Michelle Bauer Carpenter is an Assistant Professor of Digital Design in the College of Arts & Media at the University of Colorado Denver. Carpenter has produced, directed and edited award winning experimental and documentary pieces. Her video pieces have screened in numerous international and national film festivals and art galleries.

Michelle’s prior non-profit work experience with Free Speech TV includes collaboration with grassroots organizations and larger institutions including the Getty Museum, the Whitney Museum of American Art, the Roosevelt Institute, Human Rights Watch International, among others. She has received numerous grants including her recent Colorado Council on the Grant and Arts Fellowship.

Above the Ashes broadcast on Colorado Public Television, Channel 12 on Tuesday, November 29, 2011 at 9:30pm

Above the Ashes will re-broadcast on Colorado Public Television, Channel 12 in Spring of 2012.

Above the Ashes has been submitted to numerous regional film festivals including Boulder International Film Festival, Aspen Shortsfest, Vail Film Festival, Durango Independent Film Festival, Indie Spirit Film Festival in Colorado Springs, Taos Shortz and Telluride Mountain Film Festival. Film Festival acceptance notices will be posted as announced and will begin in mid January.

Above the Ashes is a powerful documentary that reveals untold heroes, the strength of mountain communities and the devastation caused by the catastrophic Fourmile fire.

Above the Ashes tells the stories of seven mountain residents that refused to evacuate the historic mining town site of Sunshine and fought the Fourmile fire. For five days the Fourmile fire burned out of control, charred the landscape and burnt homes completely to the ground. Above the Ashes documents the Fourmile fire through the eyes of Sunshine residents who joined together to fight the fire, taking action and saving numerous homes in the Sunshine community. Using haunting visuals Above the Ashes reveals tales of bravery, family, friends, loss and the rebuilding of a community.

Above the Ashes was directed, produced and edited by video artist Michelle Bauer Carpenter, presently Assistant Professor in Digital Design at the University of Colorado Denver College of Arts and Media. A long time Boulder area resident, Carpenter and her family live in the historic mining town site of Sunshine located in the Fourmile fire burn area. She describes her role as a witness, “The losses our friends suffered are absolutely heartbreaking. Over half of the homes in our neighborhood were lost to the fire. As soon as we were allowed home I began documenting the devastation”.

Above the Ashes features an original score by Brandon Vaccaro and closes with the musical piece Smoke and Tears composed by long time Sunshine resident and nationally acclaimed singer/ songwriter Rebecca Folsom. The piece features a haunting 5.1 surround sound mix by sound editor and re-recording mixer David Bondelevitch, MPSE, CAS.

2010 Recipient of the Colorado Council on the Arts Grant for Artists & Organizations for CAM ArtsBridge.

CAM Artsbridge is an amazing union Arts and Media faculty mentors, BFA student scholars, K-12 educators and K-12 students. CAM ArtsBridge provides university students with hands-on arts teaching experience by placing them in the classroom as mentors and instructors. CAM’s student scholars are asked to create connections between arts and other academic areas. Connecting academics to art helps make sense of our world, culture and its systems.

The University of Colorado Denver, College of Arts & Media, includes the departments of Visual Arts, Music Performance and Music Industry Studies, Theatre, Film and Television Production. This range of creative diversity allows CAM ArtsBridge the ability to offer innovative interdisciplinary programs that range in artistic content.

The Colorado Council on the Arts is now know as Colorado Creative Industries. Colorado Creative Industries was created in July 2010 by merging the Colorado Council on the Arts, the Office of Film, Television and Media and the state’s Art in Public Places Program.