Roger Mason - 2013 Festival Poster Artist

If you don’t know the name Roger Mason, you may also not know that Telluride’s Main Street is the artist’s personal atelier. You can spot Mason a mile away, he’s the guy on Telluride's Main Street from time to time standing next to an easel, brandishing brushes, resemblely a dressed up Jackson Pollack, with spattered paint all over his denim overalls.

Mason is the Leonardo of the streets of Telluride, Colorado...

Many people use the phrase "blank canvas" metaphorically, but artist Roger Mason selects the New Sheridan Hotel year after year as his literal canvas and Telluride's Main Street as his personal atelier. Mason hails from New York's Hudson Valley and was trained at New York's Pratt Institute. He found his way to Telluride through music.

In addition to painting, he is also a renowned bass player and played for Peter Rowan at the Telluride Bluegrass Festival back in 1979.

In the 1990s, he toured in a trio with world-renowned violinist Itzhak Perlman playing to crowds at places like Wolf Trap and Tanglewood. Mason also played bass with The Band. Painting is musical to him, and they both intertwine and fuel each other in an artistic way.

Returning to the Festival for his second year as our poster artist, Roger Mason presents to you, Blues on Main Street. His poster will be available for purchase in our Merchandise Tent during the festival. Roger will be in person for poster signing daily at 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. daily.