Local StoriesSeptember 9, 2025

Daily Inspiration: Meet Grace Noel

Local Stories

Today we’d like to introduce you to Grace Noel.

Hi Grace, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
My whole life has been art. Throughout childhood, I often won first place in regional and national art competitions such as the Second Congressional High School Art Competition and the Scholastic Gold Key Award. Having my talent recognized early always puts me in the position of being a public artist. So even as I enjoy doing art for myself, my style has continually been influenced by the knowledge that my work was intended to be viewed and enjoyed by others. While I don’t necessarily crave the spotlight, I do naturally imbue my pieces with a sense that they’re built for something bigger than myself. I’m inspired by a range of things, including astrology, heritage and nature. And even though my pieces are often glittery representations of sunshine and rainbows, viewers can still find heavier themes like death, motherhood, colonialism and religion permeating the compositions.

In the thousands of pieces I’ve created, I’ve worked with nearly every material available. My current display, The Mountain Meditation Series, uses metal and oil paint to depict bright scenes of Colorado’s mountain ranges, sunsets and unique flora and fauna. By working over a reflective surface, I let viewers look inward while contemplating opulent expressions of the natural world. No matter what I’m working on, I just love creating art.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Are you kidding me? How could it ever have been a smooth road? Nearly every art instructor I’ve had said only 30% of art school graduates become professional artists. First of all, I’m not only an artist, but I’m entirely responsible for all of my sales of art, classes, and events. While I have an online presence, I mostly sell my art in person from my studio in the Underground of the Denver Art Society. All of my work tells a story, but an important part of my philosophy as an artist is developing a relationship with my clients. It’s pretty obvious when you meet me that I put a lot of my personality into my art, love to teach, and host gatherings in the name of beauty. I very much enjoy connecting with buyers and students, as it allows them to see the correspondence between my vivacious personality and the vivid works I compose.

Being the single mother of two small children has made it very difficult for me to continue to put in the hours on-site and doing what I do best: selling art and teaching art classes. I have both a one-year-old and a four-year-old, each of whom is a full-time job by themselves. As the head of household, I’m entirely responsible for their care, which gives me very little time to jet back and forth between preschool, other errands, and the studio. Folks can still buy my work through the Denver Art Society when I’m not there, however I’ve been missing the opportunity to introduce myself to clients and display the deep association between my character and my work even though the pieces speak for themselves. People can always pick up my colorful interpretations of the Southwest, but I’d prefer for them to leave with a memory of who I am and have an understanding of how much passion goes into each creation. I put a lot of love into my oeuvre, and I want to share that with the community.

I’ve also faced both racism and sexism. Being a powerful woman who is also a minority puts other egos in check and makes them want to retaliate. A lot of my stuff is a celebration of my native heritage. Preserving the culture is important, but it’s also been a struggle as there’s still jealousy and something of a colonizer mentality in a scene that espouses egalitarianism. I hope things change because I think art is about coming together in the name of beauty.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
Grace Noel is a mixed media fine artist, art class teacher, and owner of Grace Noel Art, LLC. She received her Bachelors of Fine Arts Degree in 2011. Her studio is open to the public 7 days a week in the Denver Art Society Underground in Denver’s Art District on Santa Fe Dr at 734 Santa Fe Dr, Denver, CO. Grace’s work is inspired by the magical oneness that connects us all and her artwork paints this theme through the rainbow color palette of the four elements of fire (red), earth (green), wind (yellow), and water (blue).
As a girl, Grace gained an appreciation for her place in the universe through her family’s indigenous folk stories, her mother’s knowledge of astrology, and later – Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and Genetics. Grace’s mother is an indigenous Colorado Chicana who raised her on the food, culture, and the old folk stories passed down from the family’s Spanish, Ute Indian and Pueblo Indian ancestors of Colorado and New Mexico. These youthful experiences provided Grace with a deep appreciation for the oneness we all share with mother nature, the spirit realm, and the universe.
As a professional artist, Grace wanted to create artwork inspired by the oneness of the earth, stars, and life itself. Grace’s knowledge of science, metaphysics, and native folklore inspired her belief that these different forms of knowledge were all communicating very similar concepts and just using different language to do so. She decided the commonality was the Four Elements of Fire, Earth, Wind, and Water. The four elements inspired the theme, rainbow palette of Grace’s artwork, and artist statement: We are all made of sunshine. Sunshine makes the plants grow, the water flow, and the wind blow. So now it is time to go on a magical journey through the rainbow.
In February 2013, Grace began her career as a professional artist by creating Grace Noel Art. Also, she joined the Denver Art Society Artist Co-op/gallery/nonprofit and she is a founding member – helping build, fund, and sustain the nonprofit art organization to the present day. In 2016, Grace converted Grace Noel Art into an LLC and became a full time professional artist in 2017. From 2018-2020, Grace served on the Board of Directors for Denver’s Art District on Santa Fe Dr. From 2018-2023, Grace is part of the core team of Spectra Art Space, a female owned and operated art gallery in Denver.
Grace Noel Art, LLC brings the community together through cultivating a magical space to create. People of all ages create with Grace in her Art and Astrology Classes, original art series, and commissioned artworks. Grace believes creating art is the way to connect to the magic we all share and is not limited to the media she works in. Grace uses her knowledge of traditional 2D art media, industrial materials, and software to make her clients’ creative dreams come true. She has even illustrated a children’s book! Grace’s first public art sculpture called We’re All in This Together is set to premier in 2024 for the Grand Lake Marquee in downtown Grand Lake, CO. Keep in touch with Grace by visiting her website: https://gracenoel.art where you can learn the classes, shows, and projects she is working on! In 2024, Grace Noel Art became certified as a Certified Women & Minority Owned Business, Disadvantaged Small Business, and Emerging Small Business by the City & County of Denver, CO.

Is there something surprising that you feel even people who know you might not know about?
I’m generally an open book. I’ll happily regale strangers with stories about my life, especially as it pertains to the creation of my art. But it still may surprise people that I’m a single mother who makes all my money off my own sales, commissions, and classes. A lot of people assume artists are bankrolled, but I bought a frickin house and am raising a family off my own sweat equity. I feel like I have a solid community, but owning an art business is like having a third child, and with having my own company, it can feel like none of the three are getting the full attention that they deserve.

Also, people often assume I’m white, though I’m literally half native. My lineage is the main inspiration for my artistic identity, so I sometimes feel like prospective buyers get my motivations confused. Despite the radiant and flamboyant nature of my art, they really are all representations of the Southwest. In a genre that’s full of drab depictions of grazing herds, expansive horizons and muted tones, it can be hard for people to recognize that I include myself in a long line of painters celebrating this side of the country. I love what I do and enjoy being distinctive, but I hope my portrayals of the cosmic and the divine don’t make it seem like I’m creating a world unto itself. I celebrate the future and the past, the celestial and the terrestrial. Even so, I hope people can see the connection between my work and a long history of great masters who have been inspired by being outside in the Colorado sunshine.

Pricing:

Merchandise: $5 – $90
Art Reproductions: $10 – $300
Original artwork: $60 – $3000
Classes: $40 – $90

Contact Info:

Image Credits
Photos by Grace L Noel, Edited by Tania Kaaz

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