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Photo exhibit to feature aspen carvings

Arborglyphs tell story of early-day shepherds
Historic shears used on Churro sheep are carefully unpacked by Susan Jones, interim curator at the Animas Museum. The shears will be among the items displayed as part of the exhibition “Seasons of Sheep” examining the lives of Hispanic shepherds in Southwest Colorado from the early to mid-20th century.

The findings of multi-year research regarding carvings in aspen trees north of Bayfield and the Hispanic shepherds who made them can be seen in photographs and the written word this week in Durango.

An Open Shutter Gallery exhibit running today through Nov. 1 depicts arborglyphs, sheep-herding scenes and the environment of aspen forests.

Photographers whose work will be on display are scheduled to attend a reception from 5 to 7 p.m.

A second event to mark National Hispanic Heritage Month – Sept. 15 to Oct. 15 – is scheduled from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at the Animas Museum, 3065 West Second Ave.

An 80-page book by Ruth Lambert, the project leader, will be available at each site. The title of the book is The Wooden Canvas: Arborglyphs as Reflections of Hispano Life Along the Pine-Piedra Stock Driveway.

At the museum, an exhibit of arborglyphs and educational material tells the story of the early-day Hispanic shepherds who trailed sheep between lowland ranches and mountain pastures along the Pine and Piedra rivers.

Outdoors at the Animas Museum, Churro sheep will be on exhibit near crafts people who will be spinning and weaving fleece. The Ballet Folklorico will perform, storyteller Margy Coxwell will offer Hispanic stories and songs for children and Los Mitotitos will provide music.

The history of the arborglyphs is a project of the San Juan Mountains Association, with financial support from the Ballantine Family Fund, the State Historical Fund, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the San Juan National Forest and the San Juan Mountain Association.

The carvings, made during the first half of the 20th century, often consisted of a name, a date and a place of origin. Ambitious carvers left their interpretations of animals and human figures.

Archaeologists and San Juan Mountains Association volunteers in the early 2000s documented 970 arborglyphs with photographs, sketches and maps of shepherd camps. Project directors recommended further investigation.

Lambert, cultural program director at the San Juan Mountains Association, took on the task in January 2013.

Lambert revisited the aspen groves, documented the remains of the shepherd camps, including corrals and trash pits. She also gathered historical information and now is starting oral interviews with descendants of herders.

The emphasis of sheep raising switched from the production of mutton to the production of wool with the Civil War because of the demand for wool, Lambert said.

Stockmen also began to shear sheep and newborn lambs before heading for summer pasture to produce heavier fleece the next year.

The earliest carvings Lambert discovered date to 1917, the latest to 1959.

Government topographical maps from 1924 show 46 miles of stock driveways authorized by the U.S. Forest Service that reach from the New Mexico line to Hinsdale County.

daler@duangoherald.com

Jan 30, 2016
Wooden Canvas Project wins Caroline Bancroft History Project Award


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