In a statement released Thursday afternoon to its newsletter subscribers, the Estes Arts District ported fraudulent check activity involving organizational funds.
The organization is working with law enforcement and its financial institution in an effort to recover the money.
In the written statement, the nonprofit said the transactions involved counterfeit checks bearing unauthorized signatures. After discovering the activity, the organization notified its financial institution and filed a police report.
The amount of money involved was not disclosed, nor was the name of the financial institution.
The matter remains under investigation, and the Estes Arts District said it is pursuing recovery through financial, law enforcement, regulatory, and legal channels.
The organization’s board has reviewed its financial oversight and taken steps to strengthen internal procedures after discovering the fraudulent transactions.
The Estes Arts District said it plans to release additional information when doing so will not interfere with the investigation or efforts to recover the funds.
The announcement came two days before the 10th annual Estes Park Artist Studio Tour, which takes place today and Sunday, Aug. 15-16, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Estes Arts District serves as Studio Tour’s nonprofit fiscal sponsor.
The Estes Arts District was named one of seven new Colorado Creative Districts by Gov. Jared Polis and Colorado Creative Industries in October 2025. The designation included a $10,000 state grant requiring a local match.
The organization has not said if any of the funds affected by the fraudulent check activity included money received through the state grant.
The Estes Valley Voice reached out to Estes Arts District co-president Dana Paiement on Friday afternoon, but she was not available to provide additional information.