Welcome to Southwest Arts! Southwest Arts is a member of the 3rd Ave. Arts family. 3rd Ave. Arts is a 501(c)3 non-profit that hosts accessible arts programming in southwest Colorado and Santa Fe, New Mexico, utilizing the rich pool of excellent regional talent. It’s our mission to present artistic and cultural events and arts education opportunities that enrich the fabric of our community.

3rd Ave. Arts, a 501(c)3 non-profit, has its roots in Durango, Colorado, where Executive Director C. Scott Hagler moved in 2004. He began creating festivals and events, with the idea of supporting local musicians, artists and arts educators by providing space for performances, education opportunities and display of visual arts.

The organization sprang on the Durango arts scene in 2005 with the St. Mark’s Recital Series, four professional concerts spread through the season which routinely garner critical acclaim. 3rd Ave. Arts continued to grow with annual events such as the Sacred Arts Festival, the Durango Bach Festival, Durango Chamber Music Festival and other concerts including The Majesty of Christmas and A Celtic Music Celebration, along with education initiatives including the Durango Chamber Music Academy and Bach to School. For two years 3rd Ave. Arts also hosted the Durango Salsa Festival, a benefit one-day celebration of all things salsa: The music, the dance, the condiment. An active and strong board of directors made this growth possible.

Hospitality is an important aspect of the work of 3rd Ave. Arts: most events provide opportunities for artists and attendees to mix and mingle. Collaboration between artists and organizations is also highly valued.

The rich programming continues in Durango (3rdAveArts.org), and in 2015 programs expanded into Santa Fe, NM (SouthwestArts.org), where Hagler moved.