"It was a pleasure selecting the awards and I really enjoyed seeing the quality of the paintings in this competition"
                                                        - Kristen Theis, Colorado Springs, CO

While living in Colorado, Kristen Thies managed marketing and publicity for Smith Klein Gallery located in Boulder. In 1996, Kristen became Co-Director of the Merrill Gallery of Fine Art, located in Denver, where she first met Richard Schmid and Nancy Guzik.

In 1997, Kristen and her now late husband Timothy R. Thies founded West Wind Fine Art, LLC. In that same year, Kristen assisted Richard Schmid in the production of his landmark book, “Alla Prima: Everything I Know About Painting,” published by Schmid’s new company Stove Prairie Press, LLC. Kristen also served as the marketing director for SPP. Then in 1998, Richard Schmid and Nancy Guzik invited her to represent their paintings in addition to showcasing art work by Timothy R. Thies. She was Executive Producer for four of Schmid's Fine Art instructional DVDs, assisted in the publication of his Retrospective Catalog and coordinated his 2003 historic exhibition at the Butler Institute of American Art, in Youngstown, Ohio.
In 2006, Kristen wrote and published “Wisdom & the Dreamer: Achieving Fulfillment in the Arts.” With the help of Kristen's creative marketing expertise Timothy Thies became recognized as one of America’s finest artists. Unfortunately, in April 2010 after several years of illness, Timothy died peacefully with Kristen by his side.

Kristen continues to maintain West Wind Fine Art's strong online presence and to curate exceptional shows featuring works by the artists she represents.