As visitors and locals reach the heart of downtown Grand Lake, a new structure may catch their eye — a large, symbolic marquee that has been five years in the making.

Tim Hodsdon, architect at SALT workshop and the designer of the marquee, collaborated with Denver artist Grace Noel to capture the origin story of the Ute in a unique portrayal of Grand Lake’s natural history. Their winning marquee design became the first public art project directly funded by the Grand Lake Creative District.

Hodsdon and Noel first met in 2020 at Abraxas Gallery, Hodsdon’s former co-op art space in Denver. It was a time of uncertainty for Noel; the pandemic was in full-swing, as were Black Lives Matter protests throughout the city. Meanwhile, she was pregnant with her son and running her own Denver art studio.

And yet, when Hodsdon approached her later that summer with a proposal to redesign a marquee for Grand Lake, she immediately hopped on board.

“I was just sitting there pregnant, trying to keep the doors open, then Tim walks in one day and shows me this proposal for this marquee,” Noel said. “I thought it was gorgeous already, but I went home and sketched some concepts, and we put together the proposal that weekend.”

After submitting their final proposal, disaster swept through Grand Lake. The East Troublesome Fire devastated the town in October of 2020, the community was still grappling with its impact in January 2021 when Noel and Hodsdon learned they had won the marquee contest.

In the aftermath of the fire, the marquee’s theme, “We’re All in This Together,” resonated more strongly for both the community and its creators.

The sculpture contains three stone monuments and a metal arch that represent the Indigenous Ute creation story of the earth and all living things, according to Hodsdon’s original statement of intent submitted in 2020. The story is woven around the moon phases, as a nod to Grand Lake’s creative spirit.

The earth’s creation plays out on a totemic archway fabricated from plate steel. With a stone edifice and two lower support elements that flank the boardwalk on which the marquee rests, the foundations of the structure represent strength, perseverance and stability.

Wildlife is depicted along the metal archway, including elk, birds, rabbits, fish, foxes and a coyote. The animals are dedicated to individuals who sponsored the sculpture.

Noel said the inclusion of Grand Lake’s Indigenous history was imperative to the marquee’s theme.

“These were the ancestors; they’re still here, and they’re still part of the earth,” she said. “These are the animals that they connected with, and we all still connect with today. There’s a shared experience between generations of people over the centuries. We all stand on the shoulders of our ancestors.”

Avis Gray, a longtime resident of Grand Lake, has written six history books about the town, including Indigenous legends that have left a prominent mark on Grand Lake culture and lore. She gratefully acknowledged the marquee’s historical theme, which she said fits in well with neighboring buildings such as the community center built over 100 years ago.

“It’s sort of a rock in our heritage,” Gray said. “The marquee is right there in the center, so you can’t really compromise that by having it be too modern or too stylistic. This is just a perfect framing of the community center and the mountains beyond.”

Hodsdon added that the process of the project, from conception to construction, also reflected its theme of connection. Without a team of engineers, metal fabricators, builders and welders, along with local sponsors and community partners, the final product would not have been possible, he said.

On Sept. 13, the Grand Lake marquee was dedicated with a ribbon-cutting ceremony involving the town’s board of trustees, Grand Lake Creative District and attendees from across the county.

Marquee serves as entryway to Grand Lake’s promising creative future

The marquee is not the only new endeavor for the town’s creative district. The Space to Create, a $7.5 million housing and workspace project, also broke ground that day. The goal, according to Grand County Economic Development Coordinator DiAnn Butler, is to support artists year-round in a town long that depends highly on summer tourism.

“They call it a creative industry, because it’s true: a huge part of our economy is bolstered by creatives,” Hodsdon said.

The arts are a significant part of Colorado’s economy, accounting for $19.6 billion in economic impact, 3.7% of the state’s economy and 121,228 total jobs in 2023, according to a news release from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.

As Grand Lake invests in its creative economy, Noel and Hodsdon said the effort is already shaping their own careers and opening doors for other artists.

“Not only has it elevated Grand Lake, but it’s definitely elevated me, my artistry and my community,” Noel said.

Hodsdon seconded her statement, expressing his gratitude for the opportunity to make a lasting mark on the town’s infrastructure.

“Grand Lake was the first place I ever lived in Colorado, and I just feel such a deep rooted connection to that place,” Hodsdon said. “It was an incredible honor to be chosen to do this, and it’s definitely one of the projects I am most proud of in my career.”