The Art Galleries of Crested Butte, CO
Cover Photo of Paragon Art Gallery by Kathy Leonardo; courtesy of ETG
Crested Butte is a small town located in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. ETG took an Epic Road Trip to the Rockies, so my husband could snowboard the renowned slopes of Crested Butte Mountain. (His article is coming soon). I decided to discover the town of CB, while he was out riding all day, every day. CLICK HERE to read about the boutiques of Crested Butte. If you would like to hear more about snowboarding, and our epic road trip to the Rockies – CLICK HERE to read the article.
Crested Butte CO Art Galleries
As the founder of LAArtParty.com in 2010, art has always been a priority for me. I love to explore the smaller galleries and artist collectives, where I often meet the most passionate and inspired creators.
Nathan Bilow is a local photographer (and my husband Richard’s cousin). He has been a professional photographer most of his life. His photographic accomplishments are expansive and including historic images of skiing heroes like Lindsey Vonn and Mikaela Shiffrin. As a longtime resident of Crested Butte, who landed there over 40 years ago, Nathan (actually pronounce Natan) is considered by many locals to be the official town photographer. CLICK HERE to purchase his photography guest book. His work can be found at Rijks Gallery in town, as well as online at http://mountainimpressions.com/, and http://www.nathanbilowphotography.com
Additional CB Art Galleries in Town
Rijks Gallery was opened in 1969 by Susan H. Anderton. Then in June of 1993, new owners Teresa and Jozef Rijks took over. Artists include: Marin Dobson, Macy Dorf, Libby Beall Goff, Suzanne Pierson, Rebecca Gorrell, among others. Rijks Gallery, 310 Second Street, CB, CO 81224; (970) 349-5289; https://www.rijksgallery.com/
Paragon Art Gallery (see cover photo) was founded in 1971 as an artist cooperative. I love that. Artists need to be proactive, and here in Crested Butte, its obvious there are many passionate creators with incredible talent. Due to its diverse assortment of local artists, various types of mediums are featured – you will love this gallery. Check the website for a full list of artists, and additional info. Paragon Art Gallery, 132 Elk Avenue CB, CO; (970) 349-6484; https://paragonartgallery.com/
3rd Street Art Galleries in CB
Just off Elk Avenue, (the main street in town), 3rd street has several wonderful galleries…so don’t miss them.
RA Modern has two divisions – Fine art and Architecture/Design. Roxana Alvarez Martí has a degree in Art and Structural Media. In addition to being an artist herself, she also has an extensive background in design, film, and music production.
When I first walked in, I was mesmerized by the art of Janet Nelson. To re-create traditional Native Indian ceremonial dress, she utilizes painted mixed polymers and paper laminated with wood glue. The gallery featured paintings, photos, sculptures, jewelry, etc. All of the work is quite varied. RA Modern, 401 3rd St., Crested Butte, CO; https://www.ramodern.com/
Just next door is CB Fine Art Gallery. The gallery features photography as well as paintings. Artists include: Barry Thomas, John Ingham, Raynor Czerwinski, and Susan Marrion. CB Fine Art Gallery, 403 3rd Street, CB, CO; http://CrestedButteFineArtGallery.com
And one additional gallery next door called Oh Be Joyful Gallery features painters, printmakers, and sculptors. Artists include: Nicholas Reti, Marissa Vogl, Taylor Crisp, Ralph Oberg, Marissa Vogl, Mary Sinner, Tracy Schwartz, and many more. Oh Be Joyful Gallery, 409 3rd Street, CB, CO; https://www.ohbejoyfulgallery.com
Back on Elk Avenue
Studio One Eleven is located across the street…just a couple blocks down. I had the chance to meet artist Patrick Duke and film him while he painted at his gallery, Studio One Eleven (see video on @EatTravelGo on Instagram). He has had his own studio/gallery for two years as of April 2023. For over twenty-five years, Patrick has been part of the Paragon Gallery, an artist collective mentioned above. Studio One Eleven, 111 Elk Avenue, CB, CO; https://www.instagram.com/studiooneelevencb/?hl=en
RedLine Gallery, established in 2014 dedicates itself to showcasing the work of local artists in the Crested Butte area.Artists include: Mary Schmidt (Photographer), Colleen Everett (Ceramics), Blair Garth (Mixed Media), Bethany Harpel (Painter), Eric Phillips (Photographer), Michael Mahoney (Painter), Constance Mahoney (Photographer) Sarah Schmidt (Painter), Rick Squires (Wood Work), and Heather Peterson (Glass Art). RedLine Gallery, 429 Elk Avenue, Crested Butte, CO 81224, 970-765-1195; https://www.redlinegallerycb.com
Husband & Wife Team
A husband and wife team, Shawn Horne and Dawn Cohen, own the Shaun Horne Gallery. The gallery also exhibits other talented artists including Jay Moore, Ray Roberts, Don Sahli, Gay Faulkenberry, Carolyn Lord, Bruce A. Gomez, and Bryan Mark Taylor. Visit the website for additional info. Shaun Horne Gallery, 418 Elk Avenue CB, CO; 81224; https://shaunhornegallery.com/
Of course there is also a wonderful arts center that I would like to point out. Local residents originally established the Center for the Arts Crested Butte as a community arts center in 1985. In 2019, they re-imagined it into a 31,000-square-foot center.
The three-story building now houses the Kinder Padon Gallery and Steddy theater, along with performance rooms, with a visual arts classroom and mixed use/multipurpose areas used for rentals for the community. In addition to visual arts, it also hosts live music shows (both indoor and at its popular outdoor summer concert series – Alpenglow), theatre, comedy shows, dance performances, and more.
CLICK HERE for additional info about the Kinder Padon Gallery, as well as upcoming exhibitions. Find out more about the Center for Arts on its website. Center for the Arts Crested Butte, 606 Sixth Street, Crested Butte, CO 81224; 970-349-7487; https://crestedbuttearts.org
There is also a monthly art walk that takes place during the warmer months, for more info, visit – https://artistsofcrestedbutte.org/
