The Art Base

Call Directions Website Contact the school

The Art Base The Art Base fosters creative expression in the visual arts for all ages and abilities. We support our local artists!

The Art Base (formerly The Wyly Art Center), is a treasured community gathering place, housed in the old library building in historic downtown Basalt. The Art Base fosters creative expression in the visual arts for all ages and abilities—providing a base of operations for artists in the Roaring Fork Valley through education, exhibitions and events that support and stimulate the vitality of our community. We are working towards a higher concentration of arts in our community, with the goal of increased civic engagement, more social cohesion, higher child welfare and lower poverty rates. An education rich in the arts, regardless of socioeconomic status, improves academic performance, lowers drop-out rates and elevates GPAs and standardized test scores. The Art Base exhibits regional student, emerging, and established artists—are gallery openings are always on the second Friday of each month. We host free community art events and offer visual arts workshops for adults and children. We serve a highly diverse community that includes three Title I Schools with approximately 40% of students eligible for the Free or Reduced Lunch Program. The Art Base also provides art classes for the at-risk and under-served, including the developmentally disabled, teen parents and youth in addiction recovery. A combination of arts organizations, cultural events, and creative businesses has been shown to dramatically increase the financial vibrancy of the towns and cities in which they are located. Thank you for believing in the power of the arts!

Calling all high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors in the Roaring Fork Valley! 🎨 It's not too late! The Laura Thor...
10/12/2026

Calling all high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors in the Roaring Fork Valley!
🎨 It's not too late! The Laura Thorne Sculpture Program is accepting applications for its 2027 mentorship program at the Art Base.

👉 APPLY TODAY: visit www. theartbase . org to apply

This FREE teen mentorship program gives young artists the opportunity to work alongside a professional artist, explore sculpture, and create original artwork in a supportive studio environment.

The program culminates in a professional gallery exhibition at the Art Base, where students will have the opportunity to showcase their finished sculptures and celebrate their artistic accomplishments with family, friends, and the community.

Applications are OPEN NOW!
FREE teen mentorship program
October 2026 – January 2027
The Art Base, Basalt, CO
Open to Roaring Fork Valley high school sophomores, juniors & seniors

We are incredibly grateful to our generous sponsors, Loren Jenkins, Wink Thorne, Melanie Thorne, and an anonymous donor, for making this mentorship opportunity possible for the next generation of artists.

❤️

BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND! 🎨🌄 Hues + Brews is back with Pastel Landscapes! Join artist Brooke Bartlett on Tuesday, October ...
10/11/2026

BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND! 🎨🌄 Hues + Brews is back with Pastel Landscapes! Join artist Brooke Bartlett on Tuesday, October 27, for a relaxed evening of art, creativity, and community.

Explore the magic of soft pastels as you experiment with blending, layering, and vibrant colors to create your own beautiful landscape. No experience needed, just bring your curiosity and get ready to have some fun!

Hues + Brews is the Art Base’s monthly LGBTQIA+ Art & Social Night, welcoming local LGBTQIA+ community members and allies to make art, meet new people, and connect in a friendly, low-pressure space. Come as you are!

Tuesday, October 27
6:00 to 8:00 PM
$20 per person
All skill levels welcome
Supplies included

Generously sponsored by
Register at theartbase.org!

10/11/2026

Happy 125th Town of Basalt. We are so grateful to our community for showing up for this celebration and every day for one another. More photos coming soon.

Thank you to everyone that came out to celebrate Basalt’s 125 birthday and paint pumpkins with us! What a wonderful fall...
10/10/2026

Thank you to everyone that came out to celebrate Basalt’s 125 birthday and paint pumpkins with us! What a wonderful fall celebration 🎃🥳

📖 Let’s make a book! Join us TOMORROW, Sunday, for Crafternoons at the Art Base with a family-friendly bookmaking art ac...
10/10/2026

📖 Let’s make a book! Join us TOMORROW, Sunday, for Crafternoons at the Art Base with a family-friendly bookmaking art activity!

Transform a simple brown paper bag book into a personalized work of art using doodles, drawings, colors, collage, and whatever your imagination comes up with. We’ll provide the materials; you bring your creativity!

Sunday, October 11
10:00 AM to 12:00 PM
The Art Base, 174 Midland Ave., Basalt
Free and open to all ages!

"Crafternoons" is our free, monthly arts and crafts program designed for the whole family, with a new creative theme each month inspired by the season and calendar. Come create, play, and make something together!

Upcoming Crafternoons:
📖 October 11: Bookmaking
🏮 November 15: Lantern-making
🏮 December: Lantern-making

This activity is generously sponsored by the Rittvo Family Foundation.

🎃 Come paint a pumpkin with the Art Base this weekend! 🎃Come celebrate Basalt’s 125th anniversary with a little creativi...
10/09/2026

🎃 Come paint a pumpkin with the Art Base this weekend! 🎃

Come celebrate Basalt’s 125th anniversary with a little creativity! Join us at Arbaney Park on Saturday, October 10, from 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM to paint your very own pumpkin.

We’ll have 110 pumpkins available, so come early! Pumpkins are available while supplies last.

Bring your creativity, celebrate with your community, and take home a festive fall creation! 🍂🎨🎃

Saturday, October 10
Pumpkin Painting: 2:00 to 4:00 PM
Arbaney Park, Basalt

Part of Basalt’s 125th Anniversary Community Celebration!

🎃

Looking for a creative way to slow down, reflect, and recharge?Join instructor Sheri Gaynor for a welcoming visual jour...
10/09/2026

Looking for a creative way to slow down, reflect, and recharge?

Join instructor Sheri Gaynor for a welcoming visual journaling workshop where the focus is on exploration, self-expression, and the creative process, not perfection. Through color, paint, images, and intuitive mark-making, you'll discover new ways to connect with yourself, relieve stress, and spark creativity.

No art experience necessary; all skill levels are welcome!

Saturday, October 10
9:30 AM – 11:30 AM
The Art Base, Basalt, CO
Bring your own journal; all other supplies provided

Register today at [www.theartbase.org] or direct link: https://www.theartbase.org/event/art-healing-hope-with-sheri-gaynor-8/

Slow down, breathe, and let the painting unfold. Join artist Marcia Weese and Lisa Goddard, founder of Roaring Fork Insi...
10/08/2026

Slow down, breathe, and let the painting unfold. Join artist Marcia Weese and Lisa Goddard, founder of Roaring Fork Insight, for a morning combining guided meditation with watercolor painting.

We’ll begin with a guided meditation to connect with the breath and body, then move into watercolor using the Alla Prima style, a wet-on-wet technique where water and pigment work together to create an image.

Follow the breath.
Follow the water.
Let go and surrender.
Let the painting paint you.

Sunday, October 18
10:00 AM to 12:30 PM
All supplies provided
No experience necessary
$65

Come slow down, get creative, and experience the connection between mindfulness, water, and art.

Fun with Art After School at the Art Base! 🎨✨There’s nothing better than seeing young artists get creative! Art After Sc...
10/08/2026

Fun with Art After School at the Art Base! 🎨✨

There’s nothing better than seeing young artists get creative! Art After School is all about exploring, experimenting, and having fun with art in a welcoming space where kids can let their imaginations run wild.

From crafting to painting and drawing to hands-on projects, every afternoon brings something new to make and explore.

Learn more about Art After School and upcoming programs at theartbase.org.

📖 Let’s make a book! Join us this Sunday for Crafternoons at the Art Base with a family-friendly bookmaking art activity...
10/08/2026

📖 Let’s make a book! Join us this Sunday for Crafternoons at the Art Base with a family-friendly bookmaking art activity!

Transform a simple brown paper bag book into a personalized work of art using doodles, drawings, colors, collage, and whatever your imagination comes up with. We’ll provide the materials; you bring your creativity!

Sunday, October 11
10:00 AM to 12:00 PM
The Art Base, 174 Midland Ave., Basalt
Free and open to all ages!

"Crafternoons" is our free, monthly arts and crafts program designed for the whole family, with a new creative theme each month inspired by the season and calendar. Come create, play, and make something together!

Upcoming Crafternoons:
📖 October 11: Bookmaking
🏮 November 15: Lantern-making
🏮 December: Lantern-making

This activity is generously sponsored by the Rittvo Family Foundation.

Address

174 Midland Avenue/PO Box 4300
Basalt, CO
81621

Opening Hours

Tuesday 11am - 5pm
Wednesday 11am - 5pm
Thursday 11am - 5pm
Friday 11am - 7pm
Saturday 11am - 7pm

Telephone

+19709274123

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when The Art Base posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The School

Send a message to The Art Base:

Shortcuts

Share

Category