Leslie Voted Best Salida Artist
By Cailey McDermott, Editor
Being Voted Best Artist by Mountain Mail readers in the 2025 Best of Salida was a fun surprise for Leslie Jorgensen.
“I’m so grateful to the Mountain Mail readers for voting me best artist,” Jorgensen said, “To me, the highest honor is to be voted in by our local community because those are the people whose opinion I most care about.”
Jorgensen moved to Salida in 2018 after working as an artist in the Denver area for many years. Her professional journey began after a 30-year career as a graphic designer, mostly in Denver. She gradually transitioned to fine art around 2015, leaving the design world behind. “It was a gradual progression – you con’t start out making a living as an artist,” she noted. She shifted to making art full time after she moved to Salida.
Upon arrival, Jorgensen initially painted in her garage, but soon missed having a dedicated (and heated) studio. She found a retail space on First Street that would serve as her studio which also just worked out as a gallery. She’s shown her work in other cities across Colorado, including Denver, Breckenridge, Crested Butte, Ridgeway and Leadville but she’s now focused entirely on her Salida gallery at 121 N F Street and on her online presence.
Looking ahead, Jorgensen’s aspirations are rooted in gratitude. “I’m just grateful to be able to make art full time so my goal is to move to a permanent space in the spring,” she shared. She also aims to “continue to invest in the Salida community.”
Jorgensen met her husband, Ron Salerno, a Salida native, in the Denver area. They frequently visited Salida on trips and she grew to love Salida. When Salerno secured a remote work position, they decided to leave the Front Range and settle where they truly wanted to live and play.
What she loves most about Salida is the community. “I expected that I would love the outdoors, the recreation, the skiing, the biking, the river – but I had no idea what a warm and supportive community this would be, and that’s been the best part about being here,” Jorgensen concluded.
