The Artists’ Gallery will celebrate its 15th anniversary from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. Friday.

First Friday guests will create a one-of-a-kind community artwork on a large piece of blank canvas. Guests will paint messages, doodles, drawings, symbols, or expressions of gratitude — whatever speaks to their hearts. The finished artful canvas will be displayed in the Gallery’s front window until the next First Friday, Sept. 4, when it will be cut into small squares and given back to each guest who contributed as a keepsake.

Participants could win a free piece of artwork!! Guests will get tickets for Drawings several times throughout the evening for donated Gallery Artists’ work, including paintings, cards, jewelry, pottery, and more! There will be face painting and sparkling hair weaving for kids and adults alike.

Featured Artists

Each month, artists’ work is celebrated as Featured Artists in a special display near the front of the Gallery. Their artistic works are featured during First Friday celebration at the Gallery from 4:30 to 7:30 pm.

Bernice Barnes

Bernice is a watercolorist who paints a wide variety of themes — landscapes, still life, portraits, flowers, and animals. She says that “Art has been an ever-present companion, woven into the tapestry of my life. Nature’s boundless beauty serves as a wellspring of inspiration, alongside uninhibited whimsical characters”. She says that watercolor is a medium that is challenging; she loves its unpredictable nature of subtle, unexpected hues. She also enjoys sketching around Pueblo with the Urban Sketchers of Pueblo, a group of local artists.

Moriah Gallagher

Moriah, an acrylic painter and photographer, is a new member of the Gallery. She creates with untraditional “brushes” –upholstery needles and other unconventional tools and materials to play with texture and technique. She incorporates images and photographic techniques into her paintings to influence her portrayal of the world using light and color. Moriah is an award-winning artist based in Cañon City with a passion for self-exploration and community through art.

Linda Ouellette

Linda is an accomplished jeweler who has been a member of the Gallery for many years. Her Rocklin’L Designs necklaces, earrings, and bracelets are unique and one-of-a-kind for both women and men. She hand-picks stones that have a special feeling and artistic composition. She is visionary in both elaborate and simple design creations. In her words, “Jewelry is such a personal artistic expression. My jewelry is designed to touch people’s inner beauty.”

Diana Werthman

Diana, an accomplished Western artist, is proficient in many art forms—paintings, pine needle baskets, decorative gourds, and burned-in designed cowgirl-cowboy hats. Her watercolor and acrylic paintings are realistic images of birds, trout, flowers, and wildlife. She speaks “through the canvas” of her deep connection to the land, wildlife, and beauty of ranch and outdoor life. Diana also expresses her unique artistic abilities as the Gallery’s Window Designer.

Enjoy the Art, Music by Mary Cotner and The Vintage Static, refreshments, and a fun evening! Follow us on Facebook and Instagram—links found on the Gallery Website https://www.theartistsgalleryco.com/. The Gallery is open seven days weekly from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.