Colorado is a centerpiece for art. Fall especially is a time of inspiration for many artists and galleries alike. But one thing typically ties all of these galleries together. They mainly focus on two themes: landscape – which who can blame them, with the views in Colorado being the perfect muse – and Native American art.
Nothing is wrong with either of these focal points, or any subject captured in the arts for that matter. But for art, being the endless entity it is, I can only express how disappointing it is to see gallery after gallery limit their art on display to paintings and photographs solely to these two topics.
For a long time I honestly believed this was the only art that ever really came out of Grand Junction, until I ran into this little gallery.
This week I headed to Uncanny Valley Art Gallery at 455 Main Street to talk to Gallery Director Matt Goss about one of the most unique galleries in the Grand Valley. Uncanny Valley is a co-op art gallery that focuses on providing the western slope with the opportunity to see alternative art. What makes Uncanny Valley unique is that they are a censor-free and commission-free sales.
“Artists keep one hundred percent of the money they make here. Like all galleries in town, members pay a monthly due for their membership, but on top of that, they don’t have to give any other commissions to the gallery. It’s kind of hard enough to price your art, but when you find out someone wants twenty, thirty, forty percent of your sales, you got to do that last jack-up in price; no one really wants to buy your art at that price. Everyone kind of loses,” Goss said in an interview last Sunday. “I tell a lot of people it’s like art without the overhead, because they don’t have to jack up the price for the gallery’s sake. They can price it for what they think it’s worth, however much time they put into it, how ever much materials they put into it.”
Currently, Uncanny Valley hosts thirty artists ranging from veterans to students to experienced gallery artists to artists with their first ever gallery experience. When the gallery started four years ago, Uncanny Valley consisted of only four artists. It all started in a small part in the back of an old flea market building on South 7th Street. From there, the gallery moved to the 2nd floor of the Margery building on Main street. The Margery building is the one that holds Abra formal wear, Estillos II Salon, and used to hold the Toy Store before they closed. Their previous location was only about a quarter of the size of the current space they have now.
Since they moved to their new location, they quadrupled their size and tripled their membership. The space is used not only as a gallery but as a demo space and a classroom, hosting classes and events for people to attend. There will be a monthly painting class and a monthly pottery class.
When asked what his inspiration was to begin the gallery, Goss simply said, “I had the opportunity.”
All kinds of art can be found in the gallery, from sculptures, to paintings, photographs, pottery, there really isn’t a limit to what is featured or the styles of the artists on display.
The cost of admission is free to anyone who would like to see the art. The classes and demos have an attendance fee. The hours of operation, are Thursday-Saturday 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sundays from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. You can also catch them during farmers markets, first Friday art events, and at parades.
