The center was founded four years ago and works to maintain Aspen’s artistic history, dedicated to the legacy of Herbert Bayer. Reporter Regan Mertz spoke with Executive Director Lissa Ballinger to talk about what the center brings to the Roaring Fork Valley’s cultural scene.

Cook Inclusive was founded in Oct. 2021 and provides therapeutic recreation and employment services to the Roaring Fork Valley’s disability, Deaf+, queer and neurodivergent communities. Reporter Regan Mertz sat down with Executive Director Ashley Stahl to talk about challenges facing the LGBTQIA+ community.

The Roaring Fork Valley Wildfire Collaborative was founded by local fire and forestry leaders, who recognized the importance of collaborating to protect our high-risk valley from wildfire. A little over a year after it launched as a nonprofit, it has implemented large-scale forest projects and led public education campaigns.

In these times when water rights can be very politicized, reporter Regan Mertz sat down with Kate Collins, Executive Director of the Middle Colorado Watershed Council. The council works to evaluate, protect and enhance the health of the middle Colorado River watershed.

The 18th 5Point Film Festival is kicking off Thursday in Carbondale and runs until Sunday. Interim executive director Aisha Weinhold sat down with reporter Regan Mertz to talk about this year’s festival, changes in the film industry and how 5Point hopes to stay connected to the local Carbondale community.

In 2022, Aspen Film purchased the Isis Theatre since, after the COVID-19 pandemic, the writer and actor strike and the rise of streaming, small theaters have struggled to stay open. Susan Wrubel, executive and artistic director at Aspen Film, sat down with reporter Regan Mertz to talk about the future of the theatre, last week’s ShortsFest and the Sundance Film Festival coming to Colorado.

Challenge Aspen hosted the Limitless Mountain Challenge over the weekend. This is an all-day downhill competition on Snowmass Mountain where the goal is to participate in adaptive challenges and fundraise for Challenge Aspen. Lindsay Cagley, CEO at Challenge Aspen, sat down with reporter Regan Mertz to talk about how the organization has evolved over its 30 years.

Living in the Roaring Fork Valley comes with a familiar set of challenges — like finding affordable housing, mental health care, and child care. Mountain Voices Project aims to tackle these issues by building coalitions and engaging with local governments.

Aspen Public Radio News presents On the Ground: A Nonprofit Spotlight. This is the first installment in a new radio series highlighting solutions to local and global issues from Roaring Fork and Colorado River valley organizations. Lindsay Fallon, operations director at Towards Justice, sat down with reporter Regan Mertz in the studio.