Castle Rock has always been sure of its identity. If you live here you most certainly do not consider this just another suburb of Denver.

Castle Rock's boundaries do not touch those of the City and County of Denver at any point. There is a long history here of a town rooted in railroads and mines and the lives of people who chose to live in the shadow of our Castle Rock. But this isn't a story about how Castle Rock started. It's more a story about where we are going.

Castle Rock, along with the rest of Douglas County is coping with tremendous growth. Our state is filled with small towns that have been gobbled up by anonymity. Castle Rock is hanging on by its metaphorical fingernails to the character with which it began.

Growth is not a culprit here, it is a challenge. In part because of this growth we have one of the most highly regarded Library Districts in the country. That's right, the country, and not just our part of it either, the whole country. A library nurtures its constituency between the shelves of its books, in front of its monitors, inside of the walls covered in local art.

We can be proud of how our library defines us. Douglas County people read and learn and encourage their children to do the same. In Castle Rock some people had an idea that there might be another precious resource available here.

Those people sent out the word, "Would you be interested in forming an art guild in Castle Rock?" It should be no surprise that the response has been a resounding, "Yes!" The Greater Castle Rock Art Guild wasn't formed so a bunch of artists could get together and discuss where to buy the best paintbrush. The Art Guild was formed to add Art to the growing identity of our town, Castle Rock.

How do we tie these things together? The Greater Castle Rock Art Guild, GCRAG, was formed, in part, to nurture the artistic culture of our town. Our town and county governments are working very hard and effectively on the master plans that help to define the community now and far into the future. The Art Guild has a plan to bring a public and inviting face to the town, a face that would entice others to visit and our residents to remain.

That founding group of artists who answered the guild's first call has grown to more than 148. With the help of these committed artists and the support of the business community GCRAG would like to forge Castle Rock into an Artistic Destination for residents and visitors alike.

A project called 'Second Saturdays' is the first public step in that direction. 'Second Saturdays' refers to the second Saturday in May, June, July and August. The project will team artists and performers of all kinds with local businesses.

In the courtyard on Perry there may be a violinist standing next to a painter working on a still life next to a quilter explaining to an interested family how she starts her design process. On the lawn of the library a sculptor may be demonstrating his craft to an enraptured teenager who was originally drawn to hear the band playing nearby in the Gazebo.

As the 'Second Saturday' project grows and becomes an accepted and expected source of entertainment for our residents, word will travel and our audience will become wider. As Castle Rock's reputation as a destination gains stature, brochures and web postings aimed at national visitors become possible.