Arts, crafts and culture are alive and well in Boulder, and the Boulder Community Alliance hopes to further nurture them. From visual artists and photographers, woodworkers and writers to musicians, knife makers, potters, flint nappers and quilters—creative skills abound in local residents. Regional galleries and businesses showcase some Boulder artists, while other artists display/perform at two important gatherings: the midsummer Boulder Heritage Festival, celebrating the unique history and culture of the area, and the fall Escalante Canyons Art Festival.

Boulder may be one of the smaller communities in Utah, but it boasts a monthly Book Club, a yearly poetry slam, belly dance, yoga, Irish set dance and tai chi instruction, magic shows, frequent music jams, a yearly talent contest, church groups, quilters and even a group of spinners who prepare their own wool. The value of learning and expanding through the arts is obvious, but even more basic is the chance for a diverse mix of locals to interact with each other, using cultural experiences as a common language.

The Boulder Community Library is one of the centers of activity. Its Friends of the Library recently received a grant for seventy new children’s books, whose arrival were celebrated with a Follow the Yellow Brick Road party for all Boulder kids. The Anasazi State Museum not only displays an excellent collection of Puebloan artifacts, but hosts such cultural events as a weekly community movie and rotating arts/crafts shows.

How could the spectacular landscape of Boulder—its beauty infused with its rugged remoteness—fail to inspire? Whether one creates art or consumes it, life is deeply enriched.