Best Local Artist Mary Noone loves color — and she’s not afraid to use it.

“I am all about color. I love color. I love everything about it,” she said. “This love is the driving force behind my work and what gets me out of bed in the morning.”

Noone has been capturing the Western Colorado landscape for nearly 25 years, and her bold use of vibrant color is a trademark of her work.

“The natural landscape is powerful and vibrant ... so should be the colors,” she said.

Noone’s artwork is permanently displayed throughout the state and the West. She is passionate about capturing the vast open spaces of the West. She actively supports the Aspen Valley Land Trust in its mission to preserve vanishing areas in the valley each year by co-organizing Glenwood’s Earth Day art show.

Not only are art and the environment passions for Noone, but music is also a driving force in her life. She and her husband, Bob, founded the Summer of Jazz music series 21 years ago, hosting more than 175 concerts.

This season, the Summer of Jazz series is dedicated to the music and heritage of New Orleans. The Noones traveled to the New Orleans Heritage Jazz Fest in April to recruit musicians for the series, a trip Mary describes as life-changing.

Other Finalists: John Adams, Dean Bowlby


Best Radio Station

KMTS, at 99.1 in Glenwood Springs, is the Colorado Associated Press Broadcasters Association’s Radio Station of the Year — and local listeners agree. The country music station airs Paul Harvey’s “The Rest of the Story” every day at 5 p.m., provides Denver Broncos coverage and reports on local and national news, weather, traffic and sports. Live online broadcasts can be heard at www.kmts.com.

Other Finalists: KDNK, KSNO


Best Local Event

Strawberry Days recently celebrated its 109th year with an annual festival famous for its parade, artisan fair, queen contest, live music and free strawberries and ice cream. The event is Colorado’s oldest ongoing civic festival.

Other Finalists: Carbondale Mountain Fair, Summer of Jazz


Best Art Gallery

Main Street Gallery, and its framing component, The Framer, located at 817 Grand Ave., has been serving Colorado fine art aficionados for more than 20 years. The gallery features Artist of the Month exhibits showcasing local painters, photographers and sculptors.

Other Finalists: Colorado Mountain College, Glenwood Springs Center for the Arts


Best Photographer

Post Independent photographer Kelley Cox holds the record for the most letters to the editor submitted in praise of her work in the history of the paper. Readers love her photos so much, she’s been stopped in the street and approached at the grocery store to receive compliments.

Other Finalists: Ken McGraw, Jen Firmin


Best Local Band/Musician

Brad Foster, Brook Mooney, Kirk Radomski, Dane Wilson, and Brad Swart comprise SoulFeel, a band that plays funky roots rock with a twist of Delta blues. Foster, Mooney, Radomski and Wilson recently relocated to Fort Collins, while trumpet player Swart remains in the area with his family. In June, the band won the Yagatta Regatta Battle of the Bands contest and has embarked on a summer tour through the south.

Other Finalists: The Strays, Rock Dogs


Best Locals’ Attraction

Not only has the Travel Channel named the Hot Springs Pool as one of its Top 10 Hottest Hotel Pools, but Post Independent readers have chosen it as Best Locals’ Attraction for the second year. The world’s largest outdoor mineral hot springs pool stretches more than two blocks and features a children’s wading pool, a water slide and a miniature golf course for family fun.

Other Finalists: Glenwood Caverns, Sunlight Mountain Resort