Downtown Initiatives director Gary Montoya takes reins at Brighton Armory, plots out future

BRIGHTON — New leadership in place at the Armory is working to take the facility to the next level. Events and Downtown Initiatives Manager Gary Montoya took over as manager of the cultural arts center at the beginning of the year and said he is looking forward to the challenge.

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The Brighton Armory

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According to Montoya, the events division is focusing on bringing in a balance of entertainment that is going to be of interest to the Brighton community.

“We’re very excited, the hope is to bring the kind of entertainment that’s going to encourage the community to get out and see this wonderful facility that we have,” he said.

Montoya said they’re working on a number of new entertainment options, one of which is the Sham Rock ‘n Roll from 5 to 9 p.m. March 16.

“We will be serving a traditional Irish dinner, we will have some fantastic entertainment and we’ll also be serving green beer, which is always fun,” he said.

He is also working with HeART of Brighton to bring a blues festival to Brighton from May 31 to June 1. Montoya said the event will coincide with the weekend of Culturefest. He said they will be bringing in local and nationally know talent for the blues festival and that there will also be a blues act during Culturefest to tie the two activities together.

Montoya said the events division is also planning a number of themed events such as salsa night and country music night. They will also be looking at putting on youth events like an end of the year bash and a back to school bash.

He believes the events will help “take it to the next level.”

“That’s the directive I’ve been given and am very excited to take on this opportunity and our hope is by the end of 2013, my team will have made a substantial difference as far as this facility goes and also to increase the awareness in the community,” he said.

Montoya said former operations manager Helen Rodriguez has moved on to another assignment which will have her creating cultural art plans for the Brighton community.

“This is a great opportunity not only for the Armory but also for the community overall,” he said. “Helen comes to the table with a lot of experience in the cultural arts arena, and between the efforts of the Armory and the efforts of her new endeavor, we’re hoping to see some great cultural arts performances at the Armory.”

For more information on the Armory, upcoming performances or to purchase tickets, visit the website www.brightonarmory.org.