Oh Be Joyful Gallery: Fine Art for Crested Butte
- Shelby Keefe “Passing Through” 36×48 oil
“There is something so gratifying about seeing Crested Butte’s beauty expressed in paint by some of the best artists in the West.”
– Nicholas Reti, Gallery Owner and Artist
- Taylor Crisp “Canyon Depths” 24×24 oil
“I’m always looking to add unique new artists to the gallery who increase the diversity and quality of our offerings,” Reti explains. The main focus of art in the Gunnison Country is the incredibly inspiring landscapes we live and play in. As Crested Butte grows so does the variety and selection of art in local galleries for patrons to discover.
Crested Butte has some of the most supportive and engaged collectors anywhere, whose patronage attracts highly sought after artists from across the country. Over the past ten years the gallery has grown to represent over 35 artists, including six locals, at all career points ranging from artists found in top collections to promising early career painters.
Unique to Crested Butte, Oh Be Joyful Gallery offers a deep selection of museum quality artwork ranging from perfect little gems to monumental masterpieces. The quality and breadth of artwork in the gallery has attracted clients from over 30 states and several countries.
Throughout the summer season the gallery mounts a new exhibition every two to four weeks. Our most avid collectors show up in early June to get a first look at over 100 new paintings we receive in anticipation of our busy summer season. Oftentimes paintings are snapped up before they even make it up on the walls.
Crested Butte’s dynamic arts organizations open up a myriad of opportunities for collaboration with galleries. The Crested Butte Film Festival invited internationally known artist Jeremy Mann to screen a documentary film about the artist’s process. Oh Be Joyful Gallery coordinated a show and sale of his paintings and launch of his new book to coincide with the screening.
The gallery is also spearheading a research project to uncover and archive the history of art in Crested Butte and Gunnison. The project’s progress and findings will be unveiled at the grand opening of the new Crested Butte Center for the Arts in June of 2019. The newly designated Crested Butte Creative District awarded the project a grant to support the effort.