An important figure in the development of Denver as an artistic city, Irene Fowler was a public school teacher and founding member of the Denver Artist's Guild (now the Colorado Artist's Guild) in addition to being a prolific artist. She exhibited in Denver at the Schlier Gallery (where she had a solo exhibition), at the Chappell House, the University Club, and the Broadmoor Art Gallery in Colorado Springs. In 1950-1952 she served as president of the Denver Artist's Guild.
Fowler painted in oil or watercolor and her paintings were almost exclusively done en plein air. Her landscapes of Colorado have all the usual features "mountains, aspen trees, quaint mining towns" described with a singular understanding of the thin air and luminous sunshine that make Colorado aesthetically unique.

Exhibited: Schlier Gallery, Denver; Chappell House, Denver; Denver Community Art Center; The University Club, Denver, 1957; and The Broadmoor Art Gallery, Colorado Springs; Colorado History Museum, 2003.