Wix Gallery, a place for contemporary art in Southern Colorado
The grand opening of the Pueblo gallery coincides with March’s First Friday Artwalk.
A new gallery is taking on a different style of art in Southern Colorado. Rather than focusing on the popular Southwestern-style the region is known for, Wix Gallery is all about fine and contemporary art.
Industrial abstract artist Randy Wix is behind the new gallery, located on the Riverwalk, at 102 S. Victoria Ave. He’s invited five other artists to show at the gallery for the opening exhibit.
Contemporary artists Cristine Boyd, Paul Krueger, Justin Reddick, Kim Faiella and Liz McCombs are showing at the space.
“This particular group of creatives represents emerging, mid-career and established artists and their body of work offers a unique perspective of the depths and complexities of humanity,” Wix said in a news release.
The art now featured in the new gallery plays well with Wix’s style, which he says “is the result of studying the rebellious painters who appeared in the mid 1940s and experimenting with different mediums and styles.”
At the gallery preview Thursday evening, the artists said they were pleasantly surprised with what had come together in the small, but bright space. Prior to that day they hadn’t seen Wix’s finished product.
Southern Colorado is no stranger to the art game, but many galleries in the historic downtown district of Pueblo focus around Southwest art, as is the case in many galleries south of Denver. But Wix, and specifically this exhibit, showcases contemporary work.
There isn’t quite any other place like that, said artist Liz McCombs.
“We (contemporary artists) do exist,” she laughed.
Most of the featured artists hadn’t known each other prior to the gallery opening. But contemporary artists in the region seem to work with common themes, they said. “Like attracts like,” McCombs added.
Future planned shows include a featuring the art of tattoos and an exhibit featuring ‘cowboys and cannabis.’
The grand opening of the exhibit is March 3, which coincides with the First Friday Artwalk along the creative corridor in downtown Pueblo.
