As autumn yields to winter in the Yampa Valley, November’s First Friday Artwalk offers a mix of fresh voices and returning perspectives across the art venues of Steamboat Springs. From contemporary Native American art to vivid mountain landscapes, each location will host opportunities for visitors to explore artistic expressions of place, heritage and seasonal rhythm on Friday from 5 to 8 p.m.

Tread of Pioneers Museum

The Tread of Pioneers Museum, at 800 Oak St. will host “This Is Native Art,” a traveling exhibition featuring works by more than 25 contemporary Native American artists.

The exhibit is curated by artist, activist and author Danielle SeeWalker. It first opened at the Colorado State Capitol last winter through Colorado Creative Industries and was later displayed at the Golden History Museum.

“We wanted to show that Native art is not frozen in time — it is modern, diverse, and deeply connected to lived experiences today,” said SeeWalker in a press release.

Tread of Pioneers Executive Director Candice Bannister first saw the exhibit while attending the Indigenous Connections Summit in Golden this spring. Inspired by its message and power, she worked with SeeWalker, the Golden History Museum and Colorado Creative Industries to bring the show to Steamboat Springs.

“Taking the exhibit on the road, from the State Capitol to Golden and then to the Western Slope in Steamboat Springs, underscores the significance and central theme of the exhibit,” Bannister said. “Native voices and experiences are not only an important part of Colorado’s history, but also its present and future. We want to echo this message and showcase these talents and stories first-hand.”

Featuring artists including Zander Arizona, Dante Biss-Grayson, Sarah Ortegon HighWalking and Kristina Maldonado Bad Hand, the collection challenges stereotypes and celebrates Native self-representation.

“Exhibiting Indigenous art helps to counter the false narratives and misunderstandings that Native history and culture are static by demonstrating Indigenous peoples’ continuous existence, highlighting their resilience and sovereignty and challenging colonial narratives and stereotypes,” Bannister said.

SeeWalker, a citizen of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, is known for blending traditional materials and imagery with contemporary themes in her work. Her 2020 book “Still Here: A Past to Present Insight of Native American People & Culture” explores identity and continuity.

For more information on “This Is Native Art” and Tread of Pioneers Museum, visit TreadOfPioneers.org. 

Pine Moon Fine Art

Pine Moon Fine Art will continue its all-gallery show “A Change of Seasons” through November, featuring a colorful celebration of fall, along with the addition of several new works from the gallery’s collective family of artists. 

The exhibition highlights a range of contemporary and traditional mediums, offering viewers something new as they take in artistic renditions of fall in the Yampa Valley.

Visitors are invited to stop by 117 Ninth St. between 5 and 9 p.m. during First Friday Artwalk to experience the collection in person. More information can be found at PineMoonFineArt.com. 

Veterans Center

The Veterans Center will host “Behind the Scenes: When Enemies Sang Together” at 5:30 p.m. during FFAW.

The event, held at 924 Lincoln Ave., examines the Christmas Truce of 1914 along with other moments of humanity that have emerged during war throughout history. It will include a World War I exhibit provided by the Tread of Pioneers Museum and a presentation by John Camponeschi, a writer for the Steamboat Pilot and Craig Press and a teacher in the Hayden School District. 

The evening will also feature a special preview performance by Opera Steamboat from its upcoming production of “All Is Calm.”

Presented by Friends of Opera Steamboat, the program brings history to life through artifacts, storytelling and music in a reminder of how shared connections can transcend even the darkest times.

More information can be found at tinyurl.com/yc4dtk59.

The Alley Gallery and Art Studios

For November’s Artwalk, The Alley Gallery and Art Studios will feature guest artist Simone White and her show “Meet Me in the Mountains” at its 729 Lincoln Ave. location. 

“This collection is a reflection of the place I’m grateful to call home. Mountain life is woven into every piece, the winding valleys, shifting light and jagged peaks,” White said. “These works draw inspiration from landscapes across Colorado, from the high passes of Leadville to the open meadows of Walden. Each piece is rooted in the feeling of belonging the mountains offer.”

White is a printmaker and watercolor artist who is based in Northwest Colorado. She was raised in ski towns and enjoyed a life that was shaped by skiing, hiking, biking and exploring. Her work captures the connection between people and place through color and artistic emotion.

More information on The Alley Gallery can be found at AlleyGallerySteamboat.com. 

Schoonover Gallery

The Schoonover Gallery, which represents more than 35 artists working in mountain-based contemporary and modern western styles, will feature the sculptors Richard Bell Smith and Blanca Smith during November. 

Their gentle depictions of nature in the mediums of bronze and copper celebrate rhythm and texture while also capturing the feeling of being at one with the landscape.

Richard Bell Smith has developed important artistic techniques in welding and materials, using only an oxyacetylene torch and pliers to create each original piece. He is known internationally for his distinctive craftsmanship through the presence of his works in collections around the world.

Visitors can view selected works by Richard and Blanca Smith from 5 to 8 p.m. at Schoonover Gallery, 929 Lincoln Ave., or online at SchoonoverGallery.com. 

Steamboat Creates

Steamboat Creates invites the community to a special celebration of art, humor and heart at The Depot Art Center with the show “Piece by Piece – Better Together.”

The event will feature a collection of 48 hand-painted puzzle pieces by local artists, each representing a small part of a larger collective whole. All puzzles will be priced at $100, with proceeds benefiting Steamboat Creates and 15 local cultural nonprofits that work together to sustain arts programming across Routt County.

Hosted by Kyle Ruff of Steamboat Comedy, the evening will also include arts-themed trivia, door prizes, live entertainment and a grand raffle at 7:30 p.m. Guests can enjoy specialty drinks featuring Mythology spirits, Kim Keith’s “cultural gumbo” and puzzle cookies by Misty Brever.

The show will remain on display through November.

First Friday Artwalk runs from 5 to 8 p.m. throughout downtown Steamboat Springs, where galleries and creative spaces open their doors for an evening of art, conversation and community.

The event is sponsored by Steamboat Creates. For a full list of participating venues and artists, visit SteamboatCreates.org/First-Friday-Artwalk.