Find Your Creative Outlet in Pueblo, CO

The city and its residents support a thriving arts and culture scene.

By Rebecca Treon on June 15, 2022

Jeff Adkins

Home to a variety of creatives, from those who focus on adorning buildings with bright, colorful murals to those who prefer creating a gorgeous series for local galleries, an artistic vibe can be felt throughout Pueblo, CO.

Artists in Pueblo are provided with a platform to display their work, giving residents and visitors numerous venues to enjoy their finished pieces.

One organization paving the way for local artists is the Pueblo Arts Alliance, a nonprofit that works to promote and collaborate in the development of the local arts economy.

The alliance offers artists studio and gallery space and supports a number of art-related organizations in the community, including the Pueblo Art Guild, which is dedicated to increasing awareness about the arts, as well as the city’s oldest community theater group, Impossible Players, and Steel City Theatre Company, an all-encompassing theatrical organization.

Jeff Adkins

All About the Arts

A Colorado Certified Creative District, Pueblo’s Creative Corridor is centered around three historic centers of the city: Downtown Main Street, Union Avenue Historic District and Mesa Junction. Each is designed in a way that makes it easy for individuals to enjoy the arts, be it by way of programs, festivals, galleries, museums, cafes, sculptures or live music, which often takes place along the Riverwalk. The Riverwalk is a paved pedestrian path lined with cafes and restaurants that follows the original path of the Arkansas River and winds through downtown Pueblo.

Each month, Pueblo’s Creative Corridor holds First Friday Art Walk, where locals and visitors can find art-related festivities in each district. For example, they can explore 35+ galleries featuring everything from pottery to textiles, listen to live music and more.

“Art is as necessary as breathing. When people need color and life, they turn to artists,” says Karen Foglesong, executive director of the Pueblo Arts Alliance.. “There’s something for everyone here, whether that’s the indoor/outdoor art show at Memorial Park, visiting galleries or visiting the Sangre de Cristo Arts Center, which has galleries, theater and dance, and the Buell Children’s Museum.”

Jeff Adkins

Drum Up a Favorite Activity

No matter a visitor’s or resident’s art preference, everyone is sure to find something they love in the region.

Foglesong recommends individuals explore Pueblo’s many galleries, like Steel City Art Works, a co-op with more than 40 eclectic artists; John Deaux Art Gallery, an acclaimed art space in an 1881 casino that shows the work of regional artists; Three One Three Gallery, which features prints of historic sites in Pueblo; Kadoya, which works to promote art for all; and Blo Back Gallery, Pueblo’s home of contemporary and thought-provoking art.

For individuals who would rather take in large-scale art, Pueblo also boasts the Levee Mural Project, a 3-mile-long mural on the levee along the Arkansas River.

For decades, locals of all ages have contributed to the stretches of concrete with paintings that tell the story of Pueblo’s history and its residents. Originally, the murals were painted to replace graffiti on the levee, and now, it has become a point of pride among community members. The project has required hours of volunteering as well as donated and recycled materials.

“I moved here because of the levee, and I painted on it before I lived here – it has so much history, so much diversity and richness. It’s just amazing,” says Cynthia Ramu, the Levee Mural Project’s coordinator and an artist herself. “I’ve been here for 30 years, and the arts here are thriving.”