This column will be dedicated to Mancos, our little town with a big commitment to the arts.
The arts council
On Sunday, Jan and Marilyn threw a great "member appreciation" brunch up at Jan's "earth ship" house. Packed to the gills with good folks and good people. It's been a great year for the Council with interesting shows at the Town Gallery and two major events - the ArtFest Street Fair and the Roundup studio tour. They will happen again this year - if we have some volunteers to serve on the board. Contact Jan or Marilyn for more info. They have done a great job and they need some help in the coming year.
Mancos common press
Well, our grant application to the State Historical Society is done and in. It's for $250,000 and will all go to restoring the historical Times building and the big Cranston press. That means that the board has to raise about $65k in matching funds. We will be applying to major philanthropists for support. Additionally, watch for a Kickstarter on a computer near you! More to come - watch this space!
The Mancos School of the West
This is an idea which has been kicking around for about ten years (ever since I landed in Mancos) and now it is becoming a reality. We are creating a school without-walls. The emphasis will be on arts & the west. Sure, there will be painting and pottery classes, but hat-making and Indian flutes will be among the offerings as well. Teachers and teacher-applicants are invited to a faculty meeting on November 14th - at the Visitors' Center. The photographer, Brian Killigrew (who had a show at Olio) is the faculty coordinator. Classes should be in early 2015. This is part of the Creative District designation we received earlier this year.
Galleries
You can hardly walk down Grand Avenue without being hit with an art gallery. There's Artisans and Raven House, co-ops with ongoing displays of members work, Olio with fine food an drink plus a rotating cast of fine artists, the Mancos Library featuring local talent and now the Painted Turtle is back occupying the space on the corner of Mesa and Grand across from Fahrenheit.
Rim to ruins
Rims to Ruins 2nd Annual Fine Art Sale & Exhibition on November 5, 2014 - 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at The Wildlife Experience Museum - Parker, CO. This sale will feature works of art from 31 nationally recognized western artists. These artists gathered together in May at Mesa Verde National Park for three days of painting within the ruins. Also, for the first year Rims to Ruins will add sculpture and a "Smalls Wall" to the exhibition. The show and sale will exhibit these works of art ranging from the ruins of the Ancestral Puebloans to the spectacular Southwestern landscapes, capturing the magic and grandeur of the park. Proceeds will go to the Mesa Verde Foundation and Mesa Verde National Park. Of course, our very talented Veryl Goodnight will be represented. Needless to say, for the best in western art, the Mancos gallery listing would be incomplete with stopping in the Goodnight Gallery of Western Art on the corner of Main and Grand.
A Colorado Cretive District
Mancos is the smallest town ever to be so honored by the Colorado Creative Industries. Did you know that one out of every six people in our state earns a living from doing something creative. We are on a two-year probationary period. More details - see Rena Wilson. She and our town manager headed up the committee that garnered us the designation.
Elsewhere
There is no "elsewhere" - the final vote is in. Mancos is the art capital of the Four Corners.
If I've forgotten some artistic endeavor going on in our neighborhood, please let me know. All contributions to the column are most appreciated. Send them to my email dhlaw4367@gmail.com See ya soon.