The Art Lover's Guide to Collecting Fine Art in Colorado

Year-round Colorado lures in visitors with its cities known for winter excursions as well as bustling metropolises and quaint towns that are brimming with arts and culture. Among the biggest attractions are annual art festivals that include sculptors and dealers from around the world, museums that boast major collections and exhibitions, and fine art galleries that present local, regional and national artwork.

Denver has a handful of creative neighborhoods, with the Arts on Belmar and River North Art District being two of the most popular hubs. One of the major draws is the nine-day Denver Arts Week when more than 300 events take place at galleries, museums, theaters and concert halls throughout the city. In 2020 the festivities will happen November 6 to 14. In May of this year, the city will welcome the first-ever Denver Fine Art Fair, which will feature dealers from around the world offering contemporary and modern artwork from their unique rosters of artists. Also in the city is the Denver Art Museum, which hosts is annual symposium in January. The event is held in conjunction with the famed Coors Western Art Exhibit & Sale, which features artwork depicting modern and classic views of the West.Downtown Denver. Courtesy flickr.com/photos/manufrakass.

Art lovers can also head to Aspen in late July for another fine art fair, Art Aspen, which will have its next edition July 23 to 26 at the Aspen Ice Garden. The show is considered a boutique event with 30 dealers presenting pieces from 1950 to present-day in an intimate setting. Another summertime event is the annual Sculpture in the Park, hosted by the Loveland High Plains Arts Council. The show, which raises proceeds for the Benson Sculpture Garden, takes place August 7 to 9 with a patron party happening opening day from 3 to 8 p.m.

The Steamboat Art Museum, located in Steamboat Springs, is another must-visit venue in the state. Hosting both exhibitions and events, the museum’s mission is to “promote and present the visual arts to the community of Northwest Colorado reflecting and enhancing our culture and heritage.” Since opening in 2006 the museum has hosted national organizations, including the Oil Painters of America and American Women Artists, and has established its own plein air event that happens September 26 to November 1.

With its ever-evolving art scene, there are several mainstay galleries throughout the state that have continually offered quality service to collectors, among them are Knox Galleries, Claggett/Rey Gallery and Mirada Fine Art Gallery.

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Claggett/Rey Gallery
100 E. Meadow Drive, Suite 7
Vail, CO 81657, (970) 476-9350
www.claggettrey.com

Claggett/Rey Gallery prides itself on the representation of true masters of American and Western art. For more than 30 years, the gallery has displayed paintings and sculpture created by some of the finest artists in North America.For more than 30 years Claggett/Rey Gallery has represented some of the masters of American and Western art.

Claggett/Rey Gallery, Emanation, Immanence, the Dance of Shiva, oil, 37 x 19½", by Cary Ennis.

“The art market in our region continues to remain solid for those artists who are masters of their craft and speak their creative truth,” says Bill Rey, owner/partner of the gallery. “It is also a comfortable time for collectors who choose fine quality artwork to enhance their lives. With so many platforms to choose from when purchasing fine art, we find smart collectors still choose to be part of a strong gallery relationship, which provides an anchor, in so many ways, to nurture their love of art and the artists who create it.”

“The art market in our region continues to remain solid for those artists who are masters of their craft and speak their creative truth.”—Bill Rey, owner/partner, Claggett/Rey Gallery

Throughout the month of March the gallery will host its Western Masters exhibition, and then in July the gallery will have two shows from artists associated with the Cowboy Artists of America. The first is for the late Joe Beeler, Joe Beeler: Master of the American West, and the second, Oreland Joe: Creative Truth, is for Native American artist Oreland Joe, who has been pushing boundaries in sculpture and painting.Claggett/Rey Gallery, Mizuna Kitchen, oil, 17 x 17", by Quang Ho.

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Mirada Fine Art
5490 Parmalee Gulch Road, Indian Hills, CO 80454, (Denver Metro Area)
(303) 697-9006, info@miradafineart.com
www.miradafineart.com

Mirada Fine Art is a unique, contemporary art gallery located in a historic log building that was once an old Western trading post. Mirada opened its doors in 2009, and for over 10 years has been surprising its patrons with a combination of previously “undiscovered artists” alongside numerous nationally acclaimed artists. They have done this all while racking up accolades such as one of the “Top 25 Galleries in the U.S.” by the American Art Awards.Mirada Fine Art, located 30 minutes from downtown Denver, features contemporary artwork by up-and-coming and established artists.

Mirada Fine Art, Vibrations of Time, mixed media on canvas, 36 x 48", by Holly Van Hart.

Although within 30 minutes of downtown Denver, Mirada is definitely a destination gallery. “We know if people have to go even a little out of the way to get here, we better have something worth it. We make sure the artwork hooks them,” gallery owner Steve Sonnen states. He also realizes the gallery can’t rest on its laurels. New artists are continuously brought in to complement the “patron favorites” that are the base of the gallery’s success. Jean Richardson, Hugo Rivera and Persian artist Goli Mahallati have all recently joined some of Mirada’s most popular contemporary artists such as Bruce Marion, Lyudmila Agrich and Jill Shwaiko.

“The art market in Colorado is incredibly sophisticated and diverse right now. When people enter our log building for the first time, I think they expect to see wall-to-wall cowboy themes. Nothing could be further from the truth.”—Steve Sonnen, owner, Mirada Fine Art

On Friday, April 17, Mirada Fine Art starts its 2020 exhibition season with Night & Day, a special exhibition that proves the idiom that “opposites attract.” This retrospective features new works from many of Mirada’s nationally acclaimed artists with all of the works depicting literal opposites. Sunlight and shadow, urban and rural, refined and wild, layered textures and smooth gleaming surfaces—the juxtaposition of artistic opposites that draw our admiration will be on display during this creative exhibit.Mirada Fine Art, Standing Blue, acrylic on canvas, 60 x 30", by Hugo Rivera.

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Knox Galleries
46 Avondale Lane, Avon, CO 81620
(970) 949-5564
www.knoxgalleries.com

Knox Galleries is one of the nation’s premier monumental bronze sculpture galleries with locations in Beaver Creek, Colorado, and Harbor Springs, Michigan. Hooked on art since 1980, the gallery has installed sculpture gardens for several metropolitan areas and at private residences. With more than 30 years of experience in assisting satisfied clients, the Knox Galleries are experts in the fields of choosing sculpture themes, installation and lighting design, and in the promotion and marketing of public art.Knox Galleries presents sculptures and paintings in a variety of mediums and styles.

Knox Galleries displays the exquisite works of Glenna Goodacre and George, Cammie and Mark Lundeen. Other sculptures available are by Gary Alsum, Gerald Balciar, Joey Bainer, Ed Conder, Dan Garrett, Kim Kori, Marvin Laber, Vala Ola, Martha and Del Pettigrew, Dennis Smith, Melanie Thomas, Shari Vines and Curtis Zabel. Also featured are wood sculptures from walnut by J. Chester Armstrong, as well as etchings and paintings in egg tempera by Mark Thompson, and works in oil by Edward Aldrich, Nancy Andresen, Dean Bradshaw, Graydon Foulger, Scott Jennings, Barry Thomas, David and Line Tutwiler and more.

The gallery hosts a number of gallery exhibitions throughout the year, with its 2020 schedule including a solo exhibition of Thompson’s paintings this March. Knox Galleries, Angler’s Allegory, egg tempera, 18 x 27½", by Mark Thompson.

Knox Galleries, Rock and Roll, bronze, ed. 100, 25 x 21 x 13", by George and Mark Lundeen.

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Denver Fine Art Fair
www.denverfineartfair.com

As one of the fastest growing major cities in the nation, with a substantial 3.5 million residents within the metro area, Denver now has a modern and contemporary fair they can call its own. The inaugural Denver Fine Art Fair, held May 28 through 31 in one of Colorado’s popular event centers, the National Western Complex in the trendy River North Art District, will present more than 50 select galleries from across the nation, Europe, Latin America and Canada.The first Denver Fine Art Fair arrives in the city this May. ©Denver Art Museum. Photo by Jeff Wells.

Curated for the design sensibility and art aesthetics of the region, the fair will present the finest artworks across genres, ranging Western, the New West, Colorado modernism, American art, contemporary and urban art. In total, more than $100 million in art pieces will be available for acquisition. Supported by the Denver Art Dealer Association, local participants include William Havu Gallery, David Cook Galleries, K Contemporary, Gallery 1261, Abend Gallery, Gallery Giuseppe, Oehme Graphics and more. Other galleries from across the nation include Charlotte Jackson Fine Art, Gary Snyder Fine Art, Walker Fine Art, Rehs Contemporary, M.S. Rau Antiques, RoFa Projects and J Klein Gallery. International galleries include Quantum Contemporary, Stella Ripley, Maria Elena Kravetz Gallery and others.Denver Fine Art Fair, Quick Start, oil on linen, 86 x 79", by Chuck Arnoldi. Courtesy Charlotte Jackson Fine Art.

Denver Fine Art Fair, LUZ, oil on canvas and acrylic on canvas, 352/5", by Salustiano. Courtesy RoFa Projects.Special events during the four-day fair include, CuratorCon: The National Art Museum Curator’s Forum, plus awards and receptions for 2020 Contemporary Artist of the Year, the legendary Chick Arnoldi, and 2020 Art Collector of the Year, Todd Walker.