Durango Arts Center wishes to express sincere gratitude to the sponsors, supporters and volunteers that made the 23rd annual Durango Autumn Arts Festival a stellar success. Held on Sept. 16-17 each year along East Second Avenue, the festival is a community-builder and the largest fundraiser for DAC’s visual and performing arts programs. This year, it welcomed approximately 6,000 guests who experienced 90 arts and craft booths from around the country, including nine local artists.
DAC is extremely appreciative to our premier sponsor, First Southwest Bank, which provided critical investment in the festival for the fourth year in a row. Thank you to Renewal by Andersen for serving as the festival main-stage sponsor.
Thank you to: DAC board members, Carol Meckling, Cyprus Cafe, Eno Wine Bar, Ecosphere Environmental Services, Himalayan Kitchen, Irish Embassy Pub, Jean-Pierre Bakery and Restaurant, Mutu’s Italian Kitchen, Urban Market, Zia Taqueria, Coca-Cola, Ska Brewing Co., Durango Joes, Durango Bagel, City Market, Laurel Schaffer, Basin Co-op, Kroegers Ace Hardware, Katzin Music, Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory, The Red Snapper, West Building, M and M Mayer Building and Bank of the San Juans.
Additional gratitude goes out to our dedicated festival jurors: local artists Gretchen Magwitz, Kathy Myrick and Ann Smith, who not only selected all 90 festival artists but juried the awards. Thank you to: Ted Holteen, DAC Applause, iAM Music, Hello, Dollface, Stillwater Music, Durango’s Ka Pa Hula I Na Mauna, Sweetwater Station and Six Dollar String Band.
Finally, DAC is grateful to the city of Durango for providing outstanding special event services, and above all, the 83 volunteers whose dedicated skill, energy and time are the heartbeat of the festival.
Durango Arts Center staff and board of directors
Recently, the 12th annual Colorado Gold Star Parents Weekend was held. A Gold Star Parent is one who has had a child die while they were serving in the military. This is a special event dedicated to remembering our fallen military heroes from Colorado, as well as honoring and supporting their parents.
This year, it was our honor to provide support, resources, workshops, speakers and more to over 55 families attending the event. This year, we also had parents attend from Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico and Arizona.
Durango has been a special place for the families to come the past two years. Our remarkable community, once again, welcomed the families of the fallen with open arms.
I would like to thank the following local organizations, business and individuals for their support throughout the year and during the weekend:
DoubleTree Hotel, Homewood Inn and Suites, La Plata Electric Association, city of Durango, VFW, Sweetie Marbury, Powerhouse Science Center, James Schaefer, Brian and Jean Van Sickle, Chuck and Patti Muckenthaler, Pastor Larry Tucker, Blue Star Mothers of Cortez, Pat Akers, Holli Phou, Pastor Cecil Brown, Marilyn and Darryl Metz, Mike and Theresa Amato, Durango Party Rental, Thomas Schaefer, Fast Signs, Four Leaves Winery, Basin Printing, La Plata Quilters Guild, Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory, Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad, Diane Stransky, Honeyville, Katzen Music, Colorado Federation of Republican Women, Betty and Gary Wiley, Esther Johnson, Maile Kane, Klancy Nixon, Durango Elks Lodge, Vectra Bank of Durango, Wells Group of Durango, Hot Tomatoes, Durango Joes, Colorado Kisses (Anna Jones) and Durango Hula Dancers.
Janna Schaefer, Colorado Gold Star Parents Weekend coordinator
I would like to extend a hearty thank you to the volunteers who hosted at the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Museum this summer. In the four months that we were open, our facility was visited by almost 15,000 visitors from 49 states and from over 22 foreign countries. That total includes many field trips (320 students) from the many school groups in the Four Corners.
The dedication and commitment that you all exhibited made our season one of the most successful.
The following volunteers combined to serve over 1,500 hours at the museum: Chuck and Elizabeth Brannon, Ann Casler, Dick Dahl, Tim Gallagher, Trace Getz, Marie Hawks, Ken Hunt, Billy Hutson, Clark Kinser, Linda Lawler, Ken LeRoy, Gail Lovell, Maddie Mason, Ron Mattison, Jennifer McLaughlin, Dusty and Roger MacDougal, Caryl Pearson, Gary Rollstin, Phyllis Rostker, Karen Severn, Jim Shadell, Phil Shirk, Ray Walker, Janet Williams, John Williamson and Tavia Widder.
All efforts were instrumental in educating not only the local community but visitors throughout the nation.
Derek Snyder
The Boys & Girls Club of La Plata County hosted its annual Birthday Bash celebration with proceeds benefiting the more than 1,240 children, tweens and teens the club serves each year.
The event was made possible thanks to the incredible generosity of event sponsors CT Electric, DoubleTree Hotel, Durango Kids Pediatric Dentistry, Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad, Kysar Millennium Leavitt Insurance Agency, Next Level, Purgatory Resort and Tafoya Barrett Associates.
Event festivities were highlighted with donations from: Albertsons, Alpine Bank, Animas Chocolate Co., Community Concert Hall at Fort Lewis College, Durango Liquor and Wine, Durango Olive Oil Co., Eureka Clothing and Accessories, First National Bank of Durango, Jean-Pierre Bakery, Liquor World, Mountain Waters Rafting, Nature’s Oasis, Pointe Hilton Tapatio Cliffs, Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory, Salt River Rafting, Serious Delights, Ska Brewing Co., Star Liquors, Sunnyside Meats and Zia Taqueria. Special thanks to Benson Videography and Eppich Photography for their shared video and photography talents.
Noteworthy appreciation for the vision and investment of club founders John and Cissy Anderson, Bank of the San Juans, Pat and Lisa Barrett, Mary and Clint Barter, Bob Blair, Marsh and Peggy Bull, Dr. Pakhi Chaudhuri, Don Freemyer, Randy and Janet Geist, Barbara W. Harris, Lulu Mae Hess, Kip Koso and Jeanine Justice, Karen Koso, Lauth Family, Bob Lieb and Annie Carroll, Peter and Lisa Marshall, Vaughn and Shannon Morris, Howard and Christine Rachlin, Alan and Genie Shupe, Southwest Ag, Eileen and Jack Wasserbach, Dave and Ruth West, Nancy Wharton and Steve, and Jeannie Wheeldon.
Boys & Girls Club of La Plata County board of directors
The family of Robert L. Cox wishes to thank the Ignacio-Allison-Arboles-Tiffany community for the support shown after Bob’s recent death. Knowing how much he was loved and appreciated by his friends and neighbors has made his passing easier for us.
Thank you all.
The family of Robert L. Cox
