Foothills Art Center celebrated their grand opening on August 3, 1968. Their first exhibit was a group of paintings on loan from the Harmsen Western Art Collection.
Bill and Dorothy Harmsen were the owners of Jolly Rancher Candies. The company had started in downtown Golden, and it was here that they developed their famous hard candies. The couple were enthusiastic collectors of western art, owning more than 600 in 1968. They had never shown them in public before, but they permitted the new Foothills Art Center to borrow 41 of the best to celebrate the grand opening.
Less than three weeks later, disaster struck: 12 of the paintings were stolen. Art Center Director Irma Wyhs entered the facility on Thursday morning, August 22nd, and discovered the crime. Three antique guns had also been stolen.
Fortunately, the paintings were recovered. On September 8th, a Cherry Hills Village patrol officer noticed a suspicious vehicle. It left before he could investigate, but he had gotten the license plate number. He soon learned that a robbery had occurred in the neighborhood, so he used the license information to track down the owner at his Englewood address. There they found the paintings and other stolen articles, amounting to about $100,000 in value.
Fast forwarding about half a century...
The City of Golden closed the Astor House Hotel Museum and was considering selling the building. Foothills Art Center had always coveted a more accessible location, closer to the downtown shopping district. They struck a deal with the City wherein Foothills got a long-term lease on the Astor House. Their original home, in the old Presbyterian Church, became the Creative Campus, including rented studio space and classrooms. The Astor House became the exhibition center, hosting several shows each year.
If you recall part 1 of this history, the goals of Foothills Art Center founders included:
- exhibit work local and national artists
- exhibit artwork by local students
- provide art classes
They have succeeded in all of those goals. The Astor House is currently hosting their annual Members Show and works by the students at Red Rocks Community College and Jefferson County Schools. The Creative Campus has a full slate of classes for both children and adults.
