Closing in on her vision of Woodland Park as an art mecca, Gayle Gross has captured the attention of downtown businesses. As of last week, seven downtown owners agreed to display works by master-level artists in their stores.

The Woodland Park Art Gallery debuts Oct. 3 during the initial First Friday Art Walk downtown. As of last week, the businesses included Great Outdoors Adventures, Reserve Our Gallery (one wall), Solid Grounds, Java Haus, The Cowhand, Mountain Home Décor and Donut Mill.

“This gallery is all connected, almost like an aspen grove,” said Gross, who initiated the art walk in Woodland Park as well as Reserve Our Gallery. “The art walk is one thing, but we can also have theme shows which could be a student show. We can do so many things with the gallery.”

For Gross, the idea is a marketing campaign for the businesses as well as the town and the artists, many of whom show their works in galleries in other places, Taos or Santa Fe, for instance.

“We have to create a destination for art in our area if we are ever going to have a gallery that is sustainable,” she said. “Because people don’t stop here for art, until we tell them about the art.”

The display in each store is a way to promote the inventory in addition to providing opportunities for artists.

“The idea is to mix the art in with what’s already happening in the store,” Gross said.

With October honored around the region as Arts Month, in addition to the deluge of leaf-peepers traveling through Ute Pass, the timing is critical.

“The Woodland Park Art Gallery is a marketing campaign for the town, the businesses and the artists,” she said. “We can have our own ways to promote the town, businesses, and art school,” she said, referring to her Destination Art School in the Tamarac Business Center.

“If I’m true to my mission of helping artists to be successful, then I’ve got to bring the people,” she said. “And I’ve got the have the art. This is all part of Destination Art Pikes Peak.”

The First Friday Art Walk is from 4 to 7 p.m. Oct. 3. A self-guided experience, the art walk includes a free shuttle due to the distance of Great Outdoors Adventure to the core of downtown.