After 15 years in Old Town, Art Lab says farewell

Celebrating a decade and a half of uplifting the creative community

Art Lab Fort Collins, a community art space in Old Town Fort Collins, will close after almost 16 years of supporting community art and creativity.

The 501(c)(6) nonprofit started in 2009 with a simple question: Could a small group of creatives turn vacant storefronts into vibrant art spaces?

Art Lab will be closing May 31, 2025

Founder Dawn Putney was inspired after seeing empty storefronts in Brooklyn, NY filled by artist studios, and spearheaded the idea of creating community creative spaces here in Fort Collins. She and her partner, Tom Campbell, owners of branding firm Toolbox Creative, decided to make it a reality. A bit of luck, good timing and a conversation with Steve Taylor of Hot Corner Concepts led to the first physical Art Lab space at 140 West Mountain in June of 2009.

The initial concept was to temporarily take over a vacant space and turn it into something more appealing. There were 13 vacant storefronts in the heart of Old Town in early 2009. When Art Lab moved into its current location on Linden Street, the building owners gave Art Lab a place to call home for years. Putney recalls, “What was meant to last three years, tops, turned into 15 years of hosting hundreds of creative art exhibitions, workshops, eclectic events and happenings in the community-led creative space.”

After some soul searching, Putney and Campbell made the call to close Art Lab. Putney shares, “The silver lining of the pandemic was that we learned that we could operate Toolbox from just about anywhere. That flexibility allows us to spend about one-third of our time outside of Colorado.” They continue to lead their creative agency, Toolbox Creative, from their studio on Cherry Street in Old Town, and remote workspaces from Minnesota to Connecticut, supporting a wonderfully expanding national client base.

This transition comes after achieving tremendous success, beautiful moments and empowering a community of people who believe in the power of art, creativity and human connection. Though closing Art Lab is bittersweet, Putney is proud of what Art Lab and all its artists and community members have achieved over the years,

“It’s never easy to say goodbye, but we’re going out on top. To celebrate our time in the space, we’re hosting a retrospective art show and open house prior to closing our doors on May 31, 2025.”

All participating artists’ works will be on sale May 19 through 31, 2025, with all sales and remaining funds distributed among the artists who participate in the show. “It’s our way of saying thank you for being a part of our community and for making Art Lab more than we could have imagined.”

This change also comes at a time when more community organizations and nonprofits are providing spaces for artists, creative activities, and cultural events in Fort Collins. The Art Lab website will remain online for the next year, sharing connections to the alternate creative spaces, from city offerings like The Center for Creativity to cultural powerhouses like Wolverine Farm, The Lyric, and Petrichor Collective.

“The Art Lab community will live beyond the physical location. Now is a time to honor the space where artists could work freely, not worry about making a mess, roll up their sleeves, and collaborate,” says Putney. Art Lab will host an open house on May 29 to celebrate the artists, creators, and incredible community who made it happen. “While this feels like the end of an era, I am hoping this change sparks new opportunities for artists and creativity in Northern Colorado. We’ll continue to support the creative community in Fort Collins and everywhere we call home.”

Farewell to Art Lab:
Retrospective Exhibition and Celebration

When: Retrospective Exhibition, May 19 through 31, 2025.
Closing celebration open house, Thursday, May 29, 5 to 9 p.m.

Where: Art Lab Fort Collins, 239 Linden Street, Fort Collins, CO.

All past Art Lab artists are invited to participate in the retrospective exhibition by completing this interest form.

Putney intends to make it a celebration to the very end. “Let’s fill the walls of Art Lab for one final creative hurrah.”

Contact Us
Call us: 970-556-8600
Email: [email protected]

Artists’ resource list: ArtLabFortCollins.org/community
Exhibition submission form: https://www.artlabfortcollins.org/retrospective/