community impact of third places

Nestled between an automotive shop and a Mexican ice cream and snack shop, strange sculptures stare and wave at the passing cars on College Ave. Sure, the outside just looks like a modern independent movie theatre with an extra touch of artistic flair, but stepping inside is like entering a portal to a different planet.

 

The voice of the newsletter describes the Lyric in Fort Collins, CO as “A beast with a hefty tinge of curiosity and a fundamentally energetic and hospitable nature. It explores new horizons, it never stops moving, and it makes new friends easily.”

 

The Lyric is imagined as a garden and a mirror, and if you’re ever lucky enough to experience its glory, you’ll understand these unconventional descriptors.

 

Third places, like the Lyric, are important to foster positive social interaction in a community. Not only is the Lyric a movie theater, a music venue and a restaurant; it’s also a thriving artistic community center.

 

In this digital age and with the rise of streaming and social media, third places are at risk. But the value of third places on community wellbeing is irreplaceable.

 

Wandering through the Lyric, it’s hard to expect anything but the unordinary. Looking to your left, you might spot a lamp made out of a mannequin leg, or if you look up, you’ll find gigantic popcorn garlands draping from wall to wall. You’ll find a gift shop dazzling with handmade goodies, funky trinkets, and an abundance of objects shaped like reproductive organs.

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Upon opening the doors, fresh popcorn wafts through the lobby and a cacophony of laughter and upbeat music fills the room. You’ll feel an instant warmth as if that’s exactly where you should be.

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“You’ll see it as soon as people walk in, they’re just in awe of what and how much art is surrounding them,” said Nolan Brumbaugh, the Lyric’s Marketing Wizard.

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Marketing Wizard is a title chosen by Brumbaugh (they have a theme going at the Lyric), and it is exactly what it sounds like, Brumbaugh is in charge of the spreading the message of the Lyric and drawing in customers (and he probably does some marketing magic).

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Brumbaugh has been working with the Lyric for

a little over a year now, and he has watched the

Lyric grow into the beautiful living creature it is

today. Watching him explain the vision of the

Lyric with animated gestures and a big smile,

his captivating passion for the Lyric is contagious.

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“Everyone does their part to kind of make it what

it is. And it’s not only the employees who work

here, but it’s the people who come here too,”

Brumbaugh said. “We have a really unique

group of people that come together to make

it happen.”

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In addition to the loyal members and customers,

there are a collection of employees and managers

that especially tend to the “overgrown garden”

that is the Lyric. Maya, the Oracle of Operations;

Maddy, the Tune Jester; Aaron, the Chaos

Wrangler and the man behind the famous Lyric

newsletter; and of course Ben Mozer, the owner

of the beloved Lyric.

 

Many people ask (including myself), who creates the vision for the Lyric and who executes all these ideas?

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The answer isn’t so simple. The vision of the Lyric comes from a general idea, according to Brumbaugh, but in reality the Lyric is constantly changing and being built upon.

 

Ben Mozer explained to him that even in their old location, his vision was always to “take every aspect of a movie, take it out of the movie and expand upon it.” For example, music is a big part of movies, so they create space for musicians to play, music festivals to take place and for open mic nights to happen.

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“We’re able to take those aspects but do it for drag, do it for comedians, do it for independent filmmakers,” Brumbaugh said. “So a lot of people who are getting their start or have an activity they like to do, the lyric is a space where people can come and experience whatever they have been creating with other individuals as well.”

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The community thrives within the Lyric as there is a place for everyone, whether they are a professional filmmaker, a brand-new musician, or a person who enjoys experiencing artwork.

As a part of the Lyric’s reach to the community, Maya Ortega created a fund for artists in Fort Collins to thrive. Sprouting from the negative impact Covid-19 had on the art community, Art To Live is a grant that funds artists in whatever endeavors they want to pursue.

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“I’ve watched a lot of people move away for bigger cities, more opportunities or because it became unaffordable. I think this city is a natural fit for the arts, and there’s so much data on the economic value of arts to cities,” Ortega said.

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The Lyric is a place for artists and community members to enjoy all forms of art together and build appreciation for the value of art in the community.

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“People are able to come in here and experience art in a very freeing way, and I think it leads them to become vulnerable about their feelings and their emotions and how they feel about music, how they feel about movies, and how they can just exist in a space that’s very freeing,” Brumbaugh said.

It’s impossible to put the Lyric into a box, but at least Brumbaugh has a couple good metaphors up his sleeve.

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“I really like to think of the lyric as the hub of a wheel,” he explained. “We are kind of like a centerpiece where a bunch of different people are able to come and express themselves in a lot of different ways”

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Like many other third places, the Lyric is a space where people can simply be themselves and exist in a space with people from every background. But there is a reason the Lyric shifted from more of a movie oriented space to an all-encapsulating, thriving, community art hub.

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Much like many other small businesses and third places, the Lyric faced the challenges of a global pandemic. Suddenly in March 2020, people couldn’t sit together inside a movie theater.

The Lyric had to think outside the box to make sure they could stay afloat.

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“We have to become a place where people just don’t go for entertainment, but they go for community,” Brumbaugh said. This is essentially what inspired them to expand their outdoor space so much and add music events as a main attraction.

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Since this new shift into a broader scope for the Lyric, Brumbaugh shared how they are trying to rebrand:

“As the marketing wizard, it’s kind of my role to change the language of how people talk about the Lyric. We’re not just a movie theater.”

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In reality, it is the perfect place for all those extra ideas and the community to come together.

“You’re going to feel happy here. You’re going to want to hang out and talk to other people here because you feel comfortable, because there’s so much expression around you already” Brumbaugh said.

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Sam Gerber, a sophomore at Colorado State University, loves to go to the Lyric with his friends.

“The atmosphere makes me feel calm and happy,” Gerber said. “I choose to go to the Lyric because I think it is really unique as opposed to home or regular theaters.”

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“I’d say it’s popular because it is a place able to accommodate to different events and groups as well as continue to make it an enjoyable and memorable experience,” Gerber said.

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Saying the Lyric is a community hub would be an understatement. Going to the Lyric is like visiting another planet, and there is something for everyone. At the Lyric, no one person is better than the other and everyone has a place to feel at home.