A Canvas of the West

Andrew Barker

Andrew Barker is a watercolor artist whose intricate, graphic works are rooted in the flora, fauna, and landscapes of the Rocky Mountains and the American West. He occasionally integrates ink and other drawing media into his watercolor practice, working on traditional cotton paper or wood.

His work celebrates the natural world through depictions of conflict, death, rebirth, and the struggles and joys of existence shared among all living beings — an animistic view that treats its subjects as bearers of myth, cultural meaning, and presence. His subject matter reflects both a deep reverence for the natural world and an urgency around climate change, population growth, biodiversity loss, and defaunation. His visual language draws from mid-century commercial art, tattoo design, the golden age of naturalist illustration, and early 20th-century Japanese printmaking and watercolor.

Andrew studied art at Oregon State University and spent two decades in the design industry before transitioning to a full-time studio practice. He maintains a studio in the NoBo Arts District.

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Paula Fitzgerald

Paula Fitzgerald is a Colorado native with deep roots in the Front Range. In her career as a landscape architect, she specialized in outdoor recreational spaces and was in charge of the City of Longmont's park and trail projects for over twenty years. The St. Vrain Greenway, Sandstone Ranch, and many other wonderful areas were designed and constructed during her time with the city. She also wrote and published a book on local parks titled, Stories of Our Longmont Parks.

After retirement, Paula discovered the joy of painting. Working with local artist and teacher Rey Ford, among other notable artists, she has developed her work and truly enjoys the meditative practice of painting. Although she explores other mediums, she especially likes the fluidity of oils. She regularly posts her new work on her Instagram account.

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Melanie Damore

Melanie Damore is a Colorado-based landscape painter, muralist, and adventurer who finds her deepest inspiration on the trail. After spending a decade as a K–12 art teacher, she traded the classroom for the mountains, where hiking became both a source of healing and creative renewal. Whether she is summiting a 14er, wandering through a national park, or exploring a quiet alpine lake, Melanie carries those experiences back to her studio. There, she transforms them into vibrant, expressive paintings that celebrate the places that move us.

Driven by a desire to help people reconnect with the wonder of the natural world and the stories created within it, Melanie shares her passion through both her artwork and her art education company, Denver Art Days. Through these channels, she creates opportunities for others to slow down, explore their creativity, and see the beauty around them through fresh eyes.

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Kathryn McGrath

Kathryn McGrath is a Front Range artist specializing in abstract landscapes. Deeply moved by the beauty of the Rocky Mountains, her work captures the shifting light, grand scales, and vibrant energy of the Colorado wilderness that constantly inspires her.

Kathryn’s creative practice is balanced by a full and active life off the canvas. When she isn't in the studio translating the horizon into abstract forms, she can be found teaching yoga in Longmont, guiding others toward mindfulness and movement. Her greatest and most rewarding adventures, however, happen at home, where she is raising three young, spirited humans. A self-proclaimed lover of stories, Kathryn often winds down her busy days tucked away with the latest romantasy novel, finding magic both in the pages she reads and the landscapes she paints.

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Colin D. Young

Colin D. Young’s landscape photography documents his travels to state parks across NY state and national parks across the U.S., as well as Canada, England, Ireland, New England, the Caribbean, Utah, Iceland and locally in his new home in Colorado, with a special focus on the Catskills Mountains of New York, the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains, and the Red Rock Canyonlands of Southern Utah. Colin is also an accomplished theatre photographer, and his theatre photos have appeared in the NY Times, Newsday, The Times (UK), Time Out NY (& London), American Theatre & New York Magazine.

Colin leads photo tours and intensive photo workshops in upstate New York, Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado, as well as Arches, Canyonlands and Bryce Canyon National Parks in Utah: www.RockLightPhotoTours.com

Colin is also an award-winning lighting designer with more than 25 years of professional experience lighting for theatre, dance, television and corporate events, in venues from off-off Broadway to Carnegie Hall, from Edinburgh to Johannesburg, and for some of the best regional theaters across the country. He has lit more than 125 theatre and dance productions, for companies like The Classical Theatre of Harlem, Signature Theatre Company, Primary Stages, Woolly Mammoth, Goodman Theatre, Kirk Douglas Theatre, Center Stage, and the Guthrie Theatre, as well as his own drama desk nominated Off-Broadway theatre company Reverie Productions, where he produced 18 New York, U.S. and World Premieres of new plays.

Website: www.RockLightPhoto.com | www.RockLightPhotoTours.com

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Cheri Vilona

Cheri holds a degree in Graphic Arts with an Art History focus, alongside a Bachelor’s in Business. She has refined her practice through workshops at the Art Students League of Denver and advanced masterclasses with notable artists across the country. Her signature style is defined by broad strokes, gestural marks, and intuitive color choices that create dramatic harmonies and contrasts.

A two-time Artist in Residence in Breckenridge, Colorado, Cheri's work has been exhibited in prestigious galleries nationwide, from Santa Fe to Houston. She is currently represented by Element-Home (Denver, CO), T Clifton Arts (Memphis, TN), and Galleria of Nature (Scottsdale, AZ). Cheri resides in Northern Colorado with her sculptor husband, James Vilona, with whom she has been creating art and family for over 40 years.

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Angie Nordstrum

Angie Nordstrum is a Colorado-based visual artist living and working in Erie, Colorado. With over two decades of experience as a professional artist, her work encompasses fine art paintings, murals, and public art installations that celebrate the beauty, history, and spirit of the region. Known for her vibrant color, expressive line, and narrative approach, Angie draws inspiration from Colorado landscapes, wildlife, and the stories of the communities she calls home.

Through her murals and public art projects, Angie creates artwork that fosters connection, sparks curiosity, and celebrates a strong sense of place throughout Longmont and the Front Range. She is an artist member of East Boulder County Artists, Boulder Open Studios, and the NoBo Art District, and her work reflects her passion for creating meaningful visual experiences that bring people together.

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Dwayne Wolff

Dwayne Wolff’s work spans painting, printmaking, drawing, and computer graphics. As a resident artist at the Firehouse Art Center in Longmont, Colorado, he has maintained a studio since 2001. Recurring subjects in his work include landscapes, portraits, and still life.

Dwayne is also a multimedia professional whose career has included work with Hewlett
Packard Enterprise and Sun Microsystems, among other companies.

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Anna Valenti

Valenti holds an MFA in Studio Art from the Maine College of Art & Design and a BA in Psychology with a Post-Bacclaureate in Ceramics from the University of Colorado Boulder. She is an Assistant Professor of Fine Arts and the Fine Arts Coordinator at Rocky Mountain College of Art + Design. Valenti lives and maintains a studio practice in Longmont, Colorado.

Robyn Eubanks

While much of her work engages symbolic and contemporary imagery, she is also drawn to portraiture and historical subjects that connect viewers to people and stories from the past.

Robyn began her formal study of painting in 2020 at Front Range Community College in Longmont, Colorado. She teaches art in community settings and maintains an active studio practice grounded in ongoing study and experimentation. She resides in Louisville, Colorado.