TELLURIDE COUNCIL FOR THE ARTS AND HUMANITIES

In 2024, Telluride Arts expanded its programming at its Main Street galleries, presenting solo exhibitions by local, national, and international artists. Featured artists included Britt Bradford and Katy Parnello, Keith "Scramble" Campbell, Kellie Day, Matias di Carlo, Henrik Haaland, Shannon Foley Henn, Jack Plantz, Heather Romney, and Joe Schafer. The year concluded with a group exhibition titled Heart of the Arts Telluride and a renewed commitment to showcasing regional artists in future gallery exhibitions. Telluride Arts also continued to provide critical opportunities for local artists, many of whom lack commercial representation, to market and sell their work. For some, this remains their only chance to exhibit in a professional gallery setting within the community. Our annual three-day Holiday Bazaar, a beloved Telluride tradition, once again created meaningful opportunities for artists to showcase their work and connect with the community. Alongside our periodic seasonal art bazaars, these events foster vibrant interactions between artists and audiences. Through our Art in Public Places program, Telluride Arts curated multiple exhibitions in 2024 at the Wilkinson Public Library and Citizens State Bank, bringing art into accessible, everyday spaces throughout the region. In addition, Telluride Arts continued to administer the Telluride Art Walk, a lively celebration of art, community, and creativity held ten months of the year in downtown Telluride and Mountain Village. Participating venues - including our Main Street galleries - welcomed visitors from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m., hosting receptions to introduce new exhibitions and artists. To support this initiative, Telluride Arts produced complimentary Gallery Guides, offering a self-guided tour of galleries and venues that are open to the public year-round.

In 2024, Telluride Arts' Space for the Arts program provided space and support at our Main Street galleries for local artists, musicians, and nonprofit organizations-including The Fig, Telluride Chamber Ensemble, KOTO, Telluride AIDS Benefit, and others - hosting or co-hosting dozens of free community events. Additionally, Telluride Arts provided workspace for 15 digital media artists and professionals at a separate location in the heart of town, fostering creativity and collaboration. Our Space for the Arts program also encompasses the Telluride Transfer Warehouse, which in 2024 underwent its most significant phase of construction and structural improvements to date. This included the stabilization of its historic walls through a specialized process using low-pressure internal injection to fill masonry voids with a compatible material. This method ensured both structural stability and consistent performance with internal reinforcing, while allowing the original masonry walls to remain largely independent from the new building infill. Due to this extensive work, the Transfer Warehouse was closed to public events and activities throughout 2024. Support for this phase of stabilization was made possible largely through a $3 million Community Revitalization Grant awarded by the Colorado Creative Industries (CCI) office of the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT). In 2024, Telluride Arts also received a $750,000 Save America's Treasures grant to further support the stabilization of the Telluride Transfer Warehouse. Administered by the National Park Service (NPS) in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts, National Endowment for the Humanities, and the Institute for Museum and Library Services, these highly competitive grants are awarded annually to preserve nationally significant historic properties and collections. The Transfer Warehouse was one of only 59 projects funded nationwide in 2024 and the sole recipient in the State of Colorado, underscoring its historic and cultural importance.