Inspire Entertain EDUCATE
2024–2025 Impact Report
Dear Vilar friends,
On behalf of the Vilar Committee and staff, thank you for being an essential part of our community. Your belief in the power of the performing arts makes everything we do possible.
This report reflects the outcomes of the past fiscal year and focuses on the impact of your support. Grounded in our strategic priorities, these highlights feature both the measurable progress and the intangible effects of our mission in action.
Whether you’ve supported the Vail Valley Foundation’s Vilar Performing Arts Center since its early days or have recently become a donor, we hope this report affirms the value of your investment. Your generosity empowers us to expand the impact of the Vilar as we inspire, educate and entertain our community through the performing arts.
As you read through the following pages, we invite you to see your role in these results –not just as a donor, but as a partner in our mission.
With gratitude,
Alexia Jurschak Vilar Committee Chair
Cameron Morgan Vilar Executive Director
THANK YOU to our full Vilar staff for their continued dedication to the Vilar mission.
Erik Brown Director of Special Projects & Infrastructure
Justin Brown Director of Operations
Andie Cott Box Office Manager
Dean Davis Facilities Manager
Lauren Gary Director of Ticketing
Elizabeth Gihle Box Office Manager
Riley Goossen Lighting Designer
Ruthie Hamrick Director of Marketing
Kenneth J. Howell Food & Beverage Manager
Shane Huebner Sr. Production Manager
Owen Hutchinson Artistic Director
Cheyenne Mendoza Technical Director
Tess Reinhold Programming & Artists Relations Manager
Kae Twichell Arts Education & Community Engagement Manager
Miah Wheeler Director of Philanthropy
Vilar Performing Arts Center committee members
Alexia Jurschak, Chair
Jim Clancy
Bruce Goldman
Laureen Hopkins
David Hyde
Chris Jarnot
David Kochel
Dori Meyers
Bobby Murphy
Philip Pillsbury
Doug Rippeto
William Verity
Gary Woodworth
Kristy Woolfolk
mission statement
To provide performing arts leadership, engagement and education for our mountain community, visitors and partners.
vision statement
To be a beacon of live entertainment and cultural enrichment, inspiring a love and appreciation of the performing arts.
funding breakdown
Thank You to our Generous Supporters
Since its inception, the Vilar Performing Arts Center, operated by the Vail Valley Foundation, has been a cultural cornerstone of the Vail Valley, enriching our community through the power of the performing arts.
As a nonprofit organization, our ability to present world-class performances, deliver meaningful education programs and offer inclusive community engagement is made possible through a strong network of donors, partners and supporters who share in our mission.
This funding breakdown illustrates the collective support required to sustain our impact and ensure the Vilar remains a vibrant, enduring force in the cultural life of our community.
The statistics and stories highlighted in the Vilar’s Impact Report wouldn’t be possible without your support. Thank you for helping us inspire, educate and entertain!
Thank You Volunteers
Thank you to our amazing volunteers for all of the time and hard work they contributed to make
take our programming to the next level
Looking Ahead
Surrounded by the natural grandeur of the mountains, our artists are inspired to deliver performances that are truly and uniquely Vilar. Each show feels like an intimate gathering among friends in a mountain retreat—yet imbued with the grace and gravitas of the world’s most revered concert halls.
In the year ahead, we will honor the artistic traditions that are foundational to the Vilar’s legacy, celebrating great masters of music, dance, and theatre across a range of genres. We’re also excited to introduce bold new voices—emerging artists with fresh perspectives and powerful ideas worth sharing. Our programming will strike a dynamic balance between virtuosic artistry and high-energy, unforgettable moments that get audiences on their feet!
Looking Back
1. Billy F. Gibbons, January 28, 2025.
2. May Gallery winter art exhibit Honoring Po’Pay: Indigenous Photography by Lee Marmon and Cara Romero, curated by Agnes Hsu-Tang, Ph.D.
3. Marcus King featuring Drew Smithers, January 24, 2025.
4. Cirque Kalabanté, February 12, 2025.
5. The Silhouettes: The Light of Christmas, December 27, 2024.
6. Burning Spear, June 5, 2024.
7. Rodrigo y Gabriela, September 10, 2024.
8. Cheap Trick, September 9, 2024.
9. Shaggy, July 20, 2024.
10. Life Is a Carnival: Last Waltz Tour ‘24, October 26, 2024.
11. The Infamous Stringdusters, January 10, 2025.
Program Diversity*
10 1 9 4 5 2
champion the performing arts
7 11 6 3 8
4 FILM 6 JAZZ 8
Elevate the Vilar Experience: For Our Audiences
With support from our donors and key partners, including the Beaver Creek Resort Company and the Beaver Creek Metro District, the Vilar’s production team has made major strides in elevating the audience experience over the past year. New LED Cyc lights now bring vibrant, instant color changes to performances while an upgraded wireless communication system ensures seamless coordination between every lighting, audio and stage cue.
These improvements enhance everything from concerts to dance and theater, making shows more dynamic, polished and immersive.
Activate Our Advocates
376 lighting fixtures producing over
2.5M+ lumens output capacity
40,000 watts of audio power across
44 speaker cabinets
We’ve seen how powerful it can be when donors share the Vilar with the people they care about. By making our impact more visible, we’re helping supporters speak more confidently about what the Vilar means to our community.
258 individual annual Vilar donors
38 new donors at patron level or above
13 new donors at patron level or above referred by existing donors
Thanks to you, the Vilar is growing not just in numbers, but in reach, trust, and impact. Your voice is one of our most effective tools, and we’re grateful for how generously you use it.
“Supporting the Vilar keeps our valley alive with creativity, connection, and opportunity for future generations. Enjoying the arts in our beautiful mountain home, while also ensuring our schools and neighbors have access to such impactful performances, is a huge part of our enthusiasm to give. Its impact is so clear that inviting friends and visitors to experience it feels like sharing a gift.”
—Susan Kasser
Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, March 8, 2025.
inspire our community
At the Vilar, inspiration and education are at the heart of our mission and vision—offering experiences that go deeper than the performance itself. This section highlights the stories, programs and personal moments where that impact reaches beyond the stage: into classrooms, careers and the lives of individuals in our community.
Provide Arts Education
The Vilar’s Support the Arts Reaching Students (STARS) program provides youth from Eagle County and surrounding areas with the opportunity to attend specially programmed daytime performances in the theater, or directly at their school. Reaching nearly 6,000+ students annually with 15 to 20 shows a year, STARS programming is educational, entertaining, often integrates with teachers’ lesson plans and provides a platform for cultural awareness.
16 free live performances for
6,000+ student attendees from
19
public, private and charter schools across Eagle County and beyond
“One of my students had never been to a theater before and was absolutely overjoyed to go. Thank you very much for making it possible.”
—Eagle County Teacher, Homestake Peak, 3rd Grade
“We just finished reading The Wizard of Oz. The best performance ever! My kids loved it. My daughter was invited to the stage and now wants to do more acting.”
—Eagle County Homeschool Parent
As part of our commitment to arts education, the Vilar has expanded our offering of hands-on learning this past year, including a free masterclass led by a dancer from Hubbard Steet Dance Chicago for local students. The experience gave aspiring dancers firsthand insight into the discipline, creativity, and collaboration that drive a professional career in the performing arts.
“To have this class from Hubbard Street Dance Chicago was an amazing opportunity. This class opened my eyes to the many different ways that you can express yourself and move through dance. The experience will be one that I will not forget and I’m thankful everyday that I had the chance to take this class.”
—Vivian Anders, Local Student
Increase Access to the Arts
The Vilar’s Community Arts Access (CAA) program continues to expand its reach, providing free or reduced-price access to performances for under-resourced or under-served members of our community. Through this program, we partnered with 20 local nonprofits and educators from 16 different schools to distribute 1,840 tickets this past year.
1,840
Community Arts Access tickets provided
Recently, the program introduced heavily discounted tickets for high-demand performances such as Jerry Seinfeld and Broadway’s Dear Evan Hansen
“I went online to buy tickets for Jerry Seinfeld but was crushed when I saw the prices, which are obviously out of most teachers price range. Just knowing that I have the CHANCE to buy an affordable ticket warmed my heart more than I can explain!”
—Eagle County Teacher
Looking ahead, we are focused on expanding the reach and impact of the CAA program, and aim to distribute 2,250+ tickets annually through this program by 2027.
While ticket affordability opens doors for audiences, meaningful access also means creating pathways for individuals to build familiarity, confidence and opportunity with the many facets of the arts within our space. For students like Jose Martinez, a simple introduction to the venue in February 2025 marked the start of a deeper connection: one where his life is just beginning to be impacted by the performing arts.
“The students really appreciated the tour— it was also a great introduction for Jose Martinez, who became increasingly familiar with the Vilar after the visit. Following the tour, he attended a required performance there for one of his CMC courses, and later returned for the internship interview, which ultimately led to a part-time job offer!”
—Macey Black, Transition Coordinator for CLIMB*
*Community, Life Skills, Independence, Meaningful Employment and Belonging, a program seeking to help students ages 18 to 21
create opportunities through the arts
Investing in the Next Generation
Our investment in production technology has created new opportunities not just on our stage, but throughout the valley as we have donated retired lighting equipment to local school theater programs. These lights have found new life across five middle schools and two high schools, enhancing productions and sparking student interest in technical theater.
7
Eagle County School Theater Programs who have received donated lighting equipment from the Vilar
We Are a Team
We recognize how truly fortunate we are to have a dynamic group of parttime employees and volunteers, who graciously give their time, experience and expertise. We are dedicated to sustaining and enhancing the quality of life within the Vail Valley from a community-based perspective. Our part-time employees and volunteers play a critical role in our ability to achieve our greater mission and daily operations.
10,755 part-time production crew hours
6,867 volunteer hours
Beyond equipment, our team is actively engaging local youth to cultivate future talent by participating in job and career fairs to mentoring individual students.
Lighting the Spark
Eleven-year-old Owen Yarnell’s passion for live production is unmistakable – and the Vilar has become a meaningful part of that path. As a local homeschooler interested in lighting design and audio engineering, Owen spent time with the Vilar’s production team this spring, both shadowing and actively supporting live performances. Most recently, he helped operate lights alongside the Vilar’s lighting designer, Riley Goossen, when the Vilar hosted the Vail Jazz Goes to School performances, gaining hands-on experience in a professional setting.
“Getting to work alongside the Vilar’s crew was incredible. I’ve learned more from them in just a few days than I could have from weeks of trying to figure it out on my own. Being in the booth as part of the team and seeing it all happen is one of the coolest things I’ve ever done.”
—Owen Yarnell, Local Student
Full Circle
Collin Keller’s journey is a testament to the Vilar’s role in cultivating young artists. From attending STARS performances, to performing in Vail Performing Arts Academy productions at the Vilar and working behind the scenes, his connection to the Vilar runs deep.
That journey came full circle in March 2025, when Collin returned to the Vilar stage as a professional artist in the national tour of Dirty Dancing in Concert, performing to a sold-out hometown crowd.
“I grew up watching my heroes on this stage. I spent every summer performing musicals here. And it was one of my first jobs as a stagehand/spot operator. Pretty unreal to be back here performing as a stop on tour.”
—Collin Keller, Professional Musician
“After a decade-long stint in the recreation hospitality business came to an end last year, I was looking for a change and was fortunate enough to connect with Shane Huebner and the production crew here at the Vilar. What a neat gig! It’s been so fun and interesting to be a part of the behind-the-scenes magic that goes on here at this incredible venue. What an amazing way to contribute to, and connect with, our community.”
—Alex “Spoon” Wotherspoon, Vilar Production Crew Member
“I appreciate my time at the Vilar helping to sustain live performance in my community—I know that my contribution helps to support the overall operations of the venue, and I know that the active group of volunteers help to make all of our events possible. I especially enjoy the programming for children and schools!”
—Kristi Keil, Vilar Volunteer since 2022
Internships with Purpose
Over the past year, the Vilar team has greatly expanded its internship program with the mission of creating workforce opportunities and pathways to expose interested students to careers in the arts. This coming summer, the team will host a local Eagle County student in conjunction with YouthPower365, which will include areas of focus ranging from artist relations to house management and much more.
“Due to this experience, I have skills in things like understanding some of the more detailed aspects of posting to social media and writing press releases. I have also gained more confidence and efficiency. I love everything about the Vilar and everything it stands for, so I hope wherever I end up after graduation has some of the same qualities. I have met so many amazing people here from the patrons to the volunteers to the staff. The people will be hard to top at future jobs.”
—Sammi Meyers, Vilar 2024 Summer Marketing Intern
advance organizational sustainability
The Future of the Facility
In the spring of 2025, between our winter and summer seasons, the Vilar is undertaking the largest capital project in its history to update, upgrade and otherwise enhance the facility. From mid-April through mid-June, 2025, we are closed for public events, and during this time we are constructing a brand new upper lobby bar to transform our audience experience. Additionally, we are converting a handful of behind-the-scenes office spaces into a new, convenient coat check facility, also in the upper lobby. Of particular interest will be a new “bistro” seating area adjacent to the upper lobby bar that can be used for small receptions, rental events, sponsor activations, and other activities that we previously haven’t had space for.
While we work to improve the guest experience in the upper lobby area, our team is also busy working on work on the lower level of the Vilar, updating and upgrading our back-of-house spaces for our visiting artists and their support teams. The green room will be fully renovated, and many elements of our dressing rooms and rest rooms will be materially remodeled—allowing us to curate an artist experience on-site that matches the luxury and beauty of the facility and Beaver Creek Village.
“Thanks to a very generous gift from the Peed family as underwriters of the green room and dressing room renovation, we’ll
be able to make the Vilar feel like a home away from home for the artists.”
—Cameron Morgan
All of these projects are on-schedule and on-budget as of March 2025, and are expected to be complete before we reopen the venue on June 28 to launch our summer season.
Investing in our Staff
This year, we’ve prioritized professional development, team culture and improved workspaces to ensure our staff can thrive and grow in their roles.
These efforts are laying the groundwork for long-term staff retention, improved collaboration and a workplace culture that reflects the high standards we bring to the stage. A healthy team is key to advancing the Vilar’s mission now and into the future.
Financial Stability
9 staff members attended 6 national industry conferences
10 social events hosted for full-time and part-time staff
$40,000 invested in existing workspace upgrades
As we invest in the future of the facility and build a healthy, effective and efficient team, we remain focused on the long-term sustainability of the Vilar. Strengthening our financial foundation through planned giving, increased grant funding and new revenue streams is essential to ensuring the Vilar’s resilience and capacity for continued growth.
Operating Reserve Balance Target
Over the next five years, we are investing $5.5 million into the Vilar through key capital projects. As we carry out these improvements, our financial strategy includes maintaining a 12-month operating reserve, which is an established best practice for nonprofit sustainability. The chart below reflects how we plan to balance these investments with disciplined operating performance and long-term financial stability.
$5,000,000
$6,000,000 2030 2026 2027 2028 2029 2025
$4,000,000
$3,000,000
$2,000,000
$1,000,000
We are proud to share some of the highlights from the past year with you. What we do at the Vilar Performing Arts Center is not possible without your support. THANK YOU for your contributions and dedication to making this year exceptional. Questions or interested in renewing your support of the Vilar Performing Arts Center? Contact Miah Wheeler, Director of Philanthropy at mwheeler@vvf.org.
Photos by John-Ryan Lockman, Jon Resnick, Christopher Duggan and Chris Kendig.