"Stage Lighting"
"Spring Awakening"
"Portrait"
GILPIN COUNTY — Throughout history, artists like Vincent van Gogh and Leonardo da Vinci have left lasting legacies, inspiring and influencing generations around the world. In Gilpin County, that same spirit of creativity and expression lives on in a place where history comes alive through art.
The Ghost Town Art Gallery, originally a home built in 1895, is located at the end of a tree-lined dead-end lane in a historic ghost town. The building that houses the gallery is a locally famous structure.
In 1904, Azel D. Galbraith committed a tragic crime in Russell Gulch, Colorado, murdering his wife and nine-year-old son after embezzling money and fearing financial ruin. He was later apprehended, confessed to the crime, and executed.
The house later became known as the “Haunted House” of Gilpin County and locally referred to as the “Murder House.” Having been vacant for many years, the building fell into disrepair and was eventually put up for sale.
The year was 2013, when artist Brian O’Donnell purchased the property and, along with his wife, spent years restoring the Murder House and converting it into the Ghost Town Art Gallery, which now houses a collection of oil, pastel, watercolor, and pencil art.
O’Donnell began painting at an early age. Eventually, he pursued formal training at the Rocky Mountain School of Art in the mid-1970s at age 25. It was there that he developed his craft with an emphasis on the figure. Creativity was a family tradition; his mother was a watercolorist, and both his brother and sister became painters.
Over the past 50 years, O’Donnell has worked in the film industry, producing the award-winning documentary “Deadheads.” He has also been an entrepreneur, opening Colorado’s first disc golf course of its type in 2003.
At 76 years of age, O’Donnell continues to put brush to canvas.
The Ghost Town Art Gallery is at 190 Russell Gulch Road, Russell Gulch, Colorado 80427. You can call them at 303-582-3083 or visit artistbrianodonnell.com to learn more.
