Telluride Blues Gives Back

And You Can Get Involved

The power of music to gather, evoke emotion and send a message is undeniable. The Telluride Blues & Brews Festival, along with our non-profit arm the Telluride Blues Society, is committed to partnering with and supporting causes and nonprofits local and national. We’ve teamed up with the Music Maker Foundation, Leave No Trace, Telluride’s One-to-One Mentoring Program, Telluride AIDS Benefit, the Telluride Adaptive Sports Program and the Telluride Blues Society to help with their causes while offering meaningful festival programming for attendees.

Music Maker Foundation

Music Maker Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, was founded to preserve the musical traditions of the South by directly supporting the musicians who make it, ensuring their voices will not be silenced by poverty and time. Music Maker gives future generations access to their heritage through documentation and performance programs that build knowledge and appreciation of America’s musical traditions.

When festival organizer Steve Gumble from SBG Productions, met Music Makers’ Tim Duffy, the pair bonded over a shared appreciation of these musical traditions and of the Foundation’s mission. Gumble and Duffy first teamed up in 2015 to bring artists from the Music Maker roster to Telluride. These artists deliver genuine blues, gospel, soul sets giving festival attendees a rare look at traditional American music culture.

Music Maker Artist Support

For years, the festival has hosted many artists from the Music Maker roster including Leo “Bud” Welch, Little Freddie King, The Glorifying Vines Sisters, Pee Wee Hayes, Christone “Kingfish” Ingram and many more.

Music Maker Fundraiser Dinner

Join us for an unparalleled musical, cultural and culinary experience!

On Thursday, September 14, the Telluride Blues Society is hosting an evening of live music, dinner and a special performance with a festival artist to support the Music Maker Foundation.

Attendees will be treated to an exquisite, seasonal dinner menu prepared by Bravo TV's "Top Chef" competitor and owner of Telluride's own 221 South Oak restaurant, Eliza Gavin. The evening commences with a champagne and appetizer reception, welcoming greeting from Music Maker and interaction with the musicians before viewing a perforce by festival artists from the Music Maker roster. Dinner with the artists will follow immediately after completing the show.

Full menu, artist announcement and more details will be released in early spring. Ticket packages include the following:

  • Fundraiser Dinner

  • VIP 3-Day Festival Pass

$500 of each package benefits the Music Maker Foundation and is tax-deductible as a charitable contribution. Gala VIP Fundraiser Dinner takes place on Thursday, September 14.

Music Maker Lounge

Throughout the festival, the new Music Maker Lounge at the Blues Stage will feature Music Maker art, listening stations with vinyl records to sample, a photo booth and more.

Make sure to stop by, meet the folks from the Music Maker Foundation and show your support to help them reach their fundraising goal!

Telluride Blues Society

The Telluride Blues Society is the non-profit arm of the Telluride Blues & Brews Festival. The mission statement of the Telluride Blues Society is to cultivate, foster and develop an appreciation and love of the musical arts in the Telluride community by promoting and sponsoring musical productions, entertainment and festivals, free concerts, workshops, student education, outreach and programming, along with other community events. The organization works towards this mission through the following ways:

  • Sponsor festivals and performances where aspects of blues & jazz music and culture can be explored, learned and developed to a higher level.

  • Sponsor the Telluride Blues Challenge, an annual competition providing talented up-and-coming artists from the blues genre with an opportunity to advance their professional career.

  • Provide opportunities to scholarships to graduating students of Telluride High School and Telluride Mountain School in pursuit of music studies in higher education.

2022 Year in Review

We are proud to have contributed substantial amount to non-profit organizations and the Town of Telluride.

Telluride Blues Society

  • Angel Baskets – $2,500

  • KOTO Radio – $5,000

  • Mountain Munchkins – $2,500

  • Music Maker Foundation - $1,260

  • One to One Mentoring – $2,500

  • Telluride Adaptive Ski Program – $2,500

  • Telluride Aids Benefit – $2,500

  • Telluride Arts District - $2,500

  • Telluride EMT’s - $5,000

  • Telluride Fire Protection District - $5,000

  • Scholarship – $1,000