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The Culinary Arts Fest raises money for the Glenwood Springs Art Council

The Culinary Arts Fest raises money for the Glenwood Springs Art Council

For the rest of October, visitors to the Glenwood Springs Art Council Gallery, 216 Sixth St., can admire colorful street art from Haiti and Cuba by local collector Tim Tonozzi.

The Arts Council regularly invites local artists, curators and collectors like Tonozzi to exhibit their work, an opportunity made possible through sponsorships, memberships and donations that keep the gallery’s doors open and the lights on.

“Most artists can go (to the gallery) and talk to Laurie Chase about exhibiting their art,” said Tonozzi, who has also volunteered for the Art Council. “So it can be an opening door for some people like me.”

A portion of the Art Council’s funds are also raised at the nonprofit’s largest annual fundraiser – the Culinary Arts Fest. The 24th Annual Culinary Arts Festival (21+) will be held Oct. 18 from 5 to 8 p.m. at the Hotel Colorado, 526 Pine St., Glenwood Springs.

This year’s Culinary Arts Festival has a Wild West theme and features live music from the Highway 82 Band, dancing, stock horse racing, silent auctions and a photo booth.

“I actually can’t wait to see these drunk people running around with their little stick horses,” said Laurie Chase, president of the Glenwood Springs Art Council. “We’re just trying to figure out if we should have a barrel race.”

Food and beverages come from 12 local restaurants, breweries and distilleries, including Hugo’s, Smoke Modern Barbeque, Marble Distilling and Riviera Supper Club and Scratch Kitchen. Tickets are $45 in advance and $55 at the door.

“It allows (guests) to experience, for example, the Marble Distillery in Carbondale,” Chase said. “It gives a lot of restaurants a chance to maybe do something different. It’s a wonderful way for them to give back to the community.”

Festival funds also support the Council’s scholarship program, as well as arts classes and free community events such as International Jazz Day and the Valley Bluegrass Jam, which advocate for and celebrate arts throughout the Valley.

Chase’s passion for art comes from her personal experiences. “My granddaughter has also been very involved in the dance program (at the Glenwood Springs Center for the Arts) in addition to the other programs…I’ve seen what it does for her and also for my daughter, who has mental health issues,” Chase said. “It really helps her to be able to express herself through art.”

At this year’s Culinary Arts Fest, she said she’s looking forward to “seeing people happy, having a good time and then of course making enough money to support our programs.” “Our scholarship program is the most important and it grows every year…. At least for me, the main goal is to help kids interested in art figure out how they can continue to be a part of the arts.”