Starting Friday night and running through the weekend, downtown Durango will be awash in all things arts – beginning with the Fall Gallery Walk and ending with the 28th annual Durango Autumn Arts Festival.
During the Gallery Walk, which begins at 5 p.m., participating galleries fling open their doors and give art lovers the chance to meet artists, catch some demonstrations and listen to live music. Here’s some of what’s on deck:
- Studio & Gallery, 1027 Main Ave., 5 to 9 p.m. Opening reception for “MELD: New work from Jon Bailey.” The show will run today through Sept. 24. For more information, visit anddurango.com.
- Diane West Jewelry & Art, 820 Main Ave. New work by Virginia artist Allen Levy and local jeweler Tracey Belt will also be featured.
- Karyn Gabaldon Fine Arts, 680 Main Ave. The gallery will feature a show called “Autumn at Oxbow,” with new paintings by Gabaldon, who will also be selling a collection of her pottery (circa 1989-91) and donating all the money to the Durango schools for art supplies. There will also be jazz by Jeff Solon.
- Toh-Atin Gallery, 145 W. Ninth St. Toh-Atin will feature the work of Eugene “Baatsoslani” Joe, the originator of contemporary Navajo sand art. A special selection of the artist’s work that was collected between 1972 and the early 1990s shows the range of his work. Baatsoslani was responsible for breaking the traditional barrier and encouraging an entirely new category of Navajo art.
- Sorrel Sky Gallery, 828 Main Ave. Gallery hosts a one-man show, “Power and Beauty” with painter Doyle Hostetler. With 10 to 15 new works, including several large-scale paintings, subjects will include wildlife with hooves (moose, bighorn sheep, bison), paws (bobcats, wolves, cougars) and wings (owls, hawks). The show opens with an artist reception from 5 to 7 p.m. and continues through Sept. 30.
- ArtRoom Collective at the Smiley, 1309 East Third Ave. The ArtRoom Collective will present a weekend of art with the Fall Gallery Walk, 5-8 p.m. Friday, and the Autumn Exhibition and Market, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday at the Smiley Building. Artists’ demonstrations are scheduled both days the Smiley Café will be open. Fall Gallery Walk: Demonstration by Diane Thornton, DKTDesigns Fine Beaded Jewelry at 5 p.m. Autumn Exhibition and Market: Demonstrations include Deb Rodgers Pottery at 1 p.m.; Christy Garrou, canvas stretching at 3 p.m. and Sharon Abshagen, oil painting on canvas at 4 p.m. There is no fee to attend the event and the public is invited to shop and explore the art and creative tenants in the Smiley Building. For more information, visit https://www.theartroomcollective.com/.
- Earthen Vessel Gallery, 115 W. Ninth St. Showing new work by watercolorist Marsha Owen, a plein-air painter from Flagstaff, Arizona. She often comes to Durango to paint the local scenery.
- Azul Gallery, 781 Main Ave.
- Create Art & Tea, 1015 Main Ave. Gallery will hold an art giveaway. Sign up to win a plein-air painting that will be painted during the evening. Tickets for the giveaway are available at the tea bar now until Saturday. Musician Tom Klema is playing during the Gallery Walk and refreshments will be available.
This weekend is also time for the 28th annual Durango Autumn Arts Festival.
On Saturday and Sunday, the festival will take over much of East Second Avenue with booths featuring fine art and crafts by both local artists and those from around the country. Spend the weekend strolling Second taking in paintings, jewelry, sculpture, clothing, woodwork and more. The Arts Festival is the largest fundraiser of the year for DAC, and it also gives a nice financial shot in the arm to Durango as well.
Hours for the festival are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days.
And when you’re done checking out artists, head into the DAC, 802 East Second Ave., to check out local actors as they stage “The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged),” by Adam Long, Daniel Singer and Jess Winfield. It’s all 37 of the Bard’s plays in 90 minutes(!) Show times are 7 p.m. today (Sept. 16), Saturday, Sept. 23 and 24; and 2 p.m. Sunday and Sept. 25. Tickets cost $20 and are available at https://bit.ly/3BKkLcg.
katie@durangoherald.com
