The National Western Stock Show often takes center stage in January, but this month marks the kickoff of another can’t-miss event in Colorado—one that doesn’t necessitate cowboy boots and Stetson hats.

First launched in 2013, Art of the State takes over the Arvada Center Galleries every three years and highlights the most poignant contemporary art from local makers. It’s not easy to snag a spot on the gallery walls (of more than 900 applicants, 146 earned space this year), so expect to see the best of the best. “It’s a really competitive show,” says Collin Parson, director of galleries and curator at the Arvada Center. “I always joke that we could have four Art of the State [exhibits] back to back, and the quality would be just as good each time.”

Parson and the other jurors—executive director of Union Hall Jane Burke and interim associate museum director of Kirkland Museum of Fine & Decorative Art Chris Herron—included artists from all over the Centennial State this year, plus an array of media. “We want diverse processes, diverse media, diverse concepts, and diverse locations,” he says. “When we’re getting close to narrowing it down, we go through and ask things like, ‘Are we missing anyone from the Western Slope?’ ”

This year’s Art of the State is on display at the Arvada Center Galleries from January 16 to March 30. Select participants will receive accolades like Best in Show and individualized awards from other institutions, such as the Denver Art Museum, but before any blue ribbons are handed out, we asked Parson to point out five artists he’s particularly excited about.

Bala Thiagarajan

"Embrace Mandala" on canvas, a colorful geometric work by Bala Thiagarajan.
“Embrace Mandala” by Bala Thiagarajan. Photo courtesy of Arvada Center

Arvada-based Bala Thiagarajan’s acrylic paintings look more like henna body art than two-dimensional pieces. Born in Chennai, India, Thiagarajan is inspired by rangoli, kaleidoscopic patterns drawn on the floors of homes in Indian culture. Her work is usually geometric, symmetrical, and colorful, pulling from the bright saris worn by Indian women. Look for Thiagarajan’s intricate “Embrace Mandala,” composed of acrylic paint on canvas surrounding iridescent glass, at this year’s show.

Dana K. Senge

"Migration" by Dana K. Sense, a sculpture of weaving roots and branches.
“Migration” by Dana K. Sense. Photo courtesy of Arvada Center

Earthy and haunting, the ceramic works of Mancos-based Dana K. Senge explore the connections between plants, humans, and animals. Many of Senge’s sculptures resemble intertwined roots that fit together like an elaborate jigsaw puzzle to form animalian silhouettes. For Art of the State, Senge created “Migration,” a large ceramic sculpture of twisting clay branches surrounding an abstract raven that is composed of five fragile pieces—meaning Senge had to install it at the Arvada Center Galleries before the show debuts.

Evan Curtis

Growing up in New York’s Adirondack Mountains gave Evan Curtis a deep appreciation of nature. As a trail crew leader in New York and Montana, Curtis taught at-risk youth the tenets of outdoor leadership and conservation, something that inspires his work today. The Grand Junction–based stop-motion animator often incorporates the outdoors into his films in clever ways, like when he shot a toy astronaut on a pile of snow to give the illusion of an icy planet. This exhibit features stills from “Whitelines,” a music video he created for artist Carface. In it, a skeleton tears through the streets of a bustling city in a 1966 Oldsmobile Tornado backed by trippy, flashing lights.

Sue Oehme

"Move the Needle" by Sue Oehme, a colorful mono print created with bags and soda rings.
“Move the Needle” by Sue Oehme. Photo courtesy of Arvada Center

Owner and master printer at Oehme Graphics in Steamboat Springs, Sue Oehme is a local legend in the art of printmaking. She creates her densely layered monoprints by assembling everyday items such as coffee stir sticks directly on the press. Once the print is pulled, Oehme spends hours embellishing it to produce a unique final product that is as much a print as it is a painting reminiscent of a stained-glass window. Her art pays tribute to our consumer culture—or turns it on its head. See her singular style in person in “Move the Needle,” an oil and watercolor monoprint inked with price tags, six-pack rings, and mesh produce bags.

Mai Wyn Schantz

"Once Upon a Time" by Mai Wyn Schantz, oil paint on steel to create a colorful cloudscape.
“Once Upon a Time” by Mai Wyn Schantz. Photo courtesy of Arvada Center

Mai Wyn Schantz didn’t know that closing her Santa Fe Drive art gallery during the pandemic would unlock an entirely new level of creativity. In her newfound free time, Schantz dedicated herself to creating—rather than curating. Schantz developed a distinct style of painting on metal sheets (instead of canvas) after studying under famed contemporary artist Clark Richert at Rocky Mountain College of Art & Design. The juxtaposition of the oil paint against the reflective areas of the exposed steel adds depth to her work. She draws inspiration from the outdoors and canoe trips she took with her father in the Boundary Waters between Minnesota and Ontario. In “Once Upon a Time,” her piece highlighted in Art of the State 2025, viewers will take in a cloudscape on a rounded-top steel substrate—an homage to Colorado’s vibrant skies.

Art of the State 2025 is open January 16 through March 30 at the Arvada Center Galleries at 6901 Wadsworth Boulevard in Arvada. The exhibit is free to attend but reservations are required and can be booked online.