The Grand Junction Visitor Center Art Gallery:

The Grand Junction Visitor Center, in collaboration with the Grand Junction Commission on Arts & Culture, is proud to present an additional space for local artists to display their artwork. The Visitor Center celebrates the vibrant local art scene through rotating exhibits. The Visitor Center exhibit will be updated every few months in order to showcase local artists for guests and residents to enjoy.

See something that catches your eye? Check the exhibits below to see if the artwork is available for purchase. The Grand Junction Visitor Center is located at 740 Horizon Drive, Grand Junction, Colorado 81506. Hours of operation are: Monday – Friday, 8:15 a.m. – 5:15 p.m.

Calling local artists! Want to have your art displayed at the Grand Junction Visitor Center? City buildings celebrate local artists through rotating exhibits. If you are interested in sharing your talent, we invite you to apply!

Todd Bennett is a Grand Junction native and has been a photographer for over four decades. His favorite photography subject areas include sports, wildlife, portraits, landscape and nature.

Capturing unique and original images of the Grand Junction area, the American Southwest, Humpback whales and other interesting wildlife, and specific locations in Colorado will continue to drive his photographic pursuits.

Todd has well over 10,000 published images, including two magazine covers. He can often be seen on the field shooting pics for the JUCO World Series and Colorado Mesa University baseball games.

Todd has an eye for the unusual and the rare character within his images and will always be looking for that one-of-a-kind capture.

Todd’s website is BennettMediaGJ.com, his email is BigOLJetAirliner@Yahoo.com, and he can also be reached at 970-216-7723.

After years of making teachers crazy by drawing all over his school papers, San Francisco Bay Area native John Edwards began painting with oils at the age of 10 when sent to a local art club by his parents in an effort to channel those creative energies. At 15 he was selling in galleries and subsequently attended Colorado State University as a Fine Art major.

Other career opportunities distracted him from painting for several years, but since returning to Colorado John has renewed his love affair with art. Edwards has since studied plein air techniques with such notable professionals as Don Sahli, George Gallo, Matt Smith, Dan Young, Ken Auster, Andrew Peters, Kang Cho, George Strickland, John Budicin and Ralph Oberg.

John has also painted in Italy, the Great Lakes, Cape Cod and now has a studio in Grand Junction where he continues to pursue the beauty of light interacting with the land.

To learn more about John Edwards’s work or to purchase artwork, please contact him directly at (970) 390-8298 or Art.JohnEdwards@Gmail.com.

Patrick G. Metoyer’s earliest memory of the creative process is the enjoyment of crafts in third grade and several shop classes in middle school. A strong influence was his sixth-grade teacher, who taught the class how to crochet. He made a doily for his mother and then forgot about crochet for the next 25 years or so. He took it up in earnest when he used yarns for craft projects with his elementary school students. “I don't do doilies anymore,” he states, “but I admire the skill and craftsmanship of those who do.”
 
Patrick credits Vera Mulder for discovering him. “As a frequent judge of the local Grand Junction Veterans Creative Arts Festival, Vera has been a source of encouragement for my art. Her role on the Grand Junction Commission on Arts and Culture resulted in an invitation to display my crocheted masks, wrappings, and soft sculptures in the 2009 summer exhibit in city hall,” he proudly acknowledges.
 
Patrick G. Metoyer is a U. S. Army veteran. After boot camp at Ft Polk, LA, he served at Ft Bliss, TX, in the Mental Health Consultation Service. He ended his two years of active duty with the 106th General Hospital attached to the U. S. Army Japan Medical Corps in Yokohama. The 106th received a presidential unit citation, in part, for premier burn-treatment practices during the Vietnam War. He was honored to be the recipient of the U. S. Army Japan “Soldier of the Quarter” for October to December 1968.
 
Patrick resides in Colorado between the Book Cliff range and the Colorado Plateau. When he is not engaged in visual arts, he enjoys reciting and performing his creative writings – often inspired by the high-desert landscape. His works have been featured in various print and internet publications. His “What Price Bananas” was a finalist in the 2014 Mark Fischer prize; his “Guacamole Pin᷉atas” won the Mesa County Public Libraries 2018 Annual Poetry Contest. His most recent visual arts award was a 2nd place silver medal in the 2024 National Veterans Creative Arts Festival for his original-design fiber art sculpture titled “Desert Coral.”

To learn more about Patrick Metoyer’s work or to purchase artwork, please contact him directly at 720-272-7394.

We encourage you to stop by and read the heartfelt letters submitted by Appleton Elementary first-graders, sharing why they love Grand Junction. From favorite outdoor adventures to the people and places that make our community special, these notes offer a joyful reminder of Grand Junction through the eyes of our youngest residents. We’re honored to showcase their words and the pride they already feel for their hometown.

A special thank you to Amara, Angus, Arla, Audrey, Braxton, Brooklynn, Brooklynn, Ellie, Emily, Kinsleigh, Layla, Mina, Oliver, Phoenix, Rhett, Rylan, Sawyer, Walker, and Mr. Rossman. Your words are inspiring and meaningful. We appreciate you sharing this project with Visit Grand Junction!