Cie Hoover is a mixed-media artist and musician based in Ouray, Colorado, whose evocative work is deeply inspired by the rugged nature of the San Juan Mountains. His artistic journey is one of reinvention, transitioning from a decade-long career in the music industry to focusing on visual arts, with wood as his primary medium.
Hoover’s early life was centered on music. A!er earning a Bachelor of Business Administration in Music Business from Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee, he worked for prominent industry entities like Gibson Guitar, where he served as Global Event Manager, and as a publicist on Music Row. He later spent six and a half years touring full-time with his wife in the folk-rock duo, You Knew Me When. This period of non-stop travel ultimately led the couple to seek a change and establish roots in the small mountain town of Ouray, Colorado.
The pivot to visual arts was sparked by the practical need to renovate an old 1898 mining house. As he accumulated woodworking tools, Hoover discovered the versatility and natural beauty of wood as an artistic medium, transforming his garage into a studio. His resulting artwork, which includes both wall-mounted mixed-media pieces and large-scale public sculptures, is a direct homage to the natural world. He utilizes various routers, saws, and stains to carve, burn, and layer different woods, o!en allowing the natural grain to dictate the aesthetic of the piece. His compositions frequently blend abstract elements with landscapes and, at times, incorporate sound wave pa#erns—a subtle nod to his musical background.
Hoover’s work has garnered significant recognition in a relatively short timeframe. His public art installations are a testament to his growing career, notably the "Crescendo" series—a nine to fi!een foot-tall, spiraling sculpture installed in Colorado communities like Ridgway and Fraser. Another major work, "Infinite Crescendos," was selected for a year-long installation at the Nashville International Airport, and in 2025 Hoover installed a permanent eighteen foot tall and forty foot wide installation at the Durango, Colorado Airport. Represented by Fringe Gallery in Telluride, Colorado, and Piper J Gallery in Truckee, CA, Hoover continues to expand his creative horizons, producing art that evokes the solitude and peace of the mountainous environment he calls home. Hoover will also soon be opening a gallery of his own on Main Street in Ouray.
