MONTE VISTA – Approximately 40 people gathered at the Church Project for its ribbon cutting and official opening on Friday, July 5.
Church Project owner Madeleine Ahlborn was joined by her parents from Wisconsin, her Godparents from Wyoming, and fellow artists to christen the building at 256 South Broadway.
Monte Vista Chamber of Commerce Manager Heather Hillin and members of the OptiMystics Citizen Action Network cheered with everyone as Ahlborn cut the red ribbon.
With the members of her board for the Church Project and the volunteers who helped with the many hours of restoration standing behind her, Ahlborn looked up at all the balloons near the entrance of the Church Project, and said, “I am so thrilled to see all of you here today, as we celebrate the transformation of the historic First Baptist Church, into a creative space, to provide the freedom for all people, to unlock their creative potential. Over the last year since I have moved into the space, we have had more than 30 community members, and over 500 hours of volunteer work, that’s been put into this space so far, to launch this transformation.”
Ahlborn thanked her board of advisors, stating that she appreciated their support and creativity in helping her move the project forward, by helping her organize finances, and hang drywall, and reminding her to stay hydrated throughout the process.
“I can’t thank these individuals enough for being the scaffolding in this wild vision that I have, which we call ‘The Dream Machine,’” she said.
Ahlborn said that she appreciated the financial support from her parents, Seth and Carrie Ahlborn, and others such as First Southwest Bank, the LOR Foundation, the Redline Contemporary Arts Center of Denver, and The Gates Family Foundation.
“As an artist myself, I have always been intrigued by what a space is, where it can take us, and what it can become. This project belongs to the community of Monte Vista, and the greater San Luis Valley. We can build it together,” she said.
Hillin, of the Monte Vista Chamber, welcomed Ahlborn to the community.
“Today we are celebrating the transformation of this historic Church into a vibrant community art center. The space, once a place of worship, will now be a sanctuary for creativity, inspiration, and community engagement. Special thanks to Maddy, (Madeleine) whose vision and hard work made this all possible,” Hillin said.
Hillin handed Ahlborn a plaque from the Monte Vista Chamber.
The ribbon cutting took place one year to the day that Ahlborn moved into the location and began her restoration.
Ahlborn moved to the San Luis Valley in 2014. Last year, she was offered the chance to purchase the beautiful historic building for the Church Project by her former landlord Ron Douglas.
Ahlborn’s vision for the Church Project is to provide the space and the freedom for people to unlock their creative potential.
“I really want this building to not only belong to me, but to belong to the community. I want people to feel that and to believe that they collectively own the building too,” she said.
Ahlborn’s parents said they were proud of their daughter.
“Carrie and I have been very excited about this since Maddy found the church,” Seth stated. “We were very happy to put money into the church, parents do these kinds of things for their children,” he said with a smile. “It’s a very exciting day for the future of Monte Vista, this is really great.”
Carrie said, “We are so proud, this is a very important project, not only for Maddy but also for Monte Vista. I believe there will be more Church Projects around the country when the time comes. Maddy has been here a long time now and has gotten to know a lot of people. They have seen her vision; people collaborate here well. What is so amazing is how Maddy looks at this building, it’s not a building, it’s a piece of art.”
Ahlborn’s Godparents, Cindy and Tim Butera, surprised Ahlborn. When Ahlborn saw them, she did a double take, and then ran and greeted them with a big hug. Cindy and Tim both said they would not have missed her big day for anything.
“We are very proud of her. We knew she would be a wonderful woman and she is,” they said.
For more information on the Church Project, visit the Church Project’s Facebook page.
