Photo: Iman Haidar, Corey Jacobs & Crystal Wiggins (from Society Denver) | By Emily Ferguson, Westword | Three longtime local creatives are coming together to make some magic in the Mile High City. And if Iman Haidar, Crystal Wiggins and Corey Jacobs hit their mark, Society Denver could be one of Denver’s best venues when it opens early next year at 3090 Downing Street, a big building on the edge of Five Points that got its start as a church. The lineup of offerings they propose for the place is enticing and seemingly endless, including live music from local, national and international acts; yoga and meditation classes; body work; workshops; galleries for artists; healthy, soulful food; and even an apothecary and elixir bar.
“Our goal with Society is to set a precedent of what is possible in a community space in Denver,” says Haidar. “We are driven to offer more than just a physical space, but to fill it with purpose and inspiration for our community to flourish in. Keeping the synergy of the mind, body and soul as a guiding principle, we are committed to creating an inclusive space that fosters creativity, celebration and connection.”
Denver Society has been a long time coming, though.
“The concept came around for me personally around May of 2019,” Haidar recalls. “I realized having the intersection of art and music and wellness and healthy food and community is what really has helped me thrive, and I thought it’d be really cool to have a space that has all of it under one roof.”
She was introduced to Jacobs through a mutual friend, who said he was planning a similar project. “We realized that our concepts fit together like puzzle pieces,” Haidar says. “It’s really cool how fate kind of brought us together magically, and I’ve worked with Crystal for years and I’ve known her for years, and…she had plans to open up a venue anyway. I’m all about collaborating over competing. That’s kind of my mindset for all businesses and everyone else doing things in Denver. So we decided to come together and it’s been really, really awesome.”
But not without its challenges. The trio found the building almost three years ago; it had been vacant since the Wrangler moved out in 2018. Before it became a bear bar, it was a members-only swingers’ club, and before that, a slew of restaurants, from the Kiva all the way back to the Hacienda, which the MacIntosh family opened after converting the former church into an eatery.
“The building is now owned by GHC Housing Partners, which is normally involved with developing affordable housing. We’ve been working directly with Alex Berbit, and a commercial space like this took some creativity and patience,” says Haidar. “They didn’t want to just sign a lease with any business they could; they wanted a business that aligned with their values. Overall, they have showed up with such support for our success and truly believe in our concept and the value that we will be giving back to the neighborhood and community. They’ve been amazing to work with, and we feel really grateful to be in their building.
“The pandemic hit right before we signed the lease,” she recalls. “So we kind of had some ups and downs with that, but ultimately, that place has always felt like where it’s meant to be. It just fits so well. It flows so well. It has sectioned-off areas, but they all feel so symbiotic with each other. And now when I walk in, I can’t imagine it being anywhere else.”
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Read the whole story here:
https://www.westword.com/arts/new-venue-in-five-points-will-showcase-denver-music-art-food-and-wellness-14685878
[Thanks to Alex Teitz for contributing this article! http://www.femmusic.com]
Emily Ferguson is Westword’s Culture Editor, covering Denver’s flourishing arts and music scene.
August 18, 2022| Colorado Music-Related Business| Barb Dye