It's a typical day at Steel City Art Works (SCAW), 216 S. Union Ave.: Artists are prepping new exhibits, hanging paintings, placing sculptures on pillars and making sure cases full of jewelry and ceramics are carefully and neatly organized.

Diana LaMorris is busy overseeing the process, lending a hand to those working and always smiling.

Her unbridled enthusiasm never wavers as she gleefully bounces from exhibit to exhibit, showing off the art work by the various Pueblo and regional artists displayed at the gallery.

She speaks softly, but ever so fondly of each artist. She knows their techniques. She knows their inspirations and above all, she knows each and every one of their stories.

Her optimism, her enthusiasm and her passion are the epitome of SCAW, and one of the many reasons why the gallery recently celebrated its 10-year anniversary.

Diana LaMorris

LaMorris was born in Boulder but spent much of her adult life in Chicago.

In her early 20s she became a basket maker, and along with one of her sisters, opened a basket business in Illinois. Her baskets would be shown in galleries throughout Illinois and other states in the Midwest.

LaMorris credits he mother for instilling in her a sense of creativity.

"When I was a kid, my mom helped me do whatever I wanted to do," she said. "I learned all the creative arts through her. I learned knitting and crocheting, all of those kinds of things."

Her sister decided to move back to Colorado, and after LaMorris's children were grown and she'd graduated from City Colleges of Chicago, she ventured to New Mexico.

After a quick four-year pit stop in Santa Fe, LaMorris found Pueblo and has called the Steel City home since 2005.

"I moved to Santa Fe, which was a great place to visit but not a good for me," she said. "Pueblo was a lot like the Colorado I grew up in."

Upon moving here, LaMorris saw a need for a place to display local artists and began the process of founding Steel City Art Works.

"When I moved to town in 2005, there wasn't this type of gallery in town," she said. "Another sister of mine came and really wanted to do something like this."

Ten years later, the gallery has grown and continues to thrive with LaMorris at helm as creative director, and with the help of all the artists involved.

"It's been a wonderful journey," LaMorris said. "It's awesome."

John Box

Originally from Wisconsin, life-long educator John Box began his love of photography while in middle school.

"My dad bought me a camera, a Kodak Hawkeye, and I started taking pictures," Box said. "My speciality is landscape photography, that's what I enjoy most."

At first, Box would take his film to be developed at a local store, but soon found a more cost-effective way.

"It took all my allowance," he said. "So, I started processing my own film and it went from there."

Box would go on to teach graphic design and photography before becoming a high school principal and, later, a school superintendent.

He left the education field to work for Junior Achievement in Colorado before retiring five years.

Box also owns his own business, Box Camera Photos and Framing. His business prompted him to join Steel City Art Works in 2009, in hopes that it would allow him to display his art and attract modest sales.

"I was looking for a venue to display and sell the photos and wanted to go the co-op route," Box said. "I'd heard of SCAW from a friend. I applied for a membership and was accepted. That was eight years ago."

Box quickly became the gallery's vice president, and three years into his time with SCAW, he become president.

"I took over as a president and they haven't let me out of the job since," Box joked. "I enjoy doing it, it's a labor of love. Artists are a different breed, so there never is a dull moment."

Box's background as an educator and business man has lent itself nicely to the job.

"I think what I try to add to the mix is sort of a business side of it," he said. "Not all artists are business minded. So far nobody runs against me or let's me get out. So, here I am."

The gallery

Steel City Art Works is an artist co-operative founded in 2007 by LaMorris and various others.

Each month, the gallery hosts featured artists and themed shows. It also participates in the Pueblo Creative Corridor's First Friday Art Walk.

Featured at the gallery are more than 40 artists from Pueblo and throughout the region.

"We've had a lot of people come and go, but we have at least 12 of the original people who opened the doors still here," LaMorris said. "It's just a wonderful community. There's a lot of terrific people."

Every type of art work -- from paintings, ceramics, sculptures, drawings and photographers to jewelry, t-shirts, books and industrial art -- is on display at SCAW.

There are also various other shows and displays that occur throughout the year.

"We do a guest artist program for people that want to try us out or who don't produce as much art every month," LaMorris said. "We do a student art show every year with Cesar Chavez" Academy.

In addition, Box and LaMorris created the Steel City Society for the Arts to help support and grow the gallery.

"We've tried to raise money to buy our own facility and make our presences even greater in the community," Box said. "Those are all things that have added to our success."

SCAW's evolution

The gallery was originally housed on the corner of Fist and Main streets, in a purple building that used to be a dairy.

There were 25 artists then, and everyone chipped in to build Steel City Art Works.

"They were just so dedicated to the idea that there's always been an enormous amount of momentum," LaMorris said. "I was instrumental in starting it and I've always been the creative director, but these people all have taken ownership. Everybody helps and is dedicated to the store and having great art here in Pueblo."

Though LaMorris loved the building, she and the others, including Box, realized they needed to be closer to the heart beat of Pueblo.

"I really loved that building," LaMorris said. "I love industrial buildings and that raw energy that just gives you the impetus to create. But, being off of Union Avenue, it was difficult to get people over there."

SCAW moved to its Union Avenue location in 2010, and has been there since.

"Moving to Union, there was more foot traffic," Box said. "It's closer to the heart of the city, particularly being just a few blocks from the Riverwalk. That had a major, positive impact."

As did the number of patrons, the number of artists grew too.

Steel City Art Works nearly doubled in its number of members in the seven years since it moved.

"Being able to move to a bigger site has really attracted a lot of artists from a different variety of media," Box said. "I think they really added to the impact of the gallery."

Together, SCAW has looked to bring a positive impact to Pueblo.

"We've tried to reach out and become members of the community," Box said. "Beyond just the business, we've tried to take initiatives with other galleries and try to get them to work together."

LaMorris echoed that sentiment.

"We do a service for the community. As more and more of the community finds us, they know we have great art at reasonable prices," she said. "It's a good place to find something unique."

10-years strong

Though the art scene has continued to expand and grow in Pueblo, many galleries have come and gone.

Steel City has one of the longest running galleries in the city, and much of that is driven by the passion of its members.

"I think when you get to 10 years and don't see an end in sight, that's pretty special," Box said. "I really think that the spirit of the members of the co-op, and their outreach as well as we can do collectively really attracts people."

That passion begins with LaMorris.

"She's really the spirit of the gallery," Box said.

LaMorris has kept her passion burning, never wavering for a minute.

She still enjoys crafting exhibits exactly how she likes.

"It really has been wonderful," she said. "I like keeping the gallery fresh."

LaMorris credits Pueblo for being her muse and for continuing her love of art.

"It's like I landed in a pot of jam when I came here," LaMorris said. "My creativity just soared. People here are so good and so kind. I just want to keep growing that. I think with the world and the trouble there is, we need to have a safe haven and places where we can replenish the wealth."

Building relationships

For Box and LaMorris both, beyond the business aspect of Steel City Art Works there has been a far greater reward.

"It's all on a personal level, it's the friends I've gained and the positive relationships," Box said. "It's just a fun group to be with."

For LaMorris, the members have all become extensions of her family.

"Everybody is so darn good," LaMorris said. "We're a family. I love all these people."

Every month before First Friday, the members get together to celebrate the work they've done to prepare for the next month.

"The last Sunday of every month, when we reset the gallery, everybody shows up and it's wonderful," LaMorris said. "It's a party every month."

With such a tight-knit group, the competitive nature associated with many co-op galleries doesn't exist.

"I think everyone sees this as more of a community of artists," Box said. "The camaraderie that is entailed is a primary reason."

The future

With 10 years under their belts, Box and LaMorris wish for SCAW to expand in the coming years.

In particular, both hope for a new building where education can become the forefront of what Steel City Art Works does.

"What I would obviously hope for is that facility where we can have classroom space built right in," Box said. "We'd have a gallery where we can display our work, but we'd also have classrooms for ceramics, jewelry and 2-D art so that our members could become teachers. My thing has always been youth and developing them in a number of ways."

LaMorris agreed, adding that a bigger building would help grow the art landscape in Pueblo.

"I really want to push getting a building of our own and being able to just grow the art energy in Pueblo," she said. "I'd like a building that is as big as I want it to be. I want a place where we can have not only gallery space, but teaching space. Because so many people have something to offer, but they don't have the facility or a means of doing that. Teaching is such a natural extension for artists."

For LaMorris, growing an art scene only strengthens the sense of community in the city.

"Art is such an easy way to connect," she said. "We need it. We need to stay connected."

llyons@chieftain.com