LOCAL NEWS
Five Questions: Alyson Kinkade, a lifetime in the arts


Columbine Gallery closing June 1

By PAMELA JOHNSON 
Loveland Reporter-Herald
May 7, 2023 at 8:00 p.m.




Alyson Kinkade has been creating art for, as she said, “as long as I can remember.”
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The painter, who runs Columbine Gallery in Loveland with her dad, John Kinkade, is one of 62 artists with pieces in the Governor’s Art Show underway at the Loveland Museum, and dips her paintbrush into many different colors of the art world.

With the National Sculptor’s Guild, she helps place large sculptures in public art collections.

With the gallery, which is closing in June and transitioning to online only, she has provided a place for artists to display and sell their work, and for people to view a variety of different types of art.
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With her paints, she creates a unique world for people to enjoy.

1. How did you first start as an artist? What is your specialty?
I have enjoyed creating art for as long as I can remember, with great art teachers throughout my primary schools in Greeley and Loveland, and a supportive family with creative friends even before my family started the art gallery. I grew up with encouragement to try all methods and materials that art can take form in, going to the Creative Arts Center all through elementary school.  …  My (junior high) art teacher was Dan Augenstein — we called him Auggie — who I later got to represent as an artist in our gallery. He’s also in the Governor’s Art Show. He specialized in ceramics at the time, so I created a series of ceramic animals that I then sold at Arts Picnic. Connie Einfalt and Laurie White were my art teachers at Loveland High and they were wonderful for exploring photography, sculpture and jewelry making, rare mediums to find at public schools. An enthusiastic art teacher makes a huge impact for a young creative and I’ve remained in contact with them. My junior year of high school I was fortunate enough to spend a summer at Interlochen Arts Camp, which helped me develop a portfolio to get a scholarship to attend the Kansas City Art Institute where I honed in on painting as my primary medium. Following graduation, I lived in Santa Fe where we had a second gallery at the time that I managed for a few years while also creating artwork; then returned to Loveland where I currently live, work and create.

My specialty is oil painting. I have a couple series right now, abstract landscapes and representational custom pet portraits. It’s nice to have the freeing intuitive work of the landscapes balanced by the tighter animal paintings. I love doing both.

2. What is your inspiration, in life and in art?
I am inspired by nature. I love to visually take in the expansive plains of Colorado with ever changing skies. I’m equally inspired by animals and helping groups who advocate for them. Proceeds from my ‘Happiness Is’ pet portrait series help me contribute to animal welfare organizations. I love to give back through my art.
The use of stacked colors in my landscape paintings represent one’s goals and ambitions laid out before them; and the sky is the space to contemplate new ideas. The horizon is where dreams and aspirations meet.

3. Describe the Governor’s Art Show. What makes it special? What is the draw for residents?
I am very proud to be juried in for my 10th time. It is wonderful to be part of such a unique show that gives back to the community through its sales. The 32nd Colorado Governor’s Art Show and Sale is one of the largest juried fine art shows in the state. It runs through June 11th at the Loveland Museum. …

What makes it so special is that it is truly is an “Art with Heart” exhibit, the show benefits Loveland and Thompson Valley Rotary Clubs’ charitable projects and causes. One-third of the proceeds go to the Thompson Education Foundation’s Homeless Assistance Fund and additional funds go toward scholarships for local art students. Scholarship winners have a piece displayed in the show on the back wall. I have met them, and they are impressive young people with bright futures.

Since 2016, the Governor’s Art Show has had different jurors every year, and that makes each show so distinctive and shows off new artists purely by the aesthetic value of who juried. This makes the show fresh, diverse, and full of what Colorado artists are currently expressing. There are 62 artists on display. You will discover artists from all corners of the state, and there is something for everyone. … The caliber of artists in the show is unmatched. (https://governorsartshow.org)

​4. What is the history of Columbine Gallery? I understand that the physical gallery will be closing. Why and what are the plans for transitioning online? What will become of the building?
Yes, this is our final month of being open to the public as Columbine Gallery. …
My father (John Kinkade) founded the National Sculptors’ Guild in 1992 with a dozen sculptors who wished to find thoughtful public applications for their work. JK Designs is the design team that promotes and provides consultation for the Guild. Columbine Gallery was opened as a space to show the artwork by members of the National Sculptors’ Guild when cities and companies would come out to meet on large-scale commissions. We started out in a small space at 1032 Lincoln Ave. The gallery walls were used to showcase regional painters, and after moving to our current location 2683 N. Taft Ave., Columbine grew into one of Northern Colorado’s largest fine art galleries housing over 50 artists at one time, and the adjacent National Sculptors’ Guild Sculpture Garden filled with 85-100 sculptures year-round.

After 30 years, we have elected to refocus our time and energy on the National Sculptors’ Guild and placing large-scale artwork in commercial and public spaces. Many Lovelanders may be unaware that we have a full-scale public art business, placing over 550 significant monuments across the nation over the years. While we have thoroughly enjoyed working with art appreciators of all levels, the true passion has always been in the design team approach it takes to place great public art. That is how we started, and we are feeling it is time to devote ourselves to the Guild once again.

We will continue to sell much of the artwork online, (nationalsculptorsguild.com), which has become a popular choice among art collectors.  …

This transition to less show space also allows me to pursue more opportunities for my own artwork, and my father can continue to work on his philanthropic projects that often combine the arts and helping community. It has been a privilege to serve the community of Loveland and our amazing stable of artists over the years. We look forward to continuing to do so in a different capacity.

We are thrilled to see someone new take the space with new energy and ideas to make their own mark on this special art-filled city. The Taft Avenue gallery and garden will continue to showcase art as the new owner is currently working to open ‘par-a-dox fine arts’ this summer. There will be different artists and events that will renew the space with creative energy. It feels good that our legacy will continue in this way.

5. What are your favorite places to enjoy art in Loveland?
Columbine Gallery and Garden (through May), Benson Sculpture Garden, Loveland Museum, Artworks, Artspace, Downtown Loveland (rotating sculptures and the growing mural collection) some of the local restaurants have fun rotating artwork (Muse, Verboten, Henry’s, West End) and occasionally I grab a blizzard at the Dairy Queen and enjoy seeing sculptures on loan there too. Loveland is full of great art and artists everywhere you go.

Bonus: What advice would you give to aspiring artists?
Dream big, put in the hours, seek out those who support your efforts, and give back when you can.

Alyson Kinkade
Years in Loveland: 26
Occupation: Artist, Director at Columbine Gallery and the National Sculptors' Guild

Pamela Johnson | Assistant Editor
Pamela Johnson is an award-winning journalist with two decades invested in the community of Loveland. She covers education, county government, environmental issues, outdoor recreation and whatever else she finds along the way. johnsonp@reporter-herald.com  Follow Pamela Johnson @RHPamelaJ

We are so pleased to share the coverage on the philanthropic efforts of the Colorado Governor's Art Show in Loveland's Reporter-Herald. This has been a passion project for Columbine's John Kinkade since 2015; and the increased funds and awareness raised for the TEF Resiliency Fund has been a personal highlight.

Tuesday, August 2, 2022
HOMELESS HELP
Governor's Art Show nets big donation for unhoused youths
TEF's Resiliency Fund gets boost
By Will Costello
wcostello@prairiemountainmedia.com
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Proceeds from the Governor's Art Show funded a $28,230 donation to the Thompson Education Foundation's Resiliency Fund for Unhoused Youth, a program that provides help to the students in the Thompson School District that are unhoused.

The Resiliency Fund, which has existed for around a decade, provides help to unhoused students, many of whom are underage and without parents or a legal guardian, in the form of gift cards to pay for groceries and gas, or paying for car repairs or new tires so that students can actually get to school.

"There are a whole variety of supports that other agencies can't provide," said Kim Akeley-Charron, executive director of TEF. This, she explained, is because many of the students the fund helps are both unaccompanied and under 18. The typical services that help minors in financial trouble are administered through parents or guardians, so children without them sometimes fall through the cracks.

An upcoming program operated by the Resiliency Fund will install "resource closets" in all the high schools across the district that will contain necessities like toothpaste and other hygiene items. It also helps graduating seniors afford caps and gowns for graduation ceremonies, and provides scholarships to some of those who are pursuing post-secondary education.

The Governor's Art Show, an annual tradition held in Loveland for decades, has funded the Resiliency Fund for Unhoused Youth for the last six years, said John Kinkade, board member for the Governor's Art Show and one of the main planners of the event. Prior to that, proceeds went to the Loveland and Thompson Valley Rotary Clubs, which jointly put on the event, and would then be spent on philanthropic causes of those organizations choosing.

Then Kinkade, who also serves on the Thompson Valley Rotary Committee that selects art scholarship recipients, encountered a young scholarship applicant who presented a portfolio that struck him. "It was really dark, really severe," he remembered. A fellow committee member asked about the nature of the student's work, and she described a series of harrowing life experiences that culminated in becoming unhoused.

Kinkade, moved, reached out to his friend, Akeley-Charron, to inquire further. "That just kind of blew me away," he said. Akeley-Charron told him that in addition to the young student Kinkade had encountered, there were hundreds more across the district who had similar experiences. He then insisted that in addition to funding the two Rotary Clubs' philanthropic efforts, one-third of the proceeds from the Governor's Art Show be earmarked for the Resiliency Fund.

The show has been donating to the fund ever since, totaling over $100,000 since 2016, Akeley-Charron said when the donation was announced. 

Kinkade, who volunteered the equivalent of six 40-hour workweeks preparing for this year's show, said the program is the primary reason he's still involved with the show. Both Kinkade and Akeley-Charron said that it was rewarding work, and that the recipients, many of whom face challenges unthinkable even to adults, are deserving. "We called it the Resiliency Fund, and that's exactly what these kids show," Akeley-Charron said. "Resiliency, every day."

All contents Copyright © 2022 Daily Reporter-Herald. All rights reserved. 

Below are some photos from past year's Governor's Art Show galas and events from our archives.

Columbine Gallery's John Kinkade was featured in Southwest Art's May issue about the upcoming Colorado Governor's Art Show and Sale. John has been the Governor’s Show Board and Show Committee events director for the past six years, and he explains in the article many of the changes he and his team have made to revitalize the show to appeal to today's art collectors and showcase Colorado artists to the fullest. This year marks 30 years.

Grab a Southwest Art magazine to read more, then check out the show which runs from May 22nd to June 27th at the Loveland Museum. Learn more.... governorsartshow.org/ click "buy tickets" to reserve your time in advance.

Several Columbine Gallery artists are in this years show, Denny Haskew is a Legacy Artist, other invited artists from Columbine are Mark Bailey, James Biggers, Jane DeDecker, Kim English, Clay Enoch, Daniel Glanz, Alyson Kinkade, Wayne Salge, Sandy Scott, Stephen Shachtman, you can spot them on the show's website. governorsartshow.org/selected-artists/

It's a peek at our Future,... and the Future is Bright!

We are pleased to host the finalist interviews for the Rotary Art Scholarship again tonight. Each year we grow more, and more impressed with the confident students who are showcasing their talents as they prepare to stretch their wings.
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The winners will be displayed at the Colorado Governor's Art Show & Sale. Just one more reason to go to the show this May.

Columbine's Dan Augenstein was featured live, this time giving Fox31 anchors a quick painting lesson.

Congratulations to Columbine's Daniel Augenstein whose painting is featured in the April Southwest Art Magazine story on the Colorado Governor's Art Show & Sale 

As the only show in Colorado that features both established and emerging artists based in the state, the Governor’s Art Show kicks off on Friday, April 28, at the Loveland Museum/Gallery. It’s more than just the finest Colorado painters and sculptors coming together in one exhibition—there are also live music performances, flash mobs, opera singers, a plein-air festival, bagpipers, and more. The Governor’s Art Show is celebrating its 26th year thanks to sponsorship from the Loveland and Thompson Valley Rotary Clubs, with net proceeds from the exhibition going to local youth and community organizations. John Kinkade, a co-chair of the annual show, says the mission of the event is twofold: “We aim to support our local community in need while also introducing Colorado residents to their artists,” he says. “We have so much artistic talent in our state to share.”

The festivities begin on Friday, April 28, with an opening gala and sale from 5 to 9 p.m. preceding the public opening on Saturday, April 29. Other highlights include Saturday artisan exhibits on May 6, 13, and 27 and a plein-air festival and auction throughout downtown Loveland on May 20. Kinkade says the aim is to make the whole event “festive, fun, and participatory.”

This year’s show features artwork in every kind of style, from traditional western themes to abstract ideas. There’s something for everyone, as each artist is invited to bring four pieces to the exhibition, totaling more than 230 works on view. And while there are many notable returning and established exhibitors, exactly 50 percent of the participants are new to the event—due, in part, to a blind jury made up of new committee members each year. The show bestows 10 awards of merit and a Best of Show award.

​Among the 300 artists who submitted work to be juried, Sabrina Stiles, Nancy Wylie, Pem Dunn, and Richard Schilling are just a few of the 55 artists selected. Mark Andrew Bailey, Karen Storm, Lora Witt, and Don Hamilton, all of whom won individual awards of merit last year, are returning. Noteworthy artists Alyson Kinkade and Jane DeDecker collaborated on a piece last year that was named Best of Show in a unanimous vote for a sculpture for the first time ever. They’ll both be returning as well. Finally, James Biggers, an Estes Park-based artist, has participated in the event every year since its inception—and this year will be no different for the landscape painter.
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This is Jane Hunt’s first time participating in the Governor’s Art Show. The Denver-based impressionist submitted her oil COLORADO SUMMER, choosing to focus on the dramatic sunset while minimizing the majesty of the mountains in the background. “There’s a lot of artists in the event that I admire,” Hunt says. “It will be nice to get together with Colorado artists and share that connection.” —Katie Askew
This story was featured in the April 2017 issue of Southwest Art magazine. Get the Southwest Art  April 2017 print issue or digital download now–then subscribe to Southwest Art and never miss another story.

Columbine Gallery was pleased to help this year's Colorado Governor's Art Show with a mini Art Tour so that Loveland's downtown eateries can promote the art community and the show's activities this May. 

Thanks to those who could join us. click here to purchase tickets for the April 28 Governor's Art Show Gala
Art purchases go toward the show's fundraising efforts benefiting the Thompson Education Foundation's Homeless Assistance Fund helping the district's homeless students..

The Colorado Governor's Art Show is celebrating its 25th year and Columbine Gallery wishes to acknowledge the fact that our artist James Biggers has been included in all 25 years of the annual juried exhibition demonstrating great consistency in creating strong, notable artwork. If you have not already, it's time to familiarize yourself with this great Colorado artist and add his work to your fine art collection.

​Columbine Gallery is proud to have 11 of our represented artists in the Governor's Art Show this year. We encourage you to see its final week at the Loveland Museum (thru May 29th); plus stop by Columbine Gallery for more art appreciation and collecting.

Introducing Colorado to its Artistic Talent" - April 24 - May 29, 2016 at the Loveland Museum/Gallery. 
Opening Night Gala: April 23.
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Over the past 6 months JK Designs' Principal, John Kinkade, has been pouring much of his knowledge, time and energy into the upcoming 25th Annual Governor's Art Show Happily we are seeing great acknowledgements as the events are beginning to unfold including the opening of Re-Fine-d Gallery this Friday. We believe the art community (artists and collectors alike) will love the show and all the extras that the Board Members have planned.... Beyond the Calendar of Events there will also be artists demonstrations at varied locations each weekend for the duration of the show. Columbine's Alyson Kinkade will be painting April 30th 2-4pm at Studio Vino, Carolyn Barlock at re-Fine-d Gallery May 7th 9-5 and Guest demonstrators Sabrina Stiles and Rodgers Naylor will be at Columbine Gallery May 14th 2-4pm.

“This event is not only an opportunity for Colorado artists to show their work,” says board member John Kinkade, “but also to introduce Coloradans to the amazing portfolios of many artistic talents we have in our state.” Indeed, this year’s show features works in a variety of media by 55 artists exploring myriad themes. More than 300 artists submitted work to the juried show, and while there are many returning and established exhibitors, nearly 25 percent of the participants are new to the event. 
--- To mark the silver anniversary, the show includes an exhibit honoring its “legacy” artists. “This show has been instrumental in introducing new Colorado talent early in their careers,” Kinkade says. “We’re bringing these artists back to the show through the legacy program.” Works owned by the City of Loveland from each of this year’s legacy artists—Fritz White, Kim English, and Quang Ho—are on display in the museum’s Green Room. English and Ho also bring new works available for purchase. 
---Proceeds from the show benefit a number of causes and groups supported by two local Rotary clubs. They also have helped to establish art scholarships for area students.
click below to read the full Southwest Art article,

click to view our Spring newsletter Art Events, Recent Public Art Placements and New Arrivals in the Gallery Thank you for living with art  --- Art Appreciators are our favorite kind of people! Happy Spring! enter TAXday between 3/15-4/15 for a special incentive on your next online purchase.

"Introducing Colorado to its Artistic Talent" - April 24 - May 29, 2016 at the Loveland Museum/Gallery. Opening Night Gala: April 23.
Many of Columbine's Artists are in this year's exhibit. 
Gary Alsum
Carolyn Barlock
James Biggers
Amelia Caruso
Jane DeDecker
Clay Enoch
Dan Glanz
Alyson Kinkade
Amy Laugesen
Jon Paul Price
Stephen Shachtman
Enjoy seeing their work in the show as well as the gallery this Spring.
Guest demonstrators Sabrina Stiles and Rodgers Naylor will be at Columbine Gallery May 14th

Needing to make room for fresh artwork? Or, looking for the piece that got away? This Spring is your chance to buy and sell previously owned artwork. check the website for more info.... or email

re-Fine-d Gallery is currently seeking secondary-market fine art to be consigned; or donated for sale, with the proceeds to benefit the Foundations of the Rotary Clubs of Loveland and Thompson Valley.

Media accepted include but are not limited to: painting, sculpture, drawing, ceramics, metalwork, textiles, unique or small-series woodcut prints and lithographs, glass, and mixed-media. Art will be accepted for consignment based on its merit and authenticity.

re-Fine-d Gallery will be open on April 8 – May 29. 225 East 4th Street Loveland, Colorado 80537
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Colorado Governor's Art Show & Sale Gala tickets will be available for purchase online or at the re-Fine-d Gallery. #reFINEdGallery #AfterMarketArtwork #BuySell #FineArt #GovArtShow