Arts & Humanities
Maggie Divelbiss
Margaret (Maggie) Divelbiss is a community leader and champion for the arts and humanities in Southeastern Colorado. As Executive Director of Pueblo’s Sangre de Cristo Arts and Conference Center, Maggie has established her organization as a major cultural institution that includes a theatre, conference center, dance program, art galleries, a children’s museum and year-round educational programs for children and adults. She has presided over the Center’s growth, engaged area citizens, and contributed to Pueblo’s educational, artistic and economic development. Throughout her tenure, she has made it her personal mission to represent all aspects of Pueblo’s rich cultural diversity.
Once a public school English teacher, Ms. Divelbiss joined the Arts Center as Development Manager in 1973, and became Executive Director in 1989. In her leadership role, she led the Art Center through two major expansions, spearheaded two successful capital campaigns, and two endowment campaigns valued at more than $4,000,000. She established the Arts Center as a collecting museum when she secured a gift of 101 Western artworks from Pueblo businessman Francis E. King. The Arts Center’s most recent expansion resulted in the stunning Buell Children’s Museum and Jackson Sculpture Garden. Under Maggie’s leadership, the Arts Center’s collection has grown in size and reputation and now includes more than 1,600 works.
In addition to her role as Executive Director at the Arts Center, Ms. Divelbiss serves as General Manager of the Broadway Theatre League of Pueblo, which brings Broadway-caliber shows to Memorial Hall in Pueblo.
Outside of her professional role, Maggie is a dedicated community advocate. She is a Director of US Bank of Pueblo and has served on the Board of Directors of the Colorado Endowment for the Humanities and as a member of the Western Alliance of Arts Administrators, Western States Arts Federation, Rocky Mountain Arts Consortium and the National Museum of Women in the Arts. She served a six-year term as a gubernatorial appointee to the Colorado Council on the Arts. Maggie has also served on the Board of Directors of Posada, a shelter for homeless men.
Ms. Divelbiss received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Northern Colorado and pursued graduate studies in education at the University of Southern Colorado. Her commitment to the community has been recognized by numerous awards including the Lifetime Achievement Annie Award from the Damon Runyon Repertory and the Shrine of the Sun Award from the El Pomar Foundation.
Maggie is the premier patron of the arts in her community. She is the mother of four sons and one daughter all of whom are college educated.