Tucked beneath a charming North Boulder home lies one of the most electric art studios in town. It’s where artist Bill Snider has been experimenting, sanding, layering, and polishing his way into a singular style of art.
Snider builds each panel by hand from plywood and has become a master of what he calls “managing accidents.” His luminous, layered pieces are created through an unorthodox blend of house paint, sanding, hand-cut gel stencils––even kitchen foil––polished to a soft, glassy glow. “They’re not really paintings,” Snider says. “They’re flat sculptures.” He keeps meticulous notes—Sharpie scribbles and paint numbers on reference sheets, recording how each one was made. He’s learning as he works, inventing new methods, creating a cartography of technique as he goes.
The result is a kind of kinetic surface—shimmering, hand-drawn, precise, and deeply textural. They’re meant to be touched. “People hesitate,” he says, laughing. “But I tell them, you’re supposed to touch this art. These pieces are durable. You could probably walk on them.”
Though Snider’s studio hums with the energy of someone still inventing his craft, he’s no newcomer to making things. In the 1960s, he studied art at CU Boulder, later co-running a film production company with his wife, Deann. Their work spanned commercials, educational programs, promotional films, and documentaries—with an international client list that included MTV, PBS, BBC, and Nike. Twenty years ago, when the couple stepped back from the film and television world, Snider returned to his roots as a visual artist. “I just like to make things,” Snider smiles.
In addition to his solo work, Snider is a founding member of the Boulder Contemporary Group, a collective of abstract artists championing creative freedom and experimentation. Their upcoming group show at Rembrandt Yard, opening this fall, will feature Snider’s pieces alongside those of fellow innovators.
Every fall, during Boulder’s Open Studios Tour, Snider and his wife transform their home into a welcoming art gallery. The garage is cleared, lighting installed, chairs laid out. Visitors are encouraged to explore his basement studio, where finished pieces line the walls and even lie stacked against the baseboards, welcoming interaction. Test panels and art in progress around the studio offer a glimpse into the making. “People think they’re headed into a dungeon when they walk down the stairs into my studio,” he jokes, “and then they round the corner and go, ‘Wow.’”
It’s in that moment—when someone touches the art, asks a question, or engages with the work—that Snider lights up. “That’s where the real connection happens,” he says. “You can’t feel this work through a screen. Almost every sale, every friendship, every collector I’ve met — it’s started right here.”
For the first three weekends this October, Snider will open his doors once again as part of the Boulder Open Studios Tour. Visitors are welcome to explore the space, learn about his unique process, and see new large-format pieces up close. “We try to make it feel official,” he says. “But mostly, we want people to feel at home.” Snider’s studio doesn’t just showcase his work—it invites you into it.
If you’re interested in visiting Snider’s studio, outside the Open Studio Tour this fall, private and group tours can be arranged anytime at BillSniderStudios.com. “Come by my studio anytime,” Snider encourages, “I hope you’ll stop by.”
Come curious. Ask questions that lead to stories. And touch the art.
Visit Bill Snider’s Open Studio
October 4, 5, 11,12, 18, and 19, 2025 Noon to 5 pm
“Come by my studio anytime,”
SIDEBAR
BCG
The Boulder Contemporary Group is made up of some of Boulder's most established artists who have exhibited their work both nationally and internationally.
This group has come together to welcome designers, collectors, decorators, and art lovers to their studios for a personal visit.
Connect here at BCG.com.