Winter
Press / CV
"Music meets woodworking for award-winning art."~ Telluride Daily Planet
"I love how Cie's pieces are dynamic and filled with movement, yet also calming to view.”- Samantha Weston, Public Art Administrator, Denver International Airport
"Cie's artwork is gorgeous and unique." - Miriam Watson, Museum Curator, Yellowstone National Park
"Hoover’s artworks evoke the solitude, peace, and inspiration found within the mountains and forests. He seeks these aspects when creating his artworks; every art piece he produces is inspired by the wood and environment with which it is created."
- Telluride Arts District
"We're big fans" ~ Shoutout Colorado
“We can’t find justifiable words to describe these simply AMAZING inspirations by Cie” - TruART
"Cie Hoover's passion for art rings true. "Crescendo", a wood piece anchored in stone and a solid base of community support, rises like an anthem into the bluebird Western Colorado sky. Its rhythm echoes the lines of the park Pavilion it adorns." ~ Ridgway Creative District, Ridgway, CO
"Cie Hoover is an incredibly talented artist." ~ Krissy Kula, Director, Slate Gray Gallery, Telluride, CO
"Your sculpture is an icon and we are honored to have it." ~ Jared LaCroix, Co-Founder, Ouray International Film Festival
"Cie is a wood artist who is producing some really original work in the way of sculptures, wall hangings and carvings." ~ Woodworkers Association of New South Wales
“The Town of Ridgway celebrates the arts in all of its many faucets, and we are honored to have Mr. Hoover provide a piece of public art for display through our organization.” ~ PARC (Public Art Ridgway Colorado)
“The work of Cie Hoover reflects his experiences in the natural world, specifically the vast, wondrous western landscapes surrounding his home (in southwest Colorado).” ~ Telluride Inside & Out
“Beautiful work!” ~ Kent Swanson, Public Art Project Coordinator, Bernalillo County, New Mexico
“From the first time I saw Cie's woodwork, I was struck by its originality, and his work has grown exponentially since then. It has been a joy to watch his evolution as a visual artist, alongside his already well-recognized talents as a performing artist. There appear to be no limits to what he can accomplish!” - Mayor John Clark, Ridgway, CO
“WOW just WOW. Simply amazing art.” ~ Interim Susan Lander, Executive Director, Durango Creative District, Durango, CO
CURRICULUM VITAE
EXHIBITIONS
Ongoing- Cie Gallery - Ouray, CO
Ongoing - Piper J Gallery / Ridgeline Gallery - Truckee, CA
2025 Root &c Roaming - solo exhibition - Piper J Gallery, Truckee, CA
2023 Ouray County Arts Show - The Decker Room, Ridgway, CO
2023 SOLO EXHIBIT - Blue Sage Center for the Arts, Paonia, CO
2023 Cie Hoover / Topher Straus Exhibit, Rhythm In Nature, Slate Gray Gallery, Telluride, CO
2022 Telluride Fire Festival Group EXHIBIT - Slate Gray Gallery, Telluride, CO
2022 SOLO EXHIBIT - Grand Mesa Arts Center, Cedaredge, CO
2022 Reminiscence - Slate Gray Gallery - Telluride, CO
2022 Artists’ Alpine Holiday Juried Show, 3 pieces, Ouray Community Center, Ouray, CO
2022 Sheer Imagination - Slate Gray Gallery, Telluride, CO
2022 SOLO EXHIBIT - Residual Roots, Healthy Rhythm Art Gallery, Montrose, CO
2021 SOLO EXHIBIT - Within the Woods, Wilkinson Public Library, Curated by the Telluride Arts District, Telluride, CO
2021 SOLO EXHIBIT -Branches, The Wright Opera House, Ouray, CO
2021 Ridgway Rendezvous Juried Art Fair - Ridgway CO ,
2021 610 Gallery Open Exhibition - 2 pieces, 610 Arts Collective, Ridgway, CO
2021 SOLO EXHIBIT - Arborescent 2.0, The Wright Opera House, Ouray, CO
2020 SOLO EXHIBIT - Arborescent, The Wright Opera House, Ouray, CO
2020 SOLO EXHIBIT - Woodshedding, 610 Arts Collective, Ridgway, CO
2020 Art In Isolation - 4 pieces, The Wright Opera House, Ouray, CO
2019 Artists’ Alpine Holiday Juried Show, 3 pieces, Ouray Community Center, Ouray, CO
2019 Inaugural 610 Arts Collective Regional Arts Exhibition, 1 Piece, 610 Arts Collective, Ridgway, CO
2019 Selected group exhibition, 3 pieces, Skol Gallery, Ouray, CO
2010 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Cleveland Rocks Guitar Auction, 1 piece, Cleveland, OH
PUBLIC ART
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2025 "Where Adventure Begins", Durango, Colorado Airport, permanent
2024 Artist Residency, Buffalo Creek Art Center, Genoa NV (Lake Tahoe / Reno)
2023 One year installation, "Infinite Crescendos", Nashville International Airport in Collabaoration with Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival
2023 Finalist,"Illumination's Flow", Greeley, CO
2022 Fire sculpture, Telluride Fire Festival, Telluride, CO
2022 Permanent: "Crescendo", Ridgway Athletic Park, Ridgway, CO
2022 Art on loan: "Crescendo II", Commission by Fraser Public Arts Committee, Fraser, CO
2022 Temporary - Telluride Art + Architecture - 5 sculptures
2022 Permanent "The Reel Summit", Sculpture for the Ouray International Film Festival, located at The Wright Opera House, Ouray, CO
2022 Permanent: "Balance In The Fray", Alamosa ARTscape, Alamosa, CO (People's Choice Winner)
2022 Permanent: "Mountain Zia", Ouray, CO
2021 Temporary exhibit: Art Haus - 5 pieces, The Transfer Warehouse, Curated by the Telluride Arts District, Telluride CO
2019 Permanent : "Equilibrium", Ouray, CO
AWARDS
2022 ~ First Place - "Elevation" at Ouray County Arts Association Artists' Alpine Holiday Juried Art Show
2021 ~ People's Choice Award - Alamosa ArtScape (Public Art on Loan Series), Alamosa, CO
2019 ~ Mayor's Choice Award - Inaugural 610 Arts Collective Regional Arts Exhibition, Ridgway, CO
2019 ~ John Billings Choice Award (Maker of the GRAMMY Awards) - 7th Annual Michael McCullough’s Sculpting Competition, Ridgway, CO
PRESS
June 27, 2023, "A Masterpiece in Accoya Wood" - Accoya.com
June 15, 2023, "New Bonnaroo themed skylight art displayed at the Nashville Airport - axios.com .
April 10, 2023, "Meet Cie Hoover" - CanvasRebel Magazine
Feb 28, 2023, "Ouray artist selected for art installation at Nashville Airport" - Montrose Press, Montrose, CO
January 29, "Rhythm In Nature - The Art of Cie Hoover & Topher Straus" - Telluride Inside & Out
December 8, 2022 - "Artist Spotlight: Cie Hoover", Ouray County Plaindealer, Ouray, CO
December 7, 2022 - "Telluride Fire Festival", Telluride Daily Planet, Telluride, CO
October 18, 2022 - "Meet Cie Hoover", VoyageDenver, Denver, CO
October 6, 2022 - "Art Unveiling Today", Ouray County Plaindealer, Ouray, CO
October 3, 2022 - "Slate Gray: Reminiscence", Telluride Inside and Out, Telluride, CO
September 29, 2022 - "Ridgway to unveil new sculpture", Montrose Press, Montrose, CO
May, 2022 -"The Origen of Opposites" featured on homepage of CallforEntry.org
January 13, 2022 - Healthy Rhythm hosts Ouray sculptor and musician, Montrose Press, Montrose, CO
January 10, 2022 - Ouray artist win’s $1,000 People’s Choice Award, Alamosa Citizen, Alamosa, CO
January 3, 2022 - Residual Roots - Montrose Mirror, Montrose, CO
December 15, 2021 - Telluride Art Walk - Telluride Daily Planet, Telluride, CO
November 16, 2021 - Shoutout Colorado Interview
May 7, 2021 - KVNF Radio Interview, Paonia, CO
September 2, 2021 - September Arts Walk, Telluride Inside, Telluride, CO
September 8, 2020 - Leslie Vreeland, Woodshedding, Telluride Daily Planet, Telluride, CO
August 20, 2020 - Josue Perez, Arts & Entertainment Roundup, Montrose Daily Press, Montrose, CO
April 8, 2020 - Leslie Vreeland, Inspiration, Telluride Daily Planet, Telluride, CO
April 25, 2019 - Leslie Vreeland, Sounds Like R-I-D-G-W-A-Y, Telluride Daily Planet, Telluride, CO
COMMISSIONS​
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2023 "Infinite Crescendos" (Nashville International Airport) / "Old George" / “Big Sky”
2022 "The Reel Summit" (Ouray International Film Festival sculpture) / "Maroon Bells" / "Cimarrons"
2021 "Mountain Zia" / "SendFest" (Part of 2021 Ouray Ice Festival Auction) / "Sneffels"
2020 "Contentment" / "Love, Laughter, and Music" / "Let's Go Hokies" / "The Lonely Mountain" /
"Music Is My Mantra" / "Matthews" / "The Fellowship" / "Caduceus"
2019 "Kral, Grand Lake" / "Big Sky" / "Mt. Timpanogos" / "Great Adventure" / "Lime Lake" / "Magic Bird"
"Garden of the Gods" / "Mt. Moran" / "Twin Peaks"
AFFILIATIONS​
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Ouray County Arts Association - Member -2018-Present
Nature First Alliance - Member - 2018-Present
The Wright Opera House - Marketing Committee Member - 2019-Present
EDUCATION
Belmont University – Bachelor of Business Administration – May 2005
Music Business and Entertainment emphasis
EXPERIENCE
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Professional Artist / Woodworker - 2018 - Present
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Touring Musician - You Knew Me When - June 2012 - Present
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Gibson Guitar Corporation - Global Events Manager, October 2009 – June 2012
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Gibson Guitar Corporation - Global Events Coordinator, October 2008 – October 2009
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The International Songwriting Competition - Artist Relations / Media Coordinator, Sept 2007 – Aug 2008
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MEINL, USA International Manufacturer of Cymbals and Percussion Instruments - Artist Relations Coordinator, USA and Canada, July 2007 – September 2007
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PLA Media PR and Marketing Firm - Publicist, May 2005 – June 2007
REFERENCES
Available upon request
ABOUT CIE
From Music Row to Alpine Artistry
Cie Hoover is an "organic contemporary" artist and musician based in Ouray, Colorado, whose work serves as a rhythmic bridge between the pulse of the music industry and the rugged solitude of the San Juan Mountains. His journey is one of profound reinvention—transitioning from a decade-long career in Nashville to a fine-art practice centered on the tactile and innate beauty of wood.
Hoover’s early life was defined by sound. A graduate of Belmont University’s Music Business program, he served as a Global Event Manager for Gibson Guitar and a Music Row publicist before spending nearly seven years touring full-time in the folk-rock duo You Knew Me When. This era of constant motion eventually led Hoover and his wife to seek roots in the Rockies, where the restoration of an 1898 mining house sparked a new creative obsession. What began with basic woodworking evolved into a sophisticated artistic style, transforming his garage-turned-studio into a sanctuary for subtractive carving, wood-burning, and mixed-media composition.
Hoover’s work is a meditation on the untamed spirit of the West, seeking to bridge the gap between the wild, natural world and the structured environments we inhabit. Using wood as both a canvas and a subject, he employs meticulous carving and burning techniques to render patterns that abstractly represent the "visual acoustics" of the elements: the flow of water, the rhythm of wind, or the grain of rock. By presenting these textures on wood panels, he frames the raw power of the mountain spirit through a contemporary lens.
His trajectory as a public artist has gained significant momentum, highlighted by his "Crescendo" sculpture series and a permanent, 40-foot installation at the Durango-La Plata County Airport. In 2026, Hoover reached a defining milestone with the opening of Cie Gallery, a flagship modern sanctuary for his work at 738 Main Street in downtown Ouray.
Represented by Raitman Art Galleries (Breckenridge & Vail, Colorado), as well as Piper J Gallery (Truckee, CA), and recognized for high-profile collaborations with brands like Wagner Custom Skis, Hoover continues to explore the dialogue between nature and modern design—inviting viewers to contemplate the essential connection between nature and the soul.
ABOUT CIE'S ART
Artist Statement:
My work is a tactile exploration of the natural world, rooted in the medium of wood and expressed through both intricate wall-mounted reliefs and free-standing sculptural forms. Living in the San Juan Mountains, I am endlessly inspired by the rugged topography of the alpine landscapes that surround me. I treat wood not as a passive substrate, but as a collaborator; I utilize subtractive carving, wood-burning, and various pigments to reveal the organic patterns within the grain, allowing the material’s innate character to guide the aesthetic of each piece.
This "organic contemporary" style is a rhythmic bridge between my past in the music industry and my present in the studio. I view the textures of a forest or the shifting shadows of a peak as a visual rhythm—a direct influence drawn from my background in sound and composition. Whether carving the sweeping contours of a mountain ridgeline or shaping a three-dimensional sculpture, my goal is to distill the vastness of the outdoors into tangible, textured forms.
By translating these organic patterns into structured wooden works, I aim to create a dialogue between the viewer and the environment. My process serves to frame the raw power of the mountain spirit through a contemporary, architectural lens, allowing the energy of the wilderness to permeate the modern spaces we inhabit. Ultimately, my work is a meditation on the untamed spirit of the West—an invitation to contemplate the essential connection between the landscape and the soul, offering a sense of grounded tranquility and connection to the ephemeral beauty of the wild.