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    <title>Visual Arts</title>
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        <link>https://www.durangoherald.com/articles/visual-arts/judith-reynolds-im-in-my-sandbox/</link>
        <title>Judith Reynolds: ‘I’m in my sandbox’</title>
        <description>Durango Creative District Community Gallery to open exhibit of political cartoons</description>
        <pubDate>Fri, 03 Jul 2026 05:00:00 -0600</pubDate>
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        <content:encoded><![CDATA[Durango Creative District Community Gallery to open exhibit of political cartoonsDurango political cartoonist Judith Reynolds on Wednesday holds her first cartoon published by The Durango Herald in 1995. Durango Creative District Community Gallery is hosting a showing of Reynolds’ work from the past three decades. An opening reception for the show will be held Friday and will feature an artist talk by Reynolds on July 23. (Jerry McBride/Durango Herald)Judith Reynolds has graced the pages of The Durango Herald’s Arts & Entertainment and Opinion sections as both a writer and illustrator for decades.Now, it’s her turn to be the subject.(Courtesy of The Center of Southwest Studies, Fort Lewis College: The Judith Reynolds Durango Herald Collection)Reynolds’ cartoons will be featured in an exhibit at Durango Creative District Community Gallery through July 31. The show, “30 Years of Durango Toons: A Retrospective of Political Cartoonist Judith Reynolds,” will kick off with an opening reception Friday and will feature an artist talk by Reynolds on July 23. The exhibit is a collaboration of Durango Creative District, Center of Southwest Studies at Fort Lewis College (where her Herald cartoons are archived) and the Herald. The opening coincides not only with July’s First Friday Art Walk, it also is being held the same weekend as the Fourth of July – and what better way to celebrate America’s 250th birthday than by celebrating the First Amendment, which allows us the freedom to create and publish satirical takes.If you goWHAT: The Durango Creative District Presents 30 Years of Durango Toons: A Retrospective of Political Cartoonist Judith ReynoldsWHEN: Opening reception, 5-8 p.m. Friday. Artist talk, 5:30 p.m. July 23. Exhibit runs to July 31.WHERE: Durango Creative District Community Gallery, 1135 Main Ave.MORE INFORMATION: Visit www.durangocreativedistrict.org/community-gallery.Reynolds, born in Michigan, came to journalism late, having worked as a teacher, a freelancer for newspapers and as a director of communications at two different colleges. Then, when she was 50, her career course changed.(Courtesy of The Center of Southwest Studies, Fort Lewis College: The Judith Reynolds Durango Herald Collection)“I saw an ad in the paper for an art critic, and I was ready to shift – transfer ocean liners that I was on – and I thought I could do it as a freelancer, plus my real job,” she said. “Then they offered me a full-time position at the newspaper, and I really loved it. I just loved it. I wished I had gone into journalism 30 years earlier.”Judith Reynolds’ political cartoons are the subject of a new exhibit at Durango Creative District Community Gallery. (Jerry McBride/Durango Herald)She began her work with the Herald in 1995, a year after her and her late husband, David, moved to the area. She was tasked by Publisher Morley Ballantine to come up with an editorial cartoon as an “audition” for the job, and, Reynolds said, she returned with nine, including one she thought was too “dark,” but David encouraged her to bring it in – it was the one Ballantine chose to publish.When it comes to subjects she won’t – or can’t – touch in her cartoons, her instructions have been clear since she started at the paper, she said.(Courtesy of The Center of Southwest Studies, Fort Lewis College: The Judith Reynolds Durango Herald Collection)“My assignment has guidelines or guardrails from the very beginning. Morley made it really clear to me. She said, ‘Arthur (Ballantine) and I always wanted to have a political cartoonist who would comment on local issues, and in a small town, at a small paper, that’s difficult, but that’s the assignment,’” she said. “She was really clear about that, and so what I won’t do (is) I don’t comment on national political things. I’ll stretch a little bit for Colorado issues. The other part of the assignment is it has to come out of the Herald; it doesn’t have to be a front page story, but my cartoons are for readers of the Herald.”Durango political cartoonist Judith Reynolds has been drawing cartoons for The Durango Herald since 1995. (Jerry McBride/Durango Herald)Not all of her cartoons have garnered positive reception. One of Reynolds’ more controversial cartoons, about a quarantine of animals at the La Plata County Fairgrounds, resulted in letters to the editor and emails critical of her choice.“There was some virus passing through the animals, and they had to quarantine. You had to have a special pass to get in and out. No more animals could come in. It was really touchy,” she said. “I did a cartoon of a group of different animals, horses, cows, sheep, etc., who gathered in a downtown bar, and the phone is ringing. The bartender is about to answer the phone, and a cow says to another cow, ‘Don’t answer it, it’s the Fairgrounds.’”(Courtesy of The Center of Southwest Studies, Fort Lewis College: The Judith Reynolds Durango Herald Collection)And no Reynolds cartoon would be complete without the addition of Mortie the cat and his opinion captured in a thought bubble over his head.Mortie is based on the Reynolds’ real pet cat by the same name. The little tuxedo cat came with the Reynoldses when they moved to Colorado from Upstate New York, Reynolds said, adding that the addition of Mortie to her cartoons was one that followed in the footsteps of cartoonists past, including one of her favorites, Pat Oliphant, who had a little penguin mascot, Punk, who made it into his work.“This little creature in the bottom of the cartoon with a thought balloon or has something to say, usually comments on the action and functions like a Greek chorus,” she said. “I try to include the cat in all my cartoons. He wasn’t in the first cartoons, and I’m really proud of the evolution of his drawing, because I think my image of him staring at you, the reader, with his eyes downcast, sort of frowning a cat frown ... some thought goes into what the cat is going to say.”(After almost meeting a tragic end, courtesy of being snatched by a silver fox in the Reynoldses yard, Mortie lived out the rest of his days as an indoors cat, Reynolds said.)And for “the oldest living political cartoonist in Colorado,” as the statement for the upcoming show calls her, even after the better part of 30 years of work, drawing political cartoons – and contributing greatly to the Herald’s Arts & Entertainment section every week – is still a blast, Reynolds said.A show featuring the work of Durango political cartoonist Judith Reynolds will open Friday. (Jerry McBride/Durango Herald)“I almost hesitate to say it, but both writing for the Arts & Entertainment page and shifting gears enormously to get in the mindset to do a satirical view of what’s happening in the news, at the end of an exhausting day, bending over the drawing board or sitting at the computer and writing is so much fun,” she said. “It’s so energizing, and I get into that flow state and I can’t believe the time has passed. It’s almost my sandbox, you know? Being at the computer, I’m in my sandbox, and I have a drawing board in the basement, and I’m in my sandbox.”(Courtesy of The Center of Southwest Studies, Fort Lewis College: The Judith Reynolds Durango Herald Collection)Reynolds said she hopes her takes on local issues get readers thinking, though her aim is not necessarily to change anyone’s mind.“Maybe they say, ‘I hadn’t thought about it that way.’ This is a new slant on this story, and the best cartoons have a little edge to them,” she said. “What I want people to take away is to just pause and say, ‘Oh, I hadn’t thought about that, that’s an interesting way to look at it.’ Maybe I’m not hoping that they’ll shift their opinion, but I’m offering a particular view.”katie@durangoherald.comDurango political cartoonist Judith Reynolds, holds her first cartoon on Wednesday that was published by the Durango Herald in 1995. (Jerry McBride/Durango Herald)]]></content:encoded>
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        <link>https://www.durangoherald.com/articles/visual-arts/a-new-life-for-arts-perspective-magazine/</link>
        <title>A new life for Arts Perspective magazine</title>
        <description>Publication aims to build community of creatives, publisher says</description>
        <pubDate>Thu, 11 Jun 2026 18:27:16 -0600</pubDate>
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        <content:encoded><![CDATA[Publication aims to build community of creatives, publisher saysThe newly relaunched Arts Perspective magazine has both a digital and print presence. (Courtesy of Arts Perspective )Arts Perspective magazine has returned after a decade-long hiatus, and with its relaunch, Publisher Denise Leslie hopes to build a community of artists of all types.Leslie bought the magazine in around 2009, she said. She and her husband, Charles (executive director of the Community Concert Hall at Fort Lewis College), were relatively new to town and she was trying to figure out what to do. She, like Charles, has a background in the music and arts industry, so when the opportunity to buy Arts Perspective, presented itself, the Leslies couldn’t turn it down.Denise LeslieDenise published Arts Perspective from 2009 to 2015 as a free quarterly publication. The 30,000 copies were distributed not only in Durango, but all over the region, including Moab, Utah; Telluride, northern New Mexico, Pagosa Springs, Creede and even into Denver.The magazine– and all of the work that went along with it – went along for about five or six years, and then it, along with many other print publications, saw reader interest wane as the internet grew larger in influence. Leslie decided to take a break from it.“I just decided to kind of put it on hold,” she said.Between then and now, Leslie poured her energy not only continuing to work in the arts – she also founded Hideaway Ukulele Studio and the Rocky Mountain UkeFest, taking her passion for music and spreading it in the community.And then she began to feel the pull of Arts Perspective again.“I’m the kind of person, I need 30,000 things going on at one time. I had always kept the domain Arts Perspective magazine, and I thought, well, maybe one day,” she said. “And then I don’t know what it was, I think I just was ready. The digital world was starting to come alive more, and I thought, well, I could probably do an online magazine.”For moreCheck out Arts Perspective magazine at https://artsperspectivemag.com.So now, in 2026, Arts Perspective is back, both with a robust website that’s updated weekly and a print magazine that is published annually. There’s also a weekly email she puts out to let readers know what’s in the latest edition. Leslie is working in collaboration with Ballantine Communications, the parent company of The Durango Herald.“So it became a reality, and creating the digital component of that has been really fun, and a really nice creative outlet for me,” she said. “Then I had to do a lot of research about what’s the mission, what’s the purpose. It’s been really exciting to get back into the world of the arts and learn, to hear the stories from the artists and to put stuff to support and promote that. I think people don’t realize how lucky we are in our community to have the resources that we do and to have all the talent that we do. It’s really quite amazing. And for a small town like Durango, I’ve heard people come in and go, ‘Oh my god, there’s just something to do every night.’”Leslie said having grown up in a small town in Indiana, where there wasn’t a lot of access to arts and culture, she learned the magic of the arts by exposed to theater, dance, music – all of it – when she traveled to bigger cities for shows.As for staffing Arts Perspective, Leslie writes herself and has contributors, which, she said, she’s always looking for. She said she enjoys writing stories, especially about creatives she finds on her own. Readers who appreciate the magazine can also donate on a variety of sponsorship levels and even use a “Buy Me a Coffee” button, which Leslie really likes.“I thought, what a great idea. Number one, I love coffee. Number two, you can really create a community with that as well,” she said. “The people that donate to me through that are just lovely. They’re just like, ‘Oh, I really enjoyed that article. Here’s 10 bucks,’ or ‘Hey, I love what you’re doing. I want to be a member.’ ... We love what we do, and we’re passionate about where we live and the arts from our community, and I love telling the stories and meeting the new people. One of my favorite things to do is sometimes I’ll just write a story about an artist I know, and then all of a sudden they see it online or on Facebook or wherever, and they’re like, ‘Oh my god, thank you for that article.’”And for Leslie, while being a members of the arts community is fun and fulfilling, there’s a bigger reason to support the actors, musicians, dancers, artists and writers who keep us entertained, thinking and inspired.“All the arts go together to really make a difference for us, and I think if it inspires me, it’ll inspire other people,” she said. “Charles and I are really strong believers that arts is a big connector in the world, not just in our community, but in the world, and we wish there was more of it. And every day it’s scary when it starts disappearing from our communities, you know, whenever the schools lose their arts programs or things like that, it’s really scary, because they’re so important.”katie@durangoherald.com]]></content:encoded>
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        <link>https://www.durangoherald.com/articles/visual-arts/review-the-topography-of-imagination-durango-arts-center-gallery-meets-the-moment/</link>
        <title>Review: The topography of imagination: Durango Arts Center Gallery meets the moment</title>
        <description>‘4 Common Corners’ is worth a long look and more than one visit</description>
        <pubDate>Sat, 23 May 2026 09:00:00 -0600</pubDate>
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        <content:encoded><![CDATA[“High Plains of New Mexico,” by Shannon Conley, is part of the Durango Arts exhibit “4CC,” through June 27. (Courtesy of J. Reynolds)‘4 Common Corners’ is worth a long look and more than one visit“4 Common Corners,” the current exhibition at the Durango Arts Center, opened last week and continues through June 27. Do not miss it.Three dozen art quilts are on display. Created by 12 artists who all live in the Four Corners, the works include landscapes, narratives, abstractions and still life. Each is accompanied by a clear artist statement that briefly explains a precipitating idea or image and concludes with technical details. In addition, a table of samples with explanations about various techniques adds immensely to the educational experience.If you goWHAT: “4 Common Corners,” an exhibit of art quiltsWHERE: Durango Arts Center, 802 East Second Ave.WHEN: Through June 27. Hours: Noon to 6 p.m. Tuesday to SaturdayADMISSION: FreeMORE INFORMATION: Call 259-2606 or visit www.durangoarts.orgThe show is visually beguiling and sometimes challenging with the bonus of well-written educational components. Take your time.Two extremely different works stand out: “High Plains of New Mexico” and “212 Canyon Road.” Both are by Shannon Conley, but you would never guess the same artist created them. The landscape quilt is really a skyscape that verges on pure abstraction. With subtle gradations, the colors shimmer into one another and drift into an elegant border. Rippled and swirling free machine stitching links everything together. It’s a light-filled mirage that suggests spontaneity – despite then obviously labor-intensive process.“212 Canyon Road, “by Shannon Conley. (Courtesy of J. Reynolds)The most unusual work in the exhibit is Conley’s “212 Canyon Road.” Her statement suggests it is a memory piece connected to a childhood in New Mexico. In reality, it is a boldly three-dimensional work that’s a delicate topographical map. Layers of colors float in space. As if seen from above, pale sheathes bloom then cascade to faded blue and gray. “212” stretches the boundaries of art quilts into sculpture and makes a powerful aesthetic statement.Detail of “212 Canyon Road” by Shannon Conley. (Courtesy of J. Reynolds)Diana Fox’s more graphic landscape, “The First Quiet Hour,” balances sky and land. With a low horizon, she builds abstract shapes to constitute a dry land and a blazing sky full of light. She substitutes tiny square quilt blocks for human structures. Fox’s “Connections” nearby shows her skill at pure abstraction with interlocking circular forms and free-motion quilting."The First Quiet Hour,“ by Diana Fox. (Courtesy of J. Reynolds)Frances Murphy’s unusual still life, “The Ghost of Mexican Rita,” appears to be another memory piece. In her statement, she admits to beginning with an experience, a photo and the apparition of an interior with a still life, a window and a figure beyond the curtain. Using vintage fabrics among many other elements, Murphy has created a poignant reverie that transcends her materials. And that’s what art quilts aspire to – transcending the utilitarian roots of quilt making to enter the realm of imagination, wonder and artistic exploration.“The Ghost of Mexican Rita,” by Frances Murphy. (Courtesy of J. Reynolds)Some works seem to struggle with the transition from idea to completed projects. And a conundrum that tests artists in any medium applies: What medium best serves a creative idea? It’s a discussion worth having when an image or inspiration surfaces. In some 4CC works, there seems to be a disconnect between inspiration and execution. Ask: Would this work have been more successful in water color, oil, acrylic or photography? It’s a question for art lovers to ponder.“4 Common Corners” is worth a long look and more than one visit.Arts and craftsLate in 2019, Vicki Conley, Studio Art Quilt Associates’ New Mexico Regional representative, organized the 4CC art-quilt group. She invited 11 colleagues who live in the Four Corners to join her, meet monthly and plan annual exhibitions. All belong to SAQA, the prestigious international organization that has been around since 1989. 4CC is an unofficial offshoot of the parent organization, Conley said in a recent interview.SAQA is a modern version of a medieval guild in European history. Well-organized craft guilds laid the groundwork for the Renaissance, and the concept of standards, apprenticeships and regulations has served the trades and impacted the realm of fine art.In our time, traditional crafts like woodworking, metal craft, ceramics and textiles, have undergone a seismic change. Even before the technological revolution, utilitarian crafts marched forward to include nonfunctional decoration and symbolic representation. In the 20th century, expressive art, “fine art,” widened its range of practices and media so that now any material, even found objects, serve the artistic impulse.In 1983, a major exhibition of fabric art, “The Art Quilt,” coined the term that now attaches itself to the practice of putting fiber art on a wall, not just on a bed.Five years later, art quilters formed the modern guild, SAQA, which now has an international membership above 7,000. Like a medieval guild, it has a structure, president, board, staff, publications, traveling exhibitions and educational components.Quilting as an art form has come a long way since the arts-and-crafts resurgence in the last century. In 1997, the University of Nebraska, Lincoln, established the International Quilt Museum.In summer 2025, one of SAQA’s traveling shows came to the DAC. Thanks to Amanda Preston Araújo, SAQA’s Colorado representative, “Balance” brought another themed collection to light. Credit Executive Director Beth Lamberson Warren and Ben Dukeminier, director of the Barbara Conrad Gallery and visual arts and education, for continuing to introduce us to forward-looking art.Judith Reynolds is an arts journalist and member of the American Theatre Critics Association.]]></content:encoded>
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        <link>https://www.durangoherald.com/articles/visual-arts/durango-artists-share-work-during-spring-gallery-walk/</link>
        <title>Durango artists share work during Spring Gallery Walk</title>
        <description>New exhibits, live music, more on tap for annual event</description>
        <pubDate>Thu, 07 May 2026 14:50:57 -0600</pubDate>
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        <content:encoded><![CDATA[“Luminara,” by Mariah Kaminsky, 24x30, oil on linen panel. (Courtesy of Studio & Gallery)New exhibits, live music, more on tap for annual eventEvery spring and fall, the artists of downtown Durango open their doors for an evening of new exhibits, live music and community.This year’s Spring Gallery Walk will be held Friday night, and here’s a look at some of what to expect:Studio & Gallery, 1027 Main Ave.“Light: An Invitational Exhibition – Curated by Tim Kapustka.” Opening reception, 5-9 p.m. Exhibit runs May 8-17. Artist talk, 2 p.m. May 17. Studio & Gallery invited 30 artists to step out of the darkness and celebrate the sacred and mighty and join us in honoring light in a group invitational exhibit. Artists include: Mariah Kaminsky, David Holub, Jenn Rawling, Lorna Meaden, Holly Hagan, Miki Harder, Leesa Zarinelli Gawlik, David Butler, Milt Beens, Annie Brooks, Crystal Hartman, Elizabeth Kinahan, Mary Ellen Long, Jacob Brooks, Tim Kapustka, Joe Schafer, Erik Maxson, Jed Webster Smith, Ilze Aviks, Louisa Palmer, Bill Grimes, Dan Groth, Juanita Nelson, Scott Dye, Maureen May, Noah Stotz, Shawn Lotze, Patricia Davidson, Ernie Rheaume and George Schmidt.If you goWHAT: Spring Gallery WalkWHEN: 4 to 8 p.m. FridayWHERE: Downtown Durango galleriesEarthen Vessel is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. (Courtesy)Earthen Vessel Gallery, 934 Main Ave., Unit A“Brush & Blade: Two Visions of the Landscape. A 50th Anniversary Event.” Exhibit brings together two oil painters whose distinct approaches offer compelling interpretations of the natural world. Kathleen Steventon uses a palette knife to build richly textured, abstracted landscapes filled with movement and layered color. George Bodde uses brushes to create atmospheric, representational paintings that explore light, form and mood. Also live painting demonstrations and an artist conversation. The evening also marks the launch of the gallery’s community painting – an evolving canvas you’re invited to take part in by adding your own mark, contributing to a shared work that will grow throughout the 50th anniversary season. 5-8 p.m.“Sacred Ground,” acrylic on canvas, by Ray Tigerman, who is showing a solo exhibit at Blue Rain Gallery. (Courtesy)Blue Rain Gallery, 934 Main Ave., Unit BFeatures “Sacred Spirits,” a solo exhibition by Tuba, Arizona, artist Ray Tigerman.Toh-Atin Gallery will feature a presentation of Mae Jim’s Ganado Red Weaving for the first time in over 15 years. (Courtesy)Toh-Atin Gallery, 145 W. Ninth St.Gallery will feature a presentation of Mae Jim’s Ganado Red Weaving for the first time in over 15 years, which toured museums in the United States, Europe and China, along with landscapes paintings by Ross Myers and traditional Navajo sandcast jewelry by Wilson and Carol Begay. Music by Jason Thies and Jeff Haspel. Appetizers and refreshments will be served. 4:30-7:30 p.m.“Cogito Ergo Zoom,” four-color risograph print, by Kamaljit Punia, is part of the Durango Creative District Community Gallery’s “Rad Bike Art” exhibit. (Courtesy)Durango Creative District Community Gallery, 1135 Main Ave.Gallery’s exhibition “Rad Bike Art” features local and national artists’ takes on celebrating the culture and freedom of cycling. Guest curator: Chad Cheeney, co-founder of Durango Devo, head endurance coach, Fort Lewis College Cycling. Artists: Belle Cheeney, Chad Cheeney, Matt Clark, Gunnar Ensign, Michael Brieger, Noah Smith, Sabina Kuss, Steve Fassbinder, Jon Bailey, Scott Campbell, Tom Morlock, Elena West, Sadie Schafer, Joe Schafer, Sebastian Farrell, David Siegrist, Brian Gilson, Kamaljit Punia, Monchie Curliss, Cathy Eagen, Nancy Byers, Evan Smith, Kathy Green, Kirk Morrison, Ayden Chance, Julie Hughes and Zoe Harbertson.The ArtRoom Collective will feature new works by local artists. (Courtesy)The ArtRoom Collective, 1309 East Third Ave.The Collective’s special “New Works Exhibit” highlights recent work by many of Durango’s artists. Enter to win a $100 gift certificate toward local artwork and enjoy light refreshments. 4-8 p.m."Bartender Shaker – Lenticular,“ limited edition print by photographer Nick Veasey, who will speak from 6 to 6:45 p.m. at Sorrel Sky Gallery. (Courtesy)Sorrel Sky Gallery, 828 Main Ave.Gallery will showcase revolutionary X-ray photographer Nick Veasey, who unveils the hidden beauty inside everyday objects from vintage automobiles to delicate flowers. Sorrel Sky Gallery presents special evening receptions featuring the revolutionary X-ray photography of Nick Veasey, internationally recognized as the world's leading radiographic artist. The British artist will unveil new works revealing the hidden beauty inside everyday objects, from vintage automobiles to delicate flowers, during two exclusive events this spring. Reception 5-8 p.m., with Veasey speaking at 6-6:45 p.m.“Time Will Tell” (diptych), encaustic and Casein, 40x60. By Bridgette Meinhold, who is showing new work at Diane West Jewelry & Art. (Courtesy)Diane West Jewelry & Art, 820 Main Ave.New collection of work by nationally known encaustic artist Bridgette Meinhold, who will be in attendance. 5-8 p.m.Wild Shots Gallery will feature the work of Claude Steelman. (Courtesy)Wild Shots Gallery, 133 East Eighth St.Wild Shots Gallery featuring award-winning images of nature photographer Claude Steelman.Durango Arts Center features the exhibit “Exploring Feminism: Beauty and Bondage.” (Durango Herald file)Durango Arts Center, 802 East Second Ave.The DAC features the exhibit “Exploring Feminism: Beauty and Bondage.”katie@Durangoherald.com]]></content:encoded>
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        <link>https://www.durangoherald.com/articles/visual-arts/dac-hosts-exploring-feminism-beauty-or-bondage/</link>
        <title>DAC hosts ‘Exploring Feminism: Beauty or Bondage?’</title>
        <description>Show features Judy Hayes, Pamela Nocerino and Savanna Goodman</description>
        <pubDate>Fri, 24 Apr 2026 13:21:21 -0600</pubDate>
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        <content:encoded><![CDATA[A display of women’s high heels and corset at “Beauty or Bondage,” at Durango Art Center. (J. Reynolds)Show features Judy Hayes, Pamela Nocerino and Savanna GoodmanListen up Durango.“Exploring Feminism: Beauty or Bondage?” the new exhibit at The Durango Art Center, admonishes viewers to pay attention to the subordination of women. Stiletto heels, head scarves and a lone pink corset lie in wait.If you goWHAT: “Exploring Feminism: Beauty or Bondage?” works by Judy Hayes, Savannah Goodman and Pamela Nocerino.WHERE: Durango Arts Center, 802 East Second Ave.WHEN: Hours: noon to 6 p, m. Tuesday to Saturday, through May 9ADMISSION: FreeMORE INFORMATION: Call 259-2606 or visit www.durangoarts.orgThe show features work by three presenters: mixed-media visual artist Judy Hayes, poet-performer Pamela Nocerino, and conceptual photographer Savanna Goodman. Along with interactive stations where viewers can respond to Feminist posters, write a poem, or post a comment, there’s a short video about Suffragettes and the #MeToo movement.“You’ve Come a Long Way, Baby, “mixed-media work by Judy Hayes. (J. Reynolds)The exhibition statement underscores the show’s purpose: “to intrigue and educate audiences to better understand the suffering, denigration and exploitation of women around the world.” That’s a tall order for one show at a community arts center.“Beauty or Bondage” is a didactic exhibition with a mission. It comes down hard on American standards for beauty and status, but it falls short delivering a world view. Selecting well-known tropes like ancient Chinese foot binding or tribal neck stretching, the exhibit judges everything by today’s American standards. What’s missing is the perspective of cultural anthropology where global societies establish their own hierarchies, social markers, and standards. Your neck rings – our pierced ears. Your shaved eyebrows – our tattoos.“Fahrenheit 45-7,” conceptual photograph by Savanna Goodman. (J. Reynolds)The show offers views from two generations of feminists. Hayes, who admits to an awakening in the 1970s, exhibits paintings and collages that burn into the present. Nocerino and Goodman ignite post-#MeToo revelations through poetry and stunning conceptual photographs.Mixed together, the extremely different works would have benefited if presented in separate displays.Hayes represents the Betty Friedan generation, particularly in her paintings about the imprint of a Catholic education infused with Western fairy tales. In dark, amorphous settings, her passive nudes contemplate various subjects from male hierarchies to literary tropes. Mixed-media constructions explore a few aesthetic practices like foot binding with references to culturally-sanctioned beauty requirements.“Where There Are Nine,” conceptual photograph by Savanna Goodman (J. Reynolds)“You’ve Come a Long Way, Baby,” is Hayes’s strongest piece. A clockface carries images of high heels with a tiny pair of oriental slippers dangling below. A pair of earphones lets you listen to the music.Nocerino’s poems are mounted as art objects. One playful installation activates one aspect of her practice. “Underneath” has two parts: wall-mounted underpants over a magnet board filled with words. Viewers are invited to create a poem about one’s relationship to undergarments. Nocerino’s latest chapbook is for sale on a book table: “A Palace of Waning.”“Underneath,” an interactive work by Pamela Nocerino. (J. Reynolds)Goodman’s staged photographs provocatively reimagine current dilemmas. From the “When It’s You” series, a collaborative project spinning off the famous Holocaust poem by Martin Niemöller, Goodman targets book burning in “Fahrenheit 45-7,” the American health industry in “It’s all in your head,” and most satirically, the Supreme Court after reversing Roe V Wade in “When there are nine.” Nine women plus a female doctor surround a male patient who is strapped into stirrups on an examining table. Funny and frightening, it speculates on who has the right to choose and what to extract.“Beauty or Bondage?” is an ambitious show. It’s also text-heavy, so plan time for reading explanatory cards and contributing your own thoughts at the interactive stations.Feminist Poster Station in “Beauty or Bondage” at DAC. (J. Reynolds)What’s missing?Something cultural anthropologists would suggest, and some feminist art exhibits have employed, a full-length mirror. One’s own reflection might balance American judgmentalism with an invitation to self-awareness. A mirror would invite viewers to check acquiescence to our own standards of beauty.What are you wearing? Lipstick, makeup, eye liner? Jewelry? Pierced ears? Long “Melania” hair? Shoes? Tattoos?All of the above are current markers for social class, status, age, and/or gender in the good old USA.Judith Reynolds is an arts journalist and member of the American Theatre Critics Association.]]></content:encoded>
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        <link>https://www.durangoherald.com/articles/visual-arts/animas-high-school-students-host-under-one-moon-arts-festival/</link>
        <title>Animas High School students host Under One Moon Arts Festival</title>
        <description>Senior project, fundraiser will be held at Tico Time River Resort in Aztec</description>
        <pubDate>Thu, 16 Apr 2026 15:16:02 -0600</pubDate>
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        <media:thumbnail url="https://imengine.public.prod.dur.navigacloud.com/?uuid=B5E78D2D-F984-5605-9535-B0083EC0BD1C&#038;function=thumbnail&#038;type=preview&#038;source=false&#038;width=600&#038;height=400" />
        <content:encoded><![CDATA[Under One Moon Arts Festival will be held April 25 and 26 at Tico Time River Resort in Aztec. (Courtesy)Senior project, fundraiser will be held at Tico Time River Resort in AztecWe’re quickly heading into graduation season, and for four seniors at Animas High School, they’ve got one more big project to complete before putting on their caps and gowns.It’s not a 20-page paper or massive exam – Sophie May, Avery Colclough, Anya McMillen and Penny Mark have instead been working the past six months to host the Under One Moon Arts Festival, a weekend-long celebration of the arts at Tico Time in Aztec that will feature live music, dance, plenty of visual art and guided workshops. There will also be art booths, food trucks and vendors.If you goWHAT: Under One Moon Arts FestivalWHEN: April 25 and 26WHERE: Tico Time River Resort, 20 Road 2050, AztecTICKETS: $40 general admission two-day pass; $25 general admission single-day; children 7 and younger free. Available at https://tinyurl.com/yc6xzjfjMORE INFORMATION: Visit https://www.underonemoonfestival.comWith the event theme of “building bridges between ages, art forms and communities,” the four are doing more than merely throwing a fun party – there’s a bigger goal: Supporting organizations that encourage the arts, especially among young people. In fact, the girls set up a nonprofit organization – Peaks and Valleys Arts Partnership – as part of their plan.McMillen said 100% of the weekend’s proceeds will be divided between Durango Friends of the Arts, “the local all-volunteer organization raising funds for projects and programs whose goals provide educational and cultural benefits to the people of the greater Durango area,” and Genesis Inspiration Foundation, an organization founded in 2018 that works to connect young people to “the transformative power of the arts,” according to the festival’s website.Sophie May“Our goal is to connect the community and raise money for children in the arts, as well as further connect artists and community members in our town. In doing so, we hope to bridge the gaps between ages, art forms and different communities of artists,” the students’ mission statement says. “Our overall mission is to raise money for youth access to the arts through the shared love of a variety of art forms, including music, dance and visual arts. ... We will connect student artists with local and regional performing artists, along with connecting organizations and art forms in our community. This celebration will not only bring Durango citizens together but will also provide a platform to help under-resourced youth access the arts both locally and throughout the nation.”Avery ColcloughAs well as a comprehensive website, the four were also tasked with planning the entire festival – they set up their nonprofit and business bank account, secured Tico Time, began fundraising, figured out the entertainment, worked with other AHS students who will bring their art to the festival and myriad other details that go into planning an event of this scope.Musical acts will feature performers from Stillwater Music and iAM MUSIC, among others. Dance acts will be performed by members of Prickly Pear Dance, a studio McMillen attends.Anya McMillenAnd while putting together the Under One Moon Arts Festival has been a challenge, the four said all the effort has been worth it, both personally and for the greater community.“In the end, the most satisfying part is seeing what we can do,” Mark said.Penny Mark“It’s something bigger than school,” McMillen added.katie@durangoherald.com]]></content:encoded>
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        <link>https://www.durangoherald.com/articles/visual-arts/gathering-the-bones-durango-creative-district-hosts-rare-earth-art-exhibit/</link>
        <title>Gathering the Bones: Durango Creative District hosts rare Earth Art exhibit</title>
        <description>Show features works by Mary Ellen Long and Sarah Lemcke</description>
        <pubDate>Thu, 09 Apr 2026 12:00:00 -0600</pubDate>
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        <media:thumbnail url="https://imengine.public.prod.dur.navigacloud.com/?uuid=5586B491-BB7F-5B9F-B7AE-3662F72737A5&#038;function=cropresize&#038;type=preview&#038;source=false&#038;q=75&#038;width=1200&#038;x=1.0E-5&#038;y=1.0E-5&#038;crop_w=0.99999&#038;crop_h=0.99999" />
        <content:encoded><![CDATA[Artists Sarah Lemke, left, and Mary Ellen Long are seen in the Durango Creative District Gallery, where their duo exhibition “Gathering the Bones” is on display to May. (Courtesy of J. Reynolds)Show features works by Mary Ellen Long and Sarah Lemcke“Gathering the Bones,” a new exhibition at the Durango Creative District Gallery, mirrors what many creatures do in the natural world: build new nests.If you goWHAT: “Gathering the Bones,” works by Mary Ellen Long and Sarah Lemcke at Durango Creative District GalleryWHEN: Through May 1. Hours: noon-5:00 p.m. Wednesday to Friday.WHERE: 1135 Main Ave.ADMISSION: FreeMORE INFORMATION: Email hello@durangocreativedistrict.org, call 403-9186 or (757) 810-4890Mary Ellen Long and Sarah Lemcke, two area earth artists, have serendipitously found each other. Together they present an unusual exhibition of new work.Long, 92, is a well-known regional artist who lives in Durango and has exhibited internationally. Her body of work consists of earth-art installations, artist’s books and films about her oeuvre.Lemcke, 31, a papermaking artist who teaches in Durango, represents the next generation of adventurous artists who transform natural materials into works of art.Installation of Sarah Lemke’s works: Abaca and Lantern Series, centered by a wasp nest. (Courtesy of J. Reynolds)Taking inspiration from birds, insects and animals that collect and transform nature’s materials, Long and Lemke mimic those activities. In addition, they sieve everything through an aesthetic process and create new objects that honor the natural world.Among the most moving new works on display are “altars,” ritualistic arrangements of nests and candles. Among the most formal are geometric strips of handmade paper. Among the most poignant are collages that include found objects such as an animal skull discovered on an outing.Lemke’s exploration of wasp nests dominates the exhibit. A papermaking artist with a degree from Columbia College in Chicago, she began incorporating paper from wasp nests here in Durango. Combined with other natural fibers, her work seems to explore both imperfection and impermanence. Spirals and shapes that anchor corners are two compositional devices she repeats, but the possibilities seem endless.Gallery view with Mary Ellen Long installation “Aspen Trees,” handmade paper. (Courtesy of J. Reynolds)Long earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from San Diego State University and has made Durango her home for the past 45 years. Known as a multimedia artist, she works in collage, prints and environmental installations. Her estimable archive of artist’s books is housed at the University of Denver’s Penrose Library.Several of Long’s elegant collages are on display, including a pristine handmade paper series. “Aspen Trees” is a large installation that dominates the rear gallery.“Eye of the Storm,” wasp paper on handmade paper, by Sarah Lemke. (Courtesy of J. Reynolds)The title, “Gathering of Bones,” comes from a book by Jungian psychoanalyst and author Clarissa Pinkola Estés. Her story centers on a Bone Woman who wanders the desert collecting what’s left behind and sings nature’s detritus back to life.As Lemke says in her statement: “Paper wasps mirror this process. They collect disparate, dead fibers from leaves and bark and construct something new, beautiful and whole – a nest buzzing with life.”Land and earth artistsMary Ellen Long and Sarah Lemke are part of the Earth and Land Art Movements that emerged in the late 1960s. The modern practice of using earth materials, dirt, twigs, trees, pebbles, rocks or abandoned nests, rose out of conceptual art and environmentalism. But it must be acknowledged that creating human-made objects out of natural materials dates back to cave art, Stonehenge and the like.“Tracks 6,” collage by Mary Ellen Long. (Courtesy of J. Reynolds)In the late 20th century, Land artists created large earth installations such as the late Robert Smithson’s 1970 “Spiral Jetty,” a massive earthwork in Utah. Andy Goldsworthy, 70, continues to create site-specific installations in England’s valleys, mountainsides, shorelines or abandoned farm fields. He “collaborates” with the earth by using its materials and imposing a fresh sense of order with spectacularly balanced cairns, curving stone walls, natural arches or stick-structures that disappear in time.“Lantern,” wasp nest, wasp paper and candle, by Sarah Lemke. (Courtesy of J. Reynolds)Driven by environmentalist ideals to honor nature and save the planet, Land and Earth artists reject the commercialization of art and the moneyed marketplace of museums and collectors.Judith Reynolds is an arts journalist and member of the American Theatre Critics Association.]]></content:encoded>
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        <link>https://www.durangoherald.com/articles/visual-arts/stations-of-the-cross-studio-presents-dramatic-biblical-story/</link>
        <title>Stations of the Cross: Studio &amp; presents dramatic biblical story</title>
        <description>16 paintings form a solo show with an accompanying book by artist Mike Brieger</description>
        <pubDate>Wed, 25 Mar 2026 15:12:10 -0600</pubDate>
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        <content:encoded><![CDATA[The 10th Station: “Jesus Falls for the Second Time.“ (Courtesy of Mike Brieger)16 paintings form a solo show with an accompanying book by artist Mike BriegerMike Brieger’s interpretation of the Stations of the Cross revisits an ancient story of sacrifice and redemption.“I’ve always been mesmerized with all the different interpretations,” he said.If you goWHAT: Stations of the Cross, an exhibition of paintings by Mike BriegerWHERE: Studio & Gallery, 1027 Main Ave.WHEN: April 3 to April 12. Opening Reception: 5-9 pm. April 3. Gallery hours: 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday to Friday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Artist talk: 2 p.m. April 12 with Tim Kapustka, Studio &.MORE INFORMATION: Visit https://anddurango.com or call (773) 263-1279.Brieger, 60, a licensed drug and alcohol counselor who specializes in addiction, trauma and PTSD, said he has been drawing what “mesmerizes” him since he was 7 years old. Raised in the Quaker tradition and its core belief – “There is that of God in everyone,” he has gone on to study other religions, psychology and humankind. He spent a year on the Stations project. And now 16 paintings form a solo show with an accompanying book at Studio &.“It is our hope that the paintings of the Stations will be taken very seriously – pondered, almost like a meditation or perhaps for a learning process,” said Tim Kapustka, gallery co-founder.The Eighth Station: “Jesus Falls for the First Time.” (Courtesy of Mike Brieger)According to legend, today’s meditative Stations of the Cross grew out of early Christian pilgrimages to Jerusalem. As early as the fourth century CE, way stations were created for rest and prayer. By the 15th century, Franciscan monks added images of the stages leading up to the crucifixion (The Passion of Christ). In 1731, Pope Clement XII codified 14 Stations of the Cross with biblical texts to formalize what had become a Lenten practice. To this day, Catholic and Protestant churches display the Stations, often with biblical texts as captions.Traditionally, the formal sequence begins with Christ condemned to death. In 1991, that was changed by Pope John Paul II who inserted Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane as the story’s beginning. Over time, artists have made alterations to the general scheme, including Brieger. His interpretation begins with the Agony in the Garden where Christ anxiously anticipates what is to come while his disciples peacefully sleep.Portrait of Mike Brieger. (Courtesy of J. Reynolds)Brieger has also added a new station of his own: “The Kind Hearted Centurian.” It’s a portrait of an old soldier and a comforting respite in an otherwise brutal story. The soldier reflects: “This man truly was the Son of God,” to which Brieger adds a biblical text from Psalm 57:10: “Create in me a clean heart, Oh Lord.”What comes before and after the Centurian is a world of hurt. In the tradition of Francisco Goya, Hieronymus Bosch and Georges Rouault. Brieger is an expressionist – a proclivity he proudly embraces. Focused on the human condition and its inevitable troubles, he summons fantastic imagery to underscore a vision of a dark and difficult world. Central to that view is acceptance, the possibility of redemption and the courage it takes just to survive.The Ninth Station: “Veronica Wipes the Face of Jesus.” (Courtesy of Judith Reynolds)Stylistically, Brieger’s images are kin to Bosch and Goya in both fantasy and foreboding. Emotionally, his awkward figures break bread with Rouault’s suffering minions. The artist purposefully crams humans, animals and birds into tight, claustrophobic spaces. As compact and intense as every image is, Brieger’s dry-brush technique further intensifies the drama.The Seventh Station: “Jesus Meets His Mother.” (Courtesy of Judith Reynolds)Any new interpretation of the Stations deserves contemplation. Brieger’s humanistic take on the series is the opposite of sanitized contemporary versions. In our happy-face, consumer culture, there is even a children’s version you can see online. How anyone can sugar-candy the Stations of the Cross is unfathomable. Brieger may be old school, but his Stations are most welcome in 2026.For moreTo see other local interpretations of the Stations, visit Catholic churches almost anywhere, including Durango, and St. Mark’s Episcopal Church. In 1978, St. Mark’s installed a cast-bronze sequence in the sanctuary.Judith Reynolds is an arts journalist and member of the American Theatre Critics Association.]]></content:encoded>
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        <link>https://www.durangoherald.com/articles/visual-arts/local-photographer-chronicles-the-people-of-durango-bayfield-and-beyond/</link>
        <title>Local photographer chronicles the people of Durango, Bayfield and beyond</title>
        <description>Cary Lindley: ‘Every moment is precious and passing, and so are people. ... It’s only by chance that we cross paths’</description>
        <pubDate>Thu, 12 Feb 2026 13:37:07 -0700</pubDate>
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        <content:encoded><![CDATA[Durango photographer Cary Lindley has chronicled people he has met in Bayfield, Durango and beyond. (Courtesy of Cary Lindley)Cary Lindley: ‘Every moment is precious and passing, and so are people. ... It’s only by chance that we cross paths’Cary Lindley didn’t start out as a street photographer.The retired schoolteacher, who hails from Houston, has taken his photography hobby to the streets of Bayfield, Durango and around the Southwest, chronicling the interesting people he comes across and putting the photos on a series of Facebook pages – Bayfield Colorado 2025 (which he plans to take down soon), Faces of Durango and Portrait Outlaw.On the netCheck out photographer Cary Lindley’s Facebook pages:Faces of Durango: https://www.facebook.com/FacesOfDurangoPortrait Outlaw: https://www.facebook.com/portraitoutlawBayfield Colorado 2025 (will soon be taken down): https://www.facebook.com/BayfieldColorado2025A cruise through all three pages offers black-and-white photographs as diverse as the people who frequent the area: Lindley has captured images of cowboys, people at work, tourists, buskers, people in restaurants and, on the Portrait Outlaw page, a man he met at a gas station who has the longest, most luxurious beard as well as piercing eyes.Cary LindleyLindley said the street-photography projects began last year when he was living in Bayfield. He said he was growing tired of the pictures he had been taking.“I’ve been photographing barns and old trucks, the mountains, all the beautiful scenery, the old mines and stuff like everyone else,” he said. “I’ve been doing that off and on for eight years, since I retired, and every time I after I did it, well, it was fun, it was nice, but just nothing that meaningful to me, just another pretty photo.”Lindley said street photography is challenging and fun. (Courtesy of Cary Lindley)Watching a documentary about street photography piqued his interest, and like many of us do when we want to learn something new, he took to the internet to do some digging around. On YouTube, he found New York-based street photographer Paul Baldonado’s – Paulie B’s – series “Walkie Talkie.”And Lindley was inspired.“I just tried to take what I learned there and do it my way,” he said. “Because mainly street photography is taking candid shots, whether you’re photographing scenes or people; you’re not asking permission, you’re just out there. (Photographers) can be very aggressive, but that’s in New York. We’re not in New York, and so I didn’t want to be aggressive, but I thought it looked challenging and fun.”While the series offered valuable tips about approaching strangers, Lindley said his experience as a schoolteacher put him ahead of the game: He was used to talking to parents and students, so he wasn’t bothered by that aspect. In fact, he enjoys the challenge and the people he meets, he said.Not many people refuse his request for a photograph, Lindley said. (Courtesy of Cary Lindley)“It started working in Bayfield, and I got to have a lot of conversations with people I would have otherwise never met had I not stopped and asked to take their photo,” he said.Do people ever say no when he asks to take their photo?“Not near as much as I thought,” Lindley said. “I would say 95 percent of the people I ask say yes. Now, I don’t ask everybody, because I do take some candid shots from time to time, especially when the weather is nice.”As for the people he picks, he said when he first began street photography, he’d take photos of anybody he crossed paths with. But now that the number of portraits he’s taken is beginning to stack up, he’s being a little more judicious when he chooses his subjects.“Every picture I post is unique; it’s for that moment,” Lindley said. (Courtesy of Cary Lindley)“I look for people that don’t look like myself, basically because I look just like an old, boring schoolteacher,” Lindley said. “So whether they have a beard or they have a cowboy hat or something that’s just a different style about them ... I’m getting pickier, because as the numbers start to add up, I’ve started telling people not to smile in the photos – to look serious, look mad, anything but the cheesy smile, because all my pictures started looking the same.”Lindley also subscribes to the Japanese philosophy of “wabi-sabi” he discovered through photographer Tatiana Hopper. It’s the idea that a photograph doesn’t have to be technically or artistically perfect, it just needs to capture a moment in time – a moment that will never, and can’t ever, be replicated. He said it really hit home for him on his yearlong Bayfield project, when one of the oldest couples he photographed died and the family contacted him and asked if they could use the photos.Durango photographer Cary Lindley has chronicled people he has met in Bayfield, Durango and beyond. (Courtesy of Cary Lindley)“I found out that my project, the pictures don’t have to be perfect. They don’t even have to really be that good,” he said. “The fact is, I’m documenting things that are changing every day. And you know, every image, as (Hopper) says, it’s sort of a farewell, because it can’t be repeated. ... Every moment is precious and passing, and so are people. ... It’s only by chance that we cross paths. Every picture I post is unique; it’s for that moment. And I get to have a conversation with a stranger that probably I would have otherwise never talked to.”Durango photographer Cary Lindley posts his photos on a series of online pages. (Courtesy of Cary Lindley)And while we’re living in a world that can feel as if we’re being pitted against each other, and doom scrolling is only adding to our collective anxiety, Lindley said he hopes looking through his pages can give people a renewed sense of community, even in these difficult times.Durango photographer Cary Lindley has chronicled people he has met in Bayfield, Durango and beyond. (Courtesy of Cary Lindley)“There’s a lot of wonderful people out there, and you look at the photos and you can see that,” he said. “The fact is, the news itself is so depressing and so dividing of everything, but me out there on the street with my camera, taking photos of people from all walks of life, they all have one thing: They’re good people. I want people to look at that and smile when they see all these people that are in their community, and know that Durango is a special place, just like Bayfield is a special place. If you’ll follow my page, you can see that life is full of good things and there’s good people, and good things are happening every day in this town and everywhere. We just don’t always get a chance to see it.”katie@durangoherald.com]]></content:encoded>
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        <link>https://www.durangoherald.com/articles/visual-arts/encounters-and-reflections-at-durango-public-library/</link>
        <title>‘Encounters and reflections’ at Durango Public Library</title>
        <description>Photography shows by local artists dazzle in community space</description>
        <pubDate>Thu, 05 Feb 2026 11:55:34 -0700</pubDate>
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        <content:encoded><![CDATA[“Capsize” is a color photograph by Waldemar Winkler. (Courtesy)Photography shows by local artists dazzle in community spaceTwo photography shows at the Durango Public Library signal a revival that’s worth noting.Dan Brown’s forthright photographs of wild creatures are arresting. In particular, bold portraits of birds, bears and pikas demonstrate the power of direct eye contact – beyond riveting. If Brown’s images don’t pull you up short, you’re half asleep.If you goWHAT: Photography Exhibitions: Dan Brown, Waldemar WinklerWHERE: Durango Public Library, 1900 East Third Ave.WHEN: Now through March-April. Regular library hours.ADMISSION: FreeSPECIAL EVENT: Winkler Reception, 4-5:30 p.m. FridayMORE INFORMATION: Call 375-3380 or visit https://tinyurl.com/ytb7w38fWaldemar Winkler’s photographs have the same compelling effect but through a different lens. Dramatic and close to calamity, the astonishing rafting images pack an emotional wallop. His stark, black-and-white skateboarders are balletic in their abstract silence. And his museum meditations are as layered and mysterious as shadow glass.Works by these two Durango-based photographers are on display at the Durango Public Library for a nice stretch. Spare some time for a long look. And thank Darcy Poletti, adult services librarian, for rekindling the library’s community exhibitions.“Goose” is an aluminum print by Dan Brown. (Courtesy)“We’re hosting rotating community exhibits – art displays and cultural events – generally every 30 days,” she said.It wasn’t always so. When the new library opened back in December 2008, the prospect of community exhibits became a short-lived reality. Director Sherry Taber and a team planned opening events. Taber asked me to organize the first art exhibit, so I chose an appropriate theme from art history: “Evoking the Inner Life: Images of Reading.”“Reflections Over 52nd St.” is a color photograph by Waldemar Winkler. (Courtesy)“Beyond Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience,” by Waldemar Winkler. (Courtesy)Local artists submitted paintings, drawings, prints and photographs to fill the lobby and program rooms. Opening night, Dec. 4, 2008, drew a large, celebratory crowd. When the new tech system sputtered, I gave a slide talk without images – every art historian’s nightmare. The moment required a sense of humor and a crowd willing to go along with imagination. It worked.“Tear it up for Tyler,” black and white photograph by Waldemar Winkler. (Courtesy)For that exhibit, Brown submitted a whimsical photo that has reappeared in his current exhibit. In 2008, he photographed a resting (and reading) hiker in a mountain meadow. A curious wild goat has wandered into the scene.“Evoking the Inner Life: Reading” is a 2008 color print by Dan Brown. (Courtesy)His photograph was the most unusual offering in the first DPL show, and it has returned 18 years later. Raise a glass for communal memory.Brown says he will change up images because his works will be up through April. All are aluminum prints – sharp and brilliant. All proceeds go to the Navajo Water Project."Pika“ by Dan Brown. (Courtesy)In the small lobby area outside the program rooms, Winkler has mounted three photographic projects. The long wall features 18 images that reflect experience. That’s his super power as a photographer. He’s a storyteller, and in every image, he speaks through light, color, space, shadow – and a fresh sense of composition."Marmot“ by Dan Brown. (Courtesy)“Beyond Van Gogh: The inner Experience” succeeds in communicating the confusing new phenomenon of immersive art exhibits. In “Three Versions of Red,” he reveals how his eye and mind linked one color in three very different places.For the six-photo rafting sequence in Smelter Rapids, Winkler said he tested a new telephoto lens. The still photos border on the filmic.Nine starkly beautiful images of skateboarders at an annual memorial event fill the display case. Wisely printed in black and white, they are elegant scenes of stark beauty.View any time the library is open. A reception for Winkler’s work will take place from 4 to 5:30 Friday.Darcy Poletti is Durango Public Library’s adult services librarian. (J. Reynolds)Durango Public Library exhibits“Libraries create space for the community, so opening up our walls to local artists comes naturally. Public libraries are known as the ‘great equalizer,’ and by providing display space we are creating a public gallery accessible to all. The new yearly Community Art Show provides space for artists who want to just submit one piece to show at the library rather than having a whole show. Our first year was a resounding success with over 35 different artists of varied mediums showing their work.” – Darcy Poletti, DPL adult services librarianJudith Reynolds is an arts journalist and member of the American Theatre Critics Association.“The Train” by Dan Brown. (Courtesy)“Union Station” is by Dan Brown. (Courtesy)]]></content:encoded>
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        <link>https://www.durangoherald.com/articles/visual-arts/review-flcs-center-southwest-studies-mounts-major-exhibition/</link>
        <title>Review: FLC’s Center Southwest Studies mounts major exhibition</title>
        <description>‘Constellations of Place’ warrants more than one visit</description>
        <pubDate>Wed, 28 Jan 2026 14:43:25 -0700</pubDate>
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        <media:thumbnail url="https://imengine.public.prod.dur.navigacloud.com/?uuid=A03DC46E-9427-5641-AB52-07BBED478191&#038;function=cropresize&#038;type=preview&#038;source=false&#038;q=75&#038;width=1200&#038;x=1.0E-5&#038;y=0.07310216&#038;crop_w=0.99999&#038;crop_h=0.56232427" />
        <content:encoded><![CDATA[“Constellations of Place,” main gallery at the Center of Southwest Studies, Fort Lewis College, with Tyrell Tapaha’s installation in foreground and Charine Pilar Gonzales’ film in the background. (J. Reynolds)‘Constellations of Place’ warrants more than one visit“Constellations of Place” is a big exhibition with a big purpose. It opened last week at the Center of Southwest Studies at Fort Lewis College and is comparable to a museum show in a major American city.In its breadth and depth, “Constellations” warrants more than one visit. Fortunately, it will be up through 2026. A suggestion: Plan a first visit as an overview then return for a deeper inspection of individual sections or works. Over the next few months, Corey Pillen, director of the Center, says there will be special programming to augment the exhibition.If you goWHAT: “Constellations of Place,” a major exhibition about layered histories in the SouthwestWHERE: Center of Southwest Studies, Fort Lewis College, 1000 Rim DriveWHEN: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday to Friday, or by appointment. Through Dec. 18.ADMISSION: FreePARKING: Limited metered spots near CSWS or parking pass purchase online. Free after 3:30 p.m.MORE INFORMATION: Email cmscott@fortlewis.edu or www.centersouthweststudies@fortlewis.edu or call 247-7333“Constellations” is part of the America 250-Colorado 150 Southwest regional “Power of Place” initiative. As such, it is a collaborative project between the Center and FLC programs such as the Four Corners Bridging Institute and the Department of Reconciliation. It also falls under the Belonging Colorado umbrella and received significant support from The Denver Foundation and the Greater Good Science Center. With that level of collaboration, it is no surprise that the exhibit, years in the making, is so compelling.If ever we needed a reminder that as Americans we share a complex history as a state, region and nation, now is the time.Meranda Roberts, Ph.D., guest curator for the exhibition, seen in front of “Woven Landscape,” by Darby Raymond-Overstreet. (J. Reynolds)The title suggests many historical lines or “many points of light,” as the catalog indicates, merge to form the American Southwest. Guest curated by Meranda Roberts, Ph. D., (Yerington Paiute Tribe of Nevada and Chicana), the exhibit features more than 60 works, including paintings, prints, mixed-media installations, textiles, pottery and beadwork. Drawn from the Center’s archival collections, the exhibit also includes contemporary pieces by 13 invited Native American, Indigenous and Latinx artists. Organized in an approachable scheme of past, present and future, the unusually large show might best be grasped in sections, exploring the dramatic high main gallery as a first step.“Clan Matriarchs,” is an oil on skateboard by Keith Smith (Diné). (J. Reynolds)When you enter the gallery, a symmetry suggests order. At the back, two chairs have been placed for viewing “Mesa Memory,” a film by Charine Pilar Gonzales (San Ildefonso Pueblo – Tewa). Projected on the north wall, Gonzales’ videography uses time-lapse and other techniques to spin viewers through beautiful Southwest days, nights and seasons. It sets a tone for everything else in the exhibit, whether equally celebratory or darkly disruptive.The view of Tyrell Tapaha’s installation and the southeast wing of the exhibition. (J. Reynolds)In the center, Tyrell Tapaha’s mixed media installation, “Glonnie Mack,” offers a stark counterpoint to the fluid beauty on the back wall. Tapaha’s assemblage rises from a stained sheepskin covered with dirt and desert rubbish topped by a defiant, black-and-white flag. Is it a skeptical counter-argument to romanticized Western landscapes? The juxtaposition with Gonzales’ film signals the variety of viewpoints, stories and strands of creative interpretation that curator Roberts has brought together as constellations.“Create a Postcard” is an interactive exhibit with vintage cards from the Center’s archival collection. (J. Reynolds)“Rather than presenting a linear story of progress, ‘Constellations of Place’ gathers an interconnected field of artistic practices rooted in this region, works that hold space for grief and endurance, rupture and repair, beauty and burden,” Roberts writes in the excellent guidebook.As the months go by, The Durango Herald will alert readers to upcoming programs. In the meantime, the exhibition is worth an overview now and additional visits over the summer when parking is free.FLC President Heather Shotton speaks at the opening of “Constellations of Place” on Jan. 15. (J. Reynolds)The problem with parkingFort Lewis College parking regulations are strict, except for summer months when parking is free. During regular semesters (September to May), there is no free parking during the day, only after 3:30 or 5 p.m., depending on which source you consult. All students, faculty and staff members must have a permit or get ticketed. A few metered spots are available for visitors – near the Student Union and the Center. You can apply online for a special, paid visitor’s permit. Complicated. CumbersomeBecause the Center’s exhibit, “Constellations of Place,” is open 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday to Friday, there’s a big parking problem – at least until summer.So, says Cristie Scott, curator of exhibitions and educational outreach: “Make an appointment to see the exhibit after 4 p.m. If folks want to gather a group to visit,” plan ahead. Or try for a weekend time when permits are not enforced. Call 247-7333 or email cmscott@fortlewis.edu.Another solution would be to extend gallery hours one evening a week, say Thursdays, as “parking without a permit is permitted on campus after 3:30 p.m.,” Scott said. How about Sunday afternoons?Judith Reynolds is an arts journalist and member of the American Theatre Critics Association.]]></content:encoded>
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        <link>https://www.durangoherald.com/articles/visual-arts/review-leonard-davies-revitalizes-landscape-art/</link>
        <title>Review: Leonard Davies revitalizes landscape art</title>
        <description>Durango Arts Center brings Barbara Conrad Gallery back to life</description>
        <pubDate>Fri, 23 Jan 2026 05:00:00 -0700</pubDate>
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        <media:thumbnail url="https://imengine.public.prod.dur.navigacloud.com/?uuid=2C288BA9-4475-597E-9386-92C79694AAD6&#038;function=cropresize&#038;type=preview&#038;source=false&#038;q=75&#038;width=1200&#038;x=1.0E-5&#038;y=0.05882353&#038;crop_w=0.99999&#038;crop_h=0.88235294" />
        <content:encoded><![CDATA[“Canyon del Muerto” was painted by Leonard Davies. (J. Reynolds)Durango Arts Center brings Barbara Conrad Gallery back to lifeSay Happy New Year to the Durango Arts Center. And while you are at it, shout out “Welcome back” to the Barbara Conrad Gallery.At last, DAC has finally decluttered, repainted and returned its main gallery space to its original purpose. “The Joys of Painting as a Pastime,” works by Leonard Davies, offers a welcome revitalization. Gone are the recycled restaurant booths, the upright piano, tchotchkes for sale and stashes of craft projects piled into corners. Once again, the gallery is a quiet and clean space to contemplate art.Wisely, DAC has chosen to showcase the works of one painter, retired civil rights attorney Leonard Davies. Like thousands of aspiring amateur artists, Davies has updated a 19th-century practice that changed art history. The simple business of taking a portable easel, palette and brushes into the countryside sparked an activity known as en plein air (outdoor painting). In turn, the practice gave birth to the revolutionary movement known as Impressionism.If you goWHAT: “The Joys of Painting as a Pastime,” works by Leonard Davies.WHERE: Durango Arts Center, 802 East Second Ave.WHEN: Through Feb. 28. Hours: noon to 6 p.m. Tuesday to Saturday.ADMISSION: Free.SPECIAL EVENT: A conversation with the artist: 1 to 3 p.m. Jan. 29.MORE INFORMATION: Call 259-2606 or visit www.durangoarts.org.Before that major shift, landscape painters made ink sketches, returned to the studio, reworked the sketches and then created large works following established conventions. The cumbersome work of grinding pigment and mixing oil paints served to transform drawings into large, finished works, often with mythical, literary or religious figures.Leonard Davies painted “Near Antonita NM,” which is on display at Durango Arts Center. (J. Reynolds)After a simple 1841 invention by American artist and inventor John Rand, pre-mixed oil paints in small tin tubes transformed artistic practice. Painters could now go outdoors and capture their impressions of nature – on the spot. By the 1870s, French Impressionists cast aside overworked studio landscapes for bright, spontaneously realized paintings that pulsated with color and light. Claude Monet, Pierre-Auguste Renoir and Camille Pissarro invented the technique of broken color, which advanced the sense of immediacy. Then and now, amateur plein air painters like Davies have opted for direct impressionism. Some use the broken color technique. Davies opts for bold, gutsy, big brushes.Davies brings a sense of immediacy to his landscapes in his own way. Time of day, weather conditions, light and shadow all play a significant role. Among the most successful are “Canyon del Muerto,” where deep shadows anchor a dramatic landscape. “Near Antonita NM” is a beautifully realized river scene where the composition emphasizes fore, middle and background elements. A shimmer of warm color in the water reveals how carefully Davies observes his surroundings.“Large Mesa” is part of Leonard Davies’ show at Durango Arts Center. (J. Reynolds)“Ranch near Mancos” is one of the few paintings with human presence. A minuscule touch of red draws attention to a roof and human habitation. That one element changes the atmosphere and domesticates the landscape.In “La Plata Mountain,” Davies gambles with conventions. He takes a compositional leap by setting a high horizon line and fills the lower half with a block of white – a snowbank. The mountain stretches up to the top edge, creating a tension that may have been deliberate or accidental.“Ranch near Mancos” was painted by Leonard Davies. (J. Reynolds)What happens at the edges is crucial in landscape painting. If a cloud or mountain peak presses the top edge, there’s tension. If framing cuts into the image, that’s a problem. That happens in another beautiful work: “Large Mesa.” Double focal points, mesa and clouds, convey high drama. The unfortunate top crop may seem a minor point, but some air and space would have intensified, not cramped the effect.Davies will elaborate on his practice from 1 to 3 p.m. Jan. 29, in the beautiful, newly reimagined Barbara Conrad Gallery at DAC.Judith Reynolds is an arts journalist and member of the American Theatre Critics Association.]]></content:encoded>
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        <link>https://www.durangoherald.com/articles/visual-arts/david-yarrow-the-journey-never-ends/</link>
        <title>David Yarrow: ‘The journey never ends’</title>
        <description>Photographer in Durango for photo shoot, reception held Friday at Sorrel Sky Gallery</description>
        <pubDate>Thu, 08 Jan 2026 15:04:43 -0700</pubDate>
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        <media:thumbnail url="https://imengine.public.prod.dur.navigacloud.com/?uuid=E2F2E8DD-39BF-52A2-ACEA-1E2894A6F238&#038;function=cropresize&#038;type=preview&#038;source=false&#038;q=75&#038;width=1200&#038;x=0.25375&#038;y=1.0E-5&#038;crop_w=0.49375&#038;crop_h=0.99999" />
        <content:encoded><![CDATA[“You Cannot Be Serious” by David Yarrow. (Courtesy)Photographer in Durango for photo shoot, reception held Friday at Sorrel Sky GalleryFor photographer David Yarrow, his latest book, “The Collection,” was a chance to look back over decades of work.It was also a challenge going through years of photos and selecting just the right ones, he said, adding that a Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad train not only made the cut, it’s on the front page.“It was a tough edit,” he said. “I have 40 years of pictures, and I chose one from your local train. And Bob Redford, God bless him, wrote the forward before he passed.”He said looking back over his work when gathering images for “The Collection” was a time to reflect on his career as well.“The Bills” by David Yarrow. (Courtesy)And what did he learn?“Hopefully you get better,” he said. “And also you’re on a journey – you never know where the journey’s going to take you; 40 years ago, I didn’t know where I (would be) now, and I don’t know where I’ll be in two years’ time, so it’s kind of a cathartic process. And I think you photograph what interests you, by and large.”Yarrow, who was born in Glasgow, Scotland, “is considered one of the world’s best-selling photographers,” according to Sorrel Sky gallery’s website. “His remarkable career began at age 20 when he captured the iconic image of Diego Maradona holding the World Cup trophy at the 1986 FIFA World Cup Final in Mexico City. After a successful detour into finance, Yarrow returned to his true passion, photography. Known for his evocative black-and-white images that span wildlife, landscapes, and staged narrative scenes, he has established himself as a distinctive and influential voice in the art world.”Yarrow, who has had his work in Sorrel Sky since 2021, and his crew are in town this week for a photo shoot of the train up near Purgatory – and he’s hoping for snow.“It’s our favorite place to film,” he said Wednesday. “We’re just going to hope the weather gods help us a bit in the next 24 hours.”He has shot in Durango numerous times over the years, and he said there is plenty that calls him back to the region.“The Wanted” is by photographer David Yarrow, who was at Sorrel Sky Gallery on Friday. (Courtesy)“We’ve got a lot of friends here and we’re familiar with it – we know the train track well,” he said. “We know the gallery here, they like the stuff we do, it’s easy to get to. And it’s less high than Aspen so you can breathe a bit more down here.”Yarrow’s work is also in Sorrel Sky’s location in New York City, which opened in spring 2024. And for a photographer whose work spans the globe and subject matter – including animals, supermodels, sports legends and more – there’s always something to learn and new places to explore, he said. The trick is to keep going.“You always just want to get better,” he said. “This year, we’ve started early, we’ve been at Yellowstone ... so the journey never ends; you’ve got to be relentless.”And when it comes right down to it, Yarrow said, there’s a message he wants people to take away from his work.“At a time when there are so many concerns, I want to remind people that we live here once, and it’s a joy to live here. It’s a beautiful world,” he said. “My pictures celebrate life.”Sorrel Sky hosted an artist reception and book signing with Yarrow on Friday at the gallery.“I’m always very flattered that people in Durango appreciate the work that someone from the other side of the world is doing in their local community,” Yarrow said. “It’s always flattering to be so warmly received.”katie@durangoherald.com]]></content:encoded>
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        <link>https://www.durangoherald.com/articles/visual-arts/extreme-knitting-2026-takes-craft-to-unexpected-places/</link>
        <title>‘Extreme Knitting 2026’ takes craft to unexpected places</title>
        <description>New calendar also features author Barbara Kingsolver</description>
        <pubDate>Thu, 20 Nov 2025 17:00:00 -0700</pubDate>
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        <content:encoded><![CDATA[Knitters take their projects to far-flung locales in “Extreme Knitting 2026” calendar. (Courtesy)New calendar also features author Barbara KingsolverFor some, the word “knitting” conjures up images of grannies wearing shawls, sitting in rockers knitting ... shawls.Bah(hhhhh) to that!For the third consecutive year, our friends and neighbors – and even author Barbara Kingsolver and knitting designer Nancy Bates – are taking their works in progress to far-flung locales, including Canada, Canyonlands, Nepal and the top of Mount Sneffels, clocking in at 14,157 feet.And there are plenty of grandmothers who knit, and according to the introduction in the “Extreme Knitting 2026” calendar, we owe them “a huge debt of gratitude for passing their skills along to other generations.”This the third year “Extreme Knitting” has been released. (Courtesy)The brainchild of Durangoan Betsy Fitzpatrick, “Extreme Knitting” is a way to celebrate the knitting community and it goes to good causes: 100% of net profits is donated to causes selected by the calendar’s models. This year, the groups are: Higher Ground Women’s Recovery Center, National Parks Foundation, dZi Foundation and San Juan Mountains Association.The calendars are now available locally at Durango shops, including Stitch, Maria’s Bookshop and Meadow Market.Fitzpatrick, a longtime knitter, said she was able to get a copy of the first “Extreme Knitting” calendar to Kingsolver through a network of friends. She followed that up with a letter, asking Kingsolver if she would be interested in being in one of the calendars.Author Barbara Kingsolver makes a guest appearance in this year’s “Extreme Knitting” calendar. (Courtesy)“I found out that she actually posts her P.O. box because she likes to hear from her readers, so I sent her a letter,” she said. “I said, ‘I know this is a preposterous request, but I would love to feature you in my calendars.’ I did highlight that all the money goes to charity because I thought that would appeal to her as well. With her Pulitzer Prize-winning book, ‘Demon Copperhead,’ she got money (which she used) to open a recovery center for women who are recovering from opioid addiction, which is what that book talks about. ... A chunk of the proceeds from the calendar will be going to that cause.”Where to get a copyCopies of “Extreme Knitting 2026” are available at these Durango locations:Beads & Beyond, 840 Main Ave.Durango Sustainable Goods, 680 Main Ave. C.Maria’s Bookshop, 960 Main Ave.Meadow Market, 688 Edgemont Meadows Road.Southwest Farm to Yarns (Cortez), 360 W. First St., B.Sticks & Stones, 922 Main Ave.Stitch, 858 Main Ave.When Fitzpatrick found out Kingsolver wanted to be in the calendar, “I kind of went around for about a week just tingling with excitement, because she’s one of my favorite writers. I’ve been a fan of hers for at least 30 years, and I know she gets a lot of requests and has to say no to almost all of them. So I felt very lucky to get to have that experience.”To get the shots, Fitzpatrick and her husband, John – the photographer for most of the calendars’ images – packed up their car and headed east to southwest Virginia.A knitting project even made its way to Nepal this year. (Courtesy)“There were storms, flooding and tornado warnings, and it felt like something out of ‘The Odyssey,’” she said. “But we were on a mission, and we kept going, and we made it. We were able to meet her, and we met her husband, Steven, and we met her daughter, Lily, who’s now her office manager. We just had a very nice little visit, and got the photo for the calendar.”And while creating a calendar every year comes with challenges, especially the pressure of looming deadlines, Fitzpatrick said selecting just the right images can be a little stressful as well.“My goal is always to have as much diversity in the calendar as possible, because there are knitters of all stripes out there,” she said. “I want people of all ages, all backgrounds, and so trying to connect with lots of different knitters is a challenge ... connecting with young knitters, connecting with knitters in different parts of the world or different parts of the country is my ongoing goal.”katie@durangoherald.com]]></content:encoded>
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        <link>https://www.durangoherald.com/articles/visual-arts/durango-area-photographers-go-head-to-head-at-concert-hall/</link>
        <title>Durango-area photographers go head-to-head at Concert Hall</title>
        <description>Colorado Pro Photographer Showdown to be held Wednesday; will also feature students’ work</description>
        <pubDate>Thu, 13 Nov 2025 15:23:35 -0700</pubDate>
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        <media:thumbnail url="https://imengine.public.prod.dur.navigacloud.com/?uuid=34592DF3-3E7A-57BF-8ABA-F6017C73F414&#038;function=cropresize&#038;type=preview&#038;source=false&#038;q=75&#038;width=1200&#038;x=0.01625&#038;y=1.0E-5&#038;crop_w=0.89&#038;crop_h=0.99999" />
        <content:encoded><![CDATA[Local photographer Michael Lufty will show some of his best work Wednesday night at the Community Concert Hall at Fort Lewis College. (Courtesy)Colorado Pro Photographer Showdown to be held Wednesday; will also feature students’ workDurango is known for its shootouts in the Wild West days, and now, we’re about to witness a shootout – of the photographic kind. The gunslingers will be replaced by five local professional photographers, their guns, cameras. And Main Avenue at high noon will be Wednesday night at the Community Concert Hall at Fort Lewis College.The inaugural Colorado Pro Photographer Showdown is the brainchild of Director Jack Turner, who founded a similar event in Whistler, British Columbia, Canada, in 1997. Called the International Pro Photographer Showdown, he said it’s focused around action sports.If you goWHAT: Colorado Pro Photographer Showdown, presented by Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad.WHEN: 7 p.m. Wednesday.WHERE: Community Concert Hall at Fort Lewis College, 1000 Rim Drive.TICKETS: $25-$35. Available online at https://tinyurl.com/yk9spfup.MORE INFORMATION: Visit https://photoshowdown.org.“I had led a snowboard expedition to Iran in 1996 for a magazine. But we realized no one’s ever gonna see all these amazing pictures we’ve taken of people and landscapes and buildings and culture and lifestyle,” he said. “So we just went to a bar that we knew, and we threw a slideshow one night. All these people showed up and just loved it.”Because of the popularity of the event, Turner said they took their idea to the organizers of the World Ski and Snowboard Festival, and the next year the first International Pro Photographer Showdown was held.This photo by Lucas B. from Durango High School is one of the featured photographs in the Youth Photography Showcase. (Courtesy)The Colorado version the Durango audience will see is based on that model: Five photographers were invited to pull together work that will fill 10 minutes. Their photographs are put together as slides that are set to music.“You know, you never see slideshows anymore. Everything is video, and things are edited at 50 frames a second and everything’s fast,” Turner said. “One of the beautiful things about it is it’s just so unusual. When the last time you saw a slideshow?”This event is made possible through the city of Durango’s Lodgers Tax Arts & Culture Fund and the Durango Creative District, according to a news release.The five photographers selected for the show are, according to the event website:Michael LuftyMichael Lufty: A freelance photographer based in Durango whose portfolio includes landscapes, wildlife, travel and commercial photography. ... His passion for landscape and wildlife has led to many adventures around the world and Southwest, seeking those unique locations and dramatic light to capture a “sense of place.”Shaun StanleyShaun Stanley: Career highlights include inclusion in Pope John Paul II’s traveling press pool, coverage of Operation Enduring Freedom aboard the USS Enterprise after the Sept. 11 attacks and documenting the legacy of the Atomic Age in the American West. His personal projects focus on the dramatic light, people and landscapes of Colorado and the Four Corners. He is driven by his belief in photography as a force for creating an emotional response in the viewer for understanding and positive change.Nick KogosNick Kogos: A Durango-based photographer with more than 25 years of experience capturing the beauty of the American West. Originally from the Midwest, his career has taken him through Colorado, Utah, Arizona and New Mexico, where he focuses on landscapes, wildlife, action sports and lifestyle imagery.Shanda AkinShanda Akin: A freelance photographer based in Durango whose work is rooted in a deep love for the natural world. After retiring from a 25-year career in the United States Air Force, she turned her lifelong passion for travel and storytelling into a full-time photography business. Her portfolio spans landscapes, fine art, commercial and real estate work, with images captured across 48 countries and counting.Divine Windy BoyDivine Windy Boy: A photojournalist and portrait photographer based in Ignacio. A member of the Chippewa Cree Tribe and a first descendant of the Southern Ute Indian Tribe, she has worked for the Southern Ute Indian Tribe for the past seven years. Since 2022, she has served as a reporter and photographer for the Southern Ute Drum, covering community news and cultural events. She is a member of the Indigenous Journalist Association, Colorado Press Association and Society of Professional Journalists. Her photography reflects a strong commitment to honest storytelling and Native representation in media.Not only are the five showing their work, they will be judged as well, with a total of $3,000 up for bids, with $1,000 each going to Best in Show, Audience Favorite and Best Train photo (must feature a Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad train). D&SNGR is the show’s presenting sponsor and is putting up the $1,000 for the train photo, Turner said. Keep an eye out for the judges: Included is The Durango Herald’s own Photo Editor Jerry McBride.“This event is a true celebration of the incredible talent and artistry we have in Colorado,” Al Harper, owner of the D&SNG said in a news release. “It’s a unique opportunity for the community to witness the power of visual storytelling on a grand scale.”Between each photographer, there will be a party break with music by DJ Mowgli.Turner said the photographers were asked to participate this year, but the hope is to have future show slots juried, where their work is selected.Along with five professionals, there will also be students photographers, whose work will be featured during the Showdown in the Youth Photography Showcase, sponsored by Alpine Bank. Area middle and high school students were selected to have their photos displayed at the event and exhibited at Durango Arts Center (Nov. 17 to 22), where they can sell their pieces and keep the proceeds without paying a commission. There will be a reception at the DAC at 5 p.m. Monday, he said.And for Turner, the evening is all about fun and celebrating the local arts community.“In today’s society, everything is so fast. It’s nice to catch your breath,” he said. “We advertise this as a party, not a show. In a movie, you have to sit on your hands and be quiet so you can hear everything and catch all the imagery. In this program, we tell people, if you see something you like, clap, scream and yell, especially if you’ve got a favorite photographer there, because you might influence the judges.”katie@durangoherald.com]]></content:encoded>
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        <link>https://www.durangoherald.com/articles/visual-arts/durango-creative-district-hosts-indigenous-comic-book-art-exhibition/</link>
        <title>Durango Creative District hosts Indigenous Comic Book Art Exhibition</title>
        <description>‘Super-power Sovereignty’ opens Friday with reception</description>
        <pubDate>Thu, 06 Nov 2025 17:00:00 -0700</pubDate>
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        <media:thumbnail url="https://imengine.public.prod.dur.navigacloud.com/?uuid=64D935D5-D5A1-5B76-8D63-94F57F07A1F1&#038;function=cropresize&#038;type=preview&#038;source=false&#038;q=75&#038;width=1200&#038;x=0.11&#038;y=1.0E-5&#038;crop_w=0.74375&#038;crop_h=0.99999" />
        <content:encoded><![CDATA[Shamus Beyale – whose “Battle,” digital print, 2025 is seen here – is one of the artists featured in “Super-powered Sovereignty” exhibition. (Courtesy of Durango Creative District)‘Super-power Sovereignty’ opens Friday with receptionThe Durango Creative District is gathering artists together for its latest exhibit, “Super-Powered Sovereignty: Indigenous Comic Book Art,” which will kick off with an opening reception Friday at the gallery.It’s “a collaborative exhibition highlighting unique Indigenous stories told through the medium of comic book art,” according to a news release. “This exhibition will feature American Indigenous artists working in the vibrant world of comic book illustration, exploring themes rooted to sovereignty, identity and cultural empowerment through visual storytelling. Original paintings, prints and comic books depicting Indigenous superheroes, protectors and villains will all be on view.”If you goWHAT: Durango Creative District presents “Super-Powered Sovereignty: Indigenous Comic Book Art Exhibition.” Andrea Rose Descheenie, guest curator; featuring works by artists Shaun Beyale, Shamus Beyale, Keith Jim, Kayla Shaggy, Rod Velarde and Christian Kee.WHEN: Opening reception: 5-8 p.m. Friday, exhibit runs to Nov. 28. Gallery hours: noon to 5 p.m. Wednesday to Friday; noon to 8 p.m. First Fridays; and by appointment.WHERE: Durango Creative District Community Gallery, 1135 Main Ave.MORE INFORMATION: Visit www.durangocreativedistrict.org.Participating artists aren’t just from Durango – they include people from New Jersey, Phoenix and the Four Corners. Check out work from: Shaun Beyale, Shamus Beyale, Keith Jim, Kayla Shaggy, Rod Velarde and Durangoan Christian Kee.According to the release, these artists “have worked with behemoths like Marvel, Scholastic Inc., and have had work in museum exhibitions, video games and film.”Shaun Beyale, “Diné (Navajo) Wonder Woman,” digital print, 2018. (Courtesy of Durango Creative District)The exhibit’s guest curator Andrea Rose Descheenie, a senior at Fort Lewis College, is a contemporary Indigenous artist and curator from the Navajo Nation of Chinle, Arizona. She is majoring in Communication Design with a Certificate in Museum Management, the release said.The last time we spoke with FLC graduate Kayla Shaggy, she – and her art – had just been featured on an episode of the Netflix reboot of “Unsolved Mysteries.” Since then, she continues her super-prolific pace of releasing comic series, paintings, zines and whatever else she comes up with.“I started a new comic series called ‘Death Becomes Her.’ It’s about lesbian vampires, and I’m working on the sixth issue right now, and it’s been very popular and well received,” she said. “I actually completed a successful crowdfund campaign to print issues one through four. I’ve been working on comics and making comics and attending zine fests and comic fests in the Southwest. I just finished doing a conference in Albuquerque where they used my art for their program.”She said she was asked to participate in the comic book show and thought it would be a great way to get back to town.Kayla Shaggy is one of the artists feature din the new exhibit. (Courtesy of Kayla Shaggy)She’ll also be at Maria’s Bookshop, 960 Main Ave., from 4 to 6 p.m. Saturday to sign copies of her work, which Maria’s has carried for years.“(Durango is) where I went to school, and a lot of my friends are still there,” Shaggy said. “I know I have the fanbase there, because Maria’s sells my work, and they’ve been selling my work for years. So it’s kind of like, how does my dad put it? Like stomping grounds, old stomping grounds, plus it’s close to where my parents live. So I would say it’s a little bit of like a homecoming.”She said she sees the genre of Indigenous comics becoming more and more popular – and there may be a practical side to it.“I think mostly because it’s accessibility, because I know some craft-based work can be very expensive, or you need a mentor who’s very experienced in it,” Shaggy said. “I think too, (with) the Marvel Cinematic Universe and more and more graphic novels are being adapted. So, I think comics are returning, along with rise of zines, like self-published printed material. People like physical media, so yeah, but I think it’s still a growing thing.”The exhibit at the Durango Creative District accompanies a citywide Native American Heritage Month Celebration coordinated by Durango School District 9R Title VI Indigenous Liaisons, including community-centered events throughout November that honor the cultures, contributions and living traditions of Indigenous peoples in the Four Corners region, the release said.And for Shaggy, she said she hopes her art will encourage other people to get their own stories out in the public.“I want people to be inspired,” she said. “I think the best thing I can hear from people, especially with my series ‘Death Becomes Her,’ is it makes people feel seen. It makes people feel heard, and most of all, it makes them want to draw their own story, whether it’s their story or a story that’s been inside of them and they’re worried about sharing it. But then they see me chugging along, and they’re like, ‘Wow, I want to do that, too.’ You could do that. It’s OK to do that.”katie@durangoherald.com]]></content:encoded>
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        <link>https://www.durangoherald.com/articles/visual-arts/mesa-verde-association-seeks-artist-entries-for-knife-edge-cafe-mural-project/</link>
        <title>Mesa Verde Association seeks artist entries for Knife Edge Cafe mural project</title>
        <description>Installation is expected to take place next year</description>
        <pubDate>Wed, 15 Oct 2025 22:41:23 -0600</pubDate>
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        <media:thumbnail url="https://imengine.public.prod.dur.navigacloud.com/?uuid=09BB3399-CEC9-58D1-81D4-4C193ED3268B&#038;function=cropresize&#038;type=preview&#038;source=false&#038;q=75&#038;width=1200&#038;x=0.2825&#038;y=1.0E-5&#038;crop_w=0.435&#038;crop_h=0.99999" />
        <content:encoded><![CDATA[A selected artist will create a new mural for Mesa Verde’s Knife Edge Cafe. (Courtesy of Mesa Verde Association website)Installation is expected to take place next yearThe Mesa Verde Association, in partnership with Mesa Verde National Park, invites artists to submit proposals for a mural at the Knife Edge Café in the Morefield Village/Campground area. The goal is to enhance the café’s interior with artwork celebrating Mesa Verde’s cultural and natural significance.The mural will span a 576-square-foot interior wall and serve as a focal point for visitors. Artists are encouraged to draw inspiration from the 27 pueblos and other tribes, land, plants, animals and other natural elements.Contest guidelines note that themes of gathering, sharing and community will be key aspects of the project.The opportunity is open to individual artists and teams, with preference given to those with mural or large-scale public art experience.Local and regional artists are encouraged to apply. Submissions must include an artist statement, résumé or C.V., up to 10 portfolio images, a preliminary concept with optional sketches, a budget outline covering artist fees, materials, travel and installation costs, plus optional references.The mural’s budget is flexible, and artists must provide a detailed cost estimate. The selected artist will retain copyright but grant Mesa Verde Association and the National Park permission to use the images for publicity, product development and documentation. Unselected artists may be invited for future opportunities.Proposals are due Nov. 15 and should be sent to admin@mesaverde.org. A review committee will assess submissions based on artistic merit, alignment with Mesa Verde’s themes, feasibility and experience.The selected artist will be announced Dec. 15. Design phase is January to March 2026; installation is April to June; and completion July 1.For more information, contact Sarah Rank at admin@mesaverde.org or 529-4647. For additional details and requirements, visit www.mesaverde.org/call-for-artists.]]></content:encoded>
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        <link>https://www.durangoherald.com/articles/visual-arts/review-flc-invitational-exhibit-showcases-seven-local-artists/</link>
        <title>Review: FLC invitational exhibit showcases seven local artists</title>
        <description>‘Spaces, Locations and Imagined Places’ features pieces by creators in their prime</description>
        <pubDate>Wed, 24 Sep 2025 16:43:02 -0600</pubDate>
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        <media:thumbnail url="https://imengine.public.prod.dur.navigacloud.com/?uuid=B0D1FABC-5769-58C9-8EE7-8CFF0CC583BF&#038;function=cropresize&#038;type=preview&#038;source=false&#038;q=75&#038;width=1200&#038;x=1.0E-5&#038;y=0.22774133&#038;crop_w=0.99999&#038;crop_h=0.56232427" />
        <content:encoded><![CDATA[The Fort Lewis College Art Gallery features, foreground: “Blue on white,” ceramic by Chyako Hashimoto 2025; background left: “Sempervirens,” acrylic on canvas by Holly Hagan, 2019; and right: “Our Desert Sky Dazzler No. 2,” acrylic on canvas by Gilmore Scott, 2025. (J. Reynolds)‘Spaces, Locations and Imagined Places’ features pieces by creators in their primeThe intriguing invitational art exhibit now on view at Fort Lewis College is well worth a trip to the ivory mesa. Featuring works by seven area artists who are in their prime, this quiet show is a distinct pleasure. That the exhibit carries a cumbersome title and even more convoluted description should not deter anyone from a long look.If you goWHAT: “Spaces, Locations and Imagined Places,” art by seven area artists.WHERE: Fort Lewis College Art Gallery, 1000 Rim Drive.WHEN: Now through Oct. 14, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Thursday, or by special arrangement.MORE INFORMATION: Visit www.fortlewis.edu/art-gallery, email jklema@fortlewis.edu or call (757) 810-4890.“Spaces, Locations and Imagined Places” is the exhibit’s official title that offers no portal into the beautiful works on display. Ignore the name and drink in the mature, fully-realized works by artists who have found their medium, method and imagery.“Pushing Through or: how I learned to stop sharpening the pencil and embrace the erase,” vector illustration, 2021 by Tim Kapustka, 2025. (Courtesy of Tim Kapustka)Works by Annie Brooks, Holly Hagan, Chyako Hashimoto, Tim Kapustka, Lorna Meaden, Ted Moore and Gilmore Scott are on display through Oct. 14 in the white cube known as the FLC Art Gallery. Each artist has evolved over time and seems motivated by a strong, individual vision and purpose. Modes of expression vary from realism to fantasy, formal beauty to utilitarian purpose. Exploration, wonder, a sense of curiosity and even playfulness drive much of the work.The heavy, awkward title misleads viewers to expect an exhibit of realistic and/or imaginary landscape art. It’s so much more.“I have to admit, we didn’t have a clear curatorial vision of the show from the outset,” said Julia Klema, gallery manager. “The show is diverse, engaging, and the work is a testament to the skill of these artists.”“Teapot and Juicer,” soda-fired porcelain, by Lorna Meaden, 2025. (J. Reynolds)Recently, a panel discussion made it abundantly clear that each exhibitor is fully in the middle of a mature career and each has pursued a very different expressive path. The artists rose above simplistic questions like: “How do you know when a work is finished?” to address what compels them to create the first place. Despite the limited questions, the artists managed to articulate the complicated business of vision, beauty, wonder, process, persistence and the vagaries of pursuing a career in the wider world after art school.“Pando’s Box,” walnut, maple, lacewood, gold leaf, leaves, by Ted Moore. (J. Reynolds)Exhibition highlights include:Tim Kapustka’s 10 digital prints are deceptively simple and elegantly executed. He chooses mundane objects, places them in mysterious settings, adds evocative titles and invites viewers to the world of imagination. Holly Hagan’s semi-abstract acrylic paintings and pencil drawings radiate intense encounters with the beauty of nature. Complex and yet clear, her imagery is fractured and yet whole, astonishing in its singularity.Chyako Hashimoto’s ceramics are serene, whole and all about the beauty of form. You will see mysterious vessels, cloud plaques, an idea of a Zen Garden and two usual bowls with bold, blue-glaze gestures.Tom Moore’s passion for wood, ancient and new, shimmers in his ink drawings of gnarled joints or limbs as well as a splendid cabinet, “Pando’s Box.”Gilmore Scott’s three relatively small acrylic paintings combine the boldness of Diné weavings with imaginative symbols that defy scale.\Lorna Meaden’s functional porcelain objects pack whimsy into sophisticated shapes and surface design that are a universe unto themselves.Annie Brooks’ skill as a miniaturist and storyteller play out in elaborately detailed pages, vignettes and a book: “Ankaret Ilhaam,” which you can leaf through page by page.“Ankaret Ilhaam,” book by Annie Brooks, 2022. (J. Reynolds)Let’s hope more invitational exhibitions by serious area artists in mid-career will continue at FLC.Judith Reynolds is an arts journalist and member of the American Theatre Critics Association.]]></content:encoded>
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        <link>https://www.durangoherald.com/articles/visual-arts/durango-galleries-celebrate-autumn/</link>
        <title>Durango galleries celebrate autumn</title>
        <description>Doors are flung open for annual Gallery Walk, DAC’s Autumn Arts Festival</description>
        <pubDate>Thu, 18 Sep 2025 11:50:11 -0600</pubDate>
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        <content:encoded><![CDATA[Doors are flung open for annual Gallery Walk, DAC’s Autumn Arts FestivalOil paintings by Phil Hulebek will be featured at Earthen Vessel Gallery. (Courtesy of Earthen Vessel Gallery)Art lovers, it is time: The annual Durango Fall Gallery Walk is upon us, and Friday is the day our local galleries open their doors to show off the artists they represent.Be sure to head to downtown Durango – most events begin around 4 to 5 p.m. – and see what’s new. And the weekend doesn’t end there: On Saturday and Sunday, be sure to make your way up to East Second Avenue for Durango Arts Center’s 31st Annual Durango Autumn Arts Festival, where the work of more than 80 artists both local and from around the country will be for sale.Here’s some of what is being featured:Earthen Vessel Gallery, 934 Main Ave., Unit A, 247-12815 to 7 p.m. “Illuminated Landscapes: The Art of Phil Hulebek.” Discover the luminous energy of Phil Hulebek’s oil paintings, where light and color transform nature into pure experience. His work captures the fleeting beauty of the natural world as it feels in the moment, alive with shifting light and bold color. Hulebek creates landscapes that glow with presence and invite you to linger, breathe and connect with nature’s ever-changing spirit. Meet the artist in person during this special evening.“Becoming” by Kellie Day. (Diane West Jewelry & Art)Diane West Jewelry & Art, 820 Main Ave., www.dianewestart.com5 to 8 p.m. Diane West Jewelry & Art will feature Ridgway artist Kellie Day, who will be in person with new works. Day has been showing and selling her work throughout Southwest Colorado for over 15 years, and creates vibrant paintings that explore life in the region’s mountains and deserts with fresh energy. Her work has been highlighted in a number of publications and businesses including Trader Joes, North Face and Alpinist Magazine.If you goWHAT: Annual Durango Gallery Association Fall Gallery Walk.WHEN: Times vary Friday.WHERE: Downtown Durango galleries.MORE INFORMATION: Visit https://durangoartgalleries.com.“Remembrance,” by Juanita Nelson. (Studio & Gallery)“Oath,” by Ron Fundingsland. (Studio & Gallery)Studio & Gallery, 1027 Main Ave.5 to 9 p.m. Pondering Hope: Featuring the work of Juanita Nelson & Ron Fundingsland, Opening Reception.Studio & Gallery hosts the work of Juanita Nelson and Ron Fundingsland in a combination of pastels and printmaking. Both of these awarding-winning artists will be in attendance.Burnham weaving. (Toh-Atin Gallery)Toh-Atin Gallery, 145 W. Ninth St.5 to 8 p.m. Toh-Atin Gallery will feature four of its most popular artists and artists' families: Navajo jewelers: Jeanette Dale creates beautiful Navajo-style jewelry with dazzling stones and outstanding silverwork. Jimmy Poyer’s multicolored inlaid pendants, earrings and bracelets appeal to just about every person’s taste and pocketbook. Leland Holiday’s fun and whimsical carved and painted boards will brighten up Gallery Walk evening at Toh-Atin Gallery.The Begay family from the Burnham area of the Navajo reservation create exquisite Navajo weavings with innovative and traditional designs using handspun wools, a practice that has almost disappeared from Navajo weavings. An extensive display of these weavings, along with Medicine Man, and award-winning weaver, Anthony Tallboy’s latest weavings will also cover the walls.Don’t be deterred by the sidewalk closure on Ninth Street. Access to the gallery is easy from the west side of Ninth Street or from the alley.Blue Rain Gallery will present “Two Sides to Terbush,” a solo exhibition of new acrylic paintings by artist Dale Terbush. (Courtesy)Blue Rain Gallery, 934 Main Ave., B5 to 8 p.m. Blue Rain Gallery presents “Two Sides to Terbush,” a solo exhibition of new acrylic paintings by artist Dale Terbush. Highlighting the dynamic range of Terbush’s vision, the show explores the duality between his ethereal, romantic landscapes and his bold, Southwest-inspired abstract works. Both series are distinct yet unified by his luminous use of light. From radiant skies to expressive geometry, Terbush transforms the acrylic medium into an emotional and visual experience that honors both the external world and the inner spirit.Visit Claude Steelman in his new gallery space. (Courtesy)Wildshots Gallery, 133 E. Eighth St.Wildshots Gallery, now in a new location at 133 East Eighth St., features the work of nature photographer Claude Steelman. The gallery showcases images from Steelman’s career, spanning over 40 years. Stop by and see Claude in his new gallery.The Durango Creative District’s downtown gallery on Main Avenue will be open during the Fall Gallery Walk. (Scout Edmondson/Durango Herald file)Durango Creative District Community Gallery, 1135 Main Ave.5-9 p.m. Featuring “Working Through It,” a solo exhibit by Paige Brevard.Sorrel Sky gallery will feature its Legacy Nighthorse Launch Party. (Courtesy of Sorrel Sky Gallery)Sorrel Sky Gallery, 828 Main Ave.5 to 8 p.m. Legacy Nighthorse Launch PartyFor seven decades, the name Nighthorse has embodied the intersection of Native tradition and contemporary artistry. What began in 1954 with Ben Nighthorse Campbell, a renowned Northern Cheyenne artist, United States senator and master jeweler, continues today as a living testament to the power of heritage transformed through vision.The ArtRoom Collective in the Smiley Building will be open to show off its artists’ work. (Courtesy of ArtRoom Collective)ArtRoom Collective, Smiley Building, 1309 East Third Ave.4 to 7 p.m. Stop by The ArtRoom Collective during the Gallery Walk to enter an art basket raffle and enjoy refreshments!The ArtRoom Collective at The Smiley is a diverse, working studio gallery where 24 artists create, collaborate and share their passion with the community. Visitors are welcome to experience a working art gallery to purchase art, jewelry, pottery, glass art, furniture, hats and other local handmade goods. To learn more, visit theartroomcollective.com.People stroll down East Second Avenue in 2023 during the Durango Autumn Arts Festival. This year’s fest takes place Saturday and Sunday. (Jerry McBride/Durango Herald file)Jerry McBrideDurango Arts Center, 802 East Second Ave.Durango Arts Center will hold its 31st Annual Durango Autumn Arts Festival from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday on East Second Avenue between Seventh and 10th streets. The weekend showcases fine arts and crafts by renowned makers from across the country. The festival features more than 80 artists with paintings, sculpture, photography, jewelry, ceramics and more. There will also be a featured artist booth, art demonstrations, food trucks, a beer garden and more. For more information, visit https://durangoarts.org.]]></content:encoded>
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        <link>https://www.durangoherald.com/articles/visual-arts/sundog-gallery-to-showcase-five-decades-of-stanton-engleharts-art/</link>
        <title>Sundog Gallery to showcase five decades of Stanton Englehart’s art</title>
        <description>Artist born in Cortez, known for paintings of American Southwest</description>
        <pubDate>Wed, 20 Aug 2025 17:33:28 -0600</pubDate>
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        <content:encoded><![CDATA[An art exhibition featuring art by Cortez native Stanton Englehart will be held starting on Friday, Sept. 5, at the new Sundog Gallery in Mancos. (Sundog Gallery/Courtesy photo)Artist born in Cortez, known for paintings of American SouthwestSundog Gallery, a newly opened art space in downtown Mancos, has announced that it will host an exhibition celebrating the life and work of Cortez painter Stanton Englehart, including rare and never-before-seen pieces.The exhibition will open Sept. 5 and can be viewed from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Sundog Gallery, 107 W. Grand Ave. in Mancos.According to information from the gallery, Englehart was born on a farm in Cortez in 1931. In 1957, he moved to Durango to attend Fort Lewis College before earning a master’s degree in fine arts from the University of Colorado. For 30 years, he taught in the college’s art department before retiring in 1991 to focus on painting full-time.He died in 2009.The exhibition also will include personal notes, reflections, insights and more from Englehart into his creative process and style.Sundog Gallery opened Aug. 1 and hopes to be a hub for regional art.For more information about the gallery and Englehart’s exhibition, visit www.sundoggallery.com or call 533-4034.]]></content:encoded>
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        <link>https://www.durangoherald.com/articles/visual-arts/review-new-exhibit-at-dac-features-quilts-as-art/</link>
        <title>Review: New exhibit at DAC features quilts as art</title>
        <description>Durango Arts Center’s Gallery could use a makeover</description>
        <pubDate>Thu, 14 Aug 2025 12:46:45 -0600</pubDate>
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        <media:thumbnail url="https://imengine.public.prod.dur.navigacloud.com/?uuid=839F1B34-05DD-552F-84DE-B9BF74393DB8&#038;function=cropresize&#038;type=preview&#038;source=false&#038;q=75&#038;width=1200&#038;x=1.0E-5&#038;y=1.0E-5&#038;crop_w=0.615&#038;crop_h=0.99999" />
        <content:encoded><![CDATA[“Wildly Ordered,” by Cynthia Jarest, is current; y on display at Durango Arts Center. (J. Reynolds)Durango Arts Center’s Gallery could use a makeoverA marvelous exhibition titled “Balance” from the Studio Art Quilt Association, now celebrating its 36th year, is currently on display at Durango Arts Center.SAQA, though, deserves better.Squeezed into a corner between water jugs, craft shelves and a storage-unit mashup at DAC, Patty Joy’s elegant art quilts seem an afterthought.Founded in 1989, when quilting had come of age as a fabric art form with a contemporary sensibility, SAQA now has 7,000 members and organizes traveling exhibitions to six continents. Thanks to Durangoan Amanda Preston Araújo, who is SAQA’s regional representative, a 30-piece exhibit can be seen until the end of the month.Brimming with avant-garde works from abstractions to pictorials, the exhibit is well worth a visit. Unfortunately, the run-down state of the Barbara Conrad Gallery at DAC is a disappointment.“Jester’s Alley,” left, and “Balanced Rock,” by Patty Joy in the exit corner of the DAC. (J. Reynolds)For decades, the DAC Gallery was known for breathtaking solo and theme shows, juried exhibits of photography, sculpture, painting, fabric art and, most provocatively, conceptual art. The innovative SAQA show forwards that history. Unfortunately, the DAC gallery has deteriorated into a multipurpose garage or storage unit.If you goWHAT: “Balance,” a SAQA traveling quilt show.WHERE: Durango Arts Center, 802 East Second Ave.WHEN: Through Aug. 30. Hours: noon-6 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday.ADMISSION: Free.MORE INFORMATION: Call 259-2606 or visit www.durangoarts.org and www.saqa.com.In 2019, former DAC Director Brenda Macon reduced exhibit space by turning the gallery into a combination lounge, bar, coffee shop, entertainment center, storage unit and retail sales outlet. Since she abruptly resigned in early 2024, nothing has changed. The gallery still harbors restaurant booths, a corner bar, an upright piano, mismatched sofas and a sales desk loaded with tchotchkes. Exhibit panels are squeezed together in the center. Excess furniture plus a plastic skeleton from a drawing class are jumbled together in a corner.“Paddle Boarding,” is a piece by Amanda Preston Araújo. (J. Reynolds)Why SAQA decided to exhibit at DAC is a mystery. The show would have been better served in the new Durango Creative District Gallery, or better yet, at Fort Lewis College.That said, the quilts are worth a visit. Besides Joy’s beautifully constructed pair with different takes on the theme of balance, Preston Araújo also has two works: “Paddle Boarding” and “Brazilian Beauties.” Both explore realistic imagery with an intense concentration on design and color. Both reveal the technical nature of raw-edge appliqué and free-motion quilting.“Crosswalk,” a portrait of Ruth Bader Ginsberg by Margaret Abramshe. (J. Reynolds)Abstractions zero in on the design concept of balance and range from Elaine Hoffman’s intricate “Claire’s Mosaic” to Diane English’s charming “Still Standing 2,” with its irregular border and psychological intimation of losing balance after the California fires.The most astonishing pictorial quilt is Cynthia Jarest’s “Wildly Ordered.” Technically challenging, the work combines hand-dyed cotton, silk and muslin with painted fabric plus miscellaneous materials to create an eerily beautiful forest landscape. Inspired by a photo, Jarest’s statement says, it also seems to have been inspired by Impressionism – Claude Monet’s broken-color painting technique so popular in the late 19th century.That someone would attempt an impressionistic illusion in fabric is astonishing. Stand back then look closely as stitches and fabric pieces coalesce into flowers, trees and grass in a soft atmospheric light.The grand history of craft quilting, which dates back to the Romans, was bound to enter the realm of modern art at some point. Credit Yvonne Porcella for starting the Studio Art Quilt Association. Gee’s Bend quilters and other cooperatives have also transformed what once was folk art into high art.“Still Standing 2,” by Diane English. (J. Reynolds)The SAQA exhibition deserves a venue without clutter. Perhaps new DAC Executive Director Beth Lamberson Warren will take a hard look at the once spacious Barbara Conrad Gallery and renew its legendary reputation for compelling shows in an atmosphere of light and space.Judith Reynolds is an arts journalist and member of the American Theatre Critics Association.]]></content:encoded>
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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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        <media:thumbnail url="https://imengine.public.prod.dur.navigacloud.com/?uuid=BAD0007C-C30F-5129-A69E-44C5D96F771D&#038;function=cropresize&#038;type=preview&#038;source=false&#038;q=75&#038;width=1200&#038;x=1.0E-5&#038;y=0.00166389&#038;crop_w=0.99999&#038;crop_h=0.99833611" />
        <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/the-medium-is-the-message-with-new-show-at-durango-creative-district-community-gallery/</link>
        <title>The medium is the message with new show at Durango Creative District Community Gallery</title>
        <description>&apos;Portrait Lotto’ formally opens new space on Main Avenue</description>
        <pubDate>Wed, 30 Jul 2025 15:08:50 -0600</pubDate>
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        <media:thumbnail url="https://imengine.public.prod.dur.navigacloud.com/?uuid=53AF2091-0B8C-52A1-98E2-ECEAE0E46946&#038;function=cropresize&#038;type=preview&#038;source=false&#038;q=75&#038;width=1200&#038;x=1.0E-5&#038;y=0.15773509&#038;crop_w=0.99999&#038;crop_h=0.60667341" />
        <content:encoded><![CDATA[Portrait of Janet Klema by Jordanne Pelkey, acrylic on leather jacket. (Courtesy of J. Reynolds)'Portrait Lotto’ formally opens new space on Main AvenueJust in time for August’s First Friday Art Walk, the Durango Creative District has formally opened its new community gallery with “Portrait Lotto.” Conjured by Executive Director Kathryn Waggener and executed by Marketing and Projects Manager Jared Reed, the exhibit formally welcomes the new gallery to the city’s impressive roster of art spaces.If you goWHAT: Portrait Lotto Exhibition.WHERE: Durango Creative District Community Gallery, 1135 Main Ave.WHEN: Noon- 8 p.m. First Friday, show through Aug. 8; noon-6 p.m. Tuesday to Saturday.ADMISSION: Free.MORE INFORMATION: Email dir@durangocreativedistrict.org, hello@durangocreativedistrict.org or call 403-9186.“We’re very different from other galleries,” Waggener said. “We serve the public as a physical hub for local and regional arts resources. Our programs vary from professional development classes, grant-applications, information sessions and now a showcase gallery.”Portrait of Chris Warren by Mariah Kaminsky, oil on copper panel. (Courtesy of J. Reynolds)For “Portrait Lotto,” Waggener and Reed randomly paired 38 local artists to mutually produce portraits. The genre has a history, and one might expect a gallery full of faces, but media, style and interpretations vary. From face to full body, realism to abstraction, oil to mosaic, the portraits are both conventional and creative. Not everything succeeds, but the experiment is welcome.Portrait of Elsa Jagnieki by Jacob Cowham, mixed-media collage. (Courtesy of J. Reynolds)As a genre, portraiture dates from the idealized marbles of ancient Greece. Roman sculpture focused on realism. And from the beginning, conventions evolved concentrating on the human face. By the Renaissance, a variety of poses and gestures captured the attention of Western culture as it elevated the role of the individual in society. By the 17th century, portraiture had become a major genre. Kings, popes, generals, merchants and ordinary citizens all wanted their portraits painted.Portrait of Jordanne Pelkey by Kathryn Waggener, Sumi Ink on paper. (Courtesy of J. Reynolds)The invention of photography in the early 19th century sparked a new golden age for portraiture – which continues today. The humble selfie dominates our world, so we are all complicit in the modern preoccupation with appearance.That’s the backdrop for “Portrait Lotto,” and this interesting exhibit is worth a visit.Portrait of Sunny Patel by Avery Wickles, mixed media. (Courtesy of J. Reynolds)When you walk in, traditional portraiture is only part of the story. Beyond some oil, acrylic or watercolor portraits, you’ll find mixed-media interpretations that range from collage to fabric art. You’ll also find symbolic portraits, no faces at all, but assemblages of artifacts or other images that stand in, or represent a person.Portrait of Maureen May, “Queen of Arts,” by Sunny Patel. (Courtesy of J. Reynolds)Maureen May’s “Chandler” combines both approaches. With six small images, May portrays Chandler Strange’s face plus other objects to suggest the artist. Jacob Cowham’s bold work, “Old News Blues,” deconstructs a guitar literally, reassembles it with collaged newspaper clippings and photographs to evoke Elsa Jagniecki.Portrait of Roger (Seliner) and Mitch by Sally Anders, oil painting. (Courtesy of J. Reynolds)A handful of conventional portraits stand out: Mariah Kaminsky’s pristine oil on copper-leaf panel of Chris Warren; Kelly MacNiven’s classic full-length photograph of Sally Anders; Avery Wickels’ intense mixed-media portrait of Sunny Patel; Anders’ charming double portrait of Roger Seliner and his dog, Mitch; and Dan Groth’s ink stipple drawing of Tad Smith.Julia Anderson’s painting of Caro Gomez contrasts two expressive modes: conventional realism and gestural painting to effectively present a work with a provocative title: “She Rises Above.”Waggener’s Sumi ink drawing of Jordanne Pelkey introduces a different medium and technique. Her subject, Pelkey, submitted the most unusual surface with an acrylic portrait of Janet Klema – on a leather jacket.Portrait of Tad Smith by Dan Groth, ink drawing. (Courtesy of J. Reynolds)Several images swerve into surrealism. One ghoulish portrait brings up the issue of whether the genre reveals more about the subject or the artist.The issue of medium is worth consideration: Viewers will decide for themselves whether portraiture can successfully be explored in media other than ink, oil, acrylics or collage. Consider the challenge of fabric art, mosaic or fused glass. Judith Reynolds is an arts journalist and member of the American Theatre Critics Association.]]></content:encoded>
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        <link>https://www.durangoherald.com/articles/visual-arts/local-artist-finds-inspiration-in-dreams/</link>
        <title>Local artist finds inspiration in dreams</title>
        <description>Paul Folwell to host 32nd annual studio show</description>
        <pubDate>Thu, 24 Jul 2025 14:56:40 -0600</pubDate>
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        <media:thumbnail url="https://imengine.public.prod.dur.navigacloud.com/?uuid=06CF65F8-0F1B-57C0-ABB3-5A7BCF738914&#038;function=cropresize&#038;type=preview&#038;source=false&#038;q=75&#038;width=1200&#038;x=0.1025&#038;y=1.0E-5&#038;crop_w=0.88&#038;crop_h=0.99999" />
        <content:encoded><![CDATA[“Dream 2” is a 24-inch by 36-inch oil painting by artist Paul Folwell. (Courtesy)Paul Folwell to host 32nd annual studio showFor the 32nd year, artist Paul Folwell is opening his studio on County Road 203 next weekend for his annual show that kicks off Aug. 1 and runs through Aug. 3.And while the weekends are fun, Folwell said there’s a practical reason as well.If you goWHAT: 32nd annual Paul Folwell Studio Show.WHEN: Aug. 1-3: Artist Reception, 4-7 p.m. Aug.1; noon-5 p.m. Aug. 2 and 3.WHERE: 8199 County Road 203.MORE INFORMATION: Call Cheryl Folwell at 759-4870, email: paulfolwell@charter.net or visit www.paulfolwell.com.“I haven’t stopped painting,” he said. “And so you get a studio full of paintings, you’ve got to do something with them.”This year’s show features a new series of oil paintings Folwell has been working on inspired by dreams he’s been having.”“It was pretty interesting, and it kind of turned my cap around a bit,” he said. “This is another thing that spurs you on. There was a series of dreams I kept having over and over, and so I decided to paint it.”He said in one of the dreams, he was out painting when he found himself helping a man load hay. When the man found out Folwell was an artist, he offered him the chance to camp by a stream.“I remember the dream and started to focus on the buttes really vividly,” Folwell said. “I remember the stream and the big hay meadows and the cattle and all of that.”He got some paintings out of the dreams, and they also helped him work out difficulties with older pieces, he said.“It led to a couple of paintings, big ones,” Folwell said. “That led me to thinking about other things. I was going back through some paintings I didn’t finish. There were a couple I had that weren’t quite working. And I said, ‘Why don’t you just go ahead and visualize what you think it’s about?’ And lo and behold – sometimes you do that, and they become alive.”Folwell painted “Molas Spring,” a 20-inch by 24-inch oil painting. (Courtesy)This year’s show will feature about 24 pieces, he said, including the new paintings, and some of the older pieces he revisited because of the dreams.And for Folwell, this bump in inspiration only further adds to the enjoyment he gets working in his studio.“I’m comfortable with it, and I’m having a lot of fun with it,” he said. “This is a big thing, and keeps me going.”The show will kick off with an artist reception from 4 to 7 p.m. Aug. 1.katie@durangoherald.com]]></content:encoded>
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        <link>https://www.durangoherald.com/articles/visual-arts/anna-wintour-is-seeking-a-new-vogue-editor-in-chief/</link>
        <title>Anna Wintour is seeking a new Vogue editor-in-chief</title>
        <description>Longtime editor will maintain editorial control</description>
        <pubDate>Thu, 26 Jun 2025 14:25:11 -0600</pubDate>
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        <content:encoded><![CDATA[Vogue editor Anna Wintour is stepping down as Vogue editor-in-chief but will retain editorial control over the storied magazine. (Charles Sykes/Invision/AP file)dur-i-synLongtime editor will maintain editorial controlNEW YORK – Anna Wintour is stepping down as Vogue editor-in-chief but will retain editorial control over the storied magazine.The longtime Vogue powerhouse told staff members Thursday she’s seeking a head of editorial content to handle more of the day-to-day operations. But she’s holding on to plenty of power to keep her a force at the magazine that built her reputation in fashion.“And it goes without saying that I plan to remain Vogue’s tennis and theater editor in perpetuity,” she joked.Wintour will remain chief content officer for Condé Nast and global editorial director of Vogue. The news shook the fashion world and Wintour-watchers on social media amid breathless headlines that she was “stepping down” from the magazine. The new lead will report directly to Wintour in her capacity as global editorial director, Vogue said in a statement posted to its website later Thursday.“Anybody in a creative field knows how essential it is never to stop growing in one’s work,” Wintour told staff members. “When I became the editor of Vogue, I was eager to prove to all who might listen that there was a new, exciting way to imagine an American fashion magazine.“Now, I find that my greatest pleasure is helping the next generation of impassioned editors storm the field with their own ideas, supported by a new, exciting view of what a major media company can be,” she said.As chief content officer, Wintour will continue to oversee every Condé Nast brand globally, including Vogue, Wired, Vanity Fair, GQ, AD, Condé Nast Traveler, Glamour, Bon Appétit, Tatler, World of Interiors, Allure and more, with the exception of The New Yorker.“In effect, the addition of a new editorial lead for Vogue U.S. will allow Wintour greater time and flexibility to support the other global markets that Condé Nast serves,” the Vogue statement said.Wintour also oversees the annual Met Gala, fashion’s biggest night and a major fundraiser for the fashion wing of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. And she’ll remain involved in Vogue World, a traveling fashion and cultural event the magazine began in 2022.Four years ago, Condé Nast changed its editorial structure, bringing together editorial teams around the world for the first time. Every market where Condé Nast operates has a head of editorial content led by a global editorial director. The new role at American Vogue is part of that reorganization. The new structure has already been rolled out at other Vogue titles around the world.The company will not seek an editor-in-chief to replace Wintour at American Vogue, replacing that title with the new head of editorial content.Wintour transformed Vogue during her decades at the magazine. She was named creative director in 1983, served as editor-in-chief of British Vogue from 1985 to 1987 then rejoined the American title as editor-in-chief.She modernized the magazine by featuring celebrities on its covers and mixing high fashion with more affordable street style. She championed emerging designers, including Marc Jacobs, Alexander McQueen and John Galliano, and broadened the brand’s reach by adding new titles around the world.]]></content:encoded>
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        <link>https://www.durangoherald.com/articles/visual-arts/a-festival-of-color-at-the-fairgrounds/</link>
        <title>A festival of color at the Fairgrounds</title>
        <description>La Plata Quilters Guild part of American tradition</description>
        <pubDate>Thu, 26 Jun 2025 09:30:56 -0600</pubDate>
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        <content:encoded><![CDATA[“Pythagoras’ Lute,” a 41 inch by 41 inch quilt by Barbara Morgan and poster art for the semiannual Quilt Show to be held Saturday and Sunday at the La Plata County Fairgrounds. (Photo by Jonas Grushkin)ccaLa Plata Quilters Guild part of American traditionScroll the La Plata Quilters Guild Facebook page and you’ll learn a lot about this singular community organization. Fifty-one members strong with a long, local history building on a deep American tradition, LPQG members simply love the art of quilting. Attend any meeting, and you’ll witness camaraderie, warmth and humor.At the La Plata County Fairgrounds on Saturday and Sunday, LPQG will host its semiannual show.If you goWHAT: Festival of Color 2025 by La Plata Quilters GuildWHEN: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Sunday.WHERE: La Plata County Fairgrounds Exhibit Hall, 2500 Main Ave.TICKETS: $5 adults, free children under 12.MORE INFORMATION: Call 259-1079 or email www.lpqg@gmail.com.“Quilting takes time,” Exhibit Chairwoman Barbara Morgan said. “That’s one reason why we shifted to biannual exhibits.”Morgan estimates 100 quilts will be on display, many of which are for sale. In addition, there will be a boutique with hand-quilted/sewn items for sale and about 10 vendor booths. A Small Quilt Silent Auction will be held on Saturday, and a spectacular, large quilt designed by Judy Livingston and contributed to by the membership will be the big raffle item.“Rainbow Plus Trout,” Challenge Quilt was made by Noel Tambre. (Photo by J. Reynolds)ccaBecause the show is a fundraiser for the many outreach programs the Guild undertakes, an entry fee of $5 will be charged. Children under 12 are free. Raffle tickets are $1 each or six/$5.“We make and give quilts to hospice as well as The Family Center, Health and Human Services, the Community Compassion Center, the Durango Shelter and Safehouse, and to friends in need,” said founding Guild member Charlotte Pirnat. “We also make dog and cat beds for the Humane Society and other animal shelters.”“Star Burst,” Challenge Quilt by Barbara Morgan. (Photo by J. Reynolds)ccaThe big 2025 exhibit is titled: “Festival of Color” and will have a special section for the 19 members who accepted this year’s challenge.“We challenged members to create a small quilt, 24 x 24 inches, and they must use all nine colors of the color wheel,” Morgan said. “The variety is astonishing.”“The High Wheeler,” Challenge Quilt was made by Rachel Mauzy. (Photo by J. Reynolds)ccaSome challenge quilts are elegantly abstract: Morgan’s “Starburst.” Pirnat’s “Mini Color Pop” has the elegance of a minimalist painting. Others are whimsical: Noel Tambre’s “Rainbow Plus Trout” or Rachel Mauzy’s “The High Wheeler.” Barb McCall’s “The DNA of Spring: Under the Microscope” is an imaginative riff on allergies that she explains in a well-written artist’s statement.“We love what we do,” Morgan said, and this year’s burst of color, pattern, texture and technique demonstrate that core belief. “And we make quilts to give away to Gold Star Families, local veterans and to individual Guild members who may be going through personal trauma.”Morgan has been a Guild member since the 1990s when it began to exhibit at the Fairgrounds.“Mini Color Pop,” Challenge Quilt was made by Charlotte Pirn. (Photo by J. Reynolds)cca“We have 51 members,” she said. “Our dues are $30 a year. We meet on the second Thursday of the month at the Fairgrounds. During the year we have meetings where members and guests are invited to hear various presentations. And the best part is ‘show-and-tell.’”The history of quilt making is as colorful as any art form. The massive collection at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London illuminates its trajectory and survival after the Industrial Revolution. American quilting surged in popularity in the 1960s along with many handicrafts, and it is undergoing another renaissance now. The University of Nebraska-Lincoln opened The International Quilt Museum in 2008 and has the largest known public collection of quilts in the world. It was founded back in 1997 as a study center, about the same time as the LPQG started, when collectors Ardis and Robert James donated a collection of 950 American quilts. The center evolved into the IQM and is affiliated with the university’s Department of Textiles, Merchandising and Fashion Design in the College of Education and Human Sciences.Detail of “The DNA of Spring,” Challenge Quilt by Barb McCall. (Photo by J. Reynolds)ccaThat’s only one reason the 2025 Festival of Color at the Fairgrounds belongs to a remarkable tradition.Don’t miss it.The 2025 LPQG Raffle Quilt, Queen Size, is designed by Judy Livingston, held by Barbara Morgan. (Photo by J. Reynolds)ccaJudith Reynolds is an arts journalist and member of the American Theatre Critics Association.]]></content:encoded>
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        <link>https://www.durangoherald.com/articles/visual-arts/kdur-hosts-furniture-as-art-auction/</link>
        <title>KDUR hosts Furniture As Art Auction</title>
        <description>Fundraiser takes over Fort Lewis College Ballroom on May 30</description>
        <pubDate>Thu, 22 May 2025 17:47:48 -0600</pubDate>
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        <media:thumbnail url="https://imengine.public.prod.dur.navigacloud.com/?uuid=48E45CFA-94F2-556B-BB2C-3F2ACB853390&#038;function=cropresize&#038;type=preview&#038;source=false&#038;q=75&#038;width=1200&#038;x=1.0E-5&#038;y=0.19326819&#038;crop_w=0.99999&#038;crop_h=0.6514658" />
        <content:encoded><![CDATA[Jonas Grushkin built a shelf out of a repurposed piano for this year’s KDUR’s Furniture As Art fundraiser. (Courtesy)Fundraiser takes over Fort Lewis College Ballroom on May 30For more than 20 years, KDUR, Fort Lewis College Community Radio, has been hosting its Furniture As Art fundraiser, offering residents the chance to bid on one-of-a-kind pieces that are cool ... and functional.This year’s auction will be held May 30 in the Ballroom in the Student Union at FLC. Forty bucks gets you in the door, where drinks and appetizers await, along with the live and silent auctions and music provided by FLC piano student Brooke Pasmick.If you goWHAT: KDUR Furniture As Art Auction.WHEN: Doors open at 6 p.m., auction begins at 7 p.m. May 30.WHERE: Ballroom in the Student Union, Fort Lewis College, 1000 Rim Drive.TICKETS: $40. Available at https://tinyurl.com/ysrmu7p5.MORE INFORMATION: Visit https://tinyurl.com/ysrmu7p5.A couple of pieces to keep an eye out for this year, said KDUR Station manager Bryant Liggett, include a shelf made out of a repurposed piano by Jonas Grushkin and a coat-rack/foyer bench that’s a collaboration between longtime Furniture As Art contributors Rich Stewart and Miki Harder.As we’ve come to expect from the event, one look at the list of this year’s contributing artists reads like a who’s-who of the local arts community: Amy Vaclav, Dan Groth, Ilze Aviks, Janet Kenna, Tim Kapustka and Tom Joyner are just a few of the people who have donated work to the fundraiser.Rich Stewart and Miki Harder have collaborated on this coat-rack/foyer bench for the auction. (Courtesy)And while Furniture As Art is an important source of money for the radio station – it’s one of its biggest fundraisers of the year – Liggett said it’s also a way to celebrate our local artists and community as well.“This is a showcase of true local art talent, so I think art lovers like that,” he said. “The fact (is) you are mingling with these super-talented people that are our friends/neighbors – and you can get something fun/funky/one of a kind for your house while supporting KDUR (now in its 50th year).”katie@durangoherald.com]]></content:encoded>
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        <link>https://www.durangoherald.com/articles/visual-arts/gallery-offers-a-bob-dylan-challenge/</link>
        <title>Gallery offers a Bob Dylan challenge</title>
        <description>Studio &amp; opens show based on singer’s ‘Visions of Johanna’</description>
        <pubDate>Thu, 08 May 2025 18:51:46 -0600</pubDate>
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        <media:thumbnail url="https://imengine.public.prod.dur.navigacloud.com/?uuid=09D44213-9C29-512C-A6DB-879D692F9541&#038;function=cropresize&#038;type=preview&#038;source=false&#038;q=75&#038;width=1200&#038;x=0.03625&#038;y=1.0E-5&#038;crop_w=0.92875&#038;crop_h=0.99999" />
        <content:encoded><![CDATA[“The harmonicas play the skeleton keys and the rain, and these visions of Johanna are now all that remain,” mixed media/collage by Louise Grunewald. (Courtesy)Studio & opens show based on singer’s ‘Visions of Johanna’Gallery Walk is a Durango institution. Now that the skies have cleared, we can hope for a mild Friday evening for strolling downtown and visiting a slew of art exhibitions.Studio &, once again, has outdone itself when it comes to adventurous theme shows. “Visions of Johanna” is the title of a Bob Dylan song and the operating idea for the gallery’s May exhibit. Tim Kapustka, co-owner and curator of the exhibit, said he has dreamed of a show inspired by this particular song – for decades.If you goWHAT: “Visions of Johanna: An invitational art exhibit.”WHEN: Opening reception: 5-9 p.m. Friday. Artist Talk 2 p.m. May 18.WHERE: Studio & Gallery, 1027 Main Ave.ADMISSION: Free.MORE INFORMATION: Visit www.anddurango.com.“This is an invitational art exhibit centered on one song,” he said. “It’s about a man and two lovers; one he’s with and one that’s on his mind. Dylan’s imagery is so powerful, and there are many interpretations. It’s what we are as human beings.”Dylan fans say the song captures the darkness and disillusionment of an existential crisis as the singer explores his obsession with Johanna, an idealized lover.To create the exhibit, Kapustka said he took the long, five-stanza lyric and broke it into 33 segments.“Ain’t it just like the night to play tricks when you’re trying to be so quiet?” Silk organza, 1960s Indian bedspread; cyanotype, digital printing, hand stitching and collage by Ilze Aviks. (Courtesy)“Each line would become the title of the work,” he said. “I could have assigned them, but I didn’t. Randomness has its own energy.”Kapustka invited 33 artists, regulars and invitees, to each take one line, summon imagination and produce a work for the show.“Studio & is an arena to do stuff like this,” he said. “And every artist said ‘Heck, yeah.’”Some works arrived early, including those of well-known local artists with national reputations. Fiber artist Ilze Aviks a submitted a luscious collage on a silk organza bedspread that combines a variety of technical approaches from cyanotype and digital printing to hand stitching. Aviks has the opening line: “Ain’t it just like the night to play tricks when you’re trying to be so quiet?”“Louise Grunewald bookends the exhibit,” Kapustka said. The celebrated calligrapher and artist-book master closes the show with a wildly elegant calligraphic piece that contains some of Dylan’s most intriguing metaphors.The multimedia exhibit ranges from watercolors and acrylic paintings to a glass mosaic and a bold mixed-media sculpture of found objects.Works will be displayed in song order, Kapustka said.“From the beginning, I thought of this as group experimentation,” he said. “Hanging this show in our space has been a challenge – 33 works is pretty much the max.”Expect music to be played at the opening, and a Sunday talk will be offered at 2 p.m. May 18, after which the too-short schedule will conclude.Judith Reynolds is an arts journalist and member of the American Theatre Critics Association.]]></content:encoded>
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        <link>https://www.durangoherald.com/articles/visual-arts/spring-gallery-walk-takes-over-downtown-durango-on-friday/</link>
        <title>Spring Gallery Walk takes over downtown Durango on Friday</title>
        <description>Arts extravaganza celebrates its 44th year</description>
        <pubDate>Thu, 08 May 2025 13:04:15 -0600</pubDate>
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        <media:thumbnail url="https://imengine.public.prod.dur.navigacloud.com/?uuid=D09F5A86-FBC4-5AF6-854C-72EA651FA208&#038;function=cropresize&#038;type=preview&#038;source=false&#038;q=75&#038;width=1200&#038;x=0.01625&#038;y=1.0E-5&#038;crop_w=0.96875&#038;crop_h=0.99999" />
        <content:encoded><![CDATA[Earthen Vessel Gallery will open “Embracing the Line: Abstracted Landscapes by Sofia Savage” during the Spring Gallery Walk. (Courtesy)Arts extravaganza celebrates its 44th yearFor decades, the galleries of downtown Durango have taken a Friday night in the spring and fall to celebrate new work and the arts community.“The 44th annual Spring Gallery Walk in Durango is the traditional kickoff for the summer season with Durango’s art galleries working together to create an evening on the town,” said Jackson Clark, owner of Toh-Atin Gallery, in an email that featured this year’s highlights. “This year, as always, the different galleries have put together a mixture of great shows featuring expressive and semi-abstract paintings, a trunk show of bridal jewelry, a Bob Dylan tribute, traditional Navajo sand art, contemporary Native American painting, glass art and over 30 unique, individual artists from the Art Room Collective at Smiley.”If you goWHAT: The Durango Gallery Association Spring Gallery Walk.WHEN: 5-9 p.m. Friday.WHERE: Downtown Durango art galleries.MORE INFORMATION: Visit https://tinyurl.com/fc7k4bew.This year’s gallery walk is Friday, and as we’ve come to expect, our galleries will fling open their doors and throw a party.Here’s some of what is being offered:Earthen Vessel Gallery, 934 Main Ave., Unit A. “Embracing the Line: Abstracted Landscapes by Sofia Savage.” Artist Reception, 5 to 7 p.m. Sofia Savage’s work exists in the space between what is seen and what is felt. Drawing inspiration from the natural world, her abstracted landscapes invite viewers to consider the shifting boundary between representation and emotion. Through layered color and a deep sensitivity to place, Savage captures not just the form of a landscape, but its atmosphere—its memory, its presence, its mood. Embracing the Line celebrates this in-between space, where clarity gives way to suggestion, and where the familiar becomes something entirely new.Sorrel Sky Gallery, 828 Main Ave. Sorrel Sky Gallery presents an exclusive Toby Pomeroy Bridal Trunk Show from 5 to 8 p.m. This exhibition showcases the union of artistic excellence and environmental responsibility.Sorrel Sky Gallery will present a Toby Pomeroy Bridal Trunk Show. (Courtesy)Diane West Jewelry and Art, 820 Main Ave., is bringing international artist educator Joan Fullerton to town with a selection of her fun, expressive painting style that has been developed over a 50-year career that has seen her work displayed in museums and private collections worldwide.Diane West Jewelry and Art will feature the work of Joan Fullerton. (Courtesy)Blue Rain Gallery, 934 Main Ave., Unit B, is presenting “Continuum,” an exhibition celebrating the dynamic intersection of tradition and innovation in contemporary Native American painting featuring artists Karen Clarkson, Ryan Singer and Helen K. Tindel.Karen Clarkson’s work will be featured at Blue Rain Gallery. (Courtesy)Toh-Atin Gallery, 145 W. Ninth St., is featuring a portfolio of 18 silkscreen plates created in 1943 by Navajo Medicine Man Jeff King. Working with ethnologist, writer and artist, Maude Oakes and writer Joseph Campbell, King shared the ceremony, “Where the Two Came to Their Father – A War Ceremonial” that was performed for young men going into the service for their protection.Toh-Atin Gallery is featuring a portfolio of 18 silkscreen plates created in 1943 by Navajo Medicine Man Jeff King. (Courtesy)Studio & Gallery, 1027 Main Ave., will open its new exhibit, “Visions of Johanna,” where 33 artists were given titles taken from the lyrics of Bob Dylan’s song, and asked to interpret them visually. The ArtRoom Collective, 1309 East Third Ave. 4-7 p.m., more than 30 individual artists, working in different mediums, will have their studios open for the evening. Azul gallery, 781 Main Ave., will feature an eclectic assortment of jewelry, glass, metal, paintings, home decor and functional artwork. All of the galleries will be distributing maps for the walk, Clark said.katie@durangoherald.com]]></content:encoded>
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        <link>https://www.durangoherald.com/articles/visual-arts/native-american-art-and-culture-class-hosts-fashion-show/</link>
        <title>Native American Art and Culture class hosts fashion show</title>
        <description>Students will showcase their work Tuesday at Center of Southwest Studies</description>
        <pubDate>Thu, 10 Apr 2025 17:36:37 -0600</pubDate>
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        <media:thumbnail url="https://imengine.public.prod.dur.navigacloud.com/?uuid=A0A3F3C3-2EF9-5268-A0E6-834B1F50FFA5&#038;function=cropresize&#038;type=preview&#038;source=false&#038;q=75&#038;width=1200&#038;x=1.0E-5&#038;y=0.10298507&#038;crop_w=0.99999&#038;crop_h=0.89552239" />
        <content:encoded><![CDATA[A fashion show will be held Tuesday at the Center of Southwest Studies showcasing pieces made by students on the Native American Art and Culture class at Fort Lewis College. (Photo from a poster designed by Jeremy Alexander)Students will showcase their work Tuesday at Center of Southwest StudiesIt’s not very often Durango gets a fashion show, but on Tuesday, the Department of Native American & Indigenous Studies at Fort Lewis College will send models down the catwalk displaying pieces made by students in the Native American Art & Culture class.The semester-long class, co-taught by Esther Belin (Diné) and Dr. Majel Boxer (Sisseton and Wahpeton Dakota, Fort Peck Assiniboine & Sioux Reservation), introduced students to design techniques from several art traditions of Native peoples and generated a cultural arts portfolio that includes ledger art, loom beadwork, doll making, moccasin making and apparel design, according to the event webpage on the Center of Southwest Studies’ website.If you goWHAT: Fort Lewis College Native American Art and Culture class presents its inaugural Fashion Show.WHEN: 4:30 p.m. Tuesday.WHERE: Center of Southwest Studies gallery, FLC, 1000 Rim Drive.Tickets: Free and open to the public.MORE INFORMATION: Contact Esther Belin (belin_e@fortlewis.edu) or Dr. Majel Boxer (boxer_m@fortlewis.edu); or visit https://tinyurl.com/mskn3h7v.“Students explored a variety of Native cultures and art forms, including the many different forms of expression that constitute ‘art’ and the complicated history of interpreting and defining Native ‘art,” the pages says. “Through research and field trips to galleries and museums, they examined the historic and contemporary societal changes that impacted and influenced these cultural art forms.”Lexus Begay, a senior, will be modeling the Navajo skirt and moccasins she made in the class. And while the process has been fun, the actual modeling is a little nerve-wracking, she said, especially when they practiced on the catwalk. But the class – and the show – serve an important lesson, especially to younger generations.“It helps us revitalize certain areas of traditional adornment wearing,” she said. “It’s really important for us to revitalize it and do it in our own way ... We can send it down to (future generations) and they know how to do it well.”Steve Bradfield is a second year Native American and Indigenous Studies major who will display a ribbon Navajo shirt, beadwork, a doll and toddler moccasins made from cowhide and suede. He said what he’s learned from the class is how people look at art and how they sometimes miss the root and true meaning as pertaining to Native art.And he learned that creating pieces takes time. A lot of time.“It was the baby moccasins ... it took two days in total (for) just one moccasin,” he said. “Just one took anywhere from seven to eight hours, and that was because this was my first time learning this type of stitching.”Doug Gonzales, who is a post-grad staff member taking the class, will be modeling the Navajo men’s-style shirt he made. And for him, it was fun, but challenging, and like, Bradfield discovered, time-intensive.“With this being my first time working on items like this, each has taken many times longer than I thought it would, or anticipated,” he said. “Then even once you get the hang of the process, you also realize at the end of it that there’s just so much room to for mastery; you could spend a lifetime working on these and still keep improving. So it’s daunting in that sort of way, just thinking about the scope of how much you can learn and how much skill can be gained and put into these objects. ... For me, it’s important, because although I’m half Navajo, it’s still difficult for me to access the resources needed for this, for these objects, the people in my family that once made them are no longer here, or can even remember how to do them, and I think that’s a result of people getting older. But not only that, I think it’s mainly due to systems of assimilation, like boarding schools and removal from ancestral homelands that disconnect people like myself from that culture. So by making these objects, I get to rebuild connections to ancestors I never knew, and get to bring them into the present.”The class has been fun, too, Gonzales said, not only because of the skills he learned and what he created, but the community the students built working together has been an unexpectedly fun part of it as well.“It’s not only making – creating something like the moccasins has been super fun, because I never thought I could make my own shoes before, but it’s fun to be able to feel like you have the tools necessary to sustain yourself,” he said. “Not only that, I think what has been fun is the process, because we have studio hours together, so we get to chat and connect and laugh and struggle and all of that stuff in the studio together.”And while the fashion show is an important part of the class – it is the culmination of what the students have learned all semester – for the members of the public who attend, it offers a different view of what Native art can mean, Gonzales said, adding that the showcase is a nice way to wrap up the class because it’s a way to take the art off the wall and put it on the body again. “And sort of lay claim that Native people (are) still existing, Native people (are) still making Native art.”“With Native art, there’s a lot of factors that complicate it, right? And I think one of them, whenever we think of art in a Western context, we think of art being in a gallery on display and not being used. And I think in a lot of Native cultures, including Navajo, there’s not necessarily a word for art, because a lot of these objects were just objects that were used,” he said. “There was still Indigenous design and beauty and thinking instilled in the objects, but it wasn’t necessarily an object that was meant to be unused. So I think with the fashion show, we get to put these objects back on and recontextualize them in a way that feels more Indigenous, and it takes the art off from the wall and puts it on back onto the original canvas.”katie@durangoherald.com]]></content:encoded>
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