Donation bins will be located outside the main entrance of the Fox Theater where Conscious Alliance volunteers will trade poster redemption vouchers for your non-perishable donations. Posters can be redeemed at the Conscious Alliance table inside the venue anytime during or after the show.

Conscious Alliance always encourages food donations to be low-sodium and health oriented products. ORGANIC food donations are especially encouraged. RAMEN NOODLES will NOT be accepted for the free poster.

Thank you for your continued support in feeding the hungry everywhere the music plays!

All food donations will be collected at the Conscious Alliance ’Art That Feeds’ Gallery, which will be depicted on the All Good Festival guide. Donations will benefit a local food bank in Ohio.

Conscious Alliance always encourages food donations to be low-sodium and health oriented products. ORGANIC food donations are especially encouraged. RAMEN NOODLES will NOT be accepted for the free poster.

Thank you for your continued support in feeding the hungry everywhere the music plays!

Conscious Alliance, Stronghold Society, Robert Marx, and local youth collaborated on the first 'Art That Feeds' Youth Workshop

This past Saturday February 18^th, Conscious Alliance partnered with the Stronghold Society, a nonprofit organization based out of Colorado, to host our first of many youth art workshops. Conscious Alliance was grateful to have our friend and longtime supporter, Robert Marx, in attendance to offer artistic guidance and support for the nine youth participants in the workshop.

Walt Pourier, member of the Conscious Alliance Advisory Board and founder of the Stronghold Society, started the day by gathering all of the volunteers and nine native youth to lead a sage smudging followed by traditional Lakota prayer. He then spoke to the group, setting the themes of the day to sources of inspiration and self-expression. He encouraged the youth to feel free and to allow their art to reflect their personal sources of inspiration as well as their culture’s timeless tradition of storytelling through artistic expression.

To begin the workshop, we gave each of the young artists a drawing pad, a pencil, and a set of watercolor paints and they began their creative processes. Some drew flowers, trees, and horses depicting their natural sources of inspiration. Others drew monsters, skulls, and zombies, drawing from inspiration rooted in imagination. Another recurring theme in the sketches was the cityscape. Most of the youth grew up in Denver and clearly drew inspiration from their memories of and feelings towards their home city.

Once everyone in the group had a solid idea of their contribution to the collaborative mural, Robert Marx taught three of the girls how to cover the wooden panel with a blue base color. Once the base had been set, the 4 ft by 8 ft panel was brought inside and the first strokes of paint were carefully placed. After a few hours of painting, each of the kids had added their own creative piece to the mural, all surrounding the Stronghold Society’s logo, which they had decided would be in the center. The kids succeeded in expressing their individual ideas through personal introspection during the brainstorming activity and then through collaborative teamwork during the mural activity.

Conscious Alliance is excited to have been a part of such an inspiring and successful creative workshop. As the first we have hosted, this workshop laid the groundwork for the many like it that we have planned for this summer and years to come. Looking to the future, we are thrilled to continue to supply such outlets for creative expression for both native and non-native youth who seek out such opportunities. We are proud to have our focus not only in emergency hunger relief, but also in these youth movements that will serve to inspire and encourage this critically important generation.

I am happy to report to you that 2011 has been another outstanding year for Conscious Alliance. We have dramatically increased services delivered in the field while maintaining control over administrative costs. The primary management team of Justin Levy and Jenny Mueller has excelled in streamlining the efficiency of the organization without sacrificing the heart Conscious Alliance is known for.

Our major strategic accomplishments included:

- Increasing the value of services delivered directly to the field by 93% to $482,000.
- Decreasing our administrative and fundraising ratios from 22% in 2010 to under 15% in 2011.

Among our activity highlights:

- A record-breaking food drive at Winter Carnival with the String Cheese Incident 25,000 pounds      of food and $25,000 raised.
- 97,800 pounds of food collected at food drives throughout the year.
- Hired our first Native American field director, Krystal Twobulls.
- The Academy of Country Music sponsored drum-making clinics on Pine Ridge Reservation.
- The first Coming of Age Gathering at Bear Butte for native youth.
- The recording project with Urban Method and native youth in Denver.
- Our first farm-to-table “Art That Feeds” fundraiser.
- 2nd Annual Buffalo Heart Concert with Elephant Revival.
- Launch of the ‘Art That Feeds’ clothing line.

As always, an entire network of people deserve our thanks, from our active Board of Directors, to our very engaged Advisory Board, to countless individuals that bring their creative energy to support our efforts. I would like to especially welcome Krystal Twobulls to the team. She is a very welcome addition to provide us deeper insight into the programs that will be most meaningful for native youth.

We plan to increase the momentum the organization built in 2011 over the next year, providing more emergency food relief and expanding our focus to include additional projects on the reservations, particularly youth-oriented programs. Thank you for your continued support and we look forward to a successful 2012.

Sincerely,
Robert R. Titley
Executive Director

For our full 2011 Annual Report please click here:

Artist Robert Marx will be leading the first 'Art That Feeds' Youth Workshop this February

Conscious Alliance is initiating a series of art workshops for native and non-native youth, beginning in the Boulder/Denver area. The youth will spend a day working with a very special artist, who is part of the Conscious Alliance community and has previously donated their artwork to our ‘Art That Feeds’ program. Each workshop will be directed by a different artist, who will work with the youth to inspire their creativity through the power of guidance and collaboration.

The youth will spend a day exploring their imagination and producing their own unique artwork under the guidance of these artists. They will also collaborate with their fellow youth in the program. This youth movement will use art as a vehicle that can be used to engage the younger generation in activities that will increase their self-esteem and inspire the use of their talents and aspirations.

Many of the youth involved in the workshops experience high levels of adolescent risk factors, including extreme economic deprivation. These art workshops are designed to have a tremendous impact on the youth and reduce the effects of these risk factors. Not only can such programs enhance young peoples’ attitudes about themselves and their futures, but the programs also provide opportunities for youth to learn new skills and encourages them to engage in the arts.

Conscious Alliance is teaming up with the Stronghold Society to launch the initial workshop this February. Robert Marx, a long-time collaborator with Conscious Alliance, will be the first artist to lead the youth in a day-long workshop at Factory Made in Boulder. With the help of our supporters, we will cultivate a collective movement to inspire confidence, creativity, hope, and ambition for the youth of native and non-native communities.

Boulder Community Food Share - January 17, 2012

Here is nearly 4000 lbs of food donated by people like YOU!

Traditionally the month of December is the most generous month for charitable giving. Whether it’s the holiday spirit of sharing or the upcoming end of year tax cycle, donations come in vigorously during December. January on the other hand tends to see a decline in charitable contributions.

Rest assured however because the Conscious Alliance ‘Art That Feeds’ campaign keeps on giving no matter what time of year, thanks in large part to the amazing generosity of our fans and friends like you. As a friend of Conscious Alliance since it’s early inception, I am proud to be a part of this community that gives of itself every day of the year in so many various ways.

Recently, I began volunteering with Conscious Alliance in the Boulder office. This allowed me to experience the organization on the day to day, which looks much different than at a show. This opportunity allows me to see the ‘Art That Feeds’ process from start to finish. As a fan of Conscious Alliance I thought that the donations always went to the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota, but as it turns out, the community has gathered enough food to keep the Pine Ridge Food Pantry stocked year round. So, although much of the food delivery does impact that community specifically, when we are in surplus we often turn to local food pantries to help distribute the food. This January delivery was one of those opportunities to feed the hungry of Boulder County.

Boulder Community Food Share provides meals to 30,000 people each year.

On January 17, 2012, we delivered 4,000 lbs of food that was donated by concertgoers in exchange for posters.  When we pulled up to the Boulder Community Food Share, I realized that emergency food relief is a universal need within every community. With 3 loading docks, an army of volunteers, and a warehouse to rival any big-box store, Boulder Food Share delivers over 7 million meals per year and works with 50 other agencies in Boulder County, which makes partnering with this network exponential.

With your help we are making a tremendous impact on hunger. As a fan of Conscious Alliance for years, it was so powerful to think about the community of musicians, artists, and fans who have helped to feed so many people. So, keep those canned and non-perishable foods coming and we’ll keep bringing new original artwork in exchange. Thank you for all your support each and every day of the year.

Blog by Seann Goodman

Donation bins will be located outside the main entrance of the Ogden where Conscious Alliance volunteers will trade poster redemption vouchers for your non-perishable donations. Posters can be redeemed at the Conscious Alliance table inside the venue anytime during or after the show.

Conscious Alliance always encourages food donations to be low-sodium and health oriented products. ORGANIC food donations are especially encouraged. RAMEN NOODLES will NOT be accepted for the free poster.

Thank you for your continued support in feeding the hungry everywhere the music plays!

Head for the Hills Winter/Spring 2012 Poster

Conscious Alliance is partnering with the Colorado quartet Head for the Hills for their 2012 Winter/Spring Tour, which takes them through the Midwest, Southeast, & the Mountain West. A limited edition tour poster will be offered at all the shows, with a portion of proceeds going to those in need.

The tour kicks off at the Granada Theater in Lawrence, KS and takes the group through the Midwest, followed by the Southeast. February highlights see the group at Big Sky Big Grass in Big Sky, MT with Sam Bush, The Travelin’ McCourys, Emmitt Nershi Band, Greensky Bluegrass & more. Soon after a hometown performance at the Aggie Theatre in Ft. Collins, Head for the Hills joins The Travelin’ McCourys Featuring Keller Williams for a performance at the Boulder Theater. On April 20th, Head for the Hills visits the Bluebird Theater in Denver, CO.

Head for the Hills Tour Dates

01.25- Granada Theater-Lawrence, KS

01.26- Vaudeville Mews-Des Moines, IA

01.27- Cedar Cultural Center-Minneapolis, MN *

01.28- Frozen River Film Festival-Winona, MN ^

01.29- Martyrs’-Chicago, IL

01.31- The Bluebird-Bloomington, IN

02.01- Hangar 9-Carbondale, IL

02.03-Smiths Olde Bar-Atlanta, GA

02.04- Jack of the Wood-Asheville, NC

02.07- Uncle Slayton’s-Louisville, KY

02.09-Gramophone-St. Louis, MO

02.16- Top Hat-Missoula, MT +

02.17- Big Sky Big Grass-Big Sky, MT #

02.18- Big Sky Big Grass-Big Sky, MT #

02.19- Mangy Moose-Teton Village, WY

02.25- Aggie Theatre-Ft. Collins, CO –

04.13- Boulder Theater-Boulder, CO @

04.20- Bluebird Theater-Denver, CO

*= (w/ Pert’ Near Sandstone)

^= (w/ Whiskey Blanket)

+= (w/ Emmitt Nershi Band)

#= (w/ Sam Bush, The Travelin’ McCourys, Emmitt Nershi Band, Greensky Bluegrass, Hot Buttered Rum & more)

-= (w/ Henhouse Prowlers)

@= (w/ The Travelin’ McCourys Featuring Keller Williams)

STS9 Chicago Poster Set

Delivery Produce Company, an organic fruit and vegetable delivery service, is donating 500 lbs. of organic produce to kick off the Conscious Alliance ‘Art That Feeds’ Food Drive at the STS9 ‘Great Cycle Spectacle’ shows at the Congress Theater in Chicago on January 20th and 21st, 2012.

With a new concept, Delivery Produce Company offers an alternative to grocery stores and farmers markets. Their weekly or bi-weekly service delivers a half-bushel of organic fruits and vegetable right to your door. The homegrown Chicago born company works with local and national growers to consistently provide the best quality organic produce. They are focused on helping people enjoy more convenient access to farmer’s market quality organic produce and contributing to a healthy and nurtured community.

Conscious Alliance will be collecting non-perishable food items outside the Congress Theater each night before the shows. Grassroots California artist Graham Considine has created a 2-panel poster set that will be available to all patrons that donate 10 non-perishable food items per panel or 20 items for the set to the Food Drive. Monetary donations are also accepted for the poster set.

To ensure the best allocation of the donated food items, we have partnered with the Greater Chicago Food Depository, who will distribute all the food donations to Chicago area food pantries, soup kitchens, and shelters, providing vital meals to men, women, and children in need. All parties are excited for an inspiring weekend of music, art and humanity!

Learn more about Delivery Produce Company by visiting their website www.deliveryproduce.com.