J. CotteR Gallery 

——— Est. 1970———

Not Regular 

A Legacy of Wearable Sculpture

The J. Cotter Gallery is an internationally recognized gallery of contemporary designer jewelry, founded in 1970 and located on Wall Street in Vail Village, Colorado.

The gallery presents the one-of-a-kind work of American jewelry artist and sculptor Jim Cotter, whose designs are defined by organic form, unconventional materials, and a sculptural approach to adornment. Each piece is handmade and singular—created not as decoration, but as an extension of the body and the artist’s hand.

For more than five decades, the J. Cotter Gallery has remained in the same location, earning a reputation among collectors, museums, and designers throughout the United States, Europe, and the globe.

The Artist

Cotter began making art jewelry in the 1960s, guided less by intention than by instinct. While studying at Wayne State College in Nebraska, an art professor encouraged him to take a single art class. That moment redirected his life. After a football injury, Cotter committed fully to art-making, studying sculpture, painting, and art education.

From the beginning, his work was shaped by resourcefulness. He used materials he could find and afford—soup cans, coins, plumber’s lead —constructing molds from two-by-fours and learning through experimentation. This early practice established a lifelong belief: that materials carry meaning, and that beauty often emerges from the unexpected.

After earning his Bachelor of Fine Arts in 1967, Cotter traveled west to continue his studies. A chance encounter with a flyer for a jewelry casting course led him into metalsmithing. He immersed himself in the process immediately, recognizing jewelry as sculpture—intimate, physical, and alive.

His earliest work sold quickly, leading to his first gallery presence and, soon after, his first independent studio. Cotter later earned a Master of Arts from the University of Wyoming, writing his thesis on the idea that jewelry is a sculptural form.

The Gallery

In 1970, at the age of 25, and just four short years after Vail's inception, Jim Cotter opened the J. Cotter Gallery on Wall Street in Vail Village, making it the first gallery in the area. He transformed the space by hand—pouring concrete floors, building windows with his father, and creating a gallery that functioned as studio, exhibition space, and home.

For years, Cotter made, sold, and lived with his work inside the gallery walls. The space became both a laboratory and a classroom—a place where process was visible and craftsmanship was honored.

Today, the gallery remains in its original location, a rare continuity that mirrors the values of the work itself. Cotter now focuses on creating in the studio, while the gallery is led by his daughter Ramsey Cotter and a dedicated team of long-standing associates.

Each morning, Cotter returns to the gallery to collect the previous day’s work and light a candle—a quiet ritual that marks the beginning of another day of making.

Enduring Craft

The J. Cotter Gallery stands as a living archive of contemporary art jewelry—where sculpture meets the body, and tradition evolves through hand and time.

We make what we sell. 

Unique, handmade, one of a kind. 
Not Regular, Vail Exclusive, Since 1970.