In 1985 a determined group of Crested Butte residents converted a county maintenance garage into a community arts center. Today, that same building has been pushed beyond its capacity to try to fulfill the changing cultural needs of the community. Over the last thirty years, the local population has doubled, and there has been tremendous growth in the number of events presented, the size of audiences, and the number and variety of educational programs provided by the Center for the Arts and its partner organizations. Two community organizations, the Crested Butte School of Dance and Crested Butte Mountain Theater, inspired the creation of the Center for the Arts. Today, twelve community groups utilize and benefit from the Center. Less than 8,000 people attended Center events in 1985, while last year over 40,000 people attended over 650 events, positively impacting the local economy by more than $3 million.