We had the good fortune of connecting with Daisy Fodness-McGowan and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Daisy, is your business focused on helping the community? If so, how?
For me, the arts have always been a way of making sense of the world—of finding meaning and an outlet to express and process this human experience. I was born in Italy to artist parents and grew up moving across different cultures and countries, eventually emigrating to Canada and studying in Eastern Europe before making my home in Colorado. My global background has played a large part in shaping my outlook on the world and the importance of the arts for me personally. They have been woven through my life in such a way that I feel strongly everyone should have similar access.

As the Executive Director of Think 360 Arts for Learning since 2023, I am lucky to lead an organization that has been at the forefront of arts education in Colorado for decades. Our mission is to ensure that creative learning experiences are accessible to everyone—especially those in under-resourced communities. We do this by supporting a network of 67 teaching artists who bring dance, music, visual arts, storytelling, and theater into schools, libraries, and community spaces across the state.

One of the programs I’m particularly proud of is Creative Aging, which connects professional artists with older adults to combat isolation and foster lifelong learning. The arts have the power to build bridges between generations, to help people tell their stories, and to bring joy in ways that go beyond words. This work feels deeply personal to me because I believe that making art—at any age—is an act of self-determination and resilience.

I also work closely with educators, administrators, and policymakers to advocate for the arts in public education, working to ensure that arts education isn’t sidelined in a time of budget cuts and shifting priorities. As someone who grew up in a family that valued creative expression but also sometimes wasn’t sure where our next meal would come from, I know firsthand how transformative access to the arts can be. That’s why Think 360 Arts is committed to breaking down barriers—whether geographic, financial, or systemic—so that every child, adult, and elder in Colorado has the opportunity to experience the power of the arts.

At the heart of it all, this work is about community. Whether it’s a kindergartner learning to regulate and understand their own emotions through theater games, an older adult discovering their love of storytelling, or an emerging teaching artist finding an economic pathway with our support, the work we do helps Coloradans of all ages thrive through creativity. In a world that can often feel disconnected, I really believe that is more important now than ever.

What should our readers know about your business?
At Think 360 Arts, we’ve been at this for a long time—62 years—and through it all, we’ve stayed true to our core belief: the arts are essential—to personal growth, to community connection, and to the health of our society. As Colorado’s leading arts education nonprofit, we work to ensure that every person—regardless of age, background, or geography—has access to high-quality arts learning experiences. Our team is small but mighty, and our statewide network of teaching artists, partnering with schools, government agencies, and community organizations, and advocating for policies that prioritize creativity.

At our core, we’re a small business with a mission. Like any small business, we must be strategic, resilient, and resourceful. Every dollar we raise is reinvested into expanding our reach and supporting our people—ensuring our teaching artists are fairly paid, growing access across communities, and continuing to deliver meaningful arts education experiences throughout Colorado. Each year, we bring the arts to nearly 25,000 students, older adults, teachers, and facility leaders, working to make sure that arts education is widely accessible in Title I and low-income schools and facilities.

What sets Think 360 Arts apart is our statewide, collaborative approach to integrating the arts. A perfect example is our annual Institute for Creative Teaching, a three-day conference co-hosted with UNC Greeley that features keynote speakers and hands-on workshops. We’re also proud of our Creative Aging program, which brings the transformative power of the arts to older adults—combating isolation, fostering connection, and enhancing well-being. Our teaching artists are at the heart of everything we do, and we’re committed to their continued growth through professional development, fair compensation, and opportunities to share their expertise.

Running a not-for-profit business—like running any small business—comes with challenges. Arts education funding can be inconsistent and is often among the first cuts schools make. We’ve weathered our share of financial ups and downs, but we’ve learned how to pivot, adapt, and double down on our mission. Transparency, collaboration, and creativity have helped us sustain our programs, support our artists, and stay connected to the communities we serve.

Perhaps our greatest lesson has been this: people make the mission possible. Our teaching artists, educators, staff, board members, and community partners are the backbone of Think 360 Arts. We’ve built this organization on trust, a shared vision, and the belief that the arts are a lifeline—for individuals, for schools, and for communities across Colorado.

For more than six decades, Think 360 Arts has been a pillar of arts education in our state. We remain committed to ensuring that creativity stays central to learning and community life for generations to come. Arts education isn’t a luxury—it’s a necessity. The arts teach critical thinking, foster empathy, bridge differences, and ignite innovation.

At the end of the day, our work is about ensuring that everyone—whether a child, educator, older adult, or artist—has the opportunity to create, express, and thrive. That’s what drives us. That’s the legacy we’re building.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
My husband and I travel this state a lot and would have a lot to share that’s full of things we really like – beautiful nature, hot springs, great food, and great art.
Day 1: Denver Area
Morning: Start with coffee and pastries at Bakery Four on Tennyson – or really any of the dozens of amazing bakeries – the independent bakery community in Denver is fantastic. Take in a site visit with a Think 360 Arts’ Teaching Artist working at one of the dozens of schools we work in across the Denver metro area to learn more about all we do.

Afternoon: Lunch at City, O’ City, a longtime vegetarian haven in the Capitol Hill neighborhood, then walk over to Bell Projects, a nonprofit exhibition space supporting experimental and emerging artists. Visit the Clyfford Still Museum, dedicated to the work of the reclusive Abstract Expressionist and one of my favorite buildings in Denver.

Evening: Drinks at Meow Wolf Denver’s Convergence Station’s “executive travel lounge”, Sips (with a Z)® for an immersive, mind-bending experience that merges art, technology, and storytelling. then dinner at Annette, a James Beard award winning restaurant where the chef is a true artist.

Day 2: Eldorado Springs & Boulder – Hot Springs & Art Havens
Morning: A soak at Eldorado Springs Pool, a historic hot spring nestled in a canyon. Afterward, we’d visit the Eldorado Springs Art Center, an artist-run haven featuring residencies, installations, and community projects, built and sustained by artists who have active studios there.

Afternoon: Drive into Boulder for lunch at Dushanbe Tea House, then visit BMoCA (Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art) next door for thought-provoking contemporary exhibitions. Boulder’s views are beautiful – take a History Tour Hike at the Colorado Chautauqua National Historic Landmark to round out the day.

Day 3: Colorado Springs, Manitou Springs, and Green Mountain Falls
Morning: Head up to Green Mountain Falls for a Sunrise Skyspace experience created by light and space artist James Turrell and hosted by Green Box Arts. Come back for the Green Box Arts Festival every summer!

Afternoon: Head down the pass to Colorado Springs and check out the Ent Center for the Arts and the exciting and rotating exhibitions at the UCCS Galleries of Contemporary Art (GOCA) and grab lunch nearby. Finally, loop back around to Manitou Springs, at the base of Pikes Peak for dinner at Adam’s Mountain Café, before visiting the Manitou Art Center (MAC), a nonprofit maker space with studios, printmaking, and exhibitions.

Evening: Check out the Manitou Springs Penny Arcade after dark. Then, an overnight stay at SunMountain Center, a historic artist retreat with access to SunWater Spa, where you can soak in cedar-lined hot tubs filled with mineral water from the deep underground springs and heated by solar power.

Day 4 & 5: Southern Colorado – Counterculture Legacies & Desert Art
Morning: Head south to explore Crestone, the famously eclectic town filled with artists, spiritual seekers, and alternative communities. Book a private tour of an Earthship and learn about alternative architecture. Grab lunch and coffee in Crestone at the natural grocery store.

Afternoon & Evening: A detour into the San Luis Valley to see Colorado’s UFO Watchtower, an offbeat roadside attraction covered in offerings left by visitors. Stay at the Frontier Drive-Inn located Center, Colorado, an historic space opened in 1955, closed in 1985 and reopened in the past few years with a hotel and art experience added.

Day 5: Great Sand Dunes National Park
Morning: Drive out to this otherworldly national park experience – pack water and snacks and be ready to hike and experience the natural splendor of Colorado’s ancient sea bed, ever changing in the wind and surrounded on three sides by mountain ranges.

Afternoon & Evening: Soak in Hooper, Colorado’s low key Sand Dunes Recreation to recover from all that hiking. Spend a second night at the Frontier Drive-Inn

Day 6 & 7: Road Trip to “Switzerland of the Rockies” and a final soak
Drive to Ouray, Colorado, taking the “Million Dollar Highway” – the ultimate scenic drive in Colorado. Book a night at the Historic Wiesbaden Hotel & Hot Springs – soak in their underground cave and relax after a long drive.
Spend the next day hiking and venturing around the historic and stunningly gorgeous town of Ouray. If you are there in the winter, there are ice climbing competitions and plenty to do in the summer as well. I just got to Ouray for the first time this year after spending nearly three decades in Colorado – it is incredibly beautiful and a must see!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
For me, it has always been about championing artists in my communities. Artists are really the soul of any great society—when we look back at history, it’s the art, music, literature, and creative expressions that tell the story of who we were, what we valued, and how we saw the world. Artists today are often treated as nonessential, and by and large they carve out their own path in a world that doesn’t always recognize their contributions as vital. It takes incredible courage, resilience, and passion to live a creative life.

I’m incredibly lucky to share my life with Donald Fodness, an extraordinary artist and my husband and creative partner who inspires me on the regular. Among many other collaborations, we launched Drawing Never Dies in 2017, a project that started as an exhibition at Redline Contemporary Art and has now expanded into a platform for artists across disciplines, reflecting our shared belief that drawing—like all art—is an essential, living practice.

Beyond that, I owe a huge debt of gratitude to Think 360 Arts for Learning, an organization that has allowed me to advocate for artists and arts education in a meaningful way. I’m also inspired every day by the teaching artists, educators, and creatives I work with, who bring the arts to schools, libraries, and communities across Colorado. They remind me why this work matters—because creativity isn’t a luxury; it’s a lifeline.

Finally, I want to recognize my children, who inspire me with their creativity every single day. Whether it’s their drawings, stories, music, or the way they see the world with fresh, unfiltered imagination, they remind me why artistic expression is so essential. Being a mother is a primal creative act (among many other things) and watching my kids create is a source of joy and motivation in my own life and work — I am deeply grateful for them!

Website: https://www.think360arts.org

Instagram: @think360arts

Linkedin: https://linkedin.com/in/daisy-mcgowan-arts

Youtube: @think360artsforlearning3

Image Credits
All photos courtesy Think 360 Arts for Learning

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