In settling into my new role as Director of the Cortez Cultural Center over the past month, Ive had the opportunity to meet people from near and far.
Ive had the chance to ask people what they would like to see from the Cultural Center, which often stimulates discussion around the question what is culture? Some folks think that it might be relegated to the realm of the elite, out of the reach of the rest of us, or as Officer Brian Pennington of the Cortez Police Department observed, it seems personified by a group of ladies in fancy hats drinking tea, eating crumpets, and saying Cheerio, pip-pip.
Our hats are more of the ballcap/gardening/cowboy variety. Many people in the Cortez area do in fact enjoy tea, though often of an herbal nature as opposed to the British mainstay of camellia leaves. Many people also appreciate a good cup of coffee offered by our many local roasters.
Im not sure what a crumpet is, but I dont think that we should limit ourselves to pastry consumption in defining local culture. On second thought, does fry bread count as a pastry? You can enjoy some fry bread at our Native American Dances, at 7:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday for the rest of the summer. After-dance programs at 8:30 p.m. on Tuesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays range from shawl-making demonstrations to lectures by Sam Sandoval, Navajo Code-Talker.
I have also encountered the honest puzzlement Cortez has a cultural center? and the somewhat more snide remark Cortez has culture?! I answer both with an emphatic Yes.
The mission of the Cultural Center is to provide a forum for art, education, and culture. In the short time I have been here, I have seen two art shows placed in our gallery, exemplifying the diversity of artistic talent with which our area is blessed, and appreciated by international visitors. The Mancos Mix art show will be on display in the gallery until the end of June. The Cultural Center is hosting the 30th Annual Four Corners Fiesta Arts and Crafts Show at City Park Saturday and Sunday, with handmade items sold by the artisans who make them. There will also be food, pony rides and train rides.
We received a letter from Amorina Lee-Martinez, a college student who received one of our Patsy Brown Art Scholarships, and I am thrilled to say that she thinks she will soon have enough work to have a show in our gallery. I love the potential for seeing some of our talented kids come back and share their skills with their hometowns.
I hope to increase the Centers activities to appeal to families with kids; the kids are the ones who will keep all of us going in the future. Aspen Guard Artist-in-Residence Jane Pedersen is offering a Handmade Journal Workshop for Teens on Friday giving teenage girls the chance to create their own books for journaling, sketch books, or photo albums.
On Saturday, June 25 Art Neskahi and the Southwest Intertribal Voice will re-mud the Hogan next to our dance plaza. This promises to be a fun, muddy event for the whole family. If youre not interested in mud, but prefer greens, we also have our Celebrity Golf Tourney at South 40.
I am proud to have stepped into the organization that is responsible for Hawkins Preserve, very capably managed by Linda Raczek. If you havent had the chance to visit Hawkins, it is a hidden gem located right inside Cortez city limits. The old hay barn that has protected the prehistoric Hawkins Pueblo is currently getting a much-needed face lift, thanks to a grant from the Colorado Historical Society and the generous contributions of donors and Cultural Center members.
The wildflowers in the Preserve have begun to bloom in earnest, with creamy yellow prickly pear cactus just starting to break bud and the yuccas have magnificent red and mauve bloom pods on them this year. Two benefits for Hawkins will be held this month: on the evening of Friday, June 17, I will present a lecture on The Plants and People of Hawkins Preserve, followed Saturday morning, June 18, by a field trip to Hawkins to enjoy the human/environmental interactions of the past and present in the Hawkins area. Each Hawkins event is $5 for members, $7 for non-members.
For information on how you can be involved, to sign up for events, or to share your thoughts on culture, please contact me at scollins@cortezculturalcenter.org, visit our website www.cortezculturalcenter.org , call 565-1151, or come by the Cortez Cultural Center at 25 N. Market in Cortez. I look forward to hearing from you.
Shawn Collins is the new executive director of the Cortez Cultural Center, 25 N. Market. She can be reached at 970-565-1151, by e-mail at scollins@cortezculturalcenter.org or visit www.cortezculturalcenter.org.
