Over the last four decades that Janele Husband has called Moffat County home, she has been a teacher, musician, photographer and advocate for the role of the arts in Northwest Colorado.

On Friday, she unveiled a photographic exploration of the landscapes and spirit of the Yampa Valley and beyond at an art show entitled “agriculture: create+Collab+cultivate” at the Yampa Building in Craig. The show will be on display through the middle of October.

Husband moved to Craig in 1982 to teach at East Elementary School and was quickly drawn into the community. Outside the classroom, she became active in the Moffat County Education Association and Sagebrush Reading Council. Husband also found a musical home in the Yampa Valley Brass, where, 39 years later, she still plays French horn.

After retiring from teaching, Husband devoted more time to her lifelong love of photography, a passion she began at age 10 with a Brownie camera. With a new Nikon SLR and the gift of time, she began capturing the landscapes, wildlife and people of Northwest Colorado with a renewed dedication to bringing the community together through art.

Husband credits a broad range of influences for shaping her life as an artist, including Nebraska wildlife and landscape photographers Michael Forsberg, Thomas Mangelsen, Joel Sartore and Ansel Adams. Closer to home, local photographers Dwight Severson and Jeff Stoddard helped her refine her skills through classes at Colorado Northwestern Community College.

She also draws inspiration from friends such as Roberta Hawks, who is a pottery and art advocate, as well as Pam Foster, a Craig native who is involved in promoting the arts in the area.

“So many friends and family have encouraged, supported and inspired me to continue to grow as a photographer and artist through the years,” Husband said.

For Husband, Craig and the surrounding landscapes are more than a backdrop for her photographs — they are endless canvases that offer both subject matter to photograph and inspiration to look at the world differently.

“Northwest Colorado provides a plethora of places and opportunities for capturing amazing shots,” she said.

Her journey as a photographer in the region has seen her rafting whitewater, pedaling remote trails, spelunking, skiing and camping.

The county’s vast public lands and destinations like Dinosaur National Monument, Browns Park, Sand Wash Basin, Elkhead Reservoir, Irish Canyon and Vermillion Canyon have served as photographic destinations for her and her camera. For Husband, these locations are the essence of what makes Moffat County a unique place for an artist to seek easily accessible solitude, striking vistas and diverse wildlife. She also connects her passion for travel to her art.

Her photographs take on both an abstract and natural perspective. She recalled how the Moffat County Fair’s abstract photography event challenged her to seek unusual images in nature.

“Through photography I share the beauty of the world around me wherever I am,” she said. “It is my desire to share the allure of life through the lens of a camera with those who may never have the opportunity to travel where I’ve traveled.”

Husband’s artistic journeys have been closely shared with her husband, John, a musician who adds a never-ending soundtrack to the adventures they share, such as rafting the Yampa and Green rivers, when days spent navigating remote canyons ended with nights of music around the campfire.

“John provides music to the group in camp at night, and I am inspired to capture the beauty of this geological wonder in our backyard,” she said.

That balance between sound and sight reflects the mutual encouragement that exists between Janele and John as they nurture and sustain each other’s artistic passions.

Husband has used her passion for photography and career as an educator to be an active voice in the Moffat County arts community, which she says has gained momentum in recent years thanks to the Northwest Colorado Arts Council.

“I am so grateful to the art advocates in Craig who have been volunteering their time and energy for the good of Northwest Colorado Arts Council,” she said. “I feel the council has grown significantly since its inception.”

Quarterly art shows, themed exhibits, youth showcases and creative events have become staples of the group’s work. Husband noted the Summer Teen Art Show, where student work was exhibited earlier this month, as an example of the organization’s dedication to promoting the arts in Moffat County.

Husband said that other efforts like the “Tiny Art, Big Heart” exhibit, fall art stations and art classes at the Yampa Building offer increased opportunities for artists of all ages and backgrounds to weave the arts more firmly into community life in the western reaches of the Yampa Valley.

“Growing our membership and sponsorships helps to provide financial support while contributing directly to the quality of life in our community,” she said, echoing the council’s mission to make the arts a vital resource in Moffat County.

Husband’s portfolio holds stories of adventure and resilience. A photo of a rattlesnake, made possible by a zoom lens, was a rare capture. Another piece, titled “Rust in Peace,” came at the price of stumbling onto a red ant hill in Florida. Her most meaningful image, “Nankoweap Canyon,” was the result of a grueling 21-day raft trip through the Grand Canyon that tested her endurance but gave her a breathtaking view she captured to share with her friends, family and community.

Husband acknowledged that the future of arts in Moffat County holds both challenges and possibilities. She sees the growth of partnerships between nonprofits and local businesses as essential and noted the Parrothead Club funding pottery projects for the Community Kitchen fundraiser as an example of how to grow and sustain community-wide momentum for the arts.

She also believes institutions such as CNCC’s art collection and paleontology lab could be better promoted, especially to visitors from neighboring Steamboat Springs.

Husband’s recent solo show offered a chance for her to share her vision with neighbors and friends.

“I am filled with gratitude that so many people braved the rain to attend,” she said. “It was such a joy to visit with locals about the locations of some of the photos and share the story behind some of the abstract images. I feel blessed to live in this community of kind and supportive people.”