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Young bohemians
He just might have. According to the 2000 U.S. census, Boulder's median age is 29, much lower than the national average of 35. Nearly a third of the city's occupants are college students, reinforcing that for all the colorful inhabitants for which Boulder is known (hippies, techies, scientists, New Agers), the city is still a college town at heart. That's not to say that the 40-plus set hasn't carved its own niche in the Republic. A generation of aging hippies and imported yuppies helped make Boulder the city that it is today, and they're not about to let the rest of us forget it. As a result, Boulder ostensibly belongs to Generation Y and the Baby Boomers. But in the gulf between The Sink crowd and the Wild Oats salad bar set lurks a lesser-known segment of the Boulder population—young men and women in their late 20s and early-to-mid 30s who have outgrown the bar scene but have no intention of packing it in and heading for the suburbs. Considering that many in this forgotten demographic have young children further limits their after-dark recreational opportunities, which can create quite the quandary for quarter-life hipsters still feeling their oats. So what are Boulder's hip mamas and papas to do? Kent Nowlin, a young father of a 2-year-old, wondered that himself. As executive director of Unspoken Word, a nonprofit supporting local art and artists, he had an idea—and it didn't involve television and babysitters. Pooling his resources he came up with Art Night Out, a weekly art program for kids that kicked off on March 3 at the Dairy Center for the Arts. At Art Night Out, children learn about art history and receive hands-on instruction in art creation while their parents are given discount coupons to local restaurants. In essence, Friday night has become art night for kids and date night for parents. "We're not thinking of this as babysitting. We're thinking of this as education," says Nowlin. "From a social standpoint, being active as a child rather than being entertained as a child is really important for social skills." In other words, Art Night Out is not a passive form of distraction. Kids are involved in activities that both engage and educate. Kids are also given the chance to study a particular artist and in many cases meet them, instilling in the children the idea that art is not something from the past but something current and alive and happening in their community. "Each month we're going to take a different local artist, an exhibiting Unspoken Word artist, and incorporate what they're doing," says Nowlin. A four-week program is designed around the selected artist's technique, and each week kids work on two original projects, applying what they've learned. This month's artist is Naomi Clark, who specializes in abstract art. In addition to studying Clark's paintings, kids are also given information on current exhibits where they can further explore the abstract style, such as the Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art and the CU Art Museum. Nowlin says that Unspoken Word is also putting together a family arts program similar to Art Night Out in which parents work on art projects with their children. "I don't know if we would ever even be able to measure the value of the arts," says Nowlin. "It's hard to quantify. It gives kids self-confidence. It teaches them a way to communicate, to deal with inner struggle, frustration. You can communicate through your artwork." Art Night Out provides a fun, creative, educational space for the kids, he says, but also provides quality time for the adults. "You have a date night every Friday," says Nowlin. "Many young parents, they can't even remember when they had a date. It's a chance for parents to take their kids to a trustworthy place and have a peaceful meal." Hip mamas When she got first got pregnant, Susan Lavelle had no idea that she would be the founder of an organization providing resources and purchasing power for young moms. Active and social by nature, she was simply looking for other young mothers to hang out with. "I didn't really know anyone who was pregnant or a new mom, so creating a community was very important for me personally," says Lavelle. "I started organizing hikes and walks and lunches. I thought it would be great to have events on a calendar." The result is Moxie Moms, a Boulder-based "network of moms for friends, fun and fitness" launched in 2003. "We have everything from fitness partners to events on our calendar for moms, kids and families," says Lavelle. "We partner with businesses to get discounts for the moms and families, but also to help the businesses market to the moms. "Wouldn't it be great if moms had buying power?" she continues. "And wouldn't it be great if businesses had a way to market directly to the moms?" Moxie Moms, which boasts members in their mid 20s through their late 40s, was a perfect fit for Lavelle, who has a background in marketing and a passion for fitness. As a result, many Moxie Moms events include hikes, and partners include Outdoor Divas and Flatiron Athletic Club, with more than 100 partners in Boulder County alone. But Moxie Moms also includes events such as Mom's Night Out, Art Night Out and charity work, raising money for Emergency Family Assistance Association, the Parenting Place and the Sue Burke MS Youth Foundation. "When I started Moxie Moms, we looked at what was out there nationally for moms," says Lavelle. "We found a lot of fitness partners and specific organizations that did all community service work, but nothing that encompassed it all. I thought, 'We could do all of it.' We can make it what the moms want." Moxie Moms went national in 2005 and have found success in other cities similar to what they've found in Boulder. "Moms are always looking for a community, and everyone's always looking to save money," says Lavelle. And though Moxie Moms' events are focused on mothers, Lavelle says that, with her organization, everyone wins. "The sky is the limit with all the different avenues that we hit," she says. "It's great for the family, not just mom. It's that theory: If mom is happy, everybody is happy. The whole family is saving money, and mom is cutting out and getting active." Saving money is nice. Getting active is nice. Introducing your kids to the arts is nice. But on top of all of this, through Moxie Moms and Unspoken Word members of Boulder's lost generation are gaining a network to meet others of similar age and circumstance. For these young parents living in a city that tends to cater to Gen-Yers and Boomers, it's just nice to be included. "It's the most exciting work I've ever done," says Lavelle. "I just love meeting all these new moms and people that have been isolated who are no longer isolated." Buzz Word: Art Night Out takes place at 6 p.m., Friday evenings, at the Dairy Center for the Arts, 2590 Walnut St., Boulder, 303-440-7826. For more information, visit www.unspokenword.org. For information about Moxie Moms and upcoming events, visit www.moxie-moms.com. Respond: letters@boulderweekly.com |
You never have to grow up in Boulder," a visiting friend
once commented to me during a stay in the People's Republic. After a week spent
hanging out on the Hill, going to shows on campus and cruising downtown, he
felt like he'd stumbled upon the fountain of youth.
