Le Reve, the dream, is coming true. Thanks to the immense support of the Nederland community over the years, Lolo’s Atelier will celebrate its grand opening Easter weekend, Friday, April 7 to Monday, April 10, 2023. Laurence Delaunay, affectionately known as Lolo, has dreamed for many years about owning her own art workshop in the community that she loves so much.

Lolo’s connections to Ned run deeply. Her first show in the US was 17 years ago in the Wild Mountain Brewery and Smokehouse. Salto graciously sponsored her acrylic paintings of vibrantly colored flowers, golden moose, and other Colorado wildlife. Crosscut adopted Lolo’s colossal bear to oversee its pizza-making line. The Very Nice Brewery offered to show her paintings on their walls and featured her art on beer labels during COVID. Kaleidoscope Art Gallery currently showcases her cards, calendars, and prints as well.

Lolo has tried to return the favor to the community that has given her so much. Using her teaching talent first at Ned Jr/Sr High to teach French, she also offered to teach art sessions for Chinook High School students as a fundraiser for Teens Inc. To help parents with after-school activities for young children, Lolo led art lessons for kids at her house, in her home studio.

After returning from France in January upon the death of her grandmother, the details of the dream moved quickly and became real. A space on 1st Street opened, and she started working on the atelier, a noun derived from the French for workshop or studio. While she painted the walls and added new flooring, the door was always open. So many people, native NedHeads and visitors alike, came into the shop and showed so much love and encouragement.

The joyful support of the community has inspired her as she worked on the atelier for the last three weeks with friends and family. The community has made her be where she is and helped her take this big step. She feels the love and will try to bring something new to the community in return. She thanks everyone for the amazing support!

The atelier definition: A workshop or studio; often used to denote a group of artists, designers or architects working collectively. Atelier is a French word, so say it with the accent! Lolo’s atelier will indeed be a place where she will be painting and showing her work, but more importantly a place to gather among friends, artists and art lovers. Lolo’s Atelier will feature guest artists in the near future as another way to give back and advance the arts in Ned.

Join her for the inauguration of Lolo’s Atelier at 25 E. 1st Street, April 7 to 10, from 10 a.m. - 7 p.m. This Open House weekend will feature her latest work, “Fur and Feather” series, Colorado wildlife. Come discover Laurence’s signature style: her distinctive knife and brush strokes, colorful palette, and her large animal paintings, inspired by post-Impressionism and abstract techniques.

“I can’t wait to welcome you into the Atelier and start creating for you and with you.” ~ Laurence