Our Mission

Rocky Mountain Arts Association Exists to build community through music.

Our Purpose

The members of Rocky Mountain Arts Association have joined together as an organization for the purpose of making an artistic statement: the choruses, as they sing, provide educational, cultural and social enrichment for our audiences and ourselves, and we identify as an organization of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (GLBT) people and supporters that is actively making a positive contribution to the entire community.

Our History

Rocky Mountain Arts Association was incorporated on March 23, 1982 as the corporate name for our first program, the Denver Gay Men's Chorus. The chorus was the first arts program in Colorado to use the word "gay" in its name, and thus was somewhat controversial. The Association name was used when signing contracts, accepting donations or in any other situation where the chorus name may not have been "appropriate."

Our Programs

Rocky Mountain Arts Association builds community through music through our four program choruses: the Denver Gay Men’s Chorus, Out Loud: The Colorado Springs Men's Chorus, Mosaic Youth Chorus, and the Denver Women's Chorus.

The Denver Gay Men's Chorus celebrated its twenty-fifth anniversary in 2007. Founded in 1982 by Robert "Melba" Moore, the chorus today is made up of over 100 volunteer singers from primarily the Denver metropolitan area. The chorus produces three concert series’ each year: spring, June Pride and Holiday. In addition, the chorus sings at over 10 community outreach events each year.

Out Loud: The Colorado Springs Men's Chorus celebrated its second anniversary in 2007. Premiering in April, 2006, the chorus was founded by Guy McPherson and is made up of over 40 volunteer singers from primarily the Colorado Springs metropolitan area. Out Loud is the first gay men’s chorus in the Pikes Peak region, and produces two concert series each year: spring and fall. In addition, the chorus sings at over 10 community outreach events each year.

Mosaic Youth Chorus was conceived in the fall of 2005 by J. William Adams and premiered in August, 2007. One of only seven choruses of its kind in North America, Mosaic is a chorus for gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, queer and questioning youth and their straight friends, ages 14 to 20. Mosaic provides a safe space for these youth to be themselves, while raising awareness of what it means to be a GLBTQQS youth in today's society.

Denver Women's Chorus was founded in 1984. Its first director, Carol White, was inspired to return to choral conducting by the festival chorus formed to sing at the national PFLAG conference held in Denver that year. Since that time, the DWC has continued to meet and sing, striving to achieve the goal of its mission statement, "building community through musical excellence."

Currently under the direction of Mark Zwilling, DWC performs two to three concerts annually as well as participate in many local community outreach events. The DWC's activities have included a performance at the Centura Women's Wellness Festival, appearances at athletic events in the Denver and Boulder metro areas, and concerts at the Shwayder Theater, Temple Events Center, Auraria Campus' King Center, Lakewood Cultural Center, DCPA's Stage Theater, and the Arvada Center for the Performing Arts.