Missy Borden has been a lifelong resident of Steamboat Springs and a longtime contributor to the arts community. Since 2021, she has also been a major facet of the Pine Moon Fine Art gallery, as well as being a support and inspiration to other artists in the area throughout her artistic career.

Born and raised in Steamboat Springs, Borden now bids the Yampa Valley farewell as she and her family transition into new lives in Westminster. They are relocating due to new opportunities personally and professionally on the Front Range.  

“She will be dearly missed by the Steamboat community and her Pine Moon family,” said Amy Minotto, a gallerist at Pine Moon Fine Art. 

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Borden’s current exhibition at Pine Moon entitled “Hope – Wonder – Awe” is the culmination of many years of dedication to the vibrant and rich art community that she has helped to grow in Steamboat Springs.

It is also the realization of her dedication to personal growth through the utilization of art as a therapeutic conduit toward improved mental health. 

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“Hope – Wonder – Awe” presents Borden’s liberation from what she has described as a lifelong battle with anxiety. Through her paintings, she invites the viewer to “pause in the moments where everything might become too much, too big, too overwhelming, and to be reminded that there are other, healthier, ways to respond.”

She feels that this last local showing of her work bridges together all of her artistic endeavors over the years. Reflecting on her career in Steamboat, Borden believes that her current Pine Moon exhibit captures a lot of her growth and personal progression, especially over the last year. 

“I definitely have found that my artwork serves a purpose for myself to work through emotions, feelings, circumstances and situations,” Borden said. “I also have found that other people enjoy the work so it serves a dual purpose. I feel very fortunate for that.”

Borden identified the fact that her art-marking has never really been about the subjects of her art or herself. Rather, it has been about the message that she can convey through it. For her, it was a lightbulb moment where she realized that she was able to express her dreams and convey her innermost thoughts through the artistic process to the benefit and enjoyment of others.

Throughout her making of art, Borden has continually come back to a quote that captures the ideals behind her work.

“Art should comfort the disturbed and disturb the comfortable,” a quote often attributed to the British artist Banksy but can be originally credited to the poet Cesar A. Cruz.

“I think that art, and art-making itself, can surface things that you might not originally think about,” Borden explained. “I am a big proponent of using artwork to help with mental health issues.”

Joann Orce, an owner and artist at Pine Moon, summarized the impact of Borden’s work.

“I have worked alongside Missy for two years,” Orce said. “She is thoughtful, considerate and has a tremendous eye for pieces that belong side by side. I learned so much from her. We will miss Missy’s intelligence and ideas in our meetings and committees.”