Celebrate the future (hint, it's full of love) at the Dairy Arts Center's annual fundraiser

May 18—In the original "2001: A Space Odyssey," a complicated and ominous message is delivered to viewers about the future, artificial intelligence, space travel and the trajectory of mankind.

Those familiar with the movie may remember the harrowing scene where Hal silently murders Frank in order to avoid deprogramming, which — in the current world saturated with smartphones and self-driving cars — definitely hits closer to home than it did in 1968.

However, the team over at the Dairy Arts Center have a more perky outlook on the future.

The theme for this year's Dairy Arts Center Peek Fundraiser is "2023: A Space Odyssey...The Future is Love," which is the Dairy's take on what the future holds for not just the creative arts in Boulder, but all of society as well.

"We wanted this futuristic vibe for our theme this year, but a lot of the time in movies, a sense of the future is depicted as kind of bleak and sterile and post-apocalyptic, and we didn't want any of that," said Melissa Fathman, the Dairy's executive director. "We asked ourselves, what do we want our future to look like? We want acceptance, inclusion, equal opportunities and a world where every voice matters and every perspective is heard. So we settled on: 'The Future is Love.'"

The annual fundraiser, which will take place on May 25, is aptly named "Peek" because the event is literally a peek into what the Dairy Center has to offer all year round. Attendees can look forward to an immersive showcase of dance, musical, comedic and cinematic performances that take place all in one evening, all while giving back to the Dairy's mission of supporting creativity in the Boulder community.

"In choosing the artistic elements, we wanted to make sure that we had new voices and new perspectives — things that people may not have seen before," Fathman said.

One of the artists bringing a truly singular performance to the event is Donna Mejia.

Mejia is a dancer, choreographer, and University of Colorado Boulder professor, specializing in trans-cultural fusion dance in the Theatre & Dance department. Her list of accolades is immense — she has performed all over the world, for President Bill Clinton and Nobel Laureate Archbishop Desmond Tutu — and her work awarded her the Inaugural Chancellor's Health and Wellness Scholar of Health and Wellness for the Crown Wellness Institute.

When Mejia dances, it is magical, visually stunning and intentional — giving the viewer the sense that every move has a deeper meaning.

Mejia will be performing her piece "Deep Waters of Knowing", a five-minute work that was originally created as a moving meditation for Mejia. The dance will be performed alongside an original composition that Mejia wrote with fellow artist Saunt EP.

Mejia says that in performing this piece, she imagines a future where there is a global citizenship.

"I am a person of multi-heritage," Mejia said. "I am a Creole, Indigenous and European-descended human. I have like six ethnicities in my bloodline...but, I futurize and imagine a world where someone like me isn't always asked to stake a flag of loyalty in particular ethnicities and encampments. I imagine a world where the comingling of cultures is not considered to be automatically deemed cultural appropriation, but that there is a thoughtful and intelligent way to go about cultural interchange."

"Futurizing for me in this dance performance is blending things that some parts of the world that some are saying — 'those things shouldn't mix,'" Mejia said. "I'm actually seeing relationships here that are obvious to me, and they live through my body in these ways. And as a person of multi-heritage, to tell me that they shouldn't exist, is to tell me that I shouldn't exist. I don't listen to that."

Guests can also look forward to a dance performance by Khadijah, an instructor and performer of Afro-Arabic dances of North Africa, Gulf Folklore and Central Asian dances. There will also be an out-of-this-world performance from the Boulder Ballet. The evening will continue with a series of vignettes by jazz-hop band Many Colors, interactive clips from the cult-classic "Rocky Horror Picture Show" and a stand-up comedy set by nationally-touring, Denver-based comedian Adam Cayton-Holland.

Should one get lost during the evening, have no fear — some of Denver's most infamous drag queens, including the iconic Felony Misdemeanor, will be around to guide attendees from show to show. Getting lost in the Dairy Arts Center on this particular evening doesn't sound so bad anyway, as art installations from locally renowned artists — including Nicole Banowetz, who is known for her trippy sewn inflatable sculptures and delicate assembled forms — will be on display for the wandering eye.

Guests can also look forward to wine from Hazel's Beverage World, tropical tiki-style cocktails from Jungle/PoolBoy Catering, small plates of locally sourced ingredients from GB Culinary and sweet treats from Nothing Bundt Cakes.

The night is set to wrap up sometime in the late evening (or early morning) with an intergalactic DJ dance party. And though costumes at the fundraiser are not required, they're definitely encouraged.

For more information and tickets for "Peek 2023: A Space Odyssey...The Future is Love," visit thedairy.org/event/peek2023.