The Art Base

Watercolor Techniques, Methods & Creative Exploration Series: with Rebecca Stirling
2026-04-08 10:00 - 12:30, 2026-04-15 10:00 - 12:30, 2026-04-22 10:00 - 12:30 (America/Denver) | The Art Base, 174 Midland Ave., Basalt, CO, 81621, United States
April 1, 8, 15, 22, 2026 (4 classes)
Wednesdays, 10:00 AM – 12:30 PM
All Skill Levels Welcome
Supplies Provided
Discover watercolor’s versatility in a skill-building, creatively rich course. Learn wet-on-wet, wet-on-dry, salt texture, and wax resist, plus paint handling, layering, and composition. Build confidence with guided exercises, then create finished pieces: a landscape, floral portrait, and expressive watercolor collage. All levels welcome—experiment, refine your style, and deepen your understanding of watercolor as a medium of personal expression.
Register

Art After School (Wednesdays - April)
2026-04-08 15:30 - 17:00, 2026-04-15 15:30 - 17:00, 2026-04-22 15:30 - 17:00, 2026-04-29 15:30 - 17:00
This after-school art class is a creative playground for middle school students who love to make, experiment, and try new things.

Mend + Embellish + Stitch
2026-04-08 18:00 - 20:00, 2026-04-15 18:00 - 20:00
April 8 and 15, 2026
Wednesdays, 6:00PM – 8:00PM
No experience necessary
Bring textile items you wish to decorate or repair
Learn the art of visible mending and hand stitching. Repurpose your well-loved clothing and textiles by repairing and reimagining. Using simple hand-sewing techniques, you’ll explore both practical and creative ways to mend holes, reinforce worn areas, or simply to add personal style through stitch. Learn Sashiko Basics – a traditional Japanese hand-stitching technique using strong thread and small running stitches (“little stabs”) in geometric or freeform patterns to repair, patch, and strengthen fabric. Darning Basics – an introduction to darning, a woven repair technique used to rebuild worn or missing areas in garments. Embroidery Basics – basic hand stitching, pattern transfer methods, and decorative techniques to create the look you want while adding beauty and durability.This workshop is ideal for beginners as well as anyone interested in sustainable fashion, textile arts, or giving favorite pieces new life. You’ll leave with practical skills, creative inspiration, and more confidence in hand mending.
Register

Oil Painting: with Matt Hays (Session I)
2026-04-09 13:00 - 15:30
April 2 – 23, 2026
Thursdays, 1:00PM – 3:30PM
All Skill Levels
Supplies Provided
Explore the full painting process from start to finish, with an emphasis on using light to create depth, atmosphere, and life. Learn surface prep and why it matters, then dive into underpainting, grisaille, and the slow build of color through glazing and finishing. With demos, guided practice, and individual feedback, you’ll strengthen values, form, and luminosity at every stage—great for oil beginners or painters refining their process.
Register

Thursdays - Youth Art Academy (Printmaking)
2026-04-09 15:30 - 17:00, 2026-04-16 15:30 - 17:00, 2026-04-23 15:30 - 17:00, 2026-04-30 15:30 - 17:00
Printmaking: with Sarah McMahon (4 Classes)
Thursdays, April 9-30
3:30 PM – 5:00 PM
Ages 9+

This is a beginner friendly printmaking class designed just for kids – no experience needed! Young artist will design, carve, ink and create their own original prints in a fun hands on environment. All materials are provided, and kids will get to take home their own unique prints.
Register

Art, Healing + Hope: with Sheri Gaynor
2026-04-11 09:30 - 11:30
April 11, 2026
Saturday, 9:30AM / 11:30AM
Open to all skill levels
Bring your own journal, all other supplies provided
Experience the power of visual journaling at The Art Base—an uplifting, FUN process for healing, stress relief, and decompression. Explore your inner world through paint, color, and images, making connections and drawing insight from within. All levels welcome; the focus is on process, not the end result. Bring a sketchbook/journal (or purchase one for $20). Supplies included. We can’t wait to see your creativity come to life!

Register

Journaling with Watercolor: with Missy Prudden
2026-04-11 10:00 - 15:00
April 11, 2026
Saturday, 10:00AM – 3:00PM
All Levels Welcome
Supplies including journal are provided
Capture journeys near and far with watercolor journaling. Combine your love of the outdoors with a creative practice as you write, sketch, and paint both indoors and out. Learn simple watercolor techniques, quick drawing tips, and ways to add words to your pages—turning everyday moments and adventures into a personal, portable record.
Register

Sunday, April 12 - Crafternoon
2026-04-12 10:00 - 12:00
Free family Crafternoons at the Art Base

This monthly arts and crafts program is designed for the whole family. Each session features a new theme inspired by the calendar and seasonal holidays. Bring your children and join in on the fun!
No need to register.
Questions? Please email info@theartbase.org.
Upcoming 2026 Crafternoon dates:

Sunday, March 15, 10 AM — 12 PM Theme: Rainbows & Raindrops (and whispers on kittens)
Sunday, April 12, 10 AM — 12 PM Theme: Butterflies & Bugs
Sunday, May 3, 10 AM — 12 PM Theme: Spring flowers & Frogs (Mother’s Day cards) Open House at the Art Base!

June – September every Sunday at the Basalt Sunday Market, 10 am – 2 pm!

Art After School (Tuesdays - April)
2026-04-14 15:30 - 17:00, 2026-04-21 15:30 - 17:00, 2026-04-28 15:30 - 17:00

Exhibition: Claudette Carter ARTMentors
2026-04-17 11:00 - 2026-05-02 17:00
On view: April 17 to May 2, 2026
Opening Reception: Friday, April 17 from 5 PM- 7 PM
Artist Talk: Friday, April 17 at 5:30 PM

The Claudette Carter ARTMentorship (CCAM) is a free five-month program that connects aspiring young artists with experienced local mentors to explore the value of the artistic process. The program culminates in a group exhibition at the Art Base.
CCAM is open to high school sophomores, juniors, seniors, and homeschool students. Each mentor-mentee pair works together to build strong communication skills, solve creative challenges, and, most importantly, make art!
We would like to thank Richard Carter and Laura Donnelley for proudly sponsoring this program.
Thank you to our generous 2026 Annual Exhibition Sponsor, Alpine Bank

Opening Reception: Claudette Carter ARTMentors Exhibition 2026
2026-04-17 17:00 - 19:00
Opening Reception: Friday, April 17 from 5 PM- 7 PM
Artist Talk: Friday, April 17 at 5:30 PM
On view: April 17 to May 2, 2026

The Claudette Carter ARTMentorship (CCAM) is a free five-month program that connects aspiring young artists with experienced local mentors to explore the value of the artistic process. The program culminates in a group exhibition at The Art Base.
CCAM is open to high school sophomores, juniors, seniors, and homeschool students. Each mentor-mentee pair works together to build strong communication skills, solve creative challenges, andÑmost importantly—make art!
We would like to thank Richard Carter and Laura Donnelley for proudly sponsoring this program.
Thank you to our generous 2026 Annual Exhibition Sponsor, Alpine Bank

Hues + Brews - Spring Linocut Printmaking: with Maya Abraham
2026-04-28 18:00 - 20:00
Tuesday, April 28, 2026
6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
All levels welcome
Supplies included
Linocut Printmaking back by popular demand! Learn the basics of linoleum carving and block printing—safe tool use, simple carving techniques, inking, and printing—to create your own cards or prints. Perfect for beginners and experienced makers alike.
4th Tuesday LGBTQIA+ Art & Social Night On the 4th Tuesday of each month, local LGBTQIA+ community and allies gather to socialize, make art, network, and have fun—optionally with an adult beverage. Enjoy a rotating mix of creative projects in a variety of media; no art experience needed. Come as you are, meet new friends, and explore creativity in a welcoming, low-pressure space.

Register

Sponsored by ASPEN OUT

Collage Project, A Creative Workshop for Moms: with Angilina Taylor
2026-04-30 17:30 - 20:00
April 30, 2026
Thursday, 5:30 PM – 8:00 PM
Open to all skill levels
Supplies provided
Turn your kids’ art into a modern collage you’ll be proud to hang. As mothers, we save these little masterpieces to honor creativity and hold onto milestones—yet they often end up tucked in boxes or binders. Let’s slow down together. Join other mothers for an afternoon of reflection, mental fitness, and creativity as we explore the intersection of motherhood and well-being, then transform 20–30 saved pieces into meaningful new artwork. Bring: 20–30 pieces of your kids’ art.
Register

Saturday, May 2 - Crafternoon with Open House at the Art Base
2026-05-02 12:00 - 15:00
A Special Crafternoon runs alongside the Art Base Open House!
Our Open House event will celebrate the Art Base’s 30th Anniversary. Stay tuned for more details.

The Art Base Community Open House
2026-05-02 12:00 - 17:00
We’re opening our doors wide to welcome YOU, our community, for a special day of art, connection, and creativity at the Art Base on Saturday, May 2, 2026.
The Art Base, established in 1996 (formerly the Wyly Community Art Center), has been dedicated to fostering creative expression in the visual arts for all ages and abilities for 30 years. This event is our way of saying thank you and sharing the joy of what we do.
Join us for the full experience or drop in when you can!

The Art Base Community Open House
Saturday, May 2
12 PM – 5 PM

12 – 4 PM
🎨 Hands-on Art Making
🖍️ Crafternoons
🖌️ Button-Making
🖼️ Collaborative Mural
✏️ Chalk Art

12 – 2 PM
🐾 Sticker Tattoo Station

3 – 3:30 PM
🗣️ Bilingual Guided Tour

4 PM
📣 Public Talk and Champagne Toast
with Founder Deb Jones and artist, Reina Katzenberger

All-day activities!
Fun for all ages and abilities!
Free and open to the public!

We hope you’ll join us!

Exhibition: Savanna LaBauve "Echoes"
2026-05-08 11:00 - 2026-06-06 17:00
Exhibition Details
On view: May 8 – June 6, 2026 Opening Reception: Friday, May 8 | 5:00–7:00 PM Location: The Art Base, 174 Midland Ave, Basalt, CO Admission: Free and open to the public
Artist Talk/Interactive Public Art Event: includes a participatory artwork and public event, Textures of Topography, on Friday, May 8, from 5 – 7 PM in the Art Base gallery. Visitors are invited to make barefoot impressions in clay, adding their marks to those already there. Over the course of the event, these layers will overlap and change one another. The finished piece will be fired and returned to the gallery later in the exhibition, creating a shared record shaped by many people.
Public Events with the Artist:
Textures of Topography
Opening Reception Friday, May 8From 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM
Please join us the night of Savanna LaBauve’s opening reception, visitors are invited to make barefoot impressions in clay, adding their marks to those already there. Over the course of the event, these layers will overlap and change one another. The finished piece will be fired and returned to the gallery later in the exhibition, creating a shared record shaped by many people.
Art Lunch with Savanna LaBauve – Public Event
Thursday, May 28 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM Free and open to the public Art Lunch is our routine excuse to gather around the table. Bring a bagged lunch and let conversation roam.
Closing Reception with Savanna LaBauve
Saturday, June 6
4:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Free and open to the public

Join artist Savanna LaBauve at the close of Echoes for an artist talk and the unveiling of Textures of Topography. During the opening reception, the community was invited to leave their barefoot mark on a large slab of clay — that piece has since been fired and returns to the gallery transformed. Come see what we made together, hear more about the ideas behind the show, and celebrate the close of the exhibition.

About the Artist
Savanna LaBauve is a ceramic artist based in Carbondale, Colorado. With a background in painting and drawing, her practice has evolved over the past six years into a deeply tactile exploration of form, material, and process. Her work investigates repetition, memory, and transformation through hand-built ceramic forms that balance structure and fragility.
About Echoes
The Art Base is pleased to present Echoes, a solo exhibition by Carbondale-based ceramic artist Savanna LaBauve, on view May 8 through June 6, 2026. An opening reception will be held on Friday, May 8, from 5:00 to 7:00 PM, with an artist talk at 5:30 PM. Echoes is a sister show to Orbit, opening a few weeks later at Seesaw Gallery in South Denver; together, the two shows thematically explore the idea of constellations and their points of intersection. In LaBauve’s practice, echoes are the reverberations of previous choices and ideas, returning from somewhere else slightly anew — distorted by time and experience. The connective tissue is what gets left behind, and how that memory shapes what comes after.

This exhibition is sponsored by Karen White Interior Design, and we are grateful to our 2026 Annual Exhibition Sponsor, Alpine Bank.

Present in this exhibition are what LaBauve calls “portals” — rectangular forms built around a deliberate absence, a cut-out at the center that draws the eye inward. Some of these portals feel like longstanding caverns, others are suspended in their forward momentum, a snapshot in time. The portals carry a sense of struggle: to puncture primarily, but also to preserve the space between. As the mass around them presses in, there is a sense of vulnerability in how they resist the weight of the clay. The work suggests that an absence is contingent: a space can is best perceived when it is in danger of collapsing. These sculptures ask the viewer to consider the space as the subject — a thin threshold between what is, what was, and what could be.
A recurring theme in the work is bifurcation, where one becomes two, like trees branching or rivers forking. In the series of pierced sculptures that resemble baskets, this plays out through a dialogue between object and shadow. A cyanotype, a sun-printed photographic record of shadow, captures the outline of one structure, and that shadow becomes the blueprint for the next. The process repeats, as each shadow inflects and distorts the form of the next sculpture— a process LaBauve likens to memory. Solid and inanimate become interchangeable, as the work moves forward, alternating between directions — the shadow sometimes leading the form for a change. For LaBauve, the work is formed by pinch and touch, a slow process of mark-making with an emphasis on remaining a physical record.
The exhibition opening also includes a participatory artwork and public event, Textures of Topography, on Friday, May 8, from 5 – 7 PM at the Art Base gallery. Visitors are invited to make barefoot impressions in clay, adding their marks to those already there. Over the course of the event, these layers will overlap and change one another. The finished piece will be fired and returned to the gallery later in the exhibition, creating a shared record shaped by many people.

Opening Reception: Savanna LaBauve "Echoes"
2026-05-08 17:00 - 19:00
Exhibition Details
On view: May 8 – June 6, 2026Opening Reception: Friday, May 8 | 5:00–7:00 PMLocation: The Art Base, 174 Midland Ave, Basalt, COAdmission: Free and open to the public
Artist Talk/Interactive Public Art Event: includes a participatory artwork and public event, Textures of Topography, on Friday, May 8, from 5 – 7 PM in the Art Base gallery. Visitors are invited to make barefoot impressions in clay, adding their marks to those already there. Over the course of the event, these layers will overlap and change one another. The finished piece will be fired and returned to the gallery later in the exhibition, creating a shared record shaped by many people.
Public Events with the Artist:
Textures of Topography
Opening Reception Friday, May 8From 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM
Please join us the night of Savanna LaBauve’s opening reception, visitors are invited to make barefoot impressions in clay, adding their marks to those already there. Over the course of the event, these layers will overlap and change one another. The finished piece will be fired and returned to the gallery later in the exhibition, creating a shared record shaped by many people.
Art Lunch with Savanna LaBauve – Public Event
Thursday, May 2812:00 PM – 1:00 PM
Free and open to the publicArt Lunch is our routine excuse to gather around the table. Bring a bagged lunch and let conversation roam.
Closing Reception with Savanna LaBauve
Saturday, June 6
4:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Free and open to the public

Join artist Savanna LaBauve at the close of Echoes for an artist talk and the unveiling of Textures of Topography. During the opening reception, the community was invited to leave their barefoot mark on a large slab of clay — that piece has since been fired and returns to the gallery transformed. Come see what we made together, hear more about the ideas behind the show, and celebrate the close of the exhibition.
About the Artist
Savanna LaBauve is a ceramic artist based in Carbondale, Colorado. With a background in painting and drawing, her practice has evolved over the past six years into a deeply tactile exploration of form, material, and process. Her work investigates repetition, memory, and transformation through hand-built ceramic forms that balance structure and fragility.
About Echoes
The Art Base is pleased to present Echoes, a solo exhibition by Carbondale-based ceramic artist Savanna LaBauve, on view May 8 through June 6, 2026. An opening reception will be held on Friday, May 8, from 5:00 to 7:00 PM, with an artist talk at 5:30 PM.
Echoes is a sister show to Orbit, opening a few weeks later at Seesaw Gallery in South Denver; together, the two shows thematically explore the idea of constellations and their points of intersection. In LaBauve’s practice, echoes are the reverberations of previous choices and ideas, returning from somewhere else slightly anew — distorted by time and experience. The connective tissue is what gets left behind, and how that memory shapes what comes after.

This exhibition is sponsored by Karen White Interior Design, and we are grateful to our 2026 Annual Exhibition Sponsor, Alpine Bank.

Present in this exhibition are what LaBauve calls “portals” — rectangular forms built around a deliberate absence, a cut-out at the center that draws the eye inward. Some of these portals feel like longstanding caverns, others are suspended in their forward momentum, a snapshot in time. The portals carry a sense of struggle: to puncture primarily, but also to preserve the space between. As the mass around them presses in, there is a sense of vulnerability in how they resist the weight of the clay. The work suggests that an absence is contingent: a space can is best perceived when it is in danger of collapsing. These sculptures ask the viewer to consider the space as the subject — a thin threshold between what is, what was, and what could be.
A recurring theme in the work is bifurcation, where one becomes two, like trees branching or rivers forking. In the series of pierced sculptures that resemble baskets, this plays out through a dialogue between object and shadow. A cyanotype, a sun-printed photographic record of shadow, captures the outline of one structure, and that shadow becomes the blueprint for the next. The process repeats, as each shadow inflects and distorts the form of the next sculpture— a process LaBauve likens to memory. Solid and inanimate become interchangeable, as the work moves forward, alternating between directions — the shadow sometimes leading the form for a change.
For LaBauve, the work is formed by pinch and touch, a slow process of mark-making with an emphasis on remaining a physical record.
The exhibition opening also includes a participatory artwork and public event, Textures of Topography, on Friday, May 8, from 5 – 7 PM at the Art Base gallery. Visitors are invited to make barefoot impressions in clay, adding their marks to those already there. Over the course of the event, these layers will overlap and change one another. The finished piece will be fired and returned to the gallery later in the exhibition, creating a shared record shaped by many people.

Textures of Topography with Savanna LaBauve
2026-05-08 17:00 - 19:00
Textures of Topography
A public art event with participation from the public
Friday, May 8
5:00 PM – 7:00 PM
A part of Savanna LaBauve’s exhibition, Echoes, includes a participatory artwork and public event, Textures of Topography, on Friday, May 8, from 5 – 7 PM at the Art Base gallery. Visitors are invited to make barefoot impressions in clay, adding their marks to those already there. Over the course of the event, these layers will overlap and change one another. The finished piece will be fired and returned to the gallery later in the exhibition, creating a shared record shaped by many people.

Exhibition Details
On view: May 8 – June 6, 2026 Opening Reception: Friday, May 8 | 5:00–7:00 PM Location: The Art Base, 174 Midland Ave, Basalt, CO Admission: Free and open to the public
Public Events with the Artist:
Textures of Topography
Opening Reception Friday, May 8 From 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM Please join us the night of Savanna LaBauve’s opening reception, visitors are invited to make barefoot impressions in clay, adding their marks to those already there. Over the course of the event, these layers will overlap and change one another. The finished piece will be fired and returned to the gallery later in the exhibition, creating a shared record shaped by many people.
Art Lunch with Savanna LaBauve – Public Event
Thursday, May 28 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM Free and open to the public Art Lunch is our routine excuse to gather around the table. Bring a bagged lunch and let conversation roam.
Closing Reception with Savanna LaBauve
Saturday, June 6
4:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Free and open to the public

About the Artist
Savanna LaBauve is a ceramic artist based in Carbondale, Colorado. With a background in painting and drawing, her practice has evolved over the past six years into a deeply tactile exploration of form, material, and process. Her work investigates repetition, memory, and transformation through hand-built ceramic forms that balance structure and fragility.
About Echoes
The Art Base is pleased to present Echoes, a solo exhibition by Carbondale-based ceramic artist Savanna LaBauve, on view May 8 through June 6, 2026. An opening reception will be held on Friday, May 8, from 5:00 to 7:00 PM, with an artist talk at 5:30 PM. Echoes is a sister show to Orbit, opening a few weeks later at Seesaw Gallery in South Denver; together, the two shows thematically explore the idea of constellations and their points of intersection. In LaBauve’s practice, echoes are the reverberations of previous choices and ideas, returning from somewhere else slightly anew — distorted by time and experience. The connective tissue is what gets left behind, and how that memory shapes what comes after.

This exhibition is sponsored by Karen White Interior Design, and we are grateful to our 2026 Annual Exhibition Sponsor, Alpine Bank.

Present in this exhibition are what LaBauve calls “portals” — rectangular forms built around a deliberate absence, a cut-out at the center that draws the eye inward. Some of these portals feel like longstanding caverns, others are suspended in their forward momentum, a snapshot in time. The portals carry a sense of struggle: to puncture primarily, but also to preserve the space between. As the mass around them presses in, there is a sense of vulnerability in how they resist the weight of the clay. The work suggests that an absence is contingent: a space can is best perceived when it is in danger of collapsing. These sculptures ask the viewer to consider the space as the subject — a thin threshold between what is, what was, and what could be. A recurring theme in the work is bifurcation, where one becomes two, like trees branching or rivers forking. In the series of pierced sculptures that resemble baskets, this plays out through a dialogue between object and shadow. A cyanotype, a sun-printed photographic record of shadow, captures the outline of one structure, and that shadow becomes the blueprint for the next. The process repeats, as each shadow inflects and distorts the form of the next sculpture— a process LaBauve likens to memory. Solid and inanimate become interchangeable, as the work moves forward, alternating between directions — the shadow sometimes leading the form for a change. For LaBauve, the work is formed by pinch and touch, a slow process of mark-making with an emphasis on remaining a physical record. The exhibition opening also includes a participatory artwork and public event, Textures of Topography, on Friday, May 8, from 5 – 7 PM at the Art Base gallery. Visitors are invited to make barefoot impressions in clay, adding their marks to those already there. Over the course of the event, these layers will overlap and change one another. The finished piece will be fired and returned to the gallery later in the exhibition, creating a shared record shaped by many people.

(Rescheduling for Fall 2026) Quickscapes - Landscapes and Libations: with Matt Hays
2026-05-14 18:00 - 20:00
May 14, 2026
Wednesday, 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Supplies Provided
No experience necessary
Learn dynamic acrylic speed painting techniques to quickly create imaginative environmental landscapes in this painting class with Matt Hays. This class focuses on building scenes from your imagination using bold brushwork, efficient layering, and expressive color. Snacks and beverages included.
