We are moving the needle forward in Teller County. The “TAVA” vibe is strong here and many creative people are capturing the light.

In Ute culture, “Tava” is the name for Pikes Peak, meaning “Sun Mountain,” because it is the first landform in the area to catch the morning sun. Pikes Peak holds deep cultural and spiritual significance as an ancestral place of origin for the Utes. We live in the region and are also catching the same sunlight every morning. I believe this makes our creativity shine brighter.

Artists are drawn to our area and one of the things we’ve been working on as an art community is Destination Art Pikes Peak. There have been a number of new activities happening, which fall in line with the DAPP mission as it includes all of Teller County. A new project for 2026 is a Progressive Art Weekend and I’d like to give you a glimpse of what it looks like just in case you’d like to be involved.

This Progressive Art Weekend is promoted as a progressive art opportunity. You visit one community for art activities and then you move on to the next. There’s no competition because the activities happen in an order and on a timeline. The planning and implementation of the Progressive Art Weekend brings community members from all of Teller County to the same table. Are you someone who would like to be part of planning this event scheduled for next June? Maybe you have an activity you’d like to see included. Please, reach out to me at 719-401-2301 or gayle@destinationartpikespeak.com/

The last weekend of November this year is a Progressive Art Weekend of sorts. The Mountain Artists host their Holiday Show on November 29 at the Ute Pass Cultural Center. It is from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. This is a great place for people to purchase art items from members of the local art group. This event is a long-standing favorite in the community and the atmosphere is heartwarming. This event is FREE to get into and there are ornaments you can purchase, which support an art education program.

November 30 is another big day in Woodland Park as we celebrate Artists Sunday for the fourth year in a row. Artists Sunday is an international day to celebrate the arts. Plan to stop by the Ute Pass Cultural Center on Sunday, Nov. 30, between 11 – 3 for a full schedule of activities. An artists’ workspace is set up so there are artists painting, drawing, working with clay, making jewelry, etc. There are also dancers, musicians, and a pop-up art gallery. The Mountain Eire Dancers are scheduled to perform at noon! This event is FREE to get into and is also a fundraiser for the Rampart Library District Foundation. Each participating artist contributes money to the foundation.

The art progression in Teller County is fluid and every creative person is invited to participate. Please, reach out if you’d like to find a way to plug into what’s happening.

Gayle Gross has been in Teller County since 1999. She has convened nonprofits for a group called SOAR, which is now raising money through collaborative fundraising. She also owns Reserve Our Gallery and opens the space for people to use for meetings and classes. Contact Gayle Gross at reserveourgallery@gmail.com or call 719-401-2301 for more information about being part of this column.