“Our business is our art and our art is our business.”

ECO VILLAGE:

Eco Village was born out of a necessity for the art of recycling and finding purpose for discarded waste. Our studio space is located in Manitou Springs, where we have a collection of discarded textiles to make into new clothing items. Eco Village is also a nonprofit organization; in the last two years we have been able to provide educational workshops for the community on the subjects of: art, sustainability, horticulture, and mental health.

Eco Village is also a sponsor for our annual Dear Summer Fest hosted in Manitou Springs each year. We are in our 3rd year of hosting the event which serves the community by creating yet another space to support creatives. Dear Summer Fest is a conglomerate of musicians, artists, and small businesses converging to present a showcase for the community at Soda Springs Park toward the end of Summer. This year, our festival will be on September 30th.

SHOW HIGHLIGHTS & TAKEAWAYS:

  • Combining art and business while separating the two when necessary.
  • The artists community in Manitou Springs, Colorado.
  • Their unique co-op business model.
  • What they look for in the community and art vendors that sell in their store.
  • Tips on sourcing.
  • The benefits of Slow Fashion.
  • Fashion is all about “starting a conversation”!
  • How they broke into Denver Fashion Week.
  • Passion and purpose and creating for the sole purpose of creating.

LIZ LAWRENCE:

Liz Lawrence (Lizigns) is a multidisciplinary from Nashville, TN. Liz graduated from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga with a bachelor’s in fine arts and a minor in Business Administration. During college she started her thrifting business She's Oh So Thrifty. Liz uses the everyday space around her to create and tell a story through art, design and clothing. Her main source of materials are thrifted from clothing to textiles for Been Thrifty Apparel. The goal of each design project is to push the aesthetic of design in a unique way.

CHELSEA DREW:

Chelsea Drew is a multidimensional artist and business owner, she grew up in a military family and has roots in Charlotte, NC, South Florida, and Colorado Springs. All places have equally contributed to a worldly view of art and culture. Graduating from college in 2015 and moving back to Colorado Springs was the catalyst for the creation of The Hause (@thehausecollective). Working as an environmental engineer in a corporate setting, left her feeling creatively stifled and she decided to take a chance on her skills as a creative and organizational leader. The Hause now has five locations nationwide (Colorado, North Carolina, and Las Vegas), in full partnership with Liz and other community leaders. Each location is a working co-op and serve as hubs for the creative community in each respective location. Chelsea's own creative contributions include making clothes and art with discarded textiles.