Meet Shay Wescott

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

Hi Shay, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
I grew up in rural, upstate New York in what I would describe as a cultural desert – and so outside of celebrities I saw on television, I really didn’t even know there was such a thing as a creative career. But the arts, and film in particular, have always been an outlet for me to make sense of things and expand my world view so I’ve always held them in really high regard.

As a child of the 90s, my ultimate dream would have been to manage a video store, so when I started working at the Dairy Arts Center, which is home to Boulder’s only year round art house theater, that was basically the next best thing. And while I’ve gone on to expand on other creative projects, I’ve still worked at the Dairy for 10 years because it’s a way to stay close to what I love and it’s exciting to take part in how our programming has grown over the years.

Because I found my place in the arts organically, I also make it a point to try to create programming – whether it’s at the Dairy or any of the work I do with Boulder International Film Festival, Colorado Festival of Horror or the City of Lafayette Cultural Arts Board – that is inclusive, approachable and community oriented. I think sometimes people feel like they’re not qualified to engage with “serious” art and that makes it intimidating and alienating. But the great thing about art is that if you’re experiencing something, if you’re feeling and questioning and reacting, then you’re doing it right – and just like anything, it takes practice!

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I’ve been at the Dairy Arts Center for 10 years and there has never been a dull moment. With our cinema, live performance theaters, visual art galleries, etc., I’m constantly being exposed to every possible type of art, but also from so many perspectives – I’ve worked behind the counter of the cinema and in the project booth, I was Box Office Manager and the Operations Manager overseeing the facilities and staff and now I work in Development on fundraising and grant writing – and I’m also a member of our Cinema Programming Committee, particularly working on our Friday Night Weird weekly cult film series. So I’ve gained a lot of practical and niche skills along the way, and it’s a really holistic view of what it means to work in the arts.

And that diverse skillset really helped out in unexpected ways during the pandemic; probably my most proud accomplishment was in creating the Crested Butte Film Festival’s virtual festival from 2020 – 2022. During that time we were able to show 100s of feature and short films to audiences all over the world. Because it was new to all of us, I taught myself how to use our virtual platform, created all mechanisms for ensuring films were streamed correctly and all of the instructions for filmmakers and audiences. We produced live conversations with filmmakers and an entire award show online, and the program remained excellent during that time because we knew we could deliver the same caliber of films our audience was used to and maintain our voice and presence in that space. It was a really big challenge – and one that took a huge toll on so many artists and organizations – and so I’m really proud to have accomplished something that was really high quality and adding value to people’s lives during that time.

I also really pride myself on having an open minded approach to art; our Friday Night Weird film series at the Dairy is where I really get to put that to the test and strive to curate films that are fun and energetic, and sometimes silly, but also push boundaries stylistically and thematically. I think that the horror genre does this particularly well – and the horror community is so expansive and inclusive – which is why I’m really excited to also be a festival director for the upcoming Reel Horrors Film Festival at the Colorado Festival of Horror this Fall.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I really love all of the day trips excursions from Boulder/Denver.

I always take people to Garden of the Gods when they visit – that’s maybe not super original but it never gets old to me; I think it is just so stunning. And I love the excuse to visit Manitou Springs.

A slightly more hidden gem is Georgetown; it’s a cool little historic mining town – plus the Georgetown Loop Railroad has some cool views. Bonus points if you drive through Golden and spot bison on the way. That’s kind of my perfect day.

If we’re hanging around the city, then Denver Art Museum, Botanic Gardens and Sie Film Center are all a must – and maybe a Rockies Game just to keep it well rounded. Foodwise, I’m always trying to find something new; I was just turned on to The Brutal Poodle, a heavy metal themed gastropub. The food is fantastic; it’s also incredibly loud and chaotic, but also somehow really inviting so I can’t wait to go back.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My mom was always really supportive of my interest in the arts. We’d take a bus to New York City at least once a year to see shows and go to all the museums (and she never complained about having to visit the MoMA for the millionth time) and we were always going to the movies; I remember begging to see a foreign language film when I was 8 or 9 because I just thought it was a very grown up thing to do and she found this really run down theater showing Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon and I just loved it and watched it over and over on home video. That was really formative because it broke down the barrier of subtitled films and the need to seek out only comfortable or familiar types of film really early.

Cinemopalis in Ithaca, NY was the first independent theater I frequented as a young adult. They have great programming and a really welcoming, homey atmosphere – and that reinforced by theater going habit as I was becoming an actual person so I want to give them a little credit too.

I also want to give a shout out to my partner Jack for always pushing me to step outside my comfort zone, challenging me to diversify my taste in art, and for being an amazing creative collaborator.

Other: Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/Shay_Wescott/