Western Colorado Center for the Arts facts for kids
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| Established | 1953 |
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| Location | 1803 North Seventh Street Grand Junction, Colorado |
| Type | Arts center |
The Western Colorado Center for the Arts, also known as The Art Center, is a cool place in Grand Junction, Colorado. It opened in 1953 and is a hub for art lovers. The Art Center has four galleries, a gift shop, and many studios. Here, you can find art classes and workshops for everyone. They also have a special collection of art from the Western United States.
Contents
What Art Can You See?
The Art Center has over 450 pieces of art. Most of these are owned by the Art Center Foundation. You can see paintings of Western landscapes. There are also beautiful Navajo rugs and old pottery from the Ancestral Puebloan people. The collection includes art made with oils, acrylics, bronze, and different types of prints. Many local artists from the mid-1900s to today are featured. Two artists, Alfred Nestler and Paul Pletka, have many works here. In 2015, a collection of Japanese art was given to the center. This includes ukiyo-e prints and woodcuts by Shiko Munakata.
Fun Programs and Classes
The Art Center offers many classes, workshops, and art shows. These are for people of all ages and skill levels. They believe art should be for everyone, not just a few.
The Art Center usually has about 15 classes per session. There are five sessions each year. They also host 18 to 24 workshops annually. Some of these are taught by famous artists!
Art Classes and Workshops
You can learn many things in these classes. Topics include painting, photography, stained glass, and sculpture. You can also try figure drawing, mixed-media collage, and ceramics.
Ceramics classes are very popular. Terry Shepherd, an artist who works at the center, has taught raku since the 1980s. Raku is a special, fast way to fire pottery that started in Japan.
Classes for kids are very important at the Art Center. In 2015, over 1,500 children joined their summer Art Camps. These camps ran for 18 weeks!
Spring Art Week is a program for elementary school kids in Mesa County. Artists show different art forms and materials. Children can ask questions and learn about various types of art. Teachers also get art projects to do back in the classroom. In 2015, 881 students visited for Spring Art Week.
The Altrusa Art Fair has been held for 50 years. It's organized by the Altrusa International group. This fair helps show off new, young talent from middle and high schools. Schools can win ribbons and awards.
The Artability program is growing fast. It offers art classes for people with special needs. This program works with groups like STRIVE. In 2015, Artability had over 3,500 spots for participants. Many students come back again and again.
Community Events
The Art Center is also a place for community events. Public gatherings and private parties, like weddings, happen here. The first bar mitzvah in Grand Junction was held at the Art Center!
Art Shows and Exhibits
The Art Center hosts about 26 art shows each year. Some are annual events, and others are special shows. Some exhibits mix new art with older pieces from the center's collection. New exhibits open on the first Friday of every month. Entry is free, and there's usually food, drinks, and live music.
Regular Art Shows
Here are some of the long-running art shows:
The Members Exhibit shows art made by people who support the Art Center. It started small in 2006. By 2013, it filled every gallery with hundreds of artists.
The Colorado Mesa University All Campus Exhibit is a judged show for students and teachers.
The Contemporary Exhibit started in 2006 as a ceramics show. Paul Soldner, who helped make clay work an art form, was a guest artist. Now, this exhibit is split into two shows. The Contemporary 2D and Contemporary 3D exhibits happen in alternating years.
The Colorado Art Educators Association Juried Exhibit shows art by teachers. Any art teacher from Colorado and Wyoming can submit their work.
"The Metalworkers" show happens every five years. It started in 2009. This show features metal art by many artists. The 2014 show included large sculptures. It also showed detailed enamel work by Margaret Kuntz. Her art is now part of the Art Center's collection. The next show is planned for 2019.
The annual Student/Instructor Open Exhibit lets students and teachers show their art. Anyone who took a class or workshop in the past year can participate.
Special Art Shows
The Art Center has also hosted many unique art shows. These include:
- an exhibit by Christo and Jeanne-Claude,
- prints by Mauricio Lasansky,
- a show covering five decades of Jac Kephart's art,
- the first show of Frank Mechau's art in 20 years,
- sculptures by Michael Meyers,
- abstract paintings by Andrew Roberts-Gray,
- abstracts by Meredith Nemirov, and
- a 2006 show of art by Charles Partridge Adams. He was a Colorado artist known for landscapes.
Sometimes, Tibetan monks visit the Art Center. They create beautiful sand mandalas. These can take over 100 hours to make! Money from these events helps their monastery.
Other special exhibits have shown drawings, collages, photography, and mixed media. There have been shows of children's book illustrations and woodcraft. Even skateboard and guitar designs have been featured!
Working Together
The Art Center has worked with Colorado Mesa University for many years. They host joint exhibits, traveling art shows, lectures, and workshops.
They also team up with local galleries. This helps more people see the work of local artists.
The Art Center partners with other groups to give art scholarships to students. Since 2008, a group called Super Rad Art Jam brings art students to the Art Center. They have a ceramics workshop, which students love!
The Art Center Guild helps a lot. They raise money with two big events each year. These are the Fine Art Auction and the Fine Arts and Crafts Fair. The Guild also helps with summer concerts. They provide volunteers and food at exhibit openings.
Art Clubs
The Art Center provides space for local art clubs to show their work. Some clubs also meet there regularly. Popular shows include the National Juried Western Colorado Watercolor Society Exhibit. The annual Brush and Palette Club exhibition is also well-known. Other groups include the Colorado West Quilters' Guild and the Pastel Society. The Western Colorado Bonsai Society and the Rocky Mountain Collage Society also use the center. The Outsiders, a painting group, also started here.
What's Inside the Building?
The Art Center building is 14,000 square feet. It has:
- four art galleries,
- a studio and gallery space,
- 3,000 square feet of classroom space,
- a gift shop,
- two outdoor courtyards. One has a Japanese garden, and the other has sculptures.
- special storage for the art collection, and
- offices.
How the Art Center Works
The Art Center started with only volunteers. Now, it has six full-time staff and two part-time staff. They also have many teachers and over 300 volunteers!
The money to run the center comes from different places. Tuition from classes makes up 31%. Memberships bring in 14%. Donations and sponsorships are 35%. Art sales and commissions are 6%. Renting out the facility is 5%. Admission is 2%, and other sources are 7%.
The Art Center has three main fundraising events each year.
The annual Fine Arts Auction is the biggest event. Money from this auction helps pay for education and art shows. All the art sold is original. Artists from all over the country donate their work.
The Fine Arts and Crafts Fair happens every holiday season since 1971. It's the second largest fundraiser. You can find homemade food, jewelry, and original art. This includes paintings, pottery, and sculptures. Money from this fair helps pay for lectures, kids' camps, and classes.
The Ceramics Sale happens every autumn. It sells donated ceramic art. The money from this sale goes directly to support the ceramics studio.
A Look Back at History
The Art Center started as a small art club in the 1920s. It was called the Beaux Arts Club. After a break during the Depression and World War II, the group started again. They called themselves the Fine Arts Association.
In 1953, the group became the Mesa County Art Center. In 1968, they changed their name to the Western Colorado Center for the Arts.
Many people helped turn the small art club into the Art Center we know today. Fred Mantey, a local helper, offered land and money in 1947. Alfred Nestler, an artist and his son-in-law, helped organize others. Mantey's gift became official in 1953.
Other important people helped start the Art Center. They included bankers, artists, and doctors. They all gave their time and effort.
Before they had their own building, the group held art programs everywhere. They promoted art in schools and city hall. They even loaned out art reproductions to businesses and homes. By 1940, they had bought six paintings for their collection. These were kept safe at the library and college.
They raised money in many fun ways. They had artists' balls, art shows, and musical events. One time, they asked school children to buy a brick for 25 cents. The Art Center says every student bought one!
Other art clubs also helped raise money.
In 1957, the land given by Fred Mantey was sold. It was too far from town for a community art center.
In 1960, the organization bought and fixed up a house. It was at 1745 N. Seventh Street. This was meant to be a temporary home. The Mesa County Art Center opened its doors there in November 1960. The main floor was for exhibits. Classes were held upstairs and in the basement. The Art Center had 121 members then.
By 1965, the Art Center needed more space. A new building was built next to the house. It had a kitchen, classrooms, and a special octagonal room for exhibits. This room also had a stage for performances. The Art Center moved into the new building in April 1970. They also bought more land for a parking lot.
In 1978, the Art Center hired its first director. Programs grew to include more classes and big art shows.
In 1982, the Art Center got a big donation from the Grand Junction Lions Club. They had to raise matching funds and start building before 1983. They did it just in time! This expansion made the building much bigger. New features included a large lobby, two courtyards, and a ceramics studio.
Around this time, the local economy faced challenges. The Art Center's fundraising efforts struggled.
By 1985, the Art Center had many members. But new memberships were down. Operating costs went up, and money from investments went down. The Art Center focused more on local artists. The director left because the center couldn't afford the position.
In 1986, some board members used their own money to sponsor a big art show called ART-USA. It was organized very quickly. They offered large cash prizes to attract many artists. This was the first time the Art Center charged admission for an exhibit.
After ART-USA's success, the Art Center tried to connect with the community more. They held events like Mardi Gras parties. They wanted to make art fun for families. They wanted to show that the Art Center was for everyone.
In 1986, the Art Center Foundation was created. This group helps support the Art Center. Today, it owns most of the art collection.
After another successful ART-USA exhibit, the Art Center paid off its debts.
In 1989, Dr. Arch Gould offered a big gift. He would donate Navajo rugs and money for the building. The community had to raise money for the art collection's care. A new space, the Gould Gallery, opened in 1991.
In the 1990s, the Art Center faced challenges again. They needed more space and money. They tried to get a loan from the city but couldn't. In 1992, they had an emergency membership drive. They also started charging a general admission fee as a "last resort." Local supporters and good management helped keep the doors open.
The Art Center tried to move twice for more space. In 1993, they couldn't buy a building on Main Street. In 2001, they thought about building a new center near the Colorado River. But they decided to focus on improving their current location instead.
The 2000s and Today
During the economic downturn that started in 2008, many art places closed. The Art Center also saw fewer donations. State funding became uncertain. However, the Art Center was better prepared this time.
In 2009, High Noon Solar donated a solar power system to the Art Center. Blue Moon Electric helped install it.
Also in 2009, the Art Center started a used bookstore. It sold books donated by artists. This helped fund programs for young adults. This temporary bookstore became a permanent part of the Art Center. It now also sells donated art supplies.
Today, the Art Center focuses on helping people learn art. They want to provide exhibits for all tastes. Recent updates have made the building easier to use for everyone. This is great for the Artability program, which has grown a lot. It helps people with social, mental, and physical challenges enjoy art.
Images for kids
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The Western Colorado Center for the Arts building.
