Will Tintera
Woodcarver, calligrapher, puppeteer, & teacher.
I began drawing at an early age & added whittling & wood carving after college. My grandfather had given me his carving tools & with them I often made gifts for friends & relatives. When I arrived in Crested Butte in 1976, someone suggested that since I carved I should make signs.. & that was the beginning of a career! Though largely self-taught, I took a calligraphy class at that time to augment wood carving, & also began brush lettering. I have been learning & combining media ever since, employing screen & block printing, pen & ink drawing, wood-burning, scratchboard, & enamels in the production of graphic art.
In current projects, both carved & illustrated, I tend to favor animals & natural subjects, ie: all things outside, taking inspiration from the mountains & open spaces around us. Box lids, cribbage boards, clock faces, & wood plaques with quotations have all become places to draw or carve, making the useful also ornamental. I use the hard woods principally in my carving, especially cherry, walnut, maple & basswood.
I greatly enjoy teaching and regularly offer classes in calligraphy and other media. Of special interest to me is puppeteering, and I like carving hand-puppets, stick puppets and marionettes. You may catch the shows at festivals and special events, and in the local libraries and theaters.
Laura Elm
Laura Elm is a typical renaissance artist - a master potter and painter whose expressive work is brilliantly detailed and multifaceted. Her openness to experience and theoretical temperament are integral to a passionate pursuit of a wide variety of art forms. She possesses the rare combination of being incredibly focused and detail-oriented while retaining optimism, idealism and vision.
A prolific maker of lyrical things; searching for sublime and hidden meaning; she uses a painterly palette of high key color – difficult to achieve in studio ceramics, that segues seamlessly with her painting and works on paper. Elegant forms and expert drawing are developed from analytical observation of the natural world and then re-tooled, tweaked and intensified imaginatively.
The graphic quality of her work stems from a love of anything beautifully designed and well crafted; especially calligraphy, typography and the printed page. Book arts and textiles form a cohesive connection with pattern and repetition.
Laura’s clay work encompasses functional vessels and sculptural forms overlaid with painterly content like tattoos on skin. The Tattoo Foo Seriesimparts inherent luck, often blind; sometimes dumb, to traditional tomb figures aka Guardians of Soul. These figures are the domain of Heaven and Hell based on the metaphorical fine line humans tend to walk. Inspired by classic literature and romantic poetry, common features in her work include a strong graphic use of black and white, the sun and moon, and time. The progression of this subject matter ties in nicely with charming Creatures of Habit showing off familiar quirks and playful mannerisms.
During more than a few paradisiacal island years, while living in Micronesia, Elm traveled extensively embracing and incorporating the history, mythology, archeology and art of many cultures including her own oddly American heritage. The overlapping spheres of influence are evident.
Daniela Burke
Macrame Artist
Hi there! My name is Daniela. I am the designer and owner of the Local Knot. I grew up in Gunnison, Colorado where there is a beautiful mix of hippies and cowboys. This is where I find my inspiration for creating western boho macrame. I love when two worlds collide and it brings a whole new beauty to the world. I take pride in creating authentic items that are originally and thoughtfully designed. I began creating macrame in 2020 as a hobby amidst the handful of free time we all had during that year. I am happy to say that hobby turned passion. Fast forward to 2025, I am now a full time macrame artist. Doing something you love everyday is something truly special. I am so grateful for every experience and new item I get to create.
Kara Chambers
Kara Chambers considers herself an exploratory artist. She has a bachelor’s degree in studio art and art education. She is currently the Studio Manager and a teacher at the Crested Butte Clay Studio. Her appreciation of ceramics comes from her deep connection to the earth and art. Pottery allows her to combine her passion for the natural world with every day function and use. Kara finds the physical connection with clay to be therapeutic and meditative. She uses an earthy touch in her glazing style and surface decoration.
“There is a relationship we create with objects that we use ritually like a coffee mug. Simple vessels can become treasures in our daily lives.”
She loves sharing her passion for ceramics with others and learning how art and science are woven together in this art form. She is a life-long student as well as a teacher. The joy of creating is multiplied by sharing it with the community. From North Carolina to Colorado her background is diverse. Kara volunteered with Arts for Life in NC teaching art to children with serious illnesses, worked a summer in wilderness therapy with teens with substance abuse issues, spent a decade in the performing arts fire dancing and street performing, has taught art to children at the Bascom Art Center in Highlands, NC and the Sawtooth Center for Visual Art in Winston Salem, NC, created programming and taught art for the Trailhead Children’s Museum in Crested Butte, CO, and was a middle school art teacher for a year before falling in love with Colorado and making the leap!
When not working she enjoys exploring the outdoors looking for inspiration in the beauty that surrounds. She loves her family, her dogs, climbing, camping, hiking, yoga and coffee.
Follow her @kara.chambers.pottery on Instagram.
Christina Loizeaux Stillwaggon
Christina Loizeaux Stillwaggon is a glass artist and educator based in Crested Butte, Colorado. She has over fifteen years of experience working with glass including enameling, etching and fusing. She graduated from Alfred University with a BFA with a concentration on glass art in 2014. In February 2016, she moved to Crested Butte and made her home here inspired by the local community and landscape. She also makes multimedia pieces ranging from collage, sculpture and paintings. She teaches glass workshops such as stained glass, fusing, etching and glass enameling locally in Crested Butte. She is currently showing her stained glass pieces at the Paragon Gallery.
The color and illimitability of glass is a consistent source of inspiration for my work. Most of my pieces are drafted alongside the glass verse drafting the pattern out beforehand. Imagery, patterns and found objects from Colorado’s natural world are my main subject matter. I use a variety of art glass techniques and materials to create a visual relationship between the material and subject matter.
instagram @xstillwaggon
Chelsea McKenzie
I have an earnest appreciation for life, nature, and love. I strive to express a veneration toward mortality through my work, to make my audience feel beneath the surface of our world and search for deeper meaning. I hope to create art that inspires understanding and respect for the circle of life and all its participants.
Wood burning, (also known as pyrography) is a passion of mine that I find very therapeutic. Years ago I fell in love with the slow-paced work, the scent of wood smoke, and the feeling of creating something unique, durable, and somehow both elegant and rustic at the same time. Over time, I have endeavored to improve my artistic skill by working from photos, while also exploring creative ideas. I also paint, tattoo, and create handmade jewelry using natural, foraged materials.
Mary Tuck
"Creating is life’s breath to me! Even as a child I drew and colored on everything, books, walls, mirrors, my face etc. My parents were not happy about most of it until they recognized my talent and encouraged it through proper channels, I’ve never stopped learning and experimenting.
Now the walls are murals, paper and canvas are painted, silk is dyed and river rocks are pets or wildlife!
The advertising industry called to me; after years of experience I became an adult educator teaching Commercial Art. When I retired I moved to Crested Butte, my childhood summer stomping grounds.
I still teach art, silver clay jewelry and I am involved in the CB Mountain Theatre as actress, singer and director. My mother was a Hollywood starlet and big band singer, she trained me well. My father was Navy retired and a rancher in south eastern Colorado. I have enjoyed CB when Elk Avenue was dirt with farm animals and wildlife roaming it. Come to think of it the only change is the paving and tourist!"
Life is a gift and so is this town. ENJOY!
970.901.6348 marytincb@gmail.com
Ashley Akerlund
Ashley Akerlund is a whimsical fused glass artist based in the quaint town of Almont, Colorado. Her work beautifully captures the essence of Colorado’s stunning natural beauty through an abstract and vibrantly expressive perspective.
She is widely recognized for her playful and imaginative depictions of local critters, scenic mountain landscapes, and the distinctive native flora that define the region. Utilizing her signature tack fusing technique to build intricate depth and rich texture, combined with her technical precision and a keen eye for bold, harmonious color combinations, Ashley creates art that is not only visually striking but also deeply meaningful, memorable, and truly unique in its expression.
www.ralphiesglass.com
ralphiesglass@hotmail.com
Follow Ashley on Instagram: @ralphiesglass_
Alyssa Moore
I have been an apprentice jeweler to my father throughout my life. I was raised in the breathtaking valley of Crested Butte, nestled deep in the Colorado Rocky Mountains. I was surrounded and inspired by the beauty of nature constantly during my upbringing, while admiring the beauty of cities from afar. By pulling the influences of pristine nature and city bling together, I have developed a style that is unique to my work and reflects my personality, but is also enjoyed by many others. I hope that you find as much enjoyment out of my creations as I do.
AlyShine.com
Bren Corn
Bren Corn is a grounded individual who is respectful of, and loyal to person beliefs. This painter reflects an American spirit while continually tapping into her European roots. Her energy remains focused and progressive making this artist infectious. This awareness translates into a deep understanding of self, and ultimately defines a style of evolutionary work.
Bren graduated Summa Cum Laude from Western State University in 2000 with a Bachelors in Fine Art. She has sold over 800 original works via festival, exhibition, commission and gallery throughout the United States. This was accomplished raising her three children and remaining a Gunnison Valley resident for over 25 years.
Driven by many components and moods, abstracting life from her environment remains a constant. Corn’s current subject is compiling imagined compositions of Crested Butte.
brencorn.com
Jim Garrison
"I started my second career as a photographer in 1985. During the summers of 1987-1990 my family and I toured the state of Colorado doing arts festivals. We saw every part of the state and chose the Gunnison Valley as our home. We moved here in 1991. My focus is area photography, the Paragon Gallery and guiding fly fishing for Dragonfly Anglers. I am lucky to have vacations that allow me to enjoy and share the beauty that God has created."
970.379.6860
Kristina Hess
I grew up in Ohio and I’m the daughter of a well known artist from the Midwest, Virginia K Hess, who gave me the encouragement and taught me how art can be spiritual expression and a lifelong companion. I relocated to Mt. Crested Butte in 2018 and every time I venture out into nature, I’m endlessly inspired by the scenery here and feel very fortunate to make this my full time home.
My media are watercolor, acrylic, gouache, and water soluble oils. I am inspired by the outdoors. My usual subjects are beautiful landscapes where I live and travel, places which give me feeling I want to remember and which I continue to dream about. I focus on images that generate serenity, and I hope that is also important to those who view my art. I especially focus on capturing mountain landscapes and nature’s beauty in all four seasons, and I hope those who visit these mountains will remember how they felt here long after they return home.
Jeff Dautrich-Klein
Jewelry Artist
I have been collecting rocks since the time I was able to pick them up. Geology in all forms has always been of great interest to me. I attempt to capture the colors and patterns I see in nature that have inspired my work since I started making jewelry in my twenties. This hobby has become a passion for me. It is an outlet that allows me to connect to nature by using precious and semi-precious stones and metals. I hope that you enjoy the colors and patterns captured in my work as much as I do.
-Jeff
Jeff Klein has lived in Crested Butte for over 25 years. He is an avid extreme skier in the winter and loves to garden and grow his own food in the summer. He owns a successful appliance repair business and loves to make jewelry. Jeff also loves to spend time with his daughter, son and mother who all live close by.
P.O. Box 206
Crested Butte, CO 81224
970.349.0219
Todd Murray
Artist of Mixed Media Assemblage
When the local salvage yard shut down more than 20 years ago, I began sifting through the piles of scrap that had accumulated over decades, retrieving interesting odds and ends as the mounds were cleared from the property. The buckets of materials I collected would spark my vision of constructing unique assemblage art. My sculptures bring new life to these objects abandoned from a bygone era.
I was born in Arizona and raised in New Mexico where I was exposed to the rich cultural and artistic legacies of the Southwest. My work is heavily influenced by cowboy traditions, Hispanic folk art and Native American imagery. These themes are thoughtfully woven together with a myriad of found objects to create truly one-of-a-kind works of art.
waygoner@hotmail.com