In the Order of the Auction (randomly assigned)
Stephanie Buechler
Piece: “Hello Friend, 2022” 20" x 24"
Contact: 719-207-5680, stephanie@stephaniebuechler.com, slvphoto.com
Bio: For the last 35 years, Stephanie Buechler has explored many facets of the photography world. Starting out as a Commercial Photographer and moving on to Fine Art, and most recently Portraiture Photography. “Hello Friend” is a black and white photograph of the interaction between a tree and a barn.
Nora McBride
Piece: “Secret Caterpillar 2020” 16.5" x 13.5" This piece is a pen and ink drawing hath was colored digitally, and used to create digital prints.
Contact: noramcbride81@gmail.com, 651-341-7863
Bio: Nora McBride is an artist living and working in Alamosa. Her main media include drawing, painting, printmaking and embroidery. She has several mural installations in the SLV, including a community collaborative mural project at the Rio Grande Farm Park, and a mural collaboration with the Boys and Girls Club of the San Luis Valley. These pieces are a series of original hand-colored, lino cut prints.
Cari Smith (Conari)
Piece: “Winter Moon over Mt. Blanca” 2024, 20" x 15"
Contact: 720-238-3192, infiniteafarm@gmail.com, FB@ Cari Conari and SLV Apothecary
Bio: Cari Conari is an artist and farmer, passionate about painting and local food & herbs. Find her local teas at the SLV Apothecary in Alamosa, 1617 State Ave in Alamosa.
Caleigh Payne
Piece: “The Eye of the Bronc” 25" x 17"
Contact: cal.payne1@outlook.com, www.lifeoutwestphotography.mypixieset.com, FB/IG @lifeoutwestphotography
Bio: Caleigh moved to the San Luis Valley 10 years ago to work on a cattle ranch and fell in love with mountain views and cattle scattered across the valley. Photographing this beautiful place that we get to live in while also promoting the way we live and the agriculture that surrounds us has become her business and passion. This piece is a wooden framed print.
Matthew Capell
Piece: “Eight views of a Cadillac 2018” 27" x 35" with frame. Original print- one-of-a-kind piece made form hand-carved wood block and printed multiple times by hand.
Contact: m1000tc@gmail.com
Bio: Matthew is a local Alamosa artist primarily working in drawing and printmaking media. He also got a fine art degree in printmaking from Adams State University in 2010. He still lives in Alamosa where he creates artwork with inspiration from the micro and macro landscape of the San Luis Valley.
Samantha Wisener
Piece: “Creed de Avansar”, 16"x 20"
Contact: LaArtistaSamantha@outlook.com, 719-937-3556, www.laartistasamantha.square.site , IG@laartistasamantha
Bio: After earning her bachelor of science and commercial art, Sam returned to work full-time after her children entered high school. She teaches art at Ortega Middle School; during the summers, and on weekends she creates art. As she grew up in Alamosa, she would see Creed de Avansar around town. She said: “with his signature smile, and confident walk, Creed always made me want to paint him. I love how he relocated to Alamosa to start afresh, and to begin a new life of Hope. He was and still is a great symbol of western culture and heritage: where no matter who you are and what you were in the past, you can start over again.”
Allison Quiller
Piece: “Night Lightning on Bristol Head” 30" x 40" Casein cradled aquabord
Contact: 719-588-4140, allisonquiller@gmail.com, oldmillartistry.com, IG @oldmillartistry
Bio: Allison Quillar is an accomplished artist in a variety of media, and has focused primarily on her visual arts in the last few years. She shares the creative bug with her husband, John Stynchula, and their work can be seen at the Quiller Gallery in Creede, CO.
Joni Franks
Piece: “2024 The Green Man” 16" x 20"
Contact: jonifranksauthor@yahoo.com, 970-946-6080, www.jonifranks.com. FB/IG @corkytails1
Bio: Joni Franks is an international award-winning author, artist and poet. She has been named the 2024 Will Rogers Medallion Award Illustrator of the Year. Her books have earned bestseller status and have won over fifty literary honors for her writing and artwork, including the prestigious Moms Choice Award, the International Readers Favorite Award, the American Fiction Award, and the CIPA EVVY Award. Known for her compelling narratives that challenge societal norms, Franks pens books about resilience, inspiration, overcoming adversity, equality, and conservation. Spending time on her Colorado ranch with her Welsh corgi’s: Sagebrush, Gyzmo and Willow, offers her the inspiration to create impactful books and art that are changing the world one heart at a time.
This is illustration artwork on canvas from her Celtic fantasy book series, The Crooked Forest. The Green Man appears in the volume, The Crooked Forest, Beyond.
Kellan Jones
Piece: “Sing Peace into his Breast, 2024 Dimensions: 8.25”x8” Scrap copper wire, scavenged steel wire, street sweeper bristle, glass, plastic beads, and a random button.
Contact: kellan@TheVagabondTabby.com, TheVagabondTabby.com
Bio: Kellan Jones is a wire artist who makes jewelry & jewelry-inspired wall art out of leftover electrical wire, beads somebody else didn’t want, & crap he finds in parking lots, along riverbanks, & on the side of the road. He is entirely self-taught, using the “mess around with stuff until it looks pretty okay” method. He’s a late-blooming trans guy who figured out who he is just in time to turn 50. He’s inspired by queer culture, particularly the way we recreate ourselves to be who we ARE, rather than who others see us as, & by the families we build for ourselves. He lives in the beautiful San Luis Valley in Colorado, home to vibrant queer & artistic culture, sweeping mountain vistas, & a lot of potato fields. His jewelry & home decor appeared at Alamosa’s ARTScape in September of 2024.
Lares Feliciano
Piece: “Angel Numbers 2022” 36.5" x 24.5"
Contact: lares.feliciano@gmail.com, laresfeliciano.com, heartandlungsranch.com, FB/IG @lareslovesyou
Bio: Lares Feliciano is an artist, cultural worker, tarot reader, and witch based in the sacred San Luis Valley, Colorado. Feliciano uses animation, installation, and collage to create worlds where diverse stories are front and center and all of time exists at once. Her work explores the in-between, layers of diaspora, and the complexity of memory. She has completed residencies with RedLine Contemporary Art Center and Grand Canyon National Park. Currently she is a Frontier Fellow with Epicenter in Green River, Utah.
Blake Parsons
Piece: “Focus” (2023) 16 x 20” Oil on Panel
Contact: 719-588-7314, blakeparsonsart@gmail.com, Blakeparsonsfineart.com, IG @ blake_parsons_fine_art
Bio: Blake is a local painter who has been honing his craft since 2014. He graduated from Adams State University in 2019 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in 2019. Blake’s subject matter varies, including old cars, wildlife, landscapes, and portraits. Blake is currently showing work at the Arts Collective in Salida as well as the Fort Garland Museum and Cultural Center.
When asked to describe his work, Blake says:
“I wish that I had something deep and profound to say about my work. To be honest, most of my work has no special meaning, yet it means very much to me. Painting is my passion, and the act of painting is what drives me. As I grow as a painter, so does my love for life. I find beauty in things that I once would have never noticed. When my work touches someone, it makes what I do even more rewarding. I hope that you will enjoy my work as much as I have enjoyed creating it.”
Jordan Whitney
Piece: “Here I stand, Blessed as the Sacred Ram” 2025, 18" x 24"
Contact: whitsend312@gmail.com, 719-580-3771
Bio: Jordan Whitney (b. March 12, 2001) is a Colorado Artist native to the San Luis Valley specializing in graphite and charcoal. Her work blends realism with emotional expression using intricate textures, deep contrast, and a raw, tactile quality to explore themes of nature, resilience and human struggle. Inspired by her late father, Timothy Whitney, she developed a passion for drawing at four years old, and his influence continues to shape her artistic voice. Her style balanced delicate scribbled line work with immersive shading, and sharp contrast creating depth and movement that pull the viewer into the complexity of her subjects. Her is currently pursing her artistic journey independently while working at Wall, Smith & Bateman.
Note on the Piece: “Jordan says the majority of her work explores the intersection of strength and vulnerability, and more often than not, uses natures as a metaphor for the rendered themes of each artwork. In this piece, the bighorn sheep symbolize both confrontation and coexistence, forces that shape not only the natural world but our internal struggles as well. Through graphite and charcoal, she aimed to capture the intricate balance of power and fragility, allowing textures and deep contrasts to pull the viewer into the complexity of the subject. This drawing is a reflection on endurance, identity, and the silent battles we face, both within ourselves and in our surroundings.
Kasia Polkowska
Piece: “Happiness II” 2024, 19" x 19" custom framed
Contact Info: kpolkowska@gmail.com, 347-579-3351, www.kasiapolkowska.com, FB @kasiapolkowskaart IG @kasia_polkowska_art
Bio: Kasia Polkowska is local CO artist who splits her time between Pagosa Springs and Mosca. She studied art at Pratt Institute in New York City where she earned a BFA with a concentration in painting. Through her painting, Kasia shares her love of surrounding mountains, taking much inspiration from the vibrant sunsets in the SLV. In addition to 2D art, she designs and creates mosaic and steel sculpture of Public Art throughout CO. For the past 8 years, Kasia has participated in Alamosa’s Artscape for which she always strives to create a new and exciting sculpture to be enjoyed by the community.
Note on the piece: This painting is varnished in satin, has a signed certificate of authenticity on the back, as well as hanging wire and a custom wooden gallery-style floating frame. This painting is part of her new series “Happiness” where she aimed to paint that emotion through color, pattern, and mountainous scenery. She set out to paint a moment that fleeting, yet powerful, the brief burst of color at sunset where the brightly painted landscape elicits just that, a burst of happiness. She hopes this vibrant vista inspires feelings of joy. Nature has such a power to nourish the soul, sometimes when we need it the most. It can uplift us with its magic and wondrous hues bursting at sunset. No matter who or where a person is, even if they have nothing left in the world, they can still look up at the sky and see the most beautiful colors and scenery painted above, momentarily engulfing the surrounding landscape into a fairy tale scene, maybe giving a glimmer of hope when it’s most needed.
Macey Sigaty
Piece: “Before the Storm, 2014”, 16" x 20"
Contact: 720-366-0854, sigatree@gmail.com, thesigatree.com, IG @thesigatree
Bio: A Colorado born, interdisciplinary artist, Macey Sigaty uses many different mediums with an aim to appreciate the ordinary manner of miracles, to see beauty in the banal, acknowledge absurdity, and dabble in whimsy. You can often find her at The Church Project in Monte Vista, CO, where she is using her hands to make real things and encouraging others to do the same.
Trina Council
Piece: Blanca & Lindsey , 2024. 8x10 with frame
Contact: 719-496-6199 (text preferred)
Bio: Trina Council is a self-taught watercolor artist who used watercolor as a way to cope with the Covid-19 lockdowns. The Rocky Mountains are therapeutic for her, and her earliest memories of drawing as a child were always mountains. Trina also creates fabric collages, quilted pieces, and monoprint & acrylic collages. She and her family have happily called the San Luis Valley home for nine years, and has Colorado roots going back more than 130 years.
Watercolor and ink on cold press watercolor paper. The painting depicts Mounts Blanca & Lindsey from Hwy 160 between Blanca and Ft. Garland.
Kyle Burnett
SET: “Horseshoe Bend AZ- 2024" 3 prints a one, 16" x 24" each. High quality prints on aluminum on floating frames
Contact: kyle@kyleburnett.photography.com, 719-850-8682, www.kyleburnett.photography.com, FB @kburnettphoto
Bio: Kyle is a photographer based in Alamosa. His passion is landscape and portrait photography. He loves finding beautiful moments in time, whether its soft dappled light in the mountain pine trees, or a true genuine smile for someone’s portrait. He truly believes he lives in one of the most beautiful locations in Colorado. He can travel 40 minutes in any direction and finds himself in a truly beautiful location.
Miguel Gaspar
Piece: Mixed Media piece from 2024, 22 x 28"
Contact: 719-580-3013, artistrymanifest.com, IG @mystiicthechild
Bio: Miguel’s works consist of his journaling on them and for the most part whatever he feels drawn to in the moment. This piece is a mixed media cut out from an old time magazine.
Richard Esquibel
Piece: “Caballos Salvajes 2025” 18”x24", framed charcoal
Contact: Reach out to Chamber to be connected: info@alamosachamber.com
Bio: Richard Esquibel is an emerging artist exploring charcoal drawings. This marks his first official submission.
Evelyn Sprouse Rowe
Piece: “Eye Candy 2024”, acrylic painting on watercolor paper. matted and framed, 16" x 20"
Contact Info: Sprsro20@gmail.com, FineArtAmerica.com
Bio: Evelyn is a SLV born artist.. The abstract qualities of her art come from intuition and a personal interpretation of beauty. In many of her acrylic paintings, she exploits color, shape, form, and the subject matter. She does not neglect the importance of structure and design elements…but she does exploit color and take liberties to catch the eye and emphasize beauty.
Christa Gulaian
Piece: “United, 2023” 20x20” oil on canvas, Abstract
Contact: christagulaian@yahoo.com, christagulaian.com, @cmgulaianpainte
Bio: Christa paints at her studio in La Garita, CO, where she’s resided since 2004. Her work as a Forester allows her to spend much of her time in the woods, which inspires many of her paintings.
Cindy Cometto
Piece: “Music Meadow” 18" x 24"
Contact: 970-290-1713, cindycometto@gmail.com, FB/IG @cindycometto
Bio: Cindy Cometto is a native of Colorado /She moved to the San Luis Valley three years ago and is painting landscapes of the valley in Plein Air and in her studio in San Luis.
Jenni Sheffield
Piece: “Heirlooms and Memories” 9x12, oil 2024
Contact Info: jennirsheffield@me.com, 801-979-7992
Bio: Jenni Sheffield has always been an artist. She has her Bachelor of Fine Arts from Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. Her emphasis was Illustration. The last semester of college, Jenni took her first plein air painting class, and she was hooked! Jenni also enjoys painting still life and animals. She has taken several painting workshops through the Scottsdale Artist’s School in AZ.
After taking 13 years off from painting to raise her five kids, Jenni began taking classes again from a local artist-Coni Grant. Jenni’s medium of choice is oil painting. She loves bright colors, thick paint and texture, and painting outdoors.
Casey McCoy
Piece: “King of the Ledge”, 16" x 20" framed
Contact: 719-850-5665, caseymccoyarts@gmail.com, caseymccoyarts.com, @casetmccoyarts FB/YouTube
Bio: Art has always been a part of Casey’s life. Growing up in Alamosa, Colorado, he’s been drawn to creating work that tells a story—whether it’s through a mural, a sculpture, or a detailed charcoal drawing. Over the years, he’s explored many different mediums, from drywall sculpting to airbrushing and fine detail work. His goal is always to create something that makes people stop and connect, whether through emotion or craftsmanship.
King of the Ledge is a 3D drywall relief sculpture capturing the strength and stealth of the mountain lion. With its head and shoulders emerging beyond the frame, the sculpture creates a bold, commanding presence—mirroring the quiet dominance of this apex predator. The background features rugged, textured rock formations, reinforcing the untamed nature of the scene, while a rustic frame completes the look, grounding it in its natural environment.
Casey specialize sin fine art, commissions, murals, and custom pieces, always looking for projects that challenge him creatively. Through his business, Casey McCoy Arts LLC, he creates original artwork, custom pieces, and large-scale murals. If you’d like to see more of his work, visit CaseyMcCoyArts.com.
Theresa Atencio
Piece: “Rancho de Taos” 18" x 24"
Contact: 719-966-7117, fishnet46@gmail.com
Bio: Theresa Atencio is an artist based in Alamosa, CO, who previously lived in Buena Vista. She developed her skills through classes, mentorships, and online education, working primarily with oils, pastels, and watercolors to create impressionistic landscapes, still lifes, and portraits. Her artwork, which has earned recognition including a 1st place award in professional graphics from the Chaffee County Council on the Arts, reflects her passion for color, spiritual connection, and deep appreciation for Colorado’s seasonal changes. For Theresa, painting serves as both a creative expression and a means of spiritual upliftment, allowing her to explore the interplay of light, shadow, and emotion which celebrating the beauty of the natural world.
Josh Cantu
Piece: Colorado Flag
Contact Info: Reach out to the Chamber to be connected: info@alamosachamber.com
Bio: Josh is a valley native who took on woodworking as an enjoyable hobby approximately 10 years ago. Josh’s grandpa, George Martinez, a retired woodshop teacher, has always been someone Josh has admired and looked up to. Josh approached his grandfather for some advice on how to build a few
picture frames. From there Josh took on this skill as a full-time hobby! Josh finds "building" as the ultimate stress relief. He still makes phone calls to his Grandpa for advice on all his projects.
