SLAY THE RUNWAY- DESIGNING SAFE SPACES FOR LGBTQ+ YOUTH

BUY TICKETS FOR THE JUNE 27TH RUNWAY SHOW!  CLICK HERE…

 

 

WHAT IS SLAY?

Slay the Runway offers fashion design, performance and sewing classes for LGBTQIA+ teens at Longmont’s Firehouse Art Center and Boulder Public Library’s Building 61 Maker Space. At the conclusion of a 2 week Summer Session, students participate in a professionally produced runway show. In addition to garment construction and design, participants will work with make-up artists and choreographers to refine their debuts. This program is made possible by SCFD, the City of Longmont, OASOS, CU Boulder, your donations, and the never ending enthusiasm and passion of the educators, volunteers and Slay team.  Thank you for your support!

DONATE TO MAKE SLAY THE RUNWAY AN ANNUAL PROGRAM!!!

$25 helps us provide 1 participant’s Restyle outfit   *   $50 buys fabric for one participant   *   $100 supports our kids with Pizza for backstage   $300 provides Music for the kids on the runway   *   $500 supports our Performers and Photographer
$1000- helps us cover the Runway Show venue!

 

JUNE 8- JUNE 19 MONDAY-THURSDAY

JUNE 27- 6:30- 8- PERFORMANCE DAY- DAIRY CENTER- GORDON GAMM THEATER

 

Ages 13-18

Acceptance is by application only

FEE: $0 due to grant and donor support (but donations appreciated to keep the program going!) Due to generous grants, we are able to offer construction, design, and style instruction at no cost to accepted students.  Spots are limited (12 at each location). 

 

Longmont:

1. LOCATION: Firehouse Art Center- 667 4th Ave., 4th and Coffman in Longmont
Designers are encouraged to take public transit as there is a bus stop at the Firehouse and parking can be pricey. Or parents can drop off at the Firehouse each day.
2. DATES AND TIMES- Monday through Thursday- June 8-11 and June 15-18 from 1pm-5pm with a 30 minute break each day.
3. BREAKS- An assistant will take students to downtown businesses for a 30 minute break during the day.  Students can bring money to purchase snacks but should come to the workshop having eaten lunch beforehand.

 

Boulder:

1. LOCATION: CU Boulder Campus, Atlas Institute Building, Room 1B31. Designers are encouraged to take public transit to campus because parking can be pricey. Here are directions, a map, and some parking information: https://www.colorado.edu/atlas/atlas-institute-directions-parking.
We will meet students in the Atlas Lobby on the first day. Our classroom is huge, but also on the basement floor.
Additionally, instead of the Euclid Parking Lot (which can be expensive), I would recommend that students park in Lot 204 (across the street from Euclid, see attached map). They can buy a 5-day parking pass for Lot 204 for $25 or $10 daily. Buy passes up to 8 days in advance here: https://cuboulder.aimsparking.com/
2. DATES AND TIMES– Monday through Thursday- June 8-11 and June 15-18 from 10 am- 2 pm with a 1/2 lunch break at noon.
3. BREAKS- There is a Cafe in the Atlas building. Students 16+ are welcome to leave the building in groups of 2 or more during our lunch break.

Photos: from Slay the Runway 2021- by Matt Maenpaa

Construction and Design Classes

During design sessions, instructors start with simple projects
that improve student sewing and design skills. As confidence builds,
students are challenged to develop their own self identity as they
create an outfit for the showcase.

Developing a Look, Hair, and Make-up

At the fashion show, members from the Drag community will teach the kids how to present themselves with flair. The students end with unveiling something they’ve created in their style and voice while surrounded by a community sharing their life experience.

Why we created the program

LGBTQ youth are 5x more likely to attempt suicide than their straight peers, and those from rejecting environments are 8x more likely. They also experience higher rates of severe depression, illegal drug use, and homelessness than their straight peers. Slay the Runway aims to increase support and community connection for a population of youth suffering from marginalization and discrimination by creating an affirming and accessible space where creativity, expression, and positive self-image are celebrated.

During the design sessions, instructors start with simple projects that improve student sewing and design skills. As confidence builds, students are challenged to develop their own self identity as they create an outfit for the showcase. At the fashion show, members from the Drag community will teach the kids how to present themselves with flair. The students end with unveiling something they’ve created in their style and voice while surrounded by a community sharing their life experience. While there are fashion camps and sewing classes in the area, no other local offerings address the issue of safe spaces for gender-expansive youth with this depth of creativity, and commitment to providing support and education to families.

Slay the Runway’s goal is to create an affirming and accessible space where creativity, expression, and positive self-image are celebrated. Involving parents, youths, artists, the LGBTQIA+ community and educators, we strive to provide access to peer connection, parent education, and safe spaces.

DRAG THE FLAG- FASHION VS. FASCISM

on June 6th, join ARC at The Firehouse for a variety show featuring music, poetry, art auction, drag, Burlesque, dance, and more! All proceeds from the show go to @slaytherunwayco

 

LONGMONT PRIDE 2026 IS RIGHT BEFORE THIS EVENT FROM 11AM-4PM AT ROOSEVELT PARK

Founders and Instructors (Boulder and Longmont Cohorts)

makeup

Elaine Waterman- She/Her- Founder

Elaine Waterman (she/her) is the Executive Director of the Firehouse Art Center, as well as an arts educator and artivist. Her biggest passion is helping young artists develop their artistic voice.  Elaine’s love of fashion started in her youth and led her to a career as a fashion designer in NYC.  She now channels her creative energies into costumes and cosplay.

Slay the Runway came about through Elaine’s fashion design camps at the Longmont Museum, her collaborations in the Colorado Cosplay Community and her passion for supporting and celebrating every child’s creative voice.  A parent of a non-binary teen, Elaine understands the importance of having a space to create freely, and she hopes that Slay the Runway can be that place!

Screenshot 2025-05-07 005557

Steven Frost- Boulder Cohort

Steffie Notion- Longmont Cohort

Steffie Notion (she/they) is a textile artist renowned for their vibrant embroidery pieces that champion body positivity and sexual empowerment. With every stitch, Steffie intricately weaves narratives that challenge societal standards and celebrate the diverse expressions of human sexuality. Through her vibrant and daring compositions, Steffie invites viewers to embrace their own bodies and sexuality with unapologetic confidence.

Beyond her artistic endeavors, Steffie is a fervent advocate for self-love and inclusivity. Through workshops and community engagements, they ignite essential conversations about embracing one’s uniqueness and liberating oneself from societal expectations.

Steffie learned to sew from her mom and now has over 20 years of experience specializing in practical alterations and mending. Her work emphasizes sustainability, focusing on the importance of repurposing and repairing old clothes to reduce waste. She actively shares her expertise through workshops and classes, encouraging others to embrace creativity and resourcefulness in their own sewing journeys.

Stephen Frost

Born in USA, 1981
2000-2004 BFA, New York State College of Ceramics & Design at Alfred University
2009-2011 MFA, School of the Art Institute of Chicago​

Steven Frost (they/them) is an instructor in the Department of Media Studies and interdisciplinary artist. Their research focuses on textiles, memes, queer history, pop culture, and community development in DIY spaces and libraries. In their creative work they often use textiles — their association with the body and garments evoke tactile memories. Using weaving, they combine traditional materials like yarn and cotton with non-traditional materials from a range of sources, exploring the ways history and time are embedded in materials. Their artworks evoke specific narratives and stories, referencing aspects of their personal and family history, and the history of the LGBTQIA+ people, among other topics. In workshops and interactive performance events, they work to amplify marginalized voices and foster communities to produce their own forms of representation.

Frost has been featured in solo and two-person exhibitions at the Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art (Boulder, CO), Basement Projects (Santa Ana, CA), CU Boulder Art Museum (Boulder, CO), 350 E 3rd/ ArtX (Long Beach, CA), Robert Bills Contemporary (Chicago, IL), Coop Gallery (Nashville, TN), and Pleasant Plains Workshop (Washington, DC) and in group exhibitions at Union Hall Gallery (Denver, CO), the Center for Visual Arts (Denver, CO), Alto Gallery (Denver, CO), Arlington Arts Center (Arlington, VA), Wignall Museum of Contemporary Art (Rancho Cucamonga, CA), Imersten (Vienna, Austria), ACRE Gallery (Chicago, IL), Chicago Cultural Center (Chicago, IL), and the AU Museum at the Katzen (Washington, DC) among other venues. They have recently taught workshops at the Art Student’s League (Denver, CO), Redline Contemporary Art Center (Denver, CO), School of the Art Institute of Chicago (Chicago, IL), and the Haystack School of Crafts (Deer Isle, ME). Frost is the founder of the Colorado Sewing Rebellion, an offshoot of the original Sewing Rebellion founded by Frau Fiber (Carole Francis Lung). They are a co-founder of the Experimental Weaving Residency (with Dr. Laura Devendorf). They are also the Faculty Director of the B2 Center for Media, Arts, & Performance at the Atlas Institute (Boulder, CO) and a Library Commissioner for the City of Boulder, CO. Frost is also a recipient of several other honors including the Lenore G. Tawney Fellowship and the Luminarts Cultural Foundation Fellowship.