By Janet Sellers
The unique aspect of our local Art Hop as an art fair is the chance to meet and interact with the artists themselves. Artists attend the events with their work to meet and interact with people and share their work. A personal connection adds a special dimension to the artwork and creates a memorable experience.
We have an engaging, festive atmosphere at the Art Hop in Monument. The air is filled with energy, creativity, and a sense of celebration. We can enjoy browsing through art displays, listening to live music, trying cuisine at food trucks, and engaging in conversation with fellow enthusiasts. It’s an immersive experience that can be both entertaining and inspiring. And the best part is you get to take the art and the memories of the day home with you.
At Bella Art and Frame, I took some photos of some of the artists and talked to them about their work:
Lynn Roth was on hand to share his art images of colorful scenes in Cuba and the stories that go with them. Roth is a founding mentor for the new Palmer Lake Arts Council and has been active in the Tri-Lakes local arts scene with the Palmer Lake Art Group and many arts and civic events. He exhibits his art widely in Colorado and the West.
Steve Weed, the featured Bella Art and Frame exhibitor for June, talked to visitors about his portrait paintings. Weed’s exhibit had many paintings of characters of the West. He is the creator and instigator of the “Ashes to Art” project. He says the project was “created to ultimately show gratitude and help my neighborhood in Colorado Springs. The artwork incorporated charcoal and ash found in our yard and neighborhood, initially for my own emotional therapy. Then, they became a way that I could use my skills to thank the firefighters and police officers and also to help my neighbors who lost everything.”
John McClusky shared his natural landscape and night skies fine art photography at his booth. Ranging from the night skies of the West to bucolic and forest landscapes, his artwork shows nature’s beauty in the sky, land, and waterscapes. His photos are readily available locally, and as a lifelong science educator and college provost, he enjoys sharing his knowledge of nature and photography with others in pictures and in the field.
Photos by Janet Sellers.
Tom Ulmer showed his nature photography at his booth. He named his photo studio Rock 36 Photography. An Air Force Academy graduate with a career in the Air Force, he said he fell in love with the Alaskan wilds while developing his photography avocation. His work is viewed locally and in Broomfield. He has many photos of his favorite natural places and the animals that live there.
Janet Sellers is an artist, writer, and lecturer. Contact her at janetsellers@ocn.me.
Other Art Matters articles
- Art Matters – Art shapes our world—and shifts our gaze (10/30/2025)
- Art Matters – October is Arts Month: Artober with Monumental Impact (10/1/2025)
- Art Matters – What is art good for? (9/3/2025)
- Art Matters – We Can’t Unchop a Tree (7/31/2025)
- Art Matters – The many benefits of outdoor art and arts events (7/3/2025)
- Art Matters – On being a sketchy person in the art and cultural sector (6/7/2025)
- Art Matters – May Art Hop and art on the street (5/3/2025)
- Art Matters – Contemporary art: The return of bold beauty (4/5/2025)
- Art Matters – Amateur: art just for the love of it (3/1/2025)
- Art Matters – The arts as medicine; Palmer Lake Art Group plans new venues (2/1/2025)