Show Preview | Salida Art Walk - Southwest Art Magazine

Salida, CO
Downtown Salida, June 27-30

Carl Bork, Colors of the Sun and Sky, oil, 36 x 36.

This story was featured in the June 2019 issue of Southwest Art magazine. Get the Southwest Art June 2019 print issue or digital download now–then subscribe to Southwest Art and never miss another story.

BILLED AS AN immersive art experience, the 27th annual Salida Art Walk shines a spotlight on the diverse local arts scene in Salida, CO, a small mountain town with heaps of creative talent. This lively, three-day celebration of art kicks off with a festive party on Thursday, June 27. The art walk gets underway in downtown Salida’s Creative District on Friday and continues through Sunday with a full lineup of activities for art lovers, including the Mini Masterpiece Auction starting at 1 p.m. on Saturday and a gallery crawl that evening featuring 40 artists’ receptions.

: Michael Clark, A Taste of Summer, oil, 24 x 20.

: Leslie Jorgensen, Pink Tetons, acrylic, 12 x 24.

: Kate Maher, Morning Ride, oil, 30 x 24.

As event chairperson and artist Sue Ann Hum puts it, “You name it, we’ve got it.” For starters, the town’s Creative District boasts more than 20 brick-and-mortar fine-art galleries, all of which are open during the weekend festivities, along with multiple pop-up galleries. “We have a lot of fine artists who are recognized nationally and work from their home studios right here in Salida,” says Hum. Artists on hand during the event include painters Carl Bork, Paulette Brodeur, Michael Clark, Katie Maher, and Hum herself. Local artist Leslie Jorgensen, who often portrays the Rocky Mountain landscape in acrylics and oils, opened a new studio gallery in May and says she’ll be “ramped up and ready to greet visitors” during the event. Adds Hum, “A lot of us will be demonstrating inside the galleries or outdoors. And there are not only painters here. We’ve got amazing potters and jewelers, and a strong fiber arts community. There will be people spinning wool, and local blacksmiths will be demonstrating the forging process.”

: Michael Clark, Autumn Poetry, oil, 40 x 48.

: Michael Clark, Spring Afternoon, oil, 20 x 16.

: Michael Clark, Sunset From Tenderfoot, oil, 40 x 60.

Theatrical talent won’t be left out of the mix, either. Numerous local actors dress the parts and play the roles of famous artists as they mill about the Creative District and interact with visitors. Everyone from Andy Warhol to Frida Kahlo to French-speaking Pablo Picasso are in attendance. Some actors even play the roles of “living” paintings. An incarnate version of Leonardo da Vinci’s framed MONA LISA, for example, can be seen walking around town. If that isn’t enough to tempt art enthusiasts, the Art Walk also offers 3-D photo ops designed by the Salida Council for the Arts. Visitors can step right into a life-size rendition of Vincent van Gogh’s masterpiece BEDROOM IN ARLES and smile for the camera. “There’s a lot to do,” says Hum. —Kim Agricola

contact information
www.salidaartwalk.org