Colfax Art Walk: Contemporary Art in a Small Town

When I think of Colfax, I don't think of it as being a cultural center in any sense of the word. Someone once told me that Colfax was declared 'The Most Boring Town in the USA.' And yet, this is the town that I've spent 17 years of my short life in.

According to the Amaryllipedia, Colfax is a town halfway between Sacramento and Reno. It has a population of maybe 5000 (which may include stray dogs). Colloquially, it is known as Loserville. But, inspite of its many flaws, Colfax is located in beautiful, quiet part of the Sierra Nevada foothills. It is right next to the north fork of the American River and many scenic hiking trails. And, as of the last 1-3 years, it's home to a branch of the Placer County Art Walk. Every second Friday, local (and non-local) contemporary artists put their work up for display for everyone to enjoy. This last Friday (9 May '14) was the first time I got to enjoy it.

My first stop was the little art boutique and co-op where I got to meet artist Barbara Hoffman. Her art is created by a compatriate and herself. She'll have the other artist paint, draw, or otherwise create a small canvas piece. She will then create a larger piece that coordinates with the smaller piece. She either follows the same theme, or she incorporates the smaller piece into her work.




My next stop was to the City Hall. I was able to see some beautiful watercolour on canvas paintings by Marcel Bombola. Her pieces focus around scenery, mostly flora, and flower arrangements. The use of light in her pieces is a wonderful effect, making the scene seem ethereal and dream-like. Her style is very painterly, but very organized. The next five pictures are of her work.

My final stop at the Colfax Art Walk was at the Cider House. The photographer Dave Keyes was displaying his pieces on the walls over the wine bottles. I think his pieces were the most amazing photographs I have ever seen. They were not standard, artistic photographs, although the subjects were unoriginal. These photos were processed through at least 5 photo-editing programs, resulting in pictures that looked painterly and impressionistic, rather than like still-life photography. I would have liked to have taken better pictures to show you, but the artist was uncomfortable enough as it was with my room shot. All the same, the photographs were something to behold.