
Hours of Operation
Open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 am until 5 pm
Call 719-738-2858 for more info or to make an appointment. For School-Tour Visits please email your preferred dates and times to: info@museumoffriends.org.
welcome to the museum of friends
The Museum Of Friends (MoF) is a contemporary art museum that opened in October, 2006 in the Southern Colorado rural community of Walsenburg. Brendt and Maria Cocchiarelli’s shared vision for the new museum was to create a place where everyone feels welcomed and the art created by all people valued. The initial collection of 600 works given by their friends became the core of the collection. Over the last 15 years it has grown to over 1600 works that includes paintings, sculptures, fine art prints, drawings, photographs and digital media. MoF occupies 10,000 square feet of museum display space, with classroom areas, a gift shop and a lower level. MoF's inclusive and egalitarian open door policy intents to uplift the community through engaging programs to develop creativity, inclusion and educational opportunities. Many exhibits public and educational programs explore cross cultural understanding and tolerance the necessary ingredients for a just and peaceful society.
MoF’s grand opening in October, 2007 encouraged the community to explore the building with tours on the 2nd floor that included: the permanent collection, the administrative offices, an art resource library, visiting artist apartment and two galleries devoted to the Pacific. These explore pre-Columbian Mexican, Australian, Japanese, Southeast Asian and focus on Aboriginal Polynesian artifacts. The works on display are greatly treasured by Brendt Berger as they have been passed down to him from his Native Hawaiian ancestors.
In 2010, MoF began to occupy the entire building including the first and lower level establishing the changing exhibition and educational programs, and gift shop Made in Walsenburg.
upcoming exhibits
Patterns and Spaces
Liz Whitney Quisgard
April 1 through June 30 2022
Opening reception April 1st from 5 pm to 7 pm
Please join us to view two new exhibits opening at the Museum of Friends, 600 Main Street on Friday April 1st from 5 to 7 pm. We will celebrate the work of noted New York Artist Liz Whitney Quisgard Patterns and Spaces. Her paintings, sculptures, bas relief, and intricately designed fabric wall pieces are exhibited on the 1st floor at MoF and sure to please the eyes and senses. When called upon to explain her work, Liz is inclined to reply “What you see is what you get.”
Visit Liz's web site to learn more.
On May 7th at 2 pm, Maria Cocchiarelli will present a gallery tour and discussion of Liz Whitney Quisgard’s exhibit.
Patterns and Spaces
Mined Resonance
Max Kauffman
April 1 through June 30 2022
2nd Floor
Opening reception April 1st from 5 pm to 7 pm
On the second floor is the work of local artist Max Kauffman Mined Resonance. This is a body of work created over the last few years during which he states: “we’ve all had to improvise, react and flow with new information constantly coming at us. These works aim to capture my notion of the indefinable space between where we are now, where we’ve been, and where we’re going.”
Visit Max's web site to learn more.
Max will be available during the opening to discuss his exhibit and will present a new public program on April 15th at 2 pm, Artist Talk on Art.
Mined Resonance
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