Meet Melissa Fathman | Executive Director of the Dairy Arts Center & avant-garde cabaret singer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Melissa Fathman and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Melissa, what role has risk played in your life or career?
When most people consider risk, they think of risk as it relates to finances or personal safety—two areas I don’t take risks. But the sort of risk that relates to new ventures, concepts and ideas are more related to risk of failure.

The first half of my adult life was spent as a performer, when every night had an element of built-in risk of failure—technical issues, forgotten words, missed cues. Over time you learn to be comfortable in that space, excited by the unknown, even joyful with the improvisatory aspects of getting out of a jam. It’s a strange kind of tight rope feeling—a blend of scary and exciting—ex-scare-itement.

When I feel that, I know I’m onto something!

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?

I think I got to where I am professionally because I am attracted to problems. I get immense satisfaction out of figuring out how to solve things. It started in college with mathematical proofs. I would stare at a problem for a while, lie down and take a short nap and sometimes wake up seeing the solution. The brain is an amazing organ that we don’t take full advantage of. We jam it full of nonsense and rarely let it rest to do its thing.

Many of the challenges I have tackled have resulted in delightfully unexpected solutions. But unlike a mathematical proof, solutions within organizational structures can never be solved alone. It’s crucial to find the right group of people to take that vision to reality—people you can trust, that share your passion, and have the necessary skills or the desire to gain those skills in the process.

There are so many wonderful stories I could share, but the one that is unfolding as we speak is one of the most exciting to date. It started a few years ago, when Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapaho actress and artist Sarah Ortegon spoke at a mural dedication at the Dairy Arts Center. The mural, titled “Uncounted” was created to bring awareness to the epidemic of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women in North America. She was standing next to the outdoor mural, looking up at the Foothills and said, “This is where my family used to live.” It was such a simple sentence that had an immense impact on me and ignited my “what can I do to help fix this” gene. And like that math problem from college, several months after the mural dedication ceremony I woke up from a nap and saw a vision and immediately knew I had to carve out space for an on-site center at the Dairy Arts Center in support of Indigenous Artists.

Several months and a pandemic later, a group of five Indigenous artists formed Creative Nations, a collective and permanent onsite center at the Dairy Arts Center with a mission “To Heal Earth and Humanity through Creativity.” But I have to say, I can take very little credit for this because all I did was start the conversation and carve out some space. Creative Nations has taken off with a whole life of its own, thanks to the passion and hard work of its founding members: JayCee Beyale, Kelly Holmes, Walt Pourier, Danielle SeeWalker, and Tanaya Winder. In just a few short months they mounted a visual arts exhibition that got picked up by Rocky Mountain PBS, produced a sold-out Native Comedy Night at the Dairy, and organized a weekend-long Arts Market and Festival for Indigenous People’s Day featuring films by Native filmmakers, a concert with Navajo Blues Rock musician, Levi Platero, a high energy fashion show featuring Red Berry Woman and Aconav, and spiritual dances by Navajo, Arapaho and the Apache Crown dancers offering profound healing for those in attendance.  And they have only just begun…

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
For a day and night in Denver I would start the day at the Redline Contemporary Art Center. What makes it special are the working artist studios that surround the main gallery space. You can pop your head in and see them working or check out their works in progress. Too many great restaurants to mention, but for sure I would take them to a happy hour drink at Retrograde, the secret, surprise speakeasy that you enter from a freezer door in the back of an ice cream shop called Frozen Matter. It’s a Jack in the Box type of experience you can only do once. And what better way to further knock the socks off of your friend than a concert at Red Rocks.

Favorite outdoor easy hike for an out of towner – Eldorado Canyon

Favorite funky, old school mountain town music joint – Gold Hill Inn

All time best place to see the sunset over the Front Range while paddle boarding – McIntosh Lake

All time best place to see the sunset over the Front Range as you eat and drink: Acreage Ciderhouse & Eatery – Stem Ciders in Lafayette

And for a one-of-a-kind experience of your choice of theater, dance, music, comedy, art house films, fine art and wine all under one roof, come to the Dairy Arts Center in Boulder!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Creative Nations and its founders: JayCee Beyale, Kelly Holmes, Walt Pourier, Danielle SeeWalker, and Tanaya Winder More context about them in my Work story.

Website: thedairy.org

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dairyarts

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thedairy/

Other: https://creativenations.art/

Image Credits
Lauren Click Greg Lowe Tom Steenland