‘Art born of adventure’

Amidst the steady rumble of side-by-sides, jeeps and dirtbikes through the heart of downtown Pitkin, a new art gallery invites passersby to not only revel in the area’s natural beauty, but in its history — revealed to those willing to pull over and stop in.

“Just as Pitkin’s pioneers built from the raw land, the art within these walls aims to build new connections, foster environmental stewardship and remind us of the profound importance of creativity in every community,” artist and gallery co-founder Colt Maule wrote in a social media post following the opening of the Terrible Mountain Gallery last month.

On July 18, a mixture of nearly 200 Quartz Creek and Gunnison Valley residents and out-of-towners packed into the new art gallery, the first of its kind in Pitkin, after a ribbon cutting ceremony. Maule said he and his wife, Jessee, sought new and established artists that use their work to inspire connection to the valley’s rugged landscapes. A place where “art and adventure converge,” on the walls of the gallery hang scenes of the familiar: glimpses of the Gothic Valley; Crested Butte entombed in snow; and rivers that twist and turn, carving their own distinctive path through the land.

During the summer months, many tourists ride through Pitkin with “their blinders on,” moving from point A to point B, like pinpoints on a map, Maule said. Some are headed to Tin Cup, and others to Taylor Park or the Alpine Tunnel, and only pause in town for a meal after a day on the trails. Maule said he is hopeful the gallery becomes one of the places that helps change this pattern. Its front doors open directly to Main Street, and invite those who would just ordinarily be passing through to take a short detour and peek inside. There, they will find a place where the modern day mixes with the past.

“I'm hoping that people take the time to see that we've got a different way of life here, and respect it a little more by slowing down … It'd be great if we could celebrate the small-town atmosphere that we all still hold on to,” Maule said.

Pitkin, founded in 1879, and is said to be Colorado's first mining camp west of the Continental Divide. It’s tucked in the folds of the Gunnison National Forest and is home to a year-round population of less than 100. Few of Pitkin’s original buildings still stand. The ones that remain have survived not only the long winters, but pressure from a surge in recreational tourism that swept through most of the region.

In 2024, the historic Pitkin Hotel and Bon-Ton Bistro reopened after extensive remodeling. Its new owners went through great lengths to preserve the building’s original look, and stepping through the entryway is like entering a time machine. The old, restored wooden walls of the Terrible Mountain Gallery have a similar effect.

Enthralled by the area’s rich mining history, Maule and long-time Pitkin resident Tom Gibb worked in tandem to maintain the building’s character during the art gallery’s construction. Where paintings now hang, Gibb found more than 30 bullet holes in the walls, relics from the bar brawls of the Wild West that likely occurred at the former saloon. The hand-made electric blue sign outfront, bearing the name Terrible Mountain, is an ode to the harsh conditions miners of the past faced as they extracted ore in hopes of making a personal fortune, Maule said.

While pulling out old lumber, Gibb also discovered a printed chalk signature by the famed American cowboy Jesse James, dated 1867. While a valley historian could not fully confirm its authenticity, Gibb kept the old board. (Historical records show that James did work at Parlin sawmill on different occasions, but it is unclear if he was in the valley during that time period).

Gibb’s gnarled fingers, strung back together after a table saw accident years ago, are proof of his lifelong work in carpentry. He has an affinity for the artistry found within Pitkin’s aging buildings and owns multiple properties around town. Much of the lumber used to rebuild the walls of the gallery dates back to the 1800s. It was a delicate project he and Maule approached with care in an effort to preserve the fingerprint of the former building.

“The trick was: How much can you salvage? How much can you save? How much can you reuse? … The kind of work that goes into this building in this era is quite a lot different than the way we build things now. And I just thought it ought to look like it did once upon a time,” Gibb said.

The building, originally the W.R. Reese Saloon had “crank-out,” canvas-covered hoops to create shade out front, and windows that stretched floor to ceiling. The saloon changed hands numerous times, and eventually became a restaurant known locally as the Wagon Wheel. Gibb purchased the property roughly a decade ago with plans to reopen a restaurant. As years passed, it turned into his shop. Then Maule showed up with a different vision in 2023.

“I said, ‘Well, I know where there's some wall space,’” Gibb said.

On a lazy August afternoon two weeks after the art gallery opening, the foot traffic had slowed. While the gallery piqued the interest of two bikers and a pair of seasonal cabin owners, many side-by-sides zipped past the gallery’s open doors. Maule stood at the front counter and gazed out the window.

“You can see it for yourself, they just drive right by,” Maule said. “It's a unique kind of thing that we're getting used to, and trying to figure out how we can get some of them in here and share this experience.”

Maule, formerly a professional mountain biker, discovered Pitkin by chance after spending years on the road with his wife. The pair, mesmerized by the beauty of the place, found they could afford land and started a tree service. After living off-grid for a decade, Maule began creating art with the “environment as [his] purpose.” More than 100 of his pieces eventually turned into a body of multi-media work called “Arteries of the Earth,” displayed at the Gunnison Arts Center in 2023. The exhibition, which celebrated rivers through watercolor and woodwork, encouraged viewers to understand the importance of protecting wild places. Maule is optimistic the artwork inside the new gallery will do the same.

At Terrible Mountain, his pieces will hang alongside a rotation of work from other local artists. This month, oil painter Zach Bauer’s pieces adorn the walls in one exhibit, and Alex Tiberio in another. The paintings are reminiscent of places around the Gunnison Valley: clouds gathering over the mountains above Cataract Lake near Lake City; a skier racing through an aspen grove; the train tracks that run past the Alpine Tunnel; and sundown in the San Juan Mountains. The gallery also features the work of Feathered Horse, Gothic Mountain Jewelers, sculptor Codie Aljets, Menagerie Woodworking, Terra Forma Studios, Leather Sage and others.

In the summer of 2026, Maule will open the doors to the Headwaters Studio, a classroom designed to cater to the “next generation of artists and stewards.” With a busy schedule in mind, he plans to host watercolor field trips, alpine photography workshops and free children’s classes led by valley art teachers. There is also space for a planned “Art and Adventure” lecture series, and future events and film screenings. The hope is to tie the arts scene of Crested Butte, Gunnison and Pitkin together, he said.

The Terrible Mountain Gallery, located at 409 Main Street, is open seven days a week from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. through August and September. The hours will taper off once the snow flies, but Maule plans to host special events throughout the remainder of the year. The goal is to eventually stay open year-round.

(Bella Biondini is the former editor of the Gunnison Times and can be contacted at isabellaebiondini@gmail.com.)