RedLine is a proud partner and administrator of the Arts in Society grant. Funded through a cohort of Colorado foundations and government agencies, this collaborative program provides grants to both individuals and organizations that use art as a vehicle to promote social justice and community welfare.
We love highlighting our Arts in Society (AiS) grant recipients and all the unique and impactful projects made possible by their grant.
We’re excited continue this series by highlighting 2025 Arts in Society project The Knock with grantee The Opera 2030 Project. The Knock is an opera that tells the stories of military spouses on Colorado Springs’ Fort Carson.
Learn more about the The Opera 2030 Project and how their 2025 Arts in Society Project highlights the sacrifices that spouses make at home while their partners are away.
Tell us about your organization
The Opera 2030 Project is a collaborative initiative between Art Song Colorado, the Chamber Orchestra of the Springs, and Opera Theatre of the Rockies—our three companies co-produce opera projects that tell stories that speak to Colorado Springs’ military community.
The project, named in honor of the Cultural Office of the Pikes Peak Region’s “Arts Vision 2030” strategic plan, commits to five years of opera productions between 2025 and 2029.
The project came into being after our production of Glory Denied, an opera about America’s longest-held prisoner of war. Hosted at the US Air Force Academy for free, for over 1,000 attendees, the opera and its reception made clear that we could use music to serve our military heroes.
All three companies contribute financial resources, raise funds, recruit volunteers, and guide the strategic and artistic vision of the partnership. It’s a true three-way collaboration that leverages the skills of three innovative arts organizations to produce an art form that would ordinarily be cost-prohibitive to any one of us individually.
Art Song Colorado is a Denver-based organization that incorporates storytelling and visual art to make a cohesive experience for new and long-time “Art Song Friends.”
The Chamber Orchestra of the Springs is southern Colorado’s premiere chamber orchestra ensemble, and the go-to orchestra for collaborative projects in the Pikes Peak region. Finally, Opera Theatre of the Rockies is a nonprofit committed to the advancement of the opera genre in Colorado Springs.
Tell us about your first project that will utilize your Arts in Society Colorado Arts Grant
Our project The Knock is an opera that tells the stories of military spouses on Colorado Springs’ Fort Carson. Written after dozens of interviews with military spouses, it highlights the sacrifices that spouses make at home while their partners are away.
After an incident overseas prompts a communications blackout, the spouses gather at the Commanding Officer’s home to learn that one of their partners has been killed in action. We follow their journey to learning who has died, and that of the officer who is tragically duty-bound to deliver the news. This notification, colloquially referred to as “the knock” by military spouses, is the source of the opera’s name.
Our project was originally intended to be hosted at the US Air Force Academy’s Arnold Hall. However, it ultimately took place during the government shutdown, and was relocated to nearby Lewis Palmer High School.
The opera was produced with the assistance of those who have experience working in the Army chaplain’s office, with direct experience giving “the knock.”
Tickets to The Knock were free to all active-duty military, veterans, and their families. Approximately 2/3 of attendees obtained free tickets in this manner. This was made possible due to Arts in Society Colorado art grant funding.
What’s next in the pipeline for your organization? What other projects are you dreaming up for next year, and how will your Arts in Society grant help to support these efforts?
The Opera 2030 Project is a five-year commitment with three more operas left to go! Our next performance will be in October 2026 – a show that is yet to be announced. We hope to return to the US Air Force Academy for future performances, if security protocols permit. In the meantime, our three companies all produce performances of our own – the Chamber Orchestra of the Springs has a six-concert Subscription Series, the fourth of which will take place in January 2026 at the Ent Center for the Arts.
Art Song Colorado is presenting “When a Rock Musician Goes Classical” in the same month down in Colorado Springs, while Opera Theatre of the Rockies is hard at work preparing for their next Vocal Arts Festival at Colorado College in summer 2026.
What was your experience like when applying for an Arts in Society grant? What tips would you share with artists looking to apply?
At first we were unsure whether our project might be the right fit for AiS’ mission– but we were so glad that we took the leap to apply. Our advice would be never to count yourself out and to be sure to outline how your project reaches beyond just art-making to benefit your community.
Also, take advantage of the incredible collaborative, connection-building that AiS encourages! The partners that you will meet can be game-changing for your organization. Every single AiS recipient is a master of some element of their craft, and you can learn so much just from talking with them.
Arts in Society Grantee Project Highlight: Light Up Denver's Chinatown
Meet 2025 Arts in Society grantee Colorado Asian Pacific United! Learn how their project “Light Up Denver's Chinatown” aims to reactivate the alleyway that used to be Denver’s Chinatown as a pan-Asian arts, culture, and business district.
Administered by RedLine and funded through a cohort of Colorado foundations and government agencies, Arts in Society is a grant program supporting cross-sector work through the arts across Colorado.
