Basalt's Kendall Smith Curates Arts Campus With Math and Instinct

Aspen —Kendall Smith sits in the belly of The Arts Campus at Willits (TACAW) in Basalt. He is trying to predict who will walk through the door. He is trying to guess what will move them once they sit down.

It sounds like magic. It’s actually math.

Smith runs programming for the nation’s first net-zero performing arts campus. He balances instinct with analysis. He books music, comedy, and ideas. He fills the stage.

"The people here are incredibly intelligent and discerning," Smith said. "There are a lot of entertainment options for a place this size."

This is the Roaring Fork Valley. It’s semi-rural. It’s wealthy. It’s crowded with choices. Smith doesn’t just book shows. He curates experiences. He tries to lead the community, not just follow it.

Sometimes he books a known quantity. An artist who returns year after year. The crowd shows up. The lights go down. It works.

Other times, he takes a risk. He wants to push people outside their comfort zone. He aims to challenge them.

"We want to lead," Smith said.

This isn’t a for-profit theater living and dying by every ticket sold. TACAW is donor-supported. That flexibility matters. It allows for lower-priced tickets. It allows for free programming. It means Smith doesn’t have to play it safe every single time.

But how did a guy from Texas end up here, managing a cultural hub in the mountains?

Smith grew up in a military family. He was born in England. He bounced around Air Force bases in Texas. He studied finance at the University of North Texas. He started in manufacturing. He did managerial accounting. He handled corporate planning.

He had a career. He was on track. Then he realized he wasn’t going to be CFO. And he didn’t really want to be.

He started volunteering. Arts and culture organizations called to him. He ended up at the Underground Music Showcase in Denver. He ran it for seven years. He learned how to move crowds. He learned how to build an audience.

From there, he went to Denverite. A startup news organization. He built a revenue function. He managed events. Then he moved to Colorado Public Radio. He handled partnerships.

That’s when the opportunity in Basalt appeared. He relocated. He took the job.

Now, he faces a specific challenge. The valley is different from Denver. It’s different from the city he knew. The audience is smarter. They are pickier. They expect more.

"There’s definitely an art to it," Smith said. "There’s an art to curation and to understanding what will work here. But there’s also a lot of math involved."

You have to structure deals that make sense. You have to balance the budget. You have to keep the lights on. You have to keep the artists coming.

TACAW is turning five. The celebration is approaching. Smith is looking at the calendar. He is looking at the books. He is looking at the community.

He wants to gather people. He seeks shared experiences. He aims to create something that lasts.

The algorithm suggests what you like. Smith decides what you need.

That’s the difference. That’s the job.