Meet Two of Denver's New 'Emerging Artists' at the Cherry Creek Arts Festival

Each year, CherryArts, the organization responsible for putting on the Cherry Creek Arts Festival, announces five recipients for its “Emerging Artists Program.”

For about 20 years, the program has offered emerging artists a “kick start” into the arts festival world, providing mentorship and a free booth at the festival. But this year, CherryArts is offering recipients direct financial support.

Each finalist will receive a $5,000 scholarship. The program is highly competitive. This year, the festival jury faced the challenge of selecting only five artists from more than 240 applicants. Two of them are from Denver.

Emilia Ealom, reflected in the clay-splattered mirror above her pottery wheel in her ceramics studio. She was named an “Emerging Artist” at the Cherry Creek Arts Festival, which runs July 5-7.

Potter Emilia Ealon

Grains of clay dust swirl around Emilia Ealom as she sits in her basement studio. Mugs, bowls and vases of all shapes and sizes are neatly stacked on shelves behind her. For Ealom, a longtime Denver-based ceramicist, having a workspace in her own home has always been a dream. But it’s been postponed for decades.

“Life happened,” Ealom said.

For many artists, finding the balance between perfecting their craft and understanding the business side of selling their work is a challenge. And Ealom’s work is no exception.

Ealom, who fell in love with the wheel in her freshman year of high school, decided to study ceramics in college. Her love of pottery led her to travel the world: she apprenticed as a ceramicist in England and lived in an indigenous community in Costa Rica where she learned traditional pottery techniques. After graduating, Ealom moved to Argentina to pursue her art.

“Being young and naive, I didn’t understand the business side of art,” the Denver-based artist said. “So I quickly learned that I love creating my work, but selling it is a whole other story.”

After seven years of financial strain as an artist in a foreign country, Ealom returned to the United States. She started a family. She went back to school to earn a degree in clinical social work. She thought she could combine her passion for art and pottery with her new profession.

“I wanted to do art therapy because I really like connecting with people,” she said. “I really like teaching. I taught in Argentina and I gave classes and taught at a community art school.”

Ceramic work by Emilia Ealom, who was named an “Emerging Artist” at the Cherry Creek Arts Festival, which runs July 5-7.

But after working in the health care system for 14 years, Ealom became burned out.

That’s when she decided to apply to the Cherry Creek Arts Festival’s Emerging Artist Program.

“I actually applied in a moment of anxiety,” she said. “I wondered if I could try again, if I could do this again. So I was in an existential crisis and I thought, ‘Well, what have I got to lose?’”

“Beyond my wildest dreams, I never thought I would be accepted, but I am so grateful that I was,” she said.

Ealom is one of three Colorado natives selected to be part of this year’s Emerging Artist Program, sponsored by CherryArts. This is the first time each of the five recipients will receive a $5,000 grant to further support their work.

Ealom says being selected as one of the grant recipients gave her both the confidence and financial support to fully pursue her craft.

“Making a career in art is a profession like any other,” she said. “But I’m very new to this – the business side of art. I can talk about clay, glazing, wheel throwing and all my thoughts about pottery traditions until I turn blue. But if you ask me how to organize an art fair, I know absolutely nothing about it.”

Painter Andrew Anglin in his studio. He was named an “Emerging Artist” at the Cherry Creek Arts Festival, which runs July 5-7.

Painter Adam Anglin

Like Ealom, Adam Anglin, another of this year’s emerging artist finalists, is not new to the art world.

Anglin, a Denver-based painter and former graphic designer, says he wanted to get involved in the art world from a young age. But like Ealom and so many others, he struggled to figure out “how to do it.”

For the past few years, Anglin has worked as a worship leader and music director for his local church. But he feels like something is still missing. So he decided to start painting again.

“Being an artist has always been part of my business,” Anglin said. “But I think finding a way to express myself is actually a lifelong quest.”

Anglin’s basement studio, measuring 9 feet by 9 feet, represents that quest. The tiny room is filled with audio recording equipment, paints, easels and a giant desktop computer.

“For me, painting isn’t really about, ‘Hey, I need this to survive,’” Anglin said. “It’s more about, ‘I need to paint to become a whole person. I need to paint to be a healthy person who engages with who I am at my core.’”

Work by painter Andrew Anglin, ready to ship, in his studio. He was named an “Emerging Artist” at the Cherry Creek Arts Festival, which runs July 5-7.

Anglin says receiving the grant gave him the confidence to continue practicing his profession.

“Since they had this program and I knew the reputation of the festival, I thought that there was little chance of me going for it, but if I did, it would feel like a great catalyst to take what I do into a new phase and to try to take more risks with my work.”

Anglin says his paintings are inspired by both his love of Western landscapes and his background as a graphic designer.

In addition to providing funding to selected artists, the Emerging Artists Program also connects finalists with art world mentors, professional development workshops and a booth at the Cherry Creek Arts Festival.

You can view or purchase Anglin or Ealom’s work at the Cherry Creek Arts Festival this weekend: 10am-8pm Saturday and 10am-6pm Sunday.