In 2003, the Colorado Council on the Arts (est. 1967) and other arts organizations received grants totaling $2,256,700 from the National Endowment for the Arts. The Colorado Endowment for the Humanities was established in 1974. In 2000, $942,670 was granted to state organizations from the National Endowment for the Humanities. The Council on the Arts is affiliated with the regional Western States Art Federation. The State of Colorado also provides a sizeable share of the total for the support of the artists. In 1988, arts organizations in Denver successfully supported a proposal to contribute 0.1% of the area's sales tax to the development of the arts. Colorado's arts programs include the contributions of well over 100,000 artists. Arts education programs are presented to over 11,000 schoolchildren. In 2003, there were over 80 local arts organizations in the state.
From its earliest days of statehood, Colorado has been receptive to the arts. Such showplaces as the Tabor Opera House in Leadville and the Tabor Grand Opera House in Denver were among the most elaborate buildings in the Old West. Newer centers are Denver's Boettcher Concert Hall, which opened in 1978 as the home of the Denver Symphony, and the adjacent Helen G. Bonfils Theater Complex, which opened in 1980 and houses a repertory theater company.
Other artistic organizations include the Colorado Springs Symphony and Colorado Opera Festival of Colorado Springs; the Central City Opera House Association, which sponsors a summer opera season in this old mining town; and the Four Corners Opera Association in Durango. The amphitheater in Red Rocks Park near Denver, formed by red sandstone rocks, provides a natural and acoustically excellent concert area.
Aspen FilmFest, founded in 1979, offers several festivals throughout the year promoting interest in independent filmmaking. The annual Moondance International Film Festival for independent filmmakers has been considered to be one of the most important film festivals in the country. The Aspen Music Festival and School, founded in 1949, is an annual internationally renowned classical music festival that offers over 200 events and educational opportunities throughout the summer.