CCAE shows of the Tower of Learning

will be home to a regional
summer professional
repertory theatre com-
pany and allow local,
regional, and national
artists to share their
craft.

Clear Creek County and

By Danny Tomlinson
Reporter and Photographer

The  Weekly Register-
Call  was recently invited
to join a “behind the
scenes” tour of the “old
high school” on Highway
103 just outside downtown
Idaho Springs, which is
being re-purposed as the
new Carlson Elementary
School. The building has
been nationally recognized
as the “Tower of Learning.”
It was built in 1968 and
served as the Clear Creek
County High School until
2010 when it was moved to
Floyd Hill.

CCCAE was recently
awarded a $1.538 million
grant from Colorado Cre-
ative Industries to sup-
port Phase 1 of the reno-
vation. Additional support
will come from the Clear
Creek School District for
mitigation and renovation
required under the 2021
bond program approved
by the County voters.
Phase 1 will include
designing and renovating
three performance spaces,
three event/performance
centers, educational
space, dressing rooms,
practice studios, costume
and set design and stor-
age space. Phase 1 will be
finished later this year.

The new Tower Arts
Complex (as part of the
Clear Creek Center for Arts
& Education: CCCAE) will
reside on the fourth floor of
the historic building.

It will feature a 300-seat
main stage theatre and
community meeting space,
a 175-seat cabaret-style
theatre, and an 80-seat
children’s black box the-
atre. Additional areas will
have multifunctional use.

Phase 2 will expand
the industrial or scenic
and textile (costume)
learning spaces. Phase 3
will include the finish of
a professional recording
studio space and additional
storage space.

The fourth floor of the Tower of Learning. It’s in a beautiful setting, just up Chicago Creek on
Highway 103.

CCCAE aims to focus
on educational programs
for all Clear Creek’s grade
school, middle school, and
high school students in the-
atre, dance, art, textile and
construction and design.