Show Preview | Governor’s Art Show

Loveland, CO
Loveland Museum, September 26-November 1

This story was featured in the September 2020 issue of Southwest Art magazine. Get the Southwest Art September 2020 print issue or digital download now–then subscribe to Southwest Art and never miss another story.

ONE OF COLORADO’S largest juried fine-art shows featuring Centennial State artists kicks off this month at the Loveland Museum. Presented by the Loveland and Thompson Valley Rotary Clubs, the 29th annual Governor’s Art Show & Sale is a major highlight of the year for many collectors from Colorado and beyond. Nearly 60 painters and sculptors—both established and emerging talents—showcase their works in the exhibition, including last year’s Best of Show winner Karen Storm and numerous returning artists like Anna Rose Bain, Sheri Farabaugh, Quang Ho, Amy Laugesen, Jeremy Manyik, Sabrina Stiles, and Tal Walton. “The artwork is the best we’ve seen in the last six years,” enthuses John Kinkade, show committee member and co-owner of Columbine Gallery in Loveland. Naturally, he adds, “we’re excited to show it off.”

Although the opening reception has been canceled due to public health concerns, the show still offers art lovers convivial opportunities to get to know this year’s exhibitors. Recorded interviews with the artists, for example, are shared on social media leading up to and throughout the show, says Kinkade. And for the very first time, says show director Ruth Scott, artworks are available for purchase on the show’s website beginning when it opens on Saturday, September 26, through November 1. Meanwhile, the museum hopes to permit up to 50 visitors in its galleries at a time to view the artworks in person. Each of the 58 participating artists showcases four pieces, and works range widely in style, subject matter, and medium. It all adds up to “your go-to show for an experience of beauty and delight,” says Scott.

Contributing to the colorful showcase are this year’s Legacy artists, Jane DeDecker and S. Mark Thompson. “Jane is one of Loveland’s treasures,” Kinkade says of the highly regarded figurative sculptor, who has created more than 250 limited-edition original sculptures, including life-size pieces, and has 175 public sculptures in 33 states. “Her style is very impressionistic,” he adds, pointing to DeDecker’s graceful, highly textured bronze MAYA. Thompson, who has participated in the Governor’s Art Show every year since its inception, showcases his still-life paintings in egg tempera, a medium well-suited for the fine details he captures in his luminous tableaux of flowers, pottery, and other classic subjects. “Mark’s career has grown with his abilities—he creates the most phenomenal work,” says Kinkade. “Like many artists, he just keeps fine-tuning what he does. It’s exciting to see that, and now he’s setting the example and mentoring our new, younger artists.”

For collectors, the opportunity to observe the advancement of emerging artists over time is part of the joy and excitement in experiencing the Governor’s Art Show year after year. As Kinkade puts it, “We get to see Colorado’s top artists rub elbows with its up-and-coming talents, and as we’re watching the up-and-coming talents, we’re watching them become top artists, too.”

As always, there’s another feel-good bonus to the show: When collectors purchase original works of art in the sale, proceeds benefit Rotary-sponsored charitable projects and causes. —Kim Agricola

contact information
970.670.0335
www.governorsartshow.org

This story was featured in the September 2020 issue of Southwest Art magazine. Get the Southwest Art September 2020 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, videos & more
• Sign up for your Southwest Art email newsletter & download a FREE ebook