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        <link>https://www.durangoherald.com/articles/visual-arts/new-gallery-will-allow-durango-creative-district-to-display-community-art/</link>
        <title>New gallery will allow Durango Creative District to display community art</title>
        <description>Space will also be home base for supercharging Durango’s art scene</description>
        <pubDate>Fri, 01 Aug 2025 20:14:44 -0600</pubDate>
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        <content:encoded><![CDATA[Space will also be home base for supercharging Durango’s art sceneDurango Creative District Executive Director Kathryn Waggener, right, and Marketing and Projects Manager Jared Reed stand in the downtown gallery. (Scout Edmondson/Durango Herald)ccaThe Durango Creative District opened its new public art gallery at 1135 Main Ave. with a promise: to showcase, support and seek out artists from around Durango.The gallery’s July 22 grand opening showcased the “Portrait Lotto” exhibit, where 38 artists from Durango came together to create portraits of each other, all with their own unique spin and through the medium of their choice.A smattering of oil paintings, wood burns, sculptures, ink drawings, mosaics and fused glass covered the gallery’s shining white walls. Katheryn Waggener, executive director of the DCD, walked through the gallery, pointing out various portraits and talking about the artists who created them.The Durango Creative District’s downtown gallery on Main Avenue. (Scout Edmondson/Durango Herald)cca“I don’t think any of us realized just how many artists of such vastly different media are actively working here in Durango, and how much all of us have in common,” she said.Waggener said the DCD was created in 2019 as a nonprofit under the Durango Chamber of Commerce. Since then, it has helped dozens of artists get funding for and showcase their art; started an ambitious citywide art mapping project; worked with the city and private property owners to secure space for art; advised the city on public art calls; and aided art programs.This is the first time in the district’s history that it has a space of its own, Waggener said. Before the space on Main Avenue was offered to the district by the owners of 11th Street Station, the organization had operated out of a tiny, windowless office in the Smiley Building and put on exhibitions in Stillwater Music.What sets the district’s new gallery apart, she said, is that it does not act as a typical gallery focused on selling art; it is a platform for showcasing local art, not selling it for a profit. It allows people who want to make art to do it without their finances getting in the way of their creativity.Portraits are displayed as part of the “Portrait Lotto” exhibition in the new downtown gallery. (Scout Edmondson/Durango Herald)cca“We don’t have a gallery scene in Durango that is necessarily very encouraging for local artists,” Waggener said. “We’re working with our artists for equitable pay for artists, which is super, super important.”In 2021, she said, voters approved to increase the Durango lodgers tax from 2% to 5.25%, with 14% of the money raised going to arts and culture. According to a study conducted by the Fort Lewis College Katz School of Business, $1,550,928 was awarded to local artists from 2022 to 2024 through lodgers tax grants, which the district helped secure. Outside of the tax, DCD connects local artists and creative nonprofits with scholarships and donors, she said.Roger Seliner, whose portrait of fellow artist Nancy Byers is displayed in the exhibit, has been making art in Durango for the past 30 years. He said the work the DCD is doing to give creatives a pathway to creating art is important, and that he was excited when the district announced its new gallery space. As soon as he heard about “Portrait Lotto,” he knew he had to get involved."It was one of the most authentic, community driven, wholesome, cool things I’ve ever seen or been a part of,” he said.Seliner, who works as a tattoo artist, is all about supporting burgeoning artists in the community. Now that the DCD has its own gallery, he said, it makes the district more visible, and hopefully will inspire more people with creative talent to come out of the woodwork. That way, he said, Durango will continue being a place that can support artists from all walks of life.Durango Creative District Executive Director Kathryn Waggener, right, and Marketing and Projects Manager Jared Reed discuss a portrait in the downtown gallery. (Scout Edmondson/Durango Herald)cca“It makes such a crazy amount of sense and just seems so necessary,” he said. “I feel like, in a weird way, this is like the front lines of the battle to make sure Durango holds onto its soul.”There is already a demand for what the gallery can offer in the future. Jennifer Fernandez, a Native American Cultural Education Liaison with Park Elementary, is working with the district on Native American Heritage Month celebrations in November, including an Indigenous comic book exhibit in the gallery.Fernandez said Waggener and the other people at the DCD are working to help the community work together on new and exciting projects, with the gallery being the focal point of that connection. Particularly in a time where money is becoming harder to get for artists and the people who support them, collaboration between community members is vital.“It really is the hub of collaboration,” Fernandez said. “I think collaboration is key, especially in the times that we’re in right now, when funds are depleting, when grants aren’t as abundant as they used to be. We are all on the same mission is to support our community and the growth of Durango.”This story has been corrected to provide the address to the gallery, 1135 Main Ave. sedmondson@durangoherald.comThe view from the downtown gallery looking out onto Main Avenue. The space is meant to be inviting to encourage people to enjoy local art. (Scout Edmondson/Durango Herald)cca]]></content:encoded>
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        <link>https://www.durangoherald.com/articles/visual-arts/mural-pays-tribute-to-late-american-author-along-durangos-animas-river-trail/</link>
        <title>Mural pays tribute to late American author along Durango’s Animas River Trail</title>
        <description>Artist Mariah Kaminsky says piece encourages viewers to stop and breathe</description>
        <pubDate>Sat, 21 Sep 2024 17:13:32 -0600</pubDate>
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        <content:encoded><![CDATA[Artist Mariah Kaminsky says piece encourages viewers to stop and breatheMariah Kaminsky works on her mural “Desert Solitaire,” a tribute to American author Edward Abbey, underneath the Animas River Trail underpass south of Santa Rita Park in July. (Courtesy of Mariah Kaminsky)To Durango artist Mariah Kaminsky, it’s easy to get caught up in the rumpus of life and to overlook the natural beauty of Southwestern Colorado. Sometimes, she said, it’s good to stop and simply take things in.That’s the message Kaminsky hopes to get across in her latest mural, “Desert Solitaire,” which borrows the title of the late author Edward Abbey’s 1968 autobiographical book that recounts Abbey’s time as a park ranger at Arches National Park in Grand County, Utah.The mural is displayed underneath the Animas River Trail underpass just south of Santa Rita Park in Durango.Before a background of acrylic desert sky and landscape, complete with little crystalline stars epoxied to the piece, a phrase pulled from Abbey’s book reads, “I chose to listen to the river for a while, thinking river thoughts, before joining the night and stars.”Kaminsky said Abbey’s quote to her means, “Be still and enjoy the scenery around you, or the world around you.”“With Edward Abbey spending so much time in the southwest, it's just so fitting,” she said.Durango artist Mariah Kaminsky’s mural “Desert Solitaire” features children pointed at star-studded skies, represented by crystalline pieces epoxied to the piece, in addition to late American author Edward Abbey, whom the piece is inspired by, and Kaminsky’s late dog, also named after Abbey, as reported by Durango Local News. (Courtesy of Mariah Kaminsky)She said working in Durango is a busy lifestyle. Even for visiting tourists, there’s so much to do they might forget to sit down and just breathe occasionally, which is important for actually enjoying beautiful Southwest Colorado.“I'm hoping that it just encourages people to take a minute and appreciate where we are and that we need to take care of it and we need to respect it,” she said.She said the mural’s place beneath the underpass is a fitting one, appearing at a big bend in the Animas River upstream of rapids. People rafting, kayaking or otherwise floating down the river come around the bend and are greeted by the mural in a moment of peace and quiet before the river picks up again.The moment is made more perfect by the short reprieve the underpass grants from the sounds of bustling motor traffic on U.S. Highway 160 above, she said.Kaminsky said she is a realist artist. In the studio, she focuses on still lifes and portraits in the style of realism. She described “Desert Solitaire” as a large-scale adaptation of her studio work.A view of the Animas River Trail underpass south of Santa Rita Park before Durango artist Mariah Kaminsky transformed the wall into a depiction of Southwestern Colorado’s desert landscape. (Courtesy of Mariah Kaminsky)A view of Mariah Kaminsky’s “Desert Solitaire” mural underneath the Animas River Trail underpass south of Santa Rita Park in Durango. (Courtesy of Mariah Kaminsky)Durangoans might recognize her other murals around town such as “Simple Pleasures,” located north of 34th Street on Main Avenue, which depicts a little boy feeding birds; a butterfly mural behind Mountain Middle School; and the renovation of the late muralist Tom McMurray's depiction of the 1915 boxing fight between Jack Dempsey and Andy Malloy on the side of El Rancho at Main Avenue and west 10th Street.The city of Durango issued a call to artists in February, asking for proposals for murals and other art to beautify sections of the Animas River Trail. The city budgeted $80,000 from its lodgers tax arts and culture fund to divide between three artistic projects.She said she was painting in her studio and listening to an audiobook version of Abbey’s “Desert Solitaire” when the idea for the underpass mural clicked in her mind.Kaminsky submitted her proposal to the city and received a grant for $11,600, she said. She started work on the mural in July right after Independence Day. After 134 hours of work over 15 days, the mural was completed.She credited Durango artist Cindy Coleman of Duck Girl Art with assisting her on “Desert Solitaire” during the second week of the project. Coleman helped Kaminsky paint Abbey’s quote over the mural, which was challenging in keeping the text level all across the piece, Kaminsky said.Durango artists Mariah Kaminsky and Cindy Coleman, pictured, worked on “Desert Solitaire,” a mural and tribute to late American author Edward Abbey, who wrote an autobiography called “Desert Solitaire.” Coleman helped keep a quote from Abbey’s book featured in the mirror level. (Courtesy of Mariah Kaminsky)Two more grant-funded projects selected by the city will be created in 2025.The call to artists in February said the scope of work sought included sculptures and installations, creative signage, pavement art, historical markers and soundscapes that “incorporate the natural sounds of the river or create a serene auditory experience for the trail users.”“I've been here 23 years, and I've seen the growth of our art and culture programs, and I'm just blown away by how far we've come and what the city is doing and how easy they're making it,” Kaminsky said. “It's so easy to apply for these grants.”She said all it takes is filling out an application, including drawings and concepts and describing the proposal, and submitting the full proposal to the city.Applicants must explain the logistics of their proposal and how much it will cost to execute, but that’s all there is to it.“I hope that everybody on the river trail really appreciates it and loves it,” she said of the mural. “The response was huge and all positive when I was working on it down there. So fun to work every day when people are walking by and giving shout-outs. ... I was glad to do it.”A brief video panning the scope of Kaminsky’s mural is available online at mariahkaminsky.com/murals.cburney@durangoherald.comDurango artist Mariah Kaminsky’s mural “Desert Solitaire” reads, “I choose to listen to the river for a while, thinking river thoughts, before joining the night and the stars.” The quote is pulled from late American author Edward Abbey’s non-fiction book of the same name, “Desert Solitaire.” To Kaminsky, the quote speaks to the importance of slowing down and taking in the world around oneself to appreciate the surroundings. (Courtesy of Mariah Kaminsky)]]></content:encoded>
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        <link>https://www.durangoherald.com/articles/visual-arts/league-of-women-voters-to-host-screenings-of-undivide-us-ahead-of-june-primary-elections/</link>
        <title>League of Women Voters to host screenings of ‘Undivide Us’ ahead of June primary elections</title>
        <description>Film explores how Americans can unite despite political differences</description>
        <pubDate>Sun, 16 Jun 2024 10:00:00 -0600</pubDate>
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        <content:encoded><![CDATA[Film explores how Americans can unite despite political differences“Undivide Us,” a documentary film by filmmaker Kristi Kendall, explores the political divide and how Americans can reach one another despite their differences. The League of Women Voters of La Plata County is hosting a screening of the film in Durango on June 25 and in Bayfield in July. (Courtesy of Undivide Us Movie Screenings)The League of Women Voters of La Plata County and Montezuma County will host a screening of “Undivide Us,” a documentary film about bridging the political divide.in Durango, the screening is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. June 25 at the Durango Public Library. The La Plata County chapter will host another screening in Bayfield in July.The LWV Montezuma County chapter is hosting screenings at the same time in Mancos, Cortez and Dolores.The screening occurs on the eve of the Colorado primary elections, a fitting time to watch the film, which was released last year and is all about navigating the discord and toxicity of contemporary American politics.Laurie Meininger, LWVLPC president of the board of directors, said “the film leaves viewers with tools for engaging with friends, family and neighbors in ways to overcome our biases and restore civility in this political season.”Kristi Kendall, director of the film, said it features regular American voters in Pittsburgh, Atlanta and Phoenix who disagree wholeheartedly with one another on important issues such as abortion, guns, policing and immigration, but come to respect and understand each other.“I try to do projects that are going to make the world better for my kids and for all of our kids to grow up into,” she said. “And when I saw the state of political discourse … I was feeling really bad about what the world might look like for my kids.”Kristi KendallKendall said she drew inspiration from “I Citizen: A Blueprint for Reclaiming American Self-Governance,” a book by author Tony Woodlief that questions the “narrative of division” pushed by politicians and the media, and argues it isn’t reflective of the American populace as a whole.“What would it look like if we wanted to show Americans that they could have conversations without killing each other?” she said.She said what she found was “incredible.”There are no outtakes of interviewees fighting or shouting each other down. Instead, what the filmmaker captured was a hunger for discourse. She said the people featured in the documentary, who had legitimate disagreements about important issues, wanted to engage the other side thoughtfully.When filming ended, the people still wanted to continue their conversations. The film showcases “how hungry Americans are to have thoughtful, respectful conversations about the things that they care about most,” she said.Two people in the film hold opposite views on guns and gun restrictions, but were able to hold a dialogue and actually became friends, despite their differences.“They actually invited each other to each other's weddings,” Kendall said.The film also demonstrates ways to hold a productive conversation about a divisive issue. She said people should seek to understand one another instead of just trying to be understood.“You don't have to move your opinion in order to shift how you feel about the people on the other side,” she said. “The big less is just try to put yourself in someone else's shoes before you judge.”Kendall said nobody featured in the film actually changed their stance on a given political issue, which shows people are set in what they believe and why they believe it. Still, they wanted to continue conversations with the other side.“Undivide Us,” a documentary film by filmmaker Kristi Kendall, explores the political divide and how Americans can reach one another despite their differences. The League of Women Voters of La Plata County is hosting a screening of the film in Durango on June 25 and in Bayfield in July. (Courtesy of Undivide Us Movie Screenings)“It just gave me a tremendous amount of hope for our country,” she said. “Because if we feel this way, if we feel better when we step into these spaces and engage, it can be a virtuous cycle of positivity. … I think we are the thing that can save this country.”Following the June 25 screening in Durango, LWVLPC will hold a discussion about the film and its ideas “to further bring the community together,” Meininger said.She said the discussion is not meant to change anyone’s mind on any given issue. Rather, it’s meant to help attendees “practice listening for understanding to strengthen our community in a nonpartisan way.”cburney@durangoherald.com]]></content:encoded>
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        <link>https://www.durangoherald.com/articles/visual-arts/artists-reveal-droplets-mural-at-animas-river-days/</link>
        <title>Artists reveal ‘Droplets’ mural at Animas River Days</title>
        <description>Project involving nine artists was a ‘massive undertaking’ to portray collective vision</description>
        <pubDate>Sat, 01 Jun 2024 21:18:00 -0600</pubDate>
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        <media:thumbnail url="https://imengine.public.prod.dur.navigacloud.com/?uuid=C203A4AC-248A-5E69-912E-C89EC86345D7&#038;function=cropresize&#038;type=preview&#038;source=false&#038;q=75&#038;width=1200&#038;x=0.05&#038;y=1.0E-5&#038;crop_w=0.90125&#038;crop_h=0.99999" />
        <content:encoded><![CDATA[Project involving nine artists was a ‘massive undertaking’ to portray collective visionSeven of the nine artists who participated in The Walls Project’s “Droplets” mural, from left, Silas Armstrong, Chelsie Begoody, Jordanne Pelkey, Maddie Sanders, Mariah Kaminsky, Cindy Atchison and Parker Ledford, along with Brandon Firkins, a sponsor, and Thomas Donley, chief financial officer of the project, stand in front of the mural Saturday that was painted on the side of the administration building of the Santa Rita Water Reclamation Facility. (Jerry McBride/Durango Herald)Jerry McBrideThe city of Durango and nine artists unveiled the “Droplets” mural on Saturday during Animas River Days at the Santa Rita Water Reclamation Facility.The reclamation center and Santa Rita Park were bustling with residents and visitors who showed up for a day of water sports in 82-degree weather.The mural features a series of water droplets containing depictions of wildlife along the Animas River, and the personalities or styles of each artist who worked on them. Silas Armstrong, an artist who worked on the piece, said the project was a massive undertaking for a group of artists who would presumably find trouble fitting all of their unique ideas into one piece.But they pulled it off.“They initially thought there’s gonna be way too many cooks in the kitchen, but we managed to make it work,” he said.The nine artists are: Armstrong, Cindy Atchison, Chelsie Begoody, Laurie Cullum, Mariah Kaminsky, Parker Ledford, Jordanne Pelkey, Maddie Sanders and Hannah Wilson.“Droplets” uses a color spectrum representing the seasons. The largest droplets break up the major scenes of the Animas River depicted in winter through autumn.“I chose to depict mine in yellow because it just happened to fall in the summer location, but also to represent the 2015 (Gold King Mine waste water spill) disaster that tainted the river and turned it yellow,” he said.A 1,500-square-foot mural called “Droplets” was officially unveiled on Saturday at Santa Rita Reclamation Facility during Animas River Days. The project is the culmination of nine artists’ work who were brought together by the city of Durango and nonprofit The Walls Project. (Jerry McBride/Durango Herald)Jerry McBrideHe said a shining sun portrayed over the entire scene is a symbol of hope.The mural also includes depictions of how ecological damage effects the community and the ecosystem downriver from Durango.Armstrong said locals might recognize his art behind Jean Pierre Bakery, Cafe and Wine Bar, a mural of Bart Simpson from “The Simpsons.”He also had a mural at The Hive, a youth community hub, before it announced the closure of its 1150 Main Ave. location.“It’s been one of the best experiences of my life,” he said of the project. “Super-talented artists. Really just honored and flattered enough to work with some of the great artists that are here.”“Droplets” came together through a partnership between the artists, the city of Durango and The Walls Project, a nonprofit that uses art and creativity to drive positive change in communities.The art project came together right on schedule. Tom Donley, The Walls Project’s chief financial officer, said in March the public unveiling of the mural was slated to happen during Animas River Days.Tommy Crosby, economic opportunity manager for the city, said in March the mural was made possible because a separate landscaping project at the reclamation center was completed under budget by about $100,000. The mural’s price tag was about $45,000.Two art installations, a sculpture by Alex Bond called “Whispers in Water” and a kinetic piece depicting a kayaker riding waves by Jeff Wise, were also included in the mural project.cburney@durangoherald.com]]></content:encoded>
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