The Community Visonary: Amy Kimberly
We hold this interview dear to our hearts as Amy was the former Executive Director of Carbondale Arts for several years. She is a woman of many talents, but none greater than community building. Even after her re“wire”ment in 2022, she continues to be an essential piece in creative and mindful development in Carbondale, and resumes her role as director of the Fashion Show. Carbondale Arts continues to be a beneficiary of her institutional knowledge and talents as a visionary.
What inspired you to start the fashion show, (in what year) and how did you initially bring together the artists, designers, and community members to build the event into what it is today?
“I was Executive Director of the Telluride AIDS Benefit, which raised money around a fashion show. I saw the power of combining story with dance and fashion and was really intrigued by the dynamics of that combination. I moved here in 2001 and wanted to create something similar. There were very few spaces to perform then so the first ones were held at the Carbondale Community School around Halloween. The first one was 2004 and it was called "The Fashion of Politics". Slowly a community of designers emerged, along with the building of the Rec Center, which allowed me to finally envision the show I wanted. I was Development Director at KDNK at the time, as well as the Director of the Carbondale Mountain Fair so the first one benefitted both KDNK and Carbondale Arts.”
“Supernatural” 2018. Photo by Caito Foster
From the left: Meagan Londy Shapiro, Amy Kimberly, Laura Stover. Photo by Rory Savatgy, 2023.
What role does Carbondale as an art-centric community play in shaping the themes, designers, and overall direction of the show?
“That's an interesting question. I immediately fashioned the show to focus on sustainability and environment, which really reflected what was, and is important, to us in Carbondale, but, we really look at the world around us and what is resonating and emanating from that. Supernatural came from a total eclipse year, She evolved when we thought we might have a woman president. That being said, all the artcentric creatives from the Roaring Fork Valley that get involved and help make the show happen, play a big part in the direction of the show, including the Carbondale Arts staff. It's a very collaborative experience. I have 2 close co-creators, Laura Stover and Meagan Londy-Shapiro, who play a big part in the direction of the show, along with a team of the best in the AV business like Evan Gaspar and SIX Productions.”
Amy’s cameo as the Queen of Hearts in “Down the Rabbit Hole,” 2014. Photo by Beth White.
What have been some of the most unexpected challenges and successes in scaling the event from a grassroots initiative to a recognized platform?
“Having enough tickets so that everyone can see the show. It sells out so quickly now. Making sure relatives and friends have tickets is a big challenge. Another big challenge is the cost of doing business these days. The show is so expensive to put on, and its purpose is to raise money for the Carbondale Arts programming. We don't want to keep raising the prices but it's also hard to pull something of this caliber off year after year. In all honesty, we need a passionate investor that believes in what we are doing. Beyond that, my biggest stress is making sure the show is fresh year after year, which means changing the set design, the vibe and music. It all seems to work because, in the end, my greatest joy is working with the models and dancers and my co-creators. It's so much fun.”
Can you tell us about this year's theme; Camera Obscura? What does the audience need to know before they see the show?
“Morgan William's suggested Film Noir as a direction a couple of years ago and so it's been on a slow burn in our minds for a while. Camera Obscura is about the light and the dark and it feels like we are in a time of incredible light and lots of darkness. We played with that idea, as well as the idea of connecting the show with classic film noir elements. It's very stylized, as well as suspenseful and, in the end, it's up to the audience to decide the takeaway. It is one of our more theatrical shows.”
How do you see the fashion show evolving in the coming years, and what goals do you have for its future, both creatively and sustainably?
“It is one of my proudest accomplishments concerning my personal creative endeavors, but, as in most of my work, it is a very collaborative experience and, eventually you have to let go and let other creatives take it on. I hope it lives on and continues to reflect themes that are important to us as humans, while being the vessel for many designers, dancers and performers who partake in the show. I hope it can find the right balance to sustain financially because it really relies on the goodness of many humans, who are willing to put in the time for no or little money. Also, it is very sophisticated technically and I hope we can continue a strong relationship with our partner, SIX Productions. Ultimately, It needs to be able to help sustain Carbondale Arts. As long as it can do that, I think it will continue to be an outlet for many wonderful creatives.”