For the past three decades, Howard Alan Events has been taking art on the road, curating events where artists can share their work across the nation at art festivals in several states, including Colorado. Last year, the group brought the Colorado Summer of Art fine arts festival to Mountain Village. The tents filled with artists, colors and textures will return this weekend, during the second annual event at three locations in Mountain Village and Telluride.
“We’re excited to have the Fine Art Festival back for its second year in Mountain Village,” said Molly Norton, Community Engagement Coordinator for the Town of Mountain Village. “Our Village Center is unique and perfectly situated to host events like this. With our open pedestrian plazas and a community with a passion for the arts, I can think of no better place for this festival and we’re happy to be working with this event again.”
The festival takes place Friday, July 28 – Sunday, July 30. Artists’ gallery booths will be located in Mountain Village’s Heritage Plaza and Conference Center Plaza, and in Telluride at the base of the gondola at Oak Street Plaza, which is owned by the Town of Mountain Village.
“Walk and view art, ride the gondola, then walk and view some more. This is a moving art stroll,” said Elizabeth Dashiell, publicist for Howard Alan Events.
Each of the artists is required by the festival organizer to be present during the festival, in their booths, to meet and chat with visitors.
“We want the patrons to be able to speak with the artists for themselves,” Dashiell said. “Not every festival insists on this.”
Alan has been curating fine art festivals for more than 30 years. His first Colorado show was in Beaver Creek, 35 years ago, said Dashiell. Now, according to his bio on the website, artfestival.com, Alan and his wife curate 45 annual juried art shows and 40 annual craft shows out of a small office in Jupiter, Florida.
The Colorado event has grown to include six locations over six consecutive weekends in July and August with visits to Boulder, Aspen, Keystone, Telluride/Mountain Village, Beaver Creek, and, new this year, Steamboat Springs.
Vail-based artist Jenifer Hammond has been showing with Alan since 2018, and this year she is helping to organize the Mountain Village fine arts festival.
While it will be Hammond’s first show in Mountain Village, she said, “I’m just psyched to see it spread out.” In addition to being present in her own gallery booth, Hammond will be one of the crew greeting everyone and helping artists get set up on Thursday.
“The quality of the art in these shows is fabulous; it’s quite high,” Hammond said. Artists apply and are selected by a jury to travel with this show.
Fruita-based photographer John Richter said he appreciates working with Howard Alan Events.
“They are pretty cool from an artist’s perspective. They get to know the artists personally and curate the shows based on the artists they think will do well in the event locations.”
Richter started his photography career in Telluride in the 1990s and had a gallery on Colorado Avenue, Telluride’s main street, for a season in 2009. He’s glad to be coming back to his home ground for this show.
“Telluride is where my heart is and where I’m most inspired to shoot,” said Richter.
At this weekend’s Mountain Village Summer of Art event, patrons will see work in a range of genres, contributed by 59 artists from 16 states. The artists produce everything from painting to sculpture to photography and jewelry across a range of media, including clay, digital, fiber, glass, mixed media, painting, photography, printmaking/drawing, wood and acrylic.
The event is free and will be held rain or shine, from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. Friday, July 28, and from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, July 29-30. More information on the event and exhibitors may be found at www.artfestival.com/festivals/2nd-annual-mountain-village-telluride-fine-art-festival.
