The La Veta Creative District is proud to announce the selected artists for this year’s Art on Loan program — an initiative that brings outdoor sculpture and public art to the heart of our town. This program celebrates creativity while enhancing the beauty of La Veta’s Main Street and public spaces, creating a year-round art experience for residents and visitors alike.

What Is Art on Loan?

Art on Loan is a rotating outdoor exhibition that invites regional artists to display their sculptural works throughout La Veta for a full year. The goal is to make art accessible to everyone — not just within gallery walls, but as part of the landscape we walk, shop, and live in every day.

Each year, selected artists have their work installed in public locations across town. These pieces not only beautify our shared spaces but also serve as conversation starters, inspire creativity, and showcase the exceptional talent found in southern Colorado and beyond.

The Art on Loan program also provides artists an opportunity for their work to be seen by new audiences and potential collectors, helping to sustain the creative economy that is vital to our community’s cultural identity.

2025 Art on Loan Winners

This year, the La Veta Creative District is excited to feature three outstanding artists whose work reflects both craftsmanship and vision:

Maria Battista – Art on Loan Winner

Maria Battista’s work embodies movement and emotion through sculptural forms. Her sculptural pieces are known for their thoughtful balance between strength and delicacy, capturing a sense of flow that mirrors La Veta’s natural rhythms. Her contributions to this year’s Art on Loan collection brings a graceful, organic energy to the La Veta Library gardens that invites passersby to pause and reflect.

Gary Weston – Art on Loan Winner

Gary Weston’s art celebrates the harmony between industrial materials and natural beauty. His sculptural approach often combines steel and found objects in striking, tactile compositions. Gary’s piece for this year’s installation showcases his mastery of found material, adding a dynamic and fun new focal point to our town’s visual landscape.

Lyle Clift – Invitational Artist

This year’s invitational artist, Lyle Clift, has long been known for his imaginative use of materials and inventive compositions, whether they are purely sculptural or functional. His sculptural benches add a beautiful focal point to La Veta’s Francisco Theatre —bridging craftsmanship and function.

Why It Matters

Programs like Art on Loan enrich the cultural fabric of La Veta. They bring people together, inspire dialogue, and help nurture our identity as a Creative District. Public art encourages exploration—turning a casual walk-through town into an artistic experience.

By supporting Art on Loan, the community is also supporting the artists who help shape our collective story—one sculpture, one idea, one spark of inspiration at a time.

As a reminder - Just What is Our Creative District’s Mission? And How to Use Your La Veta Creative District

The La Veta Creative District’s mission is to “inspire and cultivate our diverse rural community through the development of the arts and creative industries in La Veta.” 

Creative districts contribute to our state’s economy through creativity, culture and the arts. The goal is to help increase jobs, incomes and investments in creative endeavors and creative spaces. All State of Colorado-certified Creative Districts must follow guidelines mandated by the state and have physical boundaries that must include their historic district and be easily walkable. Ultimately, our goal is to keep creatives here, and to lift our local economy by helping attract visitors interested in the arts and creative industry. If you would like more information on Colorado State Certified Creative Districts, please email us or check out this link: Colorado Creative Districts | Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade

Grateful for You: Acknowledgements for Supporting LVCD’s Work for Creatives

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to the following organizations, for their indispensable support makes our work possible: Colorado’s Office of Economic Development & International Trade (OEDIT) and Colorado Creative Industries; the Huerfano County Commissioners; the La Veta Library District; the Town of La Veta; the Spanish Peaks Business Alliance; San Isabel Electric; Basin Electric; Bachman & Associates Real Estate; as well as our incredible private donors, volunteers, and instructors.

Thank you for supporting creativity, creatives and La Veta Creative District! We wouldn’t be here without you! Please visit the website and our Facebook page to keep updated throughout the year.

La Veta Creative District 

susanlavetacreative@gmail.com to reach Board President Susan Hanneman

info@lavetacreativedistrict.org

PO Box 1013, La Veta CO 81055

Missed an event this year? All of our events have been recorded. They can be found on our FaceBook page under “Videos.” Join our email list to keep up-to-date on upcoming events and special announcements.