Starting at 7 p.m., the gallery hosts a catered event complete with live music. Plus, a lucky winner of the raffle drawing will get a $500 shopping spree in the gallery. A portion of the proceeds from the raffle go to a student scholarship fund. A fancy R.S.V.P is not required, as the shindig is open to all.

Gallery owner Jim Benest has enjoyed his journey of cultivating his gallery, which features 16 Colorado artists and photographers. The key to his success, he said, has been surrounding himself with talent.

Benest got his start 18 years ago as a wedding and portrait photographer. After traveling the world taking photographs, he was finally ready to show his work.

“I decided to get my own gallery,” he said. “I got frustrated trying to find what I thought was a good place.”

Instead of joining an established gallery, he opened Collective, where he could control who’s work is displayed.

“I wanted to draw in a certain caliber of artists,” he said. “Two years later, I’ve still got the lights on.”

Prices are versatile at Collective, ranging from a $3 notecard to a $3,000 original painting.

Benest said the biggest challenge of his undertaking has been understanding what the market wants and going through the learning curve of finding the right mix of art and photography. This is something he said he continues to refine.

Benest has also made some personal adjustments. When he was doing wedding portraits, he was constantly dealing with an audience who he knew would like his work. Now, he works on the speculation that someone else will have the same connection to the work that he does.

“When someone stands in front of one of your pieces and feels what you were feeling at that time, you have done it,” Benest said.

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