Trimble Court Artisans, a local Fort Collins art co-op gallery, has thrived for many decades and proven its longing to survive for many more years with the community it has nurtured.

Established in 1971 as a cooperative shop located in Old Town Square, Trimble Court Artisans comprises around 60 artists who all work together to keep the shop running. Every artist is local to Northern Colorado, making it unique to the region.

The shop is filled with a wide variety of art, giving those who walk in much to look at and explore.

“The sunshine hits that stained glass, and you are mesmerized, and it’s almost like this magnetic force is pulling you through the store, leading you from one little special event to another,” said Diane Findley, president of the co-op board. “I feel that way when I go in, and I’ve been going in the store since 1971.”

The process of becoming a member includes being juried in through the board. Members are then required to work a set number of hours in the store, pay a membership fee and are given their own design space to set up their artwork.

“We have a president, a vice president, secretary (and) treasurer; we have someone who is in charge of our advertising, and they’re all board members,” said Jill Popplewell, the current manager of Trimble Court. “So it’s not just me running this show. I have a whole team of board members that help keep everything running smoothly.”

Regardless of how long an artist has been a member, they are all treated the same and welcomed with open arms.

“All of our co-op members, they’re part business owners; they want the co-op and the shop to succeed. So we’re kind of all marching in the same direction, and our big thing is just supporting the community (and) supporting each other at Trimble Court. So if one of us sells something really big — a big painting, a big piece of pottery — we’re all excited about it.” -Jill Popplewell, Trimble Court Artisans manager

“Everyone is happy to see each other, happy to celebrate life’s changes and ready to step up when a fellow artist is in a time of need,” said Erin Joy Parrot, a member of Trimble Court Artisans. “I haven’t been a member for very long, especially comparatively, but I have been loved on so hard by the Trimble Court family.”

The members of Trimble Court all work closely, sharing the same desire to make the business successful. They have fostered their own family within the shop and continue to support each other.

“Being part of an artist community is always something I’ve strived for,” said Carol Baum, a member of Trimble Court Artisans. “It’s always helpful to, you know, just have the friendship and the camaraderie and the kind of energy that is shared among artists.”

The shop serves as an outlet for artists to sell their work while being surrounded by tons of variation in art. Even with such a large number of artists, they uplift each other and share joy in watching each other succeed.

“All of our co-op members, they’re part business owners; they want the co-op and the shop to succeed,” Popplewell said. “So we’re kind of all marching in the same direction, and our big thing is just supporting the community (and) supporting each other at Trimble Court. So if one of us sells something really big — a big painting, a big piece of pottery — we’re all excited about it.”

This positive energy follows them outside of the shop and into their own homes, leaving traces of each other’s creativity.

“For our members, one of the treats is that we have a member discount, and we make a lot of sales to each other,” Findley said. “I come home and … open the cupboard, and it’s like all my friends are represented there — the mugs and just all the artwork.”

While a strong community has been formed among the artists, this positivity is likely to rub off on anyone steps foot into the shop.

Many families with children visit, and Findley said the kids are occasionally asked if they would like to use markers and crayons to decorate shopping bags.

These local Colorado artists bring something to the shop that is unlike any other. It makes the co-op a place that many remember and revisit when they have the chance.

“We have a lot of locals that are always shopping with us,” Popplewell said. “If they need to get a housewarming gift, or if they’re going to be traveling somewhere else, they know they can come to Trimble Court to get something made in Colorado — something special, something unique, something not mass produced.” 

This shop contains different kinds of art and gives each creator a place to showcase their work. From pottery, jewelry and paintings to the niche artwork some artists have to offer, there is something for every shopper.

“My hope is that (it) inspires people to do their creative part of just seeing kind of outside the box,” Baum said in reference to the clocks she creates out of mostly recycled material. “You know, don’t judge everything by what it was initially intended to do. And I also hope it inspires not only the creativity in other people but also just reusing things.”

Similar to Baum, many other artists have specific motivations and inspirations to help them create their art.

“My art is a love letter to nature, to feather texture and petal color, to ecosystems and interconnectedness, to wild beauty and its preservation,” Parrot said.

Giving these artists the space to share their art demonstrates the impact Trimble Court Artisans has on their members and patrons, as it highlights and uplifts the messages they seek to spread. 

Ultimately, this co-op gallery is dedicated to creating a welcoming and loving community. New and returning shoppers can expect to see more from them in the coming years.

“I want everybody to be happy, which is almost impossible, but I haven’t given up,” Findley said.

Reach Janaya Stafford at entertainment@collegian.com or on Twitter @CSUCollegian.