Show Preview | Durango Autumn Arts Festival

Durango, CO
Downtown Durango, September 15-16

Wayne Beyale, Reflections, gouache, 12 x 16.

Wayne Beyale, Reflections, gouache, 12 x 16.

This story was featured in the September 2018 issue of Southwest Art magazine. Get the Southwest Art September 2018 print issue or digital download now–then subscribe to Southwest Art and never miss another story.

White tents fill the streets of downtown Durango, CO, against the backdrop of mountains laden with pine trees and aspens beginning to turn gold. Along three blocks of Second Avenue, just one block away from Main Avenue, artists of all kinds fill their tents with a variety of fine art and crafts for the 24th annual Durango Autumn Arts Festival. The two-day event, hosted by the Durango Arts Center, begins at 10 a.m. on Saturday, September 15, and continues through the weekend.

“This event is a staple of our community, and everyone looks forward to it,” says Peter Hay, exhibits director with the Durango Arts Center. “It’s a great excuse for people to take the weekend, experience the town, and see some great artwork.” This year’s event presents work from 100 artists selected by three local jurors who are lifelong artists in the community. Featured artists work in a variety of mediums and styles. Photography, painting, and bronze sculpture are displayed alongside works of fine craft including woven baskets, textiles, jewelry, and glass works. “The event is really focused on quality, and because of that we have artists from all over the country coming to Durango,” Hay says. “The variety of things we have each year is incredible.”

Hay says that while the majority of the fine art is focused on landscape and wildlife subjects, there has recently been an increase in contemporary Native American art. Longtime participant Gilmore Scott, for example, brings his vibrant works portraying his native Diné culture. “He’s sitting on a foundation of traditional art-making through his roots, but he’s taking that native story to a more contemporary place,” Hay says. Other participating artists include César Ugarte Jensen, Debora Duran-Geiger, Mitchell Berg, and Steve Hunisicker.

Artists may bring as many works as they wish to fill their booths, with some fine craftsmen bringing as many as 100 pieces to display. Awards are announced from the main stage on Saturday afternoon. “It’s always interesting to see what [the jurors] pick because there’s so much good, diverse work,” Hay says. Proceeds from the event benefit art programs serving Durango and the surrounding Four Corners area. —Mackenzie McCreary

contact information
970.259.2606
www.durangoarts.org

This story was featured in the September 2018 issue of Southwest Art magazine. Get the Southwest Art September 2018 print issue or digital download now–then subscribe to Southwest Art and never miss another story.

MORE RESOURCES FOR ART COLLECTORS & ENTHUSIASTS
• Subscribe to Southwest Art magazine
• Learn how to paint & how to draw with downloads, books, videos & more from North Light Shop
• Sign up for your Southwest Art email newsletter & download a FREE ebook