ARVADA, Colo. — In Arvada, art of any kind is central to the community.
"We take art seriously down here," said Kristin Chayer, president of the Olde Town Arvada Business Improvement District. "We love adding it to every piece of our community and our businesses, and we really enjoy highlighting all of the different aspects and types of art that you can do."
It's one of the reasons Judi Mitchell, owner of the Burd's Nest Art Gallery, chose to open her business in Olde Town Arvada near Yukon Street and Grandview Avenue.
"It's a cooperation of about 35 local artists," Mitchell said. "We all take turns working the shifts and manning the building and stuff, and sometimes we have shows outside, but everybody brings their stuff in, and I take a small percentage to keep the building maintenance and everything going."
Denver7 | Your Voice met Mitchell during our recent trip to Arvada.
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Creating the co-op was always a lifelong goal for Mitchell. That goal became reality in February 2024.
"I was in several galleries, and one of the other galleries, one of the artists contacted me and said there's a gallery, a building down in Olde Town Arvada that they're trying to find somebody to use it while it's under contract for another use," Mitchell told Denver7. "He told me the building. Oh, I've driven by this building so many times and thought, 'What a cool building it would be for our art gallery.' I set up a meeting within a couple of days, and they said, 'Yes, we want you.'"
The co-op features artwork of all kinds, from ceramics and fused glass to jewelry.
"We have from affordable to really nice things, but we'd love to see people come in and find their support," Mitchell said.
Mitchell told Denver7 she's been living out her dream since opening the co-op. Helping local artists showcase their art has also been a part of that dream, making the journey as a co-op owner worthwhile.
"Getting somebody in that questions whether their artwork is sellable or not, and having them sell something and see that smile that's coming over their face," Mitchell said. "For somebody to validate that they have something of value is so touching to a lot of them."
However, it could all change. The building that the co-op operates out of will soon become a restaurant, forcing the co-op to find a new location to operate from.
"I don't know. I've looked around for other properties [but] just can't find anything we can afford. So I'm not sure," Mitchell told Denver7. "We might pack up for a while and then pop up again somewhere else."
Mitchell said the co-op may be able to operate out of the current space for a month or a month and a half. After that, she isn't sure what will happen, but said she's glad she got the opportunity to be a part of it in the first place.
"It's meant a lot to me, a lot," Mitchell said. "It's nice. I've been in a lot of galleries, but to have my own little town and my vision for this building for years and years to come true has just been a real blessing."
If you would like to help Mitchell and the co-op find a new space for the art gallery, you can contact her here.
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