As 2025 dawns anew, so does a new season for the First Friday Artwalk.

The free and self-guided tour of art galleries and alternative venues throughout Steamboat is held the first Friday of every month, with most locations featuring receptions from 5-8 p.m. Exhibitions by both local and non-local artists have become an integral part of the event, which celebrates the ever-expanding Yampa Valley arts community.

This month the Jace Romick & R Diamond Gallery, 833 Lincoln Ave., will feature decor and venue enhancements compliments of Doug Nordberg as well as John and Ian Gallid. The trio bring an enhanced “Western vibe” to the gallery with the inclusion of hand-built shelving as well as new high-end furnishings. 

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The improvements complement the arrival of new artwork from Brian Bonebrake, Gregory Block, Sandy Graves and Jace Romick. Romick’s photographs, which are well-known for their portrayal of the historic and contemporary lifestyles of the Yampa Valley, will be part of the FFAW show that heralds in the new year. 

“I’ve been looking at bringing some changes to the gallery for a while and I’m delighted to represent Doug, John and Ian, who I know from my furniture-building days when I had an interior design store here in town,” said Romick. “I was also familiar with Andrew Bolam and Gail Folwell, whose work epitomizes the West, which is at the heart of the gallery.” 

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Bolam, a British-born painter currently residing in California, has earned worldwide acclaim for his contemporary large-format depictions of the American West. He is joined at the Romick Gallery by Folwell, who was recently awarded the distinction of being the 2024 United States Sports Academy Artist of the Year. Her steel and bronze sculptures bring a unique medium and subject matter to complement the Western heritage on display at the Romick gallery.

The artwork of Gregory Block, who was raised near Oak Creek, has strong elements of the mountain West. His playful exhibition at the Romick gallery for the month of January features images of United States currency with images of iconic Yampa Valley individuals replacing those of past presidents and American icons. 

“We all know that Steamboat is changing. Things are expensive and there seem to be fewer and fewer familiar faces in the grocery store and on the slopes,” said Block in a news release. “So let’s not forget our true currency — the people who have made the Yampa Valley the heaven on earth that we love and cherish.”

A reception for the artists at the Romick Gallery from 5-8 p.m. will feature live music by Sarah Kostin and The Neighbors. 

The Schoonover Gallery, 929 Lincoln Ave., will play host to the work of Kathy Beekman.

Working out of her home in the mountains of Colorado, she uses the vast expansiveness of natural landscapes, coupled with perceptions of environment and space, to create her pastel-based pieces. Using her fingers as the conduit between her mind and torn archival paper, she captures the spirit of mountain life, particularly as it exists in the cold winter season.

“Under The Horizon,” which features paintings from Maggie Fleming Mitchell and Christie Stepan, continues through January at the Brinkman Collaborative Space at 111 8th St. in the old Masonic Lodge Building.

Stepan and Mitchell are reigniting their passion for capturing “feelings associated with a life spent in synchronicity with nature” following a prolonged hiatus for both artists. 

“If you are someone who is always looking at the world in an artistic way, you’re kind of always doing it whether you are making art or not,” said Mitchell of the hiatus.

Mitchell’s work, which is self-described as a distillation of abstract and realism, captures atmosphere and feeling by creating the “most interesting” possible combinations of color and shape. 

“Growing a family is a creative endeavor and art has always played a part in my parenting,” said Stepan. “This is my first show since 2016 of work I made with the intention of exhibiting, but I haven’t stopped creating.” 

FFAW features The Depot Art Center, 1001 13th St., opening of “Landscapes and Letters: Colt Trail Designs and Caleb Thomas – An Art Exhibition Celebrating the Beauty of Nature and the Power of the Written Word.”

The show, which Operations Manager Robin Miller calls “dynamic,” fuses the paintings of Oak Creek resident Nan Hill together with the works of Caleb Thomas, who resides in Craig. 

Thomas is a teacher and father whose passion is to inspire others to see the world through a lens of creativity based in curiosity. He uses long-exposure photography to freeze the intercourse of light and movement, creating a powerful depth of emotion along with a rousing of inquisitiveness. As an artist and educator, Thomas strives to use various mediums to alter perceptions while fostering connection through personal and universal art-based experiences.

Thomas will be hosting a live art demonstration during Artwalk from 5-8 p.m. at The Art Depot.

Hill’s foundation in art is partially based in a small village in British Columbia, where she and her family communed with nature through sailing and fishing. She arrived in Colorado to attend the Colorado Institute of Art, where she obtained her bachelor’s degree in Interior Design. Now residing in Oak Creek, she continues to create works that capture nature through unique perspectives.

For more information on FFAW, as well as participating venues and artists, please visit steamboatcreates.org/events/steamboat-creates-events/first-friday-artwalk.