For the past year, a swirling welded steel sculpture titled “Sidewinder” has been nestled near the Rio Grande Trail behind Carbondale’s Community Center.
Part of the town’s 2025 Art Around Town exhibition, the piece was set to be removed and returned to California-based artist Diego Harris before the 2026 Artwalk in June.
Instead, “Sidewinder” has found a permanent home in Carbondale. The sculpture was purchased by ANB Bank and now resides outside of the bank’s in-progress Sopris Station mixed-use development site along Colorado Highway133.
“(The purchase) was part of our development in the town, and we support Art around Town and all the artists that are here,” Tony Spires, community bank president, said. “We’re excited to have the opportunity to (buy it). It’s a great opportunity.”
Town of Carbondale employees and Harris moved the sculpture to its new home on Monday.
“I was happy (about the sale),” Harris told the Post Independent. “I like when they sell and I like when they stay publicly viewable.”
“(ANB) is a community bank and that’s nice,” he later added. “A of the bigger banks have been leaving smaller towns, so it’s nice that they’re investing in a more rural area.”
Harris also brought a new piece to Carbondale for his third year as a featured artist in the Art Around Town exhibition. “Shaman’s Path” now sits near the intersection of Main Street and Snowmass Drive.
The abstract piece is made of corten steel, which forms a protective rust patina that prevents further erosion and gives it a distinctly weathered look.
Since he began welding in 2007, Harris has mastered the art of blending natural patterns, including swirls and spirals, with industrial elements, creating sculptures that he describes as both “whimsical” and “larger-than-life.”
“I like nature. I like organic shapes. I try to make them look as natural as possible. Spirals — they’ve been around forever. They’re as ancient as the universe,” Harris said. “…I like more industrial designs, too. The materials are industrial and the process is industrial, but I try to make it look more organic.”
What’s playing. What’s showing. What’s next.
Don’t miss a beat—sign up for our weekly Arts & Entertainment newsletter at PostIndependent.com/newsletter
“Shaman’s Path” is no exception. The piece is a free-flowing spiral that unwinds, extending into an oval that swirls into the ground. The design is based on earrings Harris used to make, but one he has not captured in a sculpture before.
“It was a design I’ve been wanting to make for a while,” Harris said. “It’s a little different. I haven’t done it yet because it seemed a little more involved then I felt like dealing with in the past, because I’m usually kind of strapped for time, but I had a little bit of time at the beginning of this year, and I decided to just go for it.”
Diego Harris’s sculpture, “Shaman’s Path,” was installed Monday as part of Carbondale’s upcoming 2026 Art Around Town exhibition. Julianna O’Clair/ Post Independent
Carbondale residents can enjoy “Shaman’s Path,” and 15 other sculptures that will be installed over the next month, for a year. Viewers can attend the 2026 Art Around Town Artwalk, which is slated for Thursday, June 4, for a guided tour of the updated exhibition.