Art Festivals & Gallery Walks Celebrate Originality in Gunnison-Crested Butte

The arts are a permanent part of Gunnison-Crested Butte, Colorado’s culture. The communities have been nurturing and growing four longtime art festivals set against the beauty of the Colorado Rockies: 36th annual Crested Butte Festival of the Arts, 35th annual Gunnison Art in the Park, 20th annual The People’s Fair, and 17th annual Land of Rainbow Quilt Festival.

Also throughout the summer and fall, Crested Butte’s ArtWalk Evenings and First Fridays: Gunnison Gallery Crawl & Music bring art enthusiasts on a tour of the galleries and other businesses displaying artwork. First Fridays is held the first Friday of the month, May – September, and ArtWalk is the last Thursday evening of the month, June – September.

There is no admission charge for the festivals or gallery evenings.


Schedule of Art Events

July 4 First Fridays: Gunnison Gallery Crawl & Music

July 24 ArtWalk Evening, Crested Butte Galleries & Studios

July 27 35th Annual Gunnison Art in the Park, Legion Park

August 1 First Fridays: Gunnison Gallery Crawl & Music

August 2 -3 36th Annual Crested Butte Arts Festival, Elk Avenue

August 23 High Octane Arts & Crafts Festival, Gunnison’s Legion Park

August 28 ArtWalk Evening, Crested Butte Galleries & Studios

August 29 – Sept. 1 17th Annual Land of Rainbow Quilt Festival, Gunnison Arts Center

August 30 20th Annual The People’s Fair, Elk Avenue, Crested Butte

September 5 First Fridays: Gunnison Gallery Crawl & Music

September 25 ArtWalk Evening, Crested Butte Galleries & Studios



GUNNISON

First Fridays: Gunnison Gallery Crawl & Music, May 2, June 6, July 4, Aug. 1, Sept. 5

Gunnison’s art and music scene are coming together for First Fridays: Gunnison Gallery Crawl & Music. Held from May through September, view great art and meet artists at several galleries and businesses. The 5 - 7 p.m. event also features live music outside the venues and at downtown’s IOOF Park. On July 4, First Friday will run from 2 – 8 p.m. For more information call (970) 641-1501. First Fridays is coordinated in partnership with the Gunnison Country Chamber of Commerce.


35th Annual Gunnison Art in the Park, July 27

Gunnison’s Legion Park serves as the backdrop for the 35th annual Gunnison Art in the Park, organized by the local chapter of American Association of University Women (AAUW). On July 27, from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m., approximately 60 artists will exhibit and sell their creations during this juried event.

Gunnison Art in the Park enjoys a large number of return exhibitors, with at least one artist not missing any of the event’s 35 years. Exhibitors will feature jewelry, stained glass, wood items, sculpture, baskets, fabric art, furniture, photography, pottery and more.


Live entertainment, a face painting station for kids, and food and beverage booths by the Gunnison Literacy Action Program also are part of the fun. Proceeds from the event benefit AAUW’s local scholarship program for nontraditional students attending Western State College in Gunnison; AAUW’s national education foundation; and a local project that is selected annually.


For more information or booth registration, contact Ronda Connaway at (970) 641-2638.


High Octane Arts & Crafts Festival, August 23

The Gunnison Country Chamber of Commerce invites arts and crafts lovers to experience the High Octane Arts & Crafts Festival being held in conjunction with the Gunnison Car Show on Aug. 23. The festival will be held from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. in Legion Park, located across the street from Jorgensen Park, where the car show will be held on the same day.

High Octane Arts & Crafts Festival (previously known as the Big Blue Marketplace and The Festival of Crafts & Arts) will showcase arts and crafts from around the region. Also enjoy a barbecue lunch and refreshments prepared by F Bar Catering. Fun for the whole family will be available.

For individuals interested in registering for a booth to sell arts and crafts or food, contact the Gunnison Country Chamber of Commerce at (970) 641-1501 or visit www.gunnisonchamber.com. The deadline for booth applications is August 1, 2008.

17th Annual Land of Rainbow Quilt Festival, Gunnison Arts Center, August 29 – Sept. 1

Quilting has long been part of the heritage of Gunnison County. Gunnison Arts Center (GAC), in partnership with Gunnison Quilters and the local quilt guild, celebrate the art of quilting annually with the Land of Rainbow Quilt Festival. Now in its 17th year, there is a full lineup of activities over Labor Day and quilt documentation the following weekend.

· August 13 – September 13 – A Quilt Exhibit featuring the festival’s quilt contest entries will be on display at GAC. Entries must be submitted from Aug. 4 – 7. Free admission.

· August 29 – Welcome Reception with quilt viewing, contest awards, refreshments, and speaker Vi Colombe, award-winning quilter from Mission, S.D., telling how she puts the pieces of her life as a Native American woman into Star quilts. 5 p.m., GAC, Free

· August 29 & 30 – A Lone Star Wall-Hanging Workshop will be taught by opening speaker Vi Colombe. This two-day workshop is limited to 20 participants. 9 – 4 p.m., Fred R. Field Western Heritage Center, $80

· August 29 – 30 – Readers’ Theatre featuring “Pieces of Women’s Lives,” written by local playwright Linda Lucido. 8 p.m., GAC, free

· August 30 – At the Orphan Block Calendar Class, participants will learn how to turn an orphan block into a quilted holder for a wall calendar from Yvonne Hollenbeck, an award-wininng quilter, author, musician and cowboy poet. 9 a.m. – noon, Fred R. Field Western Heritage Center, $20

· August 31 – Museum Tours & High Tea is an excursion to Crested Butte Mountain Heritage Museum and Pioneer Museum in Gunnison followed by high tea at the home of Enid Holden. Transportation provided. 12:30 – 4:30 p.m., $20

· September 1 – The Closing BBQ & Poetry Show & Tell features great food and Yvonne Hollenbeck will present “Pieces of Women’s Lives” through heartwarming and humorous poetry and special quilts. Noon, Fred R. Field Western Heritage Center, $25


The various events can be purchased a la carte or through festival packages. Also, the Colorado Quilting Council will document a limited number of Colorado quilts on Sept. 6, preceded by a reception and talk on the evening of Sept. 5. For more information, call Gunnison Arts Center at (970) 641-4029 or visit www.gunnisonartscenter.org.


CRESTED BUTTE

ArtWalk Evenings, July 24, August 28 & September 25

ArtWalk Evening takes place the last Thursday of June, July, August and September from 5 – 8 p.m. in Crested Butte. ArtWalk is organized by Artists of the West Elks and features stops at several studios and galleries. Light refreshments, music and on-site artists are featured at many of the locations. For more information, contact Rebecca Weil at (970) 349-9247or visit www.awearts.org.


36th Annual Crested Butte Arts Festival, August 2 - 3

The Crested Butte Arts Festival (CBAF) is the biggest weekend of the summer, drawing world-class artists from all 50 states and several international exhibitors. Second homeowners, annual vacationers and visitors from New Mexico, Utah, Texas and Colorado’s front-range choose Arts Festival weekend as the prime time to visit Crested Butte. The CBAF is one of the top five art festivals in Colorado and ranked among the 60 best shows in the nation by The Harris List.

The festival features 175 artists, selected through a very competitive jury process, will exhibit their one-of-a-kind works in ceramics, drawing and graphics, fiber, glass, jewelry, metal, mixed media, painting, photography, sculpture, wearable art and wood.

Open-air fine arts and crafts booths, with their distinctive white tops, line the three-block center of Crested Butte’s National Historic District, surrounded by the town’s one-of-a-kind shops, galleries, boutiques and eateries. New additions to the festival include “Art Alley” a hands-on arts & crafts tent for children ages 2 - 12 and their parents, Artists of the West Elks co-op booths featuring the work of more than 20 local Gunnison Country artists and an Artists Demonstration Tent with selected exhibiting artists demonstrating their craft during festival hours.

In addition, there will be musical entertainment on the Ragged Mountain Stage from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, and a variety of gourmet food selections available at the festival's Culinary Court.

For more information, call (970) 349-1184 or visit www.crestedbutteartsfestival.com.

20th Annual The People’s Fair, August 30

The Saturday of Labor Day weekend always marks the return of The People’s Fair in historic downtown Crested Butte. Hundreds of locals and visitors will stroll Elk Avenue on Aug. 30, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., to take in this homespun cultural experience and to soak in the last of the high country summer.

The People’s Fair features an eclectic mix of booths showcasing regional arts and crafts, collectibles and antiques, and preserved foods from local gardens as well as fun for kids, tasty fair food and more. Reasonably priced items make this art fair affordable for everyone and a must for treasure hunters. Along with 80 vendor booths, The People’s Fair coincides with the annual Labor Day Sidewalk Sale on Elk Avenue, making the day a shoppers delight!

Food booths will be located next to the Company Store, across from the music venue at the corner of Elk Avenue and Third Street. Entertainment will perform from 11 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Nonprofit organizations from the Gunnison Valley will be on hand to provide information about a variety of topics and raise money for their organizations. Always a big attraction is a vast selection of music CDs on sale to raise money for Crested Butte’s public radio station, KBUT. Crested Butte Friends of the Library typically features more than 400 square feet of reading material at its annual book sale. High Country Citizens’ Alliance raises funds by tempting taste buds with its bake sale.

Since 1988, The People’s Fair has been made possible by the volunteer efforts of the artist members of The Paragon Gallery, a cooperatively owned arts and crafts gallery in downtown Crested Butte, located at 132 Elk Ave. The Paragon Gallery has been featuring the work of Gunnison and Crested Butte residents since 1971. For more information about the fair or to receive an application for booth space, please contact The Paragon Gallery at (970) 349-6484.