hers), Visioning You Instructor
Sylvie Piquet is the program director at Steamboat Creates and loves sharing her passion for creativity with all ages. Sylvie has used vision boarding for many years as a routine of identifying areas of her life she values and areas she wants to grow. Sylvie serves as a member of the local social justice coalition and is pursuing her Masters in Social Work online. She lives in Steamboat Springs with her wife and two fur babies and enjoys yoga, hiking, swimming, camping, and outdoor winter fun!

Maxx Schaller (He/They), Mistakes as Magic
Maxx Schaller is a multidisciplinary artist, graphic designer, and private chef who lives, works, and grew up in Steamboat Springs. He is a proud member of the local queer community, and wants to help Northwest Colorado become a more inclusive environment for self expression in all forms.

Samantha Wade, Sonic Arts Instructor
Samantha Wade grew up in Rangely, Colorado, across the road from an abandoned water tank. For years musicians and sound artists had come to Rangely to play and record in the Tank’s deep resonance. Samantha’s grandmother held the key to the place and let them in. At age 11, Samantha began participating in their sessions, singing in The Tank and learning about the recording process.
Samantha was one of Tank’s first volunteers as it became The Tank Center for Sonic Arts, a nonprofit with a recording studio, concert programming and community events. Gradually she became an official guide, known as “The Voice of The Tank,” for her singing and for encouraging visitors to sing. As a vocalist, she has been credited on many Tank recordings, including Christina Ivanna’s CD Strings of Lights, Mad Dog Friedman’s Be Tankfull, Scot Ray’s VeSseL, and Rangely A Caroling at The TANK, a CD of Christmas carols by 50 local residents. She’s been featured as a vocalist in the Los Angeles Times.
As a recording engineer, Samantha learned from The Tank’s team of professionals, including Bob Burnham, Bruce Odland, Greg Heimbecker, Mark Fuller, and Tom Wasinger, often assisting them on recording projects at The Tank. Since 2016, she has been the Tank’s Resident Engineer, recording dozens of sessions each year. In 2018, she received a Colorado Creative Industries Career Advancement Fellowship and a scholarship for a Residency at the Music District in Fort Collins.

The TANK Center for Sonic Arts, Program Partner
Partnering with Steamboat Creates in Pivot Point is The Tank Center for Sonic Arts, an unusual arts venue organized around a tank, literally, an empty seven-story water tank in Rangely, Colorado. Discovered in the 1970’s to have extraordinary acoustic resonance, a reverberation longer and richer than the Taj Mahal’s. The Tank is today a professional recording venue and concert site, as well as a 501(c)3 nonprofit arts organization, founded in 2013, with educational and social outreach programming. The place has become a haven for the local music community and a unique destination for artists, sonic explorers, and curious visitors who learn to listen in a whole new way. Check it out!



