About the Artist

Ben Bires is a small-town transplant from Western Pennsylvania residing in Colorado Springs. He grew up on a dirt road in the middle of nowhere and spent most of his childhood exploring the outdoors with a pond in his backyard and a state park nearby. Surrounded by his grandmother’s paintings from her travels around the world, he was always inspired to pursue his creative side. It began at an early age trying to harness his drawing skills that eventually led him to pick up a paint brush.
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         His love for the outdoors brought him and his wife to Colorado Springs in 2016 shortly after earning a BFA from Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania. Without any jobs lined up, they moved across country together searching for new opportunities before their hometown roots became too deep. This change of scenery helped launch his community involvement in the local art scene downtown. A fourth generation teacher, he is a full-time painting instructor at Cottonwood Center for the Arts teaching classes and workshops that focus on landscapes.