LANDSC APE FOR LOCAL PAINTER LANCE WHITNER, THE IDEA OF WHAT CONSTITUTES A CANVAS HAS TAKEN ON NEW MEANING. NEXT UP: THE COVETED STEAMBOAT WINTER CARNIVAL POSTER.
When Lance Whitner was selected to create the art
“I work in acrylic for the very practical reason that
for the annual commemorative Steamboat Winter
I started out as a painter, working in my living room
Carnival Poster to raise money for the Steamboat
with three little kids,” she says. Soon they converted
Springs Winter Sports Club, it posed a real challenge.
the garage (a former 100-year-old carriage house)
“I don’t ever paint people, but this event and its long
into a studio. “I love my medium. I know my colors
history and tradition are so much about the kids and
and the personality of each color and what I can do
the athletes. I had a lot of ideas swirling around in
with them,” she says. She mostly paints on canvas or
my head about how I could represent that and still
wood panels and stays busy with a lot of commission
make it authentic to my style, and I’m really happy
work. “It’s just me saying yes to opportunities,” she
with what I came up with.”
says. “I don’t want to ever be stagnant. It’s important
The commemorative poster program, created in
to continue to grow and try new things.”
2016 by Steamboat Sotheby’s International Realty,
The Winter Carnival poster isn’t her first foray into
raised over $45,000 for the Steamboat Springs
public art installations. In fact, over the last year
Winter Sports Club in its first three years. The
she’s been commissioned to do two major pieces;
program was started with Steamboat Sotheby’s
a large-scale mural on the side of a building in
International Realty’s vision to create a connection
downtown Steamboat, and a painting for the atrium
between their local advocacy programs, the arts, and
staircase in the front entryway lobby of a new
athletics in Steamboat—all three of which are vital to
building on the Steamboat Mountain School campus,
the fabric of the Yampa Valley.
where her daughter is a student.
Whitner, who is originally from North Carolina,
To complete the immense task of painting the
always knew she wanted to be an artist. She earned
side of a building, Whitner turned it into a full-on
a master’s degree in Fine Arts from the University of
community event. There was an after-dark painting
Colorado at Boulder and was originally focused on
party, a morning yoga class in the alley, and for
ceramics. But after three kids and the purchase of
almost two weeks there were kids and families
very old—and somewhat small—home in downtown
and people of all ages who had never picked up a
Steamboat, she became a painter for practical reasons.
paintbrush jumping in to participate.
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