Art & Jazz-ish reception to launch 12th annual Vail Valley Fine Art Show at CMC Vail Valley at Edwards Sept. 19

Public is welcome to free celebration and juried show of local work

By Andy Stonehouse, Colorado Mountain College contributor

EDWARDS – Colorado Mountain College Vail Valley at Edwards and the Vail Valley Art Guild are hosting the 12^th annual Vail Valley Fine Art Show, which kicks off with their anticipated opening reception, the Art & Jazz-ish party, held from 5-8 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 19 at CMC’s Edwards campus.

The free event helps launch a comprehensive, six-week-long juried display of local and regional art, with more than 250 pieces from 75 local and regional artists, including members of the Vail Valley Art Guild, as well as CMC students, faculty and staff. The majority of work is for sale.

This year’s Art & Jazz-ish reception features a lo-fi jazz DJ from 11 Eleven Creatives and their colorful, mid-’80s-themed display, plus a 360-degree selfie station as well as complimentary food and drinks. It’s an opportunity to meet the artists and the organizers who help stage one of the valley’s biggest yearly local art shows. Event sponsors include Rosalind Reed, El Pomar Foundation and CMC's ArtShare.

“In past years, we’ve had a huge range of people attend the opening, sometimes 300 to 400 people. We’re hoping to keep things contemporary and accessible,” explained Russell Frederickson, Vail Valley Art Guild’s executive director. “The show continues to be a great opportunity to enrich people’s lives with the visual arts.”

A wide range of photography, ceramics, oils, acrylics, watercolors and 3-D media including sculpture will be included in the art show. Frederickson and his team help curate the full display, as well as creating a professional catalog of the show’s work; local art professionals including Bill Rey and Sean Boggs will serve as the show’s jurors, with ribbons given out to outstanding works.

The Vail Valley Fine Art Show is also designed as an educational chance for first-time artists to display and sell their works to the public.

“For many of our artists, it’s the first time they’ve been asked to put a price tag, frame or even a name on their works – and that’s a big confidence booster,” said Lisa Isom, CMC Foundation’s Vail Valley regional development officer.

That aspect, said Melissa McDonald Nelson, Vail Valley Art Guild’s president, helps to ensure a growing and thriving arts community in Eagle County.

“This is a great partnership, as there’s a real depth of good artists in Eagle County that we get to celebrate and recognize,” she said. “All of our participants get a lot of recognition out of the show, which can be a real growing moment in their art careers.”

In addition to providing a venue for the six-week show, Isom said CMC and its ArtShare program also uses some of its funds to purchase a number of each year’s pieces and display them on campus throughout the year.

Admission to Art & Jazz-ish is free and the public is welcome and encouraged to attend, or visit the display, now through late October.

The reception and art show will take place at CMC Vail Valley at Edwards, 150 Miller Ranch Road, with the reception held on Sept. 19 from 5-8 p.m. Contact Lisa Isom, CMC Foundation regional development officer, 970-569-2935, or visit Vail Valley Art Guild  for more information.