COMMUNITY INITIATIVES

Thanks to your support, Telluride Arts ignites artistic passion by cultivating an environment where courageous experimentation is met with curiosity and fervor. Explore our impact throughout time as we catalyze and support professional artists of all disciplines.

In 2012, Telluride Arts worked to establish the Telluride Arts District, formally certifying Telluride as a cultural hub for the arts in Colorado. The Telluride Arts District is a geographic area following the boundaries of the Town of Telluride. The District is a haven for fine art, festivals, film, music, theatre, dance and other cultural events. It presents a vibrant mix of

Our cultural master plan, developed in partnership with the town of Telluride, establishes a strategic vision for the arts in Telluride.

Telluride Arts, through their work in preserving the Transfer Warehouse as a community space, is preserving…art…in Telluride! We need a gathering place, and the Warehouse is it!

-Emily Scott Robinson, Musician

The restoration of the Transfer Warehouse is currently Telluride Arts’ largest project. By recognizing its historical significance to the town of Telluride and paying homage to its original 1906 construction, our goal is to revitalize the Warehouse from its roofless, ruinous state and create a multi-functional venue for community engagement for years to come. Since our first engagement with the site in 2014, we have already hosted hundreds of events, 119 of which were free to the public in 2022 alone.

Developed in 2012, wayfinding kiosks provide a map of arts institutions in the Telluride Arts District, along with a public calendar for community events regularly updated by the Tourism Board.

Exhibits at our HQ galleries showcase art from local and visiting artists. Galleries, exhibits, and our art bazaars have generated over $830,000 in sales for artists since 2012.

Number of Telluride Arts sponsored events:

Art Walk growth:

>100% increase in local gallery & business participation from 2012 to 2022

PUBLIC ART

We collaborate with local municipalities to facilitate public art, including the Gondola Cabins and Free Box Truck, with more opportunities to come.

Telluride Arts is pivotal in the support of the arts, artists, and community connection and engagement.

-Beth McLaughlin, Gallery Owner/Supporter

Since 2012, we’ve provided 206 artists with over $236,000 in funding in the form of grants. For eligible arts-related startups, we offer fiscal sponsorship through our Umbrella Program, which acts as an incubator. We also provide co-op studio spaces at our Artist Studios in Illium, and our Digital Media Studios located across from the library.

Celebrating the unique intersection of artistic expression and architectural excellence, Art + Architecture connects patrons to local artists by exploring Telluride’s creative landscape. Home and garden tours and book signings span multiple days, offering an immersive experience for attendees.

The Telluride Arts and Chamber music collaboration Happy Hour series has been inventive in taking chamber music concerts out of their usual format…creating a fun and free event for every demographic of our society.

-Claire Beard, Executive Director, Telluride Chamber Music

During art walks, local galleries and businesses feature artwork for community enjoyment. The Gallery Guide, produced by Telluride Arts, offers a directory to exhibition locations throughout town. In 2022, art walks served more than 3,500 community members and 1,800 artists

Telluride Arts produces local events that broadly reach our community. Events range from our singersongwriter series and artist talks, to sponsored collaborative events in poetry, dance, and other disciplines. In 2022 alone, events that we hosted or produced reached more than 25,000