Blue Sage Center for the Arts

Blue Sage Center for the Arts Providing opportunities in the Colorado North Fork Valley to create and experience art in all it's forms! ✨️
https://linktr.ee/bluesagecenter

Anything is possible at the Blue Sage Center. Housed in two beautiful historic buildings on the main street of rural Paonia, Colorado, the Blue Sage is a hub where teachers, students, artists and entertainers join to share their passions and talents. A community-driven arts and education center, the Blue Sage provides a venue where anyone can plan an event large or small, teach a class, put on a p

lay, arrange a concert, or schedule a talk on myriad subjects ranging from recent travel to astrophysics. A key direction for the Blue Sage is the provisions of classes designed to help the community’s youth to gain job skills and experience through participation in varied work-study programs at the center and its art gallery. We’re also committed to developing meaningful programming for families, adults and young children. At the the heart of this multi-faceted center is its volunteers of all ages, from all walks of life and with so many varied interests and the affordability of programs so that all can participate.

06/07/2025

New concert announcement, coming to the Blue Sage on July 3rd!! We are so excited to be having TAE & THE NEIGHBORLY come perform. ♥️

Upscale Rummage Sale happening today in Curtis Hall until 5pm!
06/07/2025

Upscale Rummage Sale happening today in Curtis Hall until 5pm!

The Blue Sage is proud to present Cayden Marie as our upcoming featured youth exhibitor! Her opening reception will be o...
05/31/2025

The Blue Sage is proud to present Cayden Marie as our upcoming featured youth exhibitor! Her opening reception will be on Friday June 6th from 5-7pm. We will see you there! ✨️ .arts_

Cayden Marie is a freelance artist and self-taught muralist based in Hotchkiss Colorado. She has showcased her art in personal exhibitions and contributed to local galleries. Her work reflects her interest in geometry and traditional art as well as personal style and modern techniques. A graduate of the Paonia Experiential Leadership Academy, Cayden has also studied at the Bemis School of Art and been mentored by professional artist Aloria Weaver. Her work often brings large-scale visuals to life, blending modern and traditional elements to inspire creativity in community spaces.

“I'm a freelance artist and muralist based in Colorado. I've been painting murals in my hometown since I was 15, but I've had a passion for the arts my whole life, inspired by the natural world and a love for creative expression. I’ve studied traditional arts in Europe and explored sacred geometry under the mentorship of Aloria Weaver. My work blends these influences with modern techniques and a personal style. I hope to bring beauty, color, and inspiration into everything I create.”

Our 3D mixed media artist for the month of June is book maker, Rhiannon Alpers! She will be having her Final Friday open...
05/27/2025

Our 3D mixed media artist for the month of June is book maker, Rhiannon Alpers! She will be having her Final Friday opening alongside Susan Rubin this coming Friday 5-7pm!

Let's get to know her a bit more:

"My artwork is tied to natural themes, and the untenanted remnants of plant and animal life. Many of my most recent artist books are entrenched in the history and visual sensibility of cabinets of curiosities and early women in the field of science. Through my own first-hand experiences and reframed stories, I seek to illuminate the perspectives of early pioneering women naturalists alongside their scientific documentation in the field.

For me, artist books are a medium that allows for multidimensional stories to take shape and be accessible to the viewer in both a sequential and spatial form. The finished artist books incorporate components of handmade paper, bookbinding, macro-photography, laser cutting, digital and letterpress printing, and physical specimens as well as the narrative that ties the concept together.

It is my intention that the experience of reading should be a journey for the audience, taking in the story visually, tactically, and creatively interpreting the intertwining of my wonderings and explorations of early women naturalists. It is through the unfolding, unearthing, and untangling that leads us to discovery in science, and it is that same process that challenges and propels me to create artist books."

See you this Friday!!

This Friday from 5-7pm, the Blue Sage is honored to host David Starr, a world-renowned blues musician. 🎶This is part of ...
05/27/2025

This Friday from 5-7pm, the Blue Sage is honored to host David Starr, a world-renowned blues musician. 🎶


This is part of our Final Friday happy hour exhibition opening for Susan Rubin & Rhiannon Alpers. 🎨

"With a name like Starr, is it any wonder? The Arkansas native has honed his decades-long career releasing over eleven albums, touring internationally, sharing the stage with esteemed artists such as John Oates and John McEuen, and opening for acts like America, John Oates (Hall & Oates), Jim Messina, Travis Tritt, Restless Heart, Karla Bonoff, The Steel Wheels, Survivor, and more. 

His unique mix of soulful vocals and honest lyrics create a Blues/Americana sound all his own; garnering him prestigious showcase performances at Folk Alliance International, AmericanaFest, and Southwest Regional Folk Alliance. He consistently independently books and performs over 70 dates per year, including dates in England, Wales, Scotland, and Ireland, where he has continued to grow recurring audiences year after year. David frequently tops the Colorado Music Chart and is one of the most downloaded artists on Airplay Direct.

A master guitarist, he is endorsed by Breedlove Guitars and was honored to create his own limited edition signature guitar and featured on the cover of their Spring 2021 magazine.  

An early riser by nature, Starr is often found up before 5am, and applies that same work ethic to his music. A prolific artist, he is constantly touring, writing, and recording; and continues to affirm himself as a mainstay in the Blues/Americana genre."

🎸Be sure to catch his show this Friday from 5-7pm in Curtis Hall!

Let's get a closer look at our upcoming featured artist for the month of June! Susan Rubin will be having her Final Frid...
05/27/2025

Let's get a closer look at our upcoming featured artist for the month of June!

Susan Rubin will be having her Final Friday exhibition alongside Rhiannon alpers (our 3D artist, book maker) this coming Friday, May 30th 5-7pm!

"Growing up in Colorado, I have always been inclined to draw and rearrange everything in my path. My summers in Grand County attuned me to the wealth of high-altitude flora that continues to inspire my work.

Having formalized my study of Art and Art History at Colorado College and the University of Exeter, England, I always preferred drawing. In 1990 I discovered Botanical Illustration at the Denver Botanic Gardens and never looked back. I received a Certificate of Merit from the program in 1991 and was named Student of the Year.

I am a botanical artist with a contemporary point of view. I love plants and I love to draw, so here I am, decades into a life of botanical art. I am captivated, in this “Green” era, by the ironic disconnect between people and the plants that feed, clothe, shelter, heal and sustain us. In my work, I direct attention back to our relationship with the botanical realm, offering the reminder that we need plants more than they need us.

Having trained in the classical tradition of botanical illustration, I am bound to scientific accuracy and detail. Living in the 21st century, I have modern tools and materials to keep the process new.  Because I love to draw, I work primarily in colored pencil, often combined with graphite, pastel, and a variety of grounds and other media. I like to incorporate maps and trompe-l’oeil elements into my drawings, creating clues for the viewer to discover and interpret. From tundra to tropics and all the deserts, swamps, prairies and backyards in-between, I will be out there . . . looking for the next plant to draw and the next story to tell."

We are so excited to have our Blue Sage walls filled with these incredible creations! 🏵🌸🌹🌿

Here is a preview of the incredible art that was created for this year's StoryShare event! Each artist was paired with a...
05/24/2025

Here is a preview of the incredible art that was created for this year's StoryShare event! Each artist was paired with a storyteller and created a visual art piece based on the inspiration they gathered from their life story.

🎨The first image was painted by Dione Holt, inspired by the life story of Boyd Boland.

🎨The second creation was done by Franki Zinke and presented to Sarah Bishop.

🎨The third masterpiece was made by Sandy York and gifted to Claudia King.

♥️It was very special to hear the stories of these individuals and then see how the artists reinterpreted them!

Stay tuned for a YouTube video recap of the event soon to be released by Bodhi Gilroy ✨️

🌤It's a great day to make your way into the gallery and see what all we have going on! 🖼 From beautiful featured exhibit...
05/23/2025

🌤It's a great day to make your way into the gallery and see what all we have going on!

🖼 From beautiful featured exhibitions in the front of house, to a gift shop packed with locally made creations and a youth exhibition in the back of the house, we have got you covered!

🏫Open Tuesday-Saturday 11am-4pm

🎨Current artist on display

On Saturday June 7th, we're having an "Upscale Rummage Sale" as we clear out our basement!We're seeking donations of hig...
05/20/2025

On Saturday June 7th, we're having an "Upscale Rummage Sale" as we clear out our basement!

We're seeking donations of high-end items (excluding clothing).

Drop-off times: June 1-5th, 11am-4pm.

Thank you in advance!

Event time: Saturday, June 7th 9-5pm

Another incredible community StoryShare event in the books. Thank you to our StorySharers Boyd Boland, Claudia King and ...
05/20/2025

Another incredible community StoryShare event in the books. Thank you to our StorySharers Boyd Boland, Claudia King and Sarah Bishop, your life stories are inspiring and heartwarming! Thank you to our artists, Franki Zinke, Sandy York and Dione Holt, your visual masterpieces truly captured our eyes and minds! Thank you to our creative writers, Emily Sinclair, Laura Lee Yates and Tom Wills your words brought so much perspective to the event! And last but not least, thank you to CU Playbavk Theatre, your improvisational skills are sensational and truly captured the essence of these stories! Also thank you to Mesa Winds for providing such a delicious catering spread. Stay tuned for a video recording of the event soon to be released by Bodhi Gilroy.

This Friday, join us for a FREE concert with local musician Dave McClellan!This wonderful happy hour live performance is...
05/15/2025

This Friday, join us for a FREE concert with local musician Dave McClellan!

This wonderful happy hour live performance is from 5-7pm in Curtis Hall.

"Born in the Blue Ridge Mountains of West Virginia and raised by bluegrass musicians, Dave McClellan never strays far from his roots. He can be found pickin' and singin' bluegrass, folk and country tunes at bars, festivals, or around campfires, sharing soothing songs of plight through his voice-forward style and acoustic picking. Come join him for a cocktail and some music at the Blue Sage on Friday, May 16th!"

Address

226 Grand Avenue
Paonia, CO
81428

Telephone

+19705277243

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Blue Sage Center for the Arts posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to Blue Sage Center for the Arts:

Shortcuts

Share

Category