Steamboat Creates

06/05/2026

FIRST FRIDAY ARTWALK IS TONIGHT

June 5 | 5–8 PM | Downtown Steamboat Springs

Start at the Depot Art Center, where the Riverwalk Collective - - fills both the Main Gallery and Bliss Hall with 250/150 — a sweeping exhibition reflecting on land, people, and identity as the U.S. marks 250 years and Colorado marks 150. On view through July.

Then wander downtown:

Tread of Pioneers — This Is Native Art, Legacy, and Moments That Made US, all on view now.

The Alley Gallery — Mary Beth Galer, featured guest artist through June.

Steamboat Art Museum — Oil Painters of America 35th National Exhibition. Refreshments served.

Slifer Smith and Frampton — Anita Merrigan, Summer 2026 Showcase, on view through October.

Jace Romick Gallery — New limited edition bull elk print, Yellowstone, black and white on metallic paper.

Pine Moon Fine Art — Opening reception for ‘7 & 7’ by Sandi Poltorak and Jill Leeson.

Free and open to all. Come join the fun!

06/03/2026

Steamboat Springs became a place of gathering, reflection and celebration on the evening of Thursday, May 28, as community members joined Tribal representatives, artists and local organizations for the official dedication of “The Northern Ute Bear Dancers,” a monumental public sculpture by renowned Southern Ute artist Oreland Joe Sr. Carved from Indiana limestone, “The Northern Ute Bear Dancers” depicts male and female Ute Tribal members participating in the annual spring ceremony shared among the three Ute Tribal Nations. Installed in Civic Plaza, in the heart of downtown Steamboat, the sculpture serves not only as a striking public artwork, but a permanent acknowledgment of the Yampa Valley’s original stewards.

Long before miners and ranchers, the valley has been the ancestral homeland of the Ute people. Today, the Southern Ute Indian Tribe, the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe and the Ute Indian Tribe of the Uintah and Ouray Reservation maintain enduring cultural and historical ties to the region. The dedication reflects broader efforts by local arts and cultural organizations to recognize that history through collaboration, education and public art.

“Public art has the power to bring people together in meaningful and lasting ways,” says Kim Keith, executive director of Steamboat Creates. “Oreland’s sculpture is not only a remarkable work of art, but also an opportunity to better understand the cultural traditions and living heritage of the Ute people.”

Hosted at Civic Plaza, the event centered around the traditional Bear Dance – a ceremony rooted in renewal, kinship and the changing of seasons. The Bear Dance carries deep spiritual and cultural meaning within Ute tradition. Passed down through generations, the ceremony marks the transition from winter into spring and symbolizes renewal, strength and connection to the natural world. According to Ute tradition, the dance originated from a story in which a bear emerged after hibernation and taught the songs and movements to the people.

06/02/2026

THE WRITERS GROUP HAS A NEW HOME THIS SUMMER

Starting June 4th, we’re gathering at Steamboat Art Museum every Thursday from 12-2 pm through August 6th. Same community, new space to find your words.

All writers welcome.

06/02/2026

Steamboat Springs dedicated a new statue by an Indigenous artist on Thursday as part of a Ute heritage celebration.

“The Northern Ute Bear Dancers” was carved in limestone by Oreland Joe, Sr. It depicts tribal members participating in a springtime ceremonial dance.

Read more about its meaning: https://buff.ly/A09sNI5

05/28/2026

YOUNG AT ART SPOTLIGHT — Meet the people who will make your kid’s summer unforgettable.

A FORMER ARCHITECT WHO WORKS WITH DISNEY. A LICENSED ART TEACHER WHO MAKES IT PERSONAL. SAME WEEK. SIGN THEM UP.

BUILDING STORIES
June 29–July 3 | Mon–Fri | 8:30am–12:00pm | Ages 9–12
Teacher: Eric Anderson |
Eric is an architect-turned-artist who currently contributes to projects for Disney Paris and has worked on theme parks and children’s parks around the world. In Building Stories, he brings that imaginative design lens to kids — campers create expressive “building faces” using drawing, collage, and mixed media while exploring mood, pattern, light, and shadow. They leave with a series of architectural characters that are equal parts art and storytelling. Pair with Mixed Media Madness for a full creative day.

MINI MASTERS
June 29–July 3 | Mon–Fri | 1:30–4:30pm | Ages 5–8
Teacher: Nisty Tharp | Nisty Artwork
Nisty is a licensed art teacher who has taught both elementary and high school — and her superpower is figuring out exactly how each kid learns and creating from there. In Mini Masters, campers explore a new famous artist every day, experimenting with their style through painting, drawing, and collage. Kids leave with a gallery of masterpieces inspired by the greats and real confidence in their own artistic voice. Pair with Destination Imagination: Animal Friends for a full creative day.

Spots are limited — register now.
https://www.steamboatcreates.org/yaa/

05/27/2026

And this is why we do it every year.

Cabaret is 44 years strong because of this community – the volunteers who show up behind the scenes, the cast who pours everything into every performance, and the businesses who make it all possible.

Thank you to our volunteers – you are the backbone of this show. And thank you to our 2026 sponsors:

Steamboat Surgery Center - Steamboat Comedy - The Group Realty - Land Title - Central Park Management - City of Steamboat Springs - Davidson Tax Company - MDM Insurance - Mambo/Besame Restaurant Group - Doug Labor - WTM Builds - Ace Hardware - Berlet Roofing - Edward Jones - Artic Liquor - Yampa Sandwich Company - Steamboat Meat and Seafood - Aces High - Moe’s BBQ - Holiday Inn Express & Suites Steamboat - KPA Productions - Origin Apparel - Steamboat Radio

See you next year.

Steamboat Surgery Center
Steamboat Comedy
The Group Real Estate Steamboat
Land Title Guarantee Company
City of Steamboat Springs - Government
Berlet Roofing
Edward Jones
Arctic Liquors
Mambo Steamboat
Besame Steamboat
Doug Labor
Steamboat Ace Hardware
Yampa Sandwich Company
Steamboat Meat & Seafood Co.
Steamboat Radio

05/27/2026

Join us this Thursday!

05/26/2026

LAST CHANCE: EARTH WOVEN

Earth Woven closes at the end of May — come see it before it does.

Gwendolyn Hill’s sculptural works, built from wood, leather, wire, resin, and found materials, weave together histories of land, culture, and collective responsibility. Rooted in Indigenous ways of knowing, the exhibition invites visitors to engage intellectually, physically, and emotionally — with subtle sounds from the natural world woven into the experience.

Then join us this Thursday, May 28, for a free community evening honoring Ute Indian culture and the public art of Indigenous sculptor Oreland Joe. Bear Dance Ceremony at Civic Plaza at 5 PM, followed by a potluck reception at the Depot Art Center at 6:30 PM. Bring a dish to share.

Two ways to show up for art and community this week — we hope to see you at both.

steamboatcreates.org/bear-dance-ceremony-community-potluck

05/26/2026