Foothills Art Center

I joined this Arts Center because I work at Mines, but probably wouldn’t have otherwise. It’s very expensive for what it is — same admission price as the Denver Art Museum? Why, why?! The people who were working there when I joined were unfriendly and didn’t know much of anything… However, the building is lovely, and the Ansel Adams exhibit was great. I look forward to visiting here throughout the year and improving this review.

Foothills art Center is a great little art museum in a very neat old building. The building itself makes it worth a trip to the Art Center. The Center has nice exhibits of local and regional art as well as a variety of special exhibits. There are 2 buildings — located side-​by-​side but not connected. Be sure to check out both buildings. This is a good place to spend about an hour.

Really enjoyed discovering this Art Center because it was advertising a Holiday Boutique while I was in town over the November 10, 2012 weekend! This boutique is apparently a juried event with calls going to all Colorado artists. The quality of the art was very good especially in the jewelry and fiber disciplines.
The center itself is nicely laid out, and I’d return to see an exhibit there in the future.

This is very cool art gallery both inside and out… just make sure you check out which exhibits are being shown so you don’t end up looking at an impressionist of dog urine.

A mixed bag. We visited today to see the Chihuly glass exhibition. We found the exhibition really interesting and also found something to buy (blown glass) in the gift shop. Liked the movie that came with the exhibit. So what were the negatives? They have 100 year old plumbing and without going into specifics, let’s just say it may be time to consider calling the plumber. Also we learned we could have gotten free admission to the exhibit and a discount on our purchase if we were members — all this after we paid full price for the exhibit and the purchase. If I were to rate the exhibit alone, I would say 4 stars.

This neighborhood art center is a charmer! Enjoy free exhibits (which I love) and an outstanding gift shop.

Nice building! Fantastic exhibitions. Value for $ — $ 5.

4.5 stars. I saw a fabulous show here of contemporary photo/​video from China. It was a well put together, impressive show, and what brought me to Golden for the day. The space was interesting, and it would be great to see how it’s used for 3-​d object shows.
It was coolthat their gift shop supported local artists, but I know that I didn’t need any glass or ceramics… It’s nice that they do that, though; I’m sure many of the objects there would make great gifts.
It’s worth going here if their exhibition sounds intriguing to you. Based on the China show, you might end up being even more impressed than you’d expect.

Foothills Art Center is like a really small town– it’s cute to visit, but you most likely won’t stay very long or buy anything while you’re there, at least if you’re under 40. The building is gorgeous, and protected for its historical significance, and the grounds are very nicely maintained. I love the St. Francis statue in the garden out front.
Inside you’ll find the usual art-​gallery fare– various traveling exhibitions intermingled with static exhibits of local art. Currently, a national printmaking exhibition occupies most of the gallery space. The majority of the work you’ll find is tasteful and pretty, but if you’re looking for provocative and modern, go further downtown. Foothills stays firmly on the middle ground when it comes to controversial art– no giant clay male organs here.
The price is usually a bit out of range for the younger set on larger pieces, but you can usually find some cute handmade jewelry that’s reasonable. It’s a nice spot to grab a gift for someone whose tastes you’re not certain of. There are often handknit items as well, particularly in the winter.
Overall, you’re not likely to make a purchase at the Foothills Art Center unless you came for a gift for a specific person, but it’s a great spot to stop with relatives in town for a few days. The location is super cute, atop a hill in homey old Golden, and everybody can find something to admire. Take the In-​Laws and follow it up with a trip to one of Golden’s many lunch spots.