Downtown Salida is turning Colorado’s finest collection of historically significant buildings into a haven for artists. More than a dozen brick storefronts, many dating from 1888, have been transformed into working studios and galleries where locals and visitors can watch and chat with talented artists, many with national reputations. The state’s largest historic district drew 5,000 to the 14th annual Salida Art Walk last June, and year-round Second Saturday “Adventure in Arts” receptions and a performing arts center in the old steam plant are powering an artistic tsunami. Coffee shops, health food stores, yoga studios and 20 real estate offices attract second-home owners and retirees, who are credited with boosting the average home cost to $300,000, but Gambles still sells hardware on the main drag. At Bongo Billy’s Salida Café, where river rats, fishermen and veterans of nearby Founteeners enjoy latte and lettuce on a deck overlooking the Arkansas River, members of the Salida Artist Association gather every month to promote salidaartists.com.
