The spirit of the holidays will combine with the work of artists from around the state to mark a thrilling opening with the First Friday Artwalk on Friday.

Held the first Friday of every month, FFAW is a free and self-guided tour at art galleries, museums and alternative venues throughout Steamboat Springs. Most participating locations feature receptions from 5-8 p.m during the event. It has come to be a bastion of the Steamboat Springs art scene as a community-wide celebration of artists from around the world, with a focus on those who live in the Yampa Valley. The event is also an opportunity for artists and artisans to sell their pieces as well.

Friday will feature the opening of The Depot Arts Center and Steamboat Creates annual “Winter Wonderland Exhibit.” Running throughout the month of December, it will contain collections of pottery, photography, painting and woodwork in addition to handmade items from artists throughout Northwest Colorado. 

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“The main gallery will be filled with beautiful works of art, offering a perfect opportunity to purchase unique, locally-made gifts for the holidays,” said Robin Miller, who is the Operations Manager for Steamboat Creates. “The exhibit highlights the talents of artists from Craig to Kremmling, ensuring there is a wide range of styles and media to explore.” 

The Riverwalk Collective will be displaying their last exhibit of 2024 and the main gallery will also host the Steamboat Folk Band in Bliss Hall during the FFAW reception.

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“Holiday In The Rockies” will also take place at The Depot Art Center on Dec. 7, 14 and 21, offering shoppers the ability to find the perfect gift for loved one amongst handcrafted items from artists throughout the area. Light food and beverages will be served and young people (or those who are young at heart) will have the opportunity to climb aboard the Polar Express Experience.  

“With its mix of art, music and holiday cheer, The Depot Arts Center’s “Winter Wonderland Exhibit” combined with “Holidays In The Rockies” promises to be a highlight of the season,” said Miller. “Whether you are looking for the perfect gift or simply to soak in the festive atmosphere, The Depot Arts Center offers something for everyone this December.” 

Painters Maggie Flemming Mitchell and Christie Stepan will be presenting “Under The Horizon” on Dec. 6 and Jan. 3 from 5-8 p.m. in the Brinkman Collaborative Space, which is located on the upper level of the old Masonic Lodge Building. The exhibit features paintings that capture the colors, textures and grand views that come with mountain and nature-based lifestyles. After a decade hiatus, Stepan and Mitchell are returning to their love of paint and canvas in an effort to capture the “feelings associated with a life spent in synchronicity with nature.” 

The Steamboat Art Museum will be opening its winter exhibit entitled “Art in Sport: Motion, Emotion, Light, and Moment.” The show celebrates the photographs, sculptures, paintings and prints that capture the drama associated with the sports world. 

The exhibit will be on display from Dec. 6 through April 12. 

“We’re thrilled to present Art in Sport at the Steamboat Art Museum,” said SAM board member, guest curator and sports photographer Rod Hanna. “This exhibition celebrates the glory of sports with the drama, passion, energy and emotion of art.” 

Spanning 75 years of sports history, the event features images inspired by local legends including Doak Walker, Billy Kidd, Buddy and Loris Werner and World Bareback Champion Keenan Wynes. Contributing artists include John Fawcett, Gail Folwell, Jace Romick, Noah Wetzel, David Marshall, Rich Galusha, Jack Finney, Leroy Nieman, Bart Forbes, Paul Hanna, John Martin, Frank Eliscu, Ron Dahlquist, Chula Beauregard, Michael Pintar, Brian Bonebrake and Mark and George Lundeen.

An opening reception from 5-8 p.m. on Dec. 6 will be followed by an artist panel on Dec. 7 from 10 a.m.-12 p.m. as well as a paid dinner with the artists from 6-8 p.m.

The Schoonover Gallery will be presenting the worlds of Robyn Thayer, who is a large-scale painter from Evergreen, Colorado. Using high levels of acrylic texture and depth of color, she employs what is described as a “collage methodology” to capture representations of animals, symbols and impressions in a contemporary style. 

The Pine Moon Fine Art Gallery will host their “All-Gallery Holiday Show” which will feature paintings, sculptures, ceramics, glasswork, jewelry, ornaments, prints and cards that were created by Pine Moon Collective members.

FFAW will also feature a one-of-a-kind art collection, entitled “Lumonics,” being unveiled at The Boathouse. Viewers can walk through the display of glowing sculptures that celebrate the “light and space movement”, which uses light, volume and scale in combination with the industrial mediums of glass, plexiglass, neon, wood, metal and fluorescent light. 

The collection celebrates the work of Dorothy and Mel Tanner, who are the founders of “Lumonics.” Marc Billard and Barry Raphael, who also contributed to and curated the collection, will be on-site to answer questions and to present the story behind the art. 

More information on FFAW and participating locations can be found at SteamboatCreates.org/events/steamboat-creates-events/first-friday-artwalk/.