Nederland’s Art at the Center show and reception was held on Thursday, October 7th. It was an exceptional evening, with an extraordinary collection of art. Appetizers were catered by Trish Graves of Bright Heart Catering and served in the Community Room at the Nederland Community Center where attendees were able to enjoy the lively music of Eric Richard Stone and Tom Hall.

The Nederland art scene has begun to attract viewers from all around the county and beyond. Art lovers from Boulder, Gold Hill and Gilpin County joined the many Nederland residents who support Art at the Center.

A highlight of the evening for participants is to observe the art carefully and then vote for their favorite pieces. With 20 artists showing their work, it wasn’t an easy task. However, First Place of The People’s Choice award went to a very talented and deserving Maddie Perry.

Perry attends 7th grade remotely, beginning classes at 6 a.m. She often spends time after school painting and taking classes with watercolorist Annie Thayer. Maddie has become an artist who enjoys capturing the unique expressions of animals. Although everyone loved all three of her pieces, the favorite of the night was her rendering of a horse, Smile Artie, painted in watercolor, with a hilarious smile on his face.

Second place went to Dori Stickles for her beautiful painting of Chautauqua, titled Verdant Chautauqua. Brent Warren’s Cat Whiskers took third place, yet another of his amusing and spectacular pieces that never fails to emit a smile from the viewer.

The Coordinator’s Choice award went to Bette Ventrella who has been part of the Nederland art community for over 20 years. Ventrella moved to Nederland in 2000, and quickly engaged with other artists to open The Palette Gallery which operated for four years. Ventrella is also known for her beautiful quilts and the “Quirky Quilters” group she started, which is still going strong. She says, “I want to paint every beautiful thing I see in Nature.”

Other popular pieces include Jane Seavers’ Aspens in Nederland, Lorelei Stumbo’s Swamp Wood, Serene Karplus’ Niwot Abstract 102, and Annie Thayer’s Enduring Beauty. It is worth a visit to the Community Center to view the art, which will be on display until the end of January 2022.

The next Art at the Center show and reception will take place early February 2022 and will include artist demos and an opportunity for attendees to try their hand at one or more of the art mediums. If you would like to be notified of future shows, please email YourArtAtTheCenter@gmail.com.