Different spokes
Breathing new life into art and bikes at Cold Storage art collective

In a town with expensive rent and limited venues for artists and musicians to perform, art collectives are sacred spaces in Durango. Cold Storage, tucked behind 11th St. Station, is one of those spaces. Run by local artist and bike mechanic Hunter Bultemeier, alongside partner, Noah Leggett, the underground art and workspace offers refuge for Durango’s alternative creative scene. While its predecessor, Channel 37, built a reputation on metal, raves and wrenches, Cold Storage, at 1129 Narrow Gauge Ave., embraces a “less is more” ethos, focusing on salvaging bikes through its in-house shop, Velomancer, and hosting “Makers Markets” the third Saturday of each month from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. for those on the fringe of Durango’s art and music scene. I recently chatted with Bultemeier, who describes his own visual art as “waster folk art tradition” (you’ll have to ask him) to hear more about raising bikes from the dead and keeping art alive in the underground.

SS: What’s the history of this building?

HB: To my knowledge, this is one of the oldest buildings in Durango – built in 1882. The stone on the front was quarried from Horse Gulch. It’s been many things over the years. There’s people who are, like, “‘Oh, my uncle ran a carpet company out of here.’ Or, ‘Oh, my brother had a construction company.’ Or ‘My grandpa did this out of that building.’”

SS: How did you get involved?

HB: Noah Leggett and Zach Counter started Channel 37, an art collective and welding shop, here before the pandemic. I was friends with them, so I was down here from day one – pulling nails, rebuilding shelves. Eventually, Noah and I reorganized and renamed it Cold Storage.

SS: How do you see this space evolving for art and music?

HB: It has a ton of potential. We’ve got new artists moving in, like Alex Vick, who’s doing screen printing. We’re also talking to friends who do lapidary work. This is a very multifaceted space that can house a lot of creative disciplines.

SS: What’s been the biggest surprise, seeing both Channel 37 and Cold Storage take shape?

HB: It all comes back to bikes for me. The bike shop is my baby. Seeing bikes we’ve built or fixed out in the community is amazing. We also help the houseless community – hooking people up with parts, fixing flats. I’ll see someone riding a bike we worked on and think, “Oh, heck yeah.” Noah’s a bike wizard. I wouldn’t know half the bike mechanic knowledge that I know without Noah.

SS: Tell us about the Maker’s Market.

HB: Back in the day, but at the Balcony, my friend Casey, who now lives in San Francisco, used to help run a little art market. It was every other Saturday night. That was one of the first times where I’d really put my art into the world. And that just has kind of always stuck with me. So, when I became part of this space, I thought, “Man, what a killer spot for a market, rain or shine.” We’re now in our third year. Some have been amazing, some not, but that’s how it goes. Lately, they’ve been pretty kick-ass, offering alternative art that doesn’t always find a place elsewhere.

SS: And Velomancer?

HB: The name plays on resurrecting bikes from the dead. Durango’s cycling scene is a machine that chews up and spits out a lot of gear. We scavenge and rebuild, believing nothing should go to waste. I’d argue we’re the cheapest bike shop in town. We do tune-ups, repairs, even welding. If it’s steel, I can fix it.

SS: In Durango’s bike caste system, you’re somewhere above untouchables it sounds like.  Where can people find your art?

HB: Mostly on Instagram or on the bottom of skateboards – either getting destroyed or hung on someone’s wall. I realized as a kid that art is life. You can live art, and riding a bike is a way to do that. It’s moving on a machine, letting your brain dream at a different pace.

Keep an eye on Cold Storage’s Instagram for upcoming events from one of Durango’s most beloved alternative spaces at @cold_ storage_art_collective. ?