$10.00
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Instructor Julie Grillo
Thursday, September 24th, 2026 10:00AM-12:00PM at the Emporium at the Elizabeth Hotel* (See address below)
Inspiring Creativity and Building Community are two of the pillars of the Blue Moose Art Gallery. In 2026, we’re excited to launch our Creativity Book Club!
Each month, we invite you to read along and then join us for a lively, welcoming discussion over coffee or tea at the Emporium (inside Elizabeth Hotel) in downtown Fort Collins. Students will secure their own book to read or listen to.
After kicking off the year with The Artist’s Way 12-week experience, we’ll continue with a thoughtfully selected creativity-focused book each month. Our monthly facilitator will guide a roundtable conversation filled with insights, reflections, and a-ha moments.
No pressure to finish the book — or even start it. Come as you are, pull up a chair, and be part of the conversation.
Register today, and let’s inspire our creativity together.
September 24th at 10am - "Your Brain on Art" by Susan Magsamen & Ivy Ross- facilitator Julie Grillo
What is art? Many of us think of the arts as entertainment--a luxury of some kind. In Your Brain on Art, authors Susan Magsamen and Ivy Ross show how activities from painting and dancing to expressive writing, architecture, and more are essential to our lives. We're on the verge of a cultural shift in which the arts can deliver potent, accessible, and proven solutions for the well-being of everyone. Magsamen and Ross offer compelling research that shows how engaging in an art project for as little as forty-five minutes reduces the stress hormone cortisol, no matter your skill level, and just one art experience per month can extend your life by ten years. They expand our understanding of how playing music builds cognitive skills and enhances learning; the vibrations of a tuning fork create sound waves to counteract stress; virtual reality can provide cutting-edge therapeutic benefit; and interactive exhibits dissolve the boundaries between art and viewers, engaging all of our senses and strengthening memory. Your Brain on Art is a portal into this new understanding about how the arts and aesthetics can help us transform traditional medicine, build healthier communities, and mend an aching planet.
Location: Emporium at the Elizabeth Hotel 378 Walnut Street. Fort Collins, CO 80524
Note: Please arrive 15 minutes before the start of class to allow time to purchase a warm drink from the Emporium barista. Ages 13 and up.
