NEDERLAND — Autumn is a season of change. Kids head back to school, aspens turn gold, gardens wind down, and we start wondering just how soon that first snow is going to arrive.

This year, change seems especially noticeable in Nederland. We have a new mayor, an interim town administrator, new leadership at the Nederland Community Center, and a new manager at the Visitors Center. It’s a lot of new!

One fall tradition isn’t changing. Art at the Center is returning to the Nederland Community Center.

Since 2009, Art at the Center has been bringing the work of local and regional artists into a place where people gather every day. Over the years, artists and artwork have changed, but the idea behind the exhibition has remained much the same: to celebrate the creativity of our mountain community and make original art a part of everyday life.

The Fall 2026 exhibition will open in October and remain on view through March or early April, giving residents and visitors plenty of time to enjoy the work throughout the winter. The show brings together a wonderful variety of art—watercolor, oil, acrylic, photography, mixed media, and fiber—from familiar Art at the Center artists as well as some who are participating for the first time.

But first, we get to celebrate!

Please join us for the Fall 2026 Opening Reception on Thursday, October 1, from 5 – 7 p.m. at the Nederland Community Center.

For those who have joined us before, much of the evening will feel wonderfully familiar. The food may change, but there will be wine and tasty bites, plenty of time to talk with the artists, and the pleasant opportunity to vote for your favorite pieces of art.

Dan Reina will also be joining us again with his lively, sing-along music, which added to the festive spirit of last year’s reception.

If you’ve never attended an Art at the Center opening, come see what you’ve been missing. The reception is about more than looking at art. It’s a chance to gather with neighbors, meet the people behind the work, and discover some of the remarkable creativity tucked away in our mountain community.

While plenty may be changing around Nederland this fall, we hope you’ll join us in celebrating something that has been part of our community since 2009—art, artists, friends, conversation, and the joy of being together.

Please note: Food and wine will be served. A $10 donation is requested to support this community celebration.