Artposium

Lake City Visit-April 26-29

2011-05-10T07:14:00.000-07:00

Monarch Pass

Avalanche below the Ute Ulay

Outside the Matterhorn

Hinsdale County Commissioners

By Grant Pound
In late April I drove to Lake City to make community connections for the Hardrock Revision project. I drove through a series of snowstorms, hail, rain and general navigational challenges. Monarch pass was a near white out and the store that’s up there was still mostly covered, but it looks like they have started to dig it out. The snow continued in Lake City until we had about eight inches of wet stuff. I sort of regret having taken off my snow tires.

The next day there was a terrific avalanche just below the Ute Ulay mine, the site of the Hardrock Revision project. Snow and ice pushed through a narrow chute and ended up about 80 feet deep and across Henson Creek.

In the afternoon I met with the Hinsdale County commissioners–Stan Whinnery, Cindy Dozier and Allen Brown. I told them about what we are doing with the Hardrock Revision project and how we wanted to connect the team with the community. The commissioners were very receptive and agreed to help find those people who would participate in the July-August program. There are four levels of participation:
I.              Team Member. These two folks will be directly part of the team and join in all the same interviews, tours, brainstorming sessions as the rest. They will help with the visioning and presentation of the vision at the Artposium on August 13, 2011.
II.            Interviewee. These individuals will meet with the team and provide their perspective on life in Hinsdale County, attitudes about mining and the mine, and other community issues.
III.          Test Group. Once ideas have been roughed out, we will use these people to test those ideas for common sense, practicality, and desirability.
IV.           Kvetchers. These individuals will have no direct connection with the project but will complain about the results when we are finished.

I am writing up a description and requirements for particiapation that I will send to the commissioners, Kristie Borchers (director of Lake City DIRT), and newspaper publisher Grant Houston.

I met with the editor/publisher of the Silver World Newspaper, Grant Houston and outlined the project for him. He was also in attendance at the commissioners meeting.

I also met with included P. David Smith, historian and publisher. David and his wife run Western Reflections Publishing Company and David has written a great many books on the history of the San Juan Mountains.

David Smith was found at the Mocha Moose complaining about Ph.D.s with fellow Ph.D. and coffee shop owner, Kris Pedersen. It seems like a coffee shop is a good place for people to find out about the Hardrock Revision project.

Elk outside Lake City

Feral Filmmaker Burcu Koray Speaks

2011-04-25T10:07:00.000-07:00

April 2008, I arrived at Denver International Airport to be welcomed by a dashing gentleman who wouldn't shake my hand*. “Americans are Weird!” I thought, and followed him to a cafe, where I would be fed and interrogated. The subjects of inquiry included hot topics in politics (remember 2008?), what I thought of the mating habits of killer whales, who I thought would win in a fisticuff situation - Tesla or Edison (T-E-S-L-A!); and of course, what the hell I was doing in Colorado. If I didn't know it before traveling the 6,161 mile distance that Colorado Art Ranch was the right fit for me, this little tête-à-tête with Executive Director Grant Pound would assure me. In about fifteen minutes we'd be joined by a tall and dreamy artist who was so cool we were momentarily silenced. (He did shake my hand!) In the course of an hour, we were greeted at the Art Ranch HQ by two sexually confused dogs (one of whom would later try to impregnate my shoe), a sculptor arrived in a prairie schooner with two hundred of his most favorite Volant skis and fell asleep on the floor. When a gorgeous woman appeared out-of-thin-air and laid eyes on me, the picture was complete. I knew it for a fact that I had come to the right place. (FYI, co-founder Peggy Lawless doesn't have to mouth words to talk to little-alien-artists like me.)

This was the first three hours of my Art Ranch residency.

If you think I'm good enough a writer as to successfully sum up my entire Art Ranch experience in the three paragraphs allocated to me, think again. I can perhaps write a book about it or make three films. (Two of which I already wrote)

So I'll bargain for three more paragraphs, just to tell you a little more.

More miles would be traveled to Routt County, more hours would pass and I would soon meet:
the Poet who made us all star gaze, the Sculptress who wove us delightfully close; the wordsmith who spoke for the Mother Earth and the sculptor who yielded crops. The other dreamy painter was the real reason we all took on birdwatching. The Guardians of the river had us at “hello”. The ranchers had giant hands and even bigger hearts they held things with; the keeper of the books was my own secret thing. And we all knew it, where we were, once in the Hall of the True-Mountain-King. We went to the dump. To the reservoir. To the next town. I wrote, I read, I taught how to write films. I ate, I made half a film, I felt lost and found. There was rolling down the hills, making fires, arguing for hours, thinking, probing, making, asking. And at all points, atop the beetle-rotten trees, lost in the frozen marshland, singing to passing trains, talking to new good friends; Everything spoke, rather screamed to me, that I was at the right place, and at the right time, even though I came from a far away place, and scrambled time for a living. On an island in an ocean of land, I was educated on community, at all times and above all things; on how big it is to make small things.

And if you're reading this:
Peggy, Grant, Betsy, Geoff; Carol, Diana, Michael, Cathy, Bland, Carrie, Matt; Erica, Michael, Chad, Gavin, Tammie, Beth; John, Nancy, Steve, Toby, Bandit, Sopha; my brilliant students, my library stalkers, the unavoidable birdwatchers; magpies, heifers, farmer Bob's wayward horses, the mountain lion no one believes I've met, my true friend the white snake, the railway, the powerplant, the barn; and as always, our Dear Wayne - Far away in the galaxy, in the city of two seas (and elsewhere), I think of you and of my mountain home; often and dearly. And I know that wherever we are, whatever we do, there exists this giant forest of people, connected through time and space, people I can trust will not stop, will not cower, will not hide, no matter what. And this is what the Art Ranch has really given me.

This Earth will see better days, and then we'll make art, divide the atom into even smaller parts and grow good crops, not to fight battles or change the world; but to know and change the world that is our selves.

Until we meet again,

Günaydın!
Burcu Koray

(Art Ranch and me? We fit to a T.)

Burcu Koray has run out of space to brag about what she's made lately or complain about what she has not. To listen to her outrageous stories, see what she's been up to or learn about the mystery of hand-shakes*, find her in Istanbul, Cannes, London or Mariensbad in the following months!

EDITORS NOTE: It said on google that it is offensive for an unknown male to shake hands with a female in Turkey. So much for google.

Matthew Moore Launches Digital Farm Collective

2011-03-31T09:24:00.000-07:00

No, this isn’t the same as Farmville, so don’t send him your chickens or cows. Matt Moore (Steamboat 2008 Residency) has been working on a project called the Digital Farm Collective. You may see a video of the project instead of reading. The Digital Farm Collective is an online database, or living library, that shares footage and philosophies on the growth of our produce collected from farmers all over the nation. Matt would like to invite you to support a project that connects us to our food, the farmers that grow it, and all of us to the land.

The foundation of the Digital Farm Collective will be built by collecting images of the most important daily process of agriculture, the growth of our food. Using time-lapse videos of the lifecycles of plants, along with pointed interviews of farmers who have participated in the project, we will build an online network for people all over the world to explore.

You may help by sending the project page link to friends and family who are interested in our food and its future. Send suggestions of farmers you know who would be interested in participating. Send Matt questions you always wanted to ask a farmer! Which edible plants would you like to see growing? Be a local advocate for this global mission and help get the word out on the Digital Farm Collective. Help change or food system through sharing the story of not only the plants, but of the farmers and families that grow them.

Artist in Residence Carol Hummel in India

2011-03-31T07:55:00.000-07:00

Colorado Art Ranch (Steamboat 2008 Residency) Carol Hummel spent the month of February creating site specific artwork in Bodhgaya, India, with 30 artists from around the world. Buddha Enlightened - 2 Be challenged the visiting artists to create work commenting on the concept of world peace.

Carol created 5 artworks during the event. In Namaste, Bhai! Namaste, Didi! (Hello, Brother! Hello, Sister!), Carol examines the ties that bind human beings together by hand-making bracelets and gifting them to everyone she meets. World peace, she believes, must begin with personal connections. She has given out more that 2,800 bracelets in India during the past year.

Best of Luck, Nuclear World builds upon the Indian tradition of wrapping string around Banyan trees to make wishes come true. Each day, she wrapped the tree in the colors of the flags of the 9 countries that possess nuclear warheads. As the strings were wrapped, the colors wove together to form a beautiful fabric, an analogy about the hope that by interweaving our cultures, we can create something of beauty instead of destruction.

In No Shadow of a Doubt Carol collaborated with local village woman to crochet a shadow of a tree. The black shadow seeping from the landscape serves as a reminder that human actions can drain life and vitality from the environment.

The last two projects were dedicated to focusing attention of the importance of water to the future of humanity.

Nomad Meredith Nemirov show at AndersonRanch Arts Center

2011-03-31T07:48:00.000-07:00

by AndersonRanch

Julia and Edward Hansen Gallery
AndersonRanch Arts Center
April 5-May 13, 2011

TREELINES is an installation of ink, watercolor and gouache drawings of Aspen trees that chronicle an experience of a walk through an Aspen grove. Meredeth Nemirov approaches the work through the door of Asian philosophy that that references the sensitivity to the all-encompassing sweep of the seasons that formed, in part, the foundation of Japanese life and culture beginning with the establishment of Kyoto as the capital city in 794. Central to Chinese philosophy is the fundamental notion that nature and humanity are one. Traditional Chinese painting employs monochromatic linear elements and voids and depicts the preference for subject matter derived from nature.

Meredith's narrowing focus has moved her work towards a certain abstraction that is informed by the patterns and linear elements employed by early cartographers to record the land. In a contradictory way, the work has expanded to include visual elements that move in and out of the environment through time and physical space. As Meredith states, "my vision for the work is to convey the idea that nature is not observed from one particular location. Nor is it fixed in time byt has an invisible and intangible aspect (beyond direct experience of the senses) related to sequential changes n cyclic patterns that suggest an underlying purpose."

Meredith received a BFA from Parsons School of Design in NYC. Awards include a Director's Grant from the Colorado Council on the Arts (CCA), the Telluride Council for Arts and Humanites Small Grants and Artist Fellowships for Residencies at the Anderson Ranch in 2005 and the Vermont Studio Center in 2010. Her work has been shown at the Brooklyn Museum, The Queens Museum, Yeshiva University Museum, and in many other group shows.

Daniel Wicke of Rural Studio to Speak at Dwellings

2011-02-24T08:20:00.000-08:00

We are happy to announce that Daniel Wicke will be coming to share the work of Rural Studio with us. Rural Studio was started in the 90's by architect Sam Mockbee as a way to combine real-world experience for Auburn architecture students with the extreme need for housing in rural Alabama. The students work with future homeowners using found, recycled and donated materials to build homes that are architecturally significant and appropriate for those that live in them.

Daniel Wicke is the Rural Studio Outreach/Thesis Instructor. His duties as Outreach/Thesis Instructor include primary advisor to the Outreach program’s $20K House, co-teaching both the Outreach and Thesis programs with the studio’s director Andrew Freear, and overseeing continuing thesis projects. He has assembled Rural Studio’s work in the exhibit, Small Scale Big Change, at The Museum of Modern Art in New York and co-designed a pavilion representing the Rural Studio.

There have been two wonderful books and a documentary about the Rural Studio Program. The books, Rural Studio: Samuel Mockbee and an Architecture of Decency (2002) and Proceed and Be Bold: Rural Studio After Samuel Mockbee (2005) do a great job of capturing the philosophy and humanity behind the building projects. The documentary, Citizen Architect, is also a great overview that compares and contrasts the thinking behind Rural Studio with some of the other contemporary architectural thought. Exposure to Rural Studio will have you wondering what other issues of modern life could benefit from this type of thinking.

12 Reasons Not to Give

2010-11-29T15:21:00.000-08:00

The year is ending and with that comes the deluge of requests for donations. Non-profits know that many people wait until the end of the year to decide on their giving. We’ve received loads of pleas for gifts. They all have good reasons why we should give. You have probably heard many of these good reasons, but what about the reasons not to give? We’d like to present you with a dozen good reasons to not give to Colorado Art Ranch this year. If, after due consideration, you choose to contribute anyway, well, we’ll take it.

All the money goes to big salaries.

Yes, well, mama needs a new yacht. Lest we be lumped with Bernie Madoff and Bill Gates, we’ll make a full disclosure here:

2007 Executive Director Salary $15,000

Artposium Coordinators (2) $4,000

2008 Executive Director Salary $3,000

Artposium Coordinator $2,000

2009 $0

2010 Intern (5 months) $2,000

Colorado Art Ranch is a fly-by-night organization.

True, we do not own property and are almost always on the move, but we typically drive-by-day. Our director logs over 30,000 miles/year within the state of Colorado as he sets up residencies, Artposia, Saloon Salons, collaborations and future projects.

Colorado Art Ranch does not serve my community.

We do not serve every geographical community in Colorado. That would be cool, but not really feasible at this time. We do serve a community of thinkers who enjoy exploring the intersection of art, science and land/human issues.

The bastards didn’t give me a residency.

We wish we could offer more residencies to artists and scientists, but, alas, these are expensive. We are limited to offering space based on the number of bedrooms we can rent. We have served over 60 artists-in-residence so far. Our acceptance rate is consistent with the 300 residencies in the US (about 13%).

The Artposia is rarely or never in my town.

Our records indicate that our audience rarely comes from the host community. The Artposia rely on audience support to pay for space, yummy food, great speakers and thoughtful workshops. We have lost money on six out of seven Artposia. Our accountant has suggested that this may not be sustainable. We have started a new program called Saloon Salon to build up audiences in local communities. When we have support, we can bring the Artposium to a community.

NPR gives me a coffee cup if I donate.

Hmmm, we don’t want to be left out here. Tell you what, anybody who donates $100 or more can get a free coffee cup. We have a nice one here that says Minneapolis Police Department on it. It is thermal and leaks a bit from too many trips to the dishwasher, but it’s yours for the asking. We also have a few Webroot mugs.

I can’t figure out where the ranch is.

Good call. It doesn’t really show up on a map because its, well, virtual. The ranch is a metaphor for values such as land stewardship, connectedness to the land, helping family and neighbors, and thinking broadly.

Colorado Art Ranch is just another arts organization.

You looking for a fight? The second word in our name is Art and we promote the arts as a catalyst for change in the world. Art is not just what happens in a studio, museum or performance space. The whole world is engaged in art on some level. We want creative long-range thinking to be part of politics, schools, corporations, communities and nations.

I don’t get that mining thing

Hardrock Revision is different from our traditional residency and Artposium models. We will bring together people from the arts and other disciplines to explore uses for a shuttered gold mine. The local community will be very involved (since they own the outcome) and consideration will be given to heritage, recreation, tourism, safety, water quality, rural economic development and aesthetics.

There are a huge number of worthy causes out there.

Yup, we give to more than Colorado Art Ranch ourselves and think you should too. Some charities address immediate problems and have very tangible results; some may support a particular religion; some help with bigger picture ideas. Each individual should consider their own values and support those organizations that share those values.

Colorado Art Ranch does not own anything, why do they need money?

Actually, we do own a video camera and a cell phone. Our expenses are mostly travel and program. We have not invested much in fundraising or administration. We would like to be able to fund some staff positions so the organization can sustain itself. It’s pretty hard to hire someone and not offer a salary; job candidates tend to balk at that.

There is a recession on, so no sense giving until it’s over.

We hope it’s warm and dry in your cave. Our lives are going on now. Things will never be like they were (good, bad or indifferent) and we have to figure out the best ways for human beings to live on this planet with all its challenges. We are offering chances to think about issues from many viewpoints and to see how connected these issues are.

Dr. Allan Comp and Jorie Emory Join the Hardrock Revision Project

2010-10-21T12:25:00.000-07:00

Colorado Art Ranch is very excited to have Allan Comp join us as Guest Curator for the Hardrock Revision project in Lake City July 15-August 15, 2011. Allan holds a Ph.D in history, worked for several years in cultural resources with the National Park Service, left that to work as a developer of historic properties and consultant to historic preservation projects, and then to work for a regional Heritage Area in western Pennsylvania where he invented AMD&ART. Always a volunteer for AMD&ART, his work attracted the attention of other watershed and community improvement projects in the Appalachian coal country and in the Western hard rock mining country as well. Winner of multiple awards in partnerships and planning, Allan now leads the OSM/VISTA Team and Brownfields Initiatives at the Office of Surface Mining in the U.S. Department of the Interior.

Allan will be helping with project design, facilitation, publications and fundraising. He will be an active part of the team in Lake City.

Allan's development consultant, Jorie Emory, will also be joining the team. Jorie is very interested in the mix of art and ecology and wrote a masters thesis entitled: Exploring the Role of Artist Residencies on Local Land Stewardship: A Case Study of the Sitka Center for Art and Ecology. She received her masters from Ohio State University. Jorie will help with writing grant proposals and will co-facilitate with Grant Pound in Lake City.

Colorado Art Ranch Director to Speak in Carlisle, UK

2010-10-21T11:59:00.000-07:00

Grant Pound, founder and director of Colorado Art Ranch will speak at symposium in Carlisle, UK on Novembr 11, 2010. The symposium is designed to discuss the unique opportunities and challenges faced by creative enterprises and individual practitioners working outside the metropolis.

Modus Operandi Agrestis discusses rural innovation and models of working creatively outside the metropolis, and will bring together voices and experiences from organizations and individuals who have excelled or thrived outside the habitat of the big cities.

Discussing success and establishing best practice, USP and coping tactics for rural and non-metropolitan areas, this symposium will bring together specialists and practitioners from across the UK from a range of backgrounds, focusing on next step implementation of the creative and digital economy.

Grant’s talk, Miles From Nowhere: Nomadic Arts in the American West, will cover the activities of Colorado Art Ranch, as well as other observations about rural arts in Colorado.

Grant will also be talking to an artists group in Glasgow about artist residencies on the 13th of November.

If you would like a talk in your community email us. grant (at) coloradoartranch.org

A Letter from Nomad Darlene Morse

2010-10-21T10:59:00.000-07:00

Dear members of the Clorado Art Ranch Board,

Once again I have realized the importance of the Art Ranch. This happens quite a bit but today it bubbled over and in order to clean up those bubbles, I must write you all.

As you are probably aware, two days ago a "crazed" woman used her crow bar to smash the Plexiglas covering of a lithograph at the Loveland Museum/Gallery. She then tore the "offending" piece.

There has been controversy surrounding this artwork in the past week and I have been following it and even viewed the print. In today's Denver Post, Adam Lerner was quoted. Ever since I met Adam at the Denver "What's So Funny About Art?" Artposium, I have kept up with his Belmar Art Lab and then with his move to the Museum of Contemporary Art Denver. His words concerning the violence against art had a greater meaning for me because of getting to hear him speak two years ago.

From the very first Artposium I learned something that had previously eluded me although I wasn't even aware that it did: there really is thought and introspection behind sculpture and "found objects" art. I remember listening in awe as three or four of the artists in residence told of how they came to create what they had created. Of course, I knew that artists create something that is a part of themselves and want to bring it into a life-sphere. But I had no clue that there was so much of a back story until that weekend in Salida.

And, again in Salida, three years later, Greg Hobbs taught me something. He had shared a poem entitled "Wed" with the whole group. I was very taken with this poem since soon after the Artposium, a friend of mine was getting married at age 40 and for the first time. I asked Greg if I could find that poem in one of his books and he said that it hadn't been published yet. He then surprised me by giving me the piece of paper that he had read from. He wrote my name, his name and the date and that was it. I then retyped it and gave it to my friends who were very moved by his words. A few weeks later, it came out that someone else had taken Greg's words but not exactly in a justified way. I immediately sent Greg a note saying that I did give him "full attribution" and he responded with the simple words, "Poetic courtesy." Again, through Colorado Art Ranch, I am able to have a continuing experience.

Another example of the far-reaching effects of the Art Ranch is Joe Quirk. I bought his book and have lent it to so many people that I have lost count. It has elicited several empowering discussions not only in my book club group but with myriad people of different minds. And, when Dr. Marci Bowers left Trinidad to move to San Francisco, I completely understood her reasoning and wished her success. I would not have had that reaction had I not heard her speak and talked with her a bit.

Last week, I was able to sit at a table for 15 minutes and join in conversation with Salman Rushdie. It was an incredible experience and I also know that it was made that much better by my having met numerous other art/writers/luminaries at Colorado Art Ranch functions. It is one thing to appreciate the work of writers/artists but it is quite another thing to be able to converse with them and then hear what they have to say, not only about their art but their world views. It is the taking of that step beyond the works and finding the values behind them that is so inspiring.

I have found that the Artposia has seeped into all parts of my being, from how I view eating, how I go about writing, how I felt strongly enough about an artist to commission him to do two paintings, to adding new red bottles on my bottle tree. Each time I write a poem I feel as if I am in harmony with the many other poets that have crossed my path these last three years. And, in my kitchen tucked into a corner of a print of The Gates at Central Park, is a photo of Christo, Jean-Claude and me taken in Salida and printed in the Fort Collins Coloradoan. I feel much more involved in the issue of "Over the River" than I otherwise would.

Thanks, Art Ranch, for all you do.

Darlene Mueller Morse

The Importance of Food at an Artposita

2010-10-14T12:08:00.000-07:00

By Beth Banning

I was asked to cater the lunch at the Artposita at the Carpenter Ranch on Saturday, September 25. I welcomed the opportunity as I have catered for Artposia before and the crowds are always enthusiastic and appreciative eaters! I felt very strongly that I needed to select ingredients in keeping with the spirit of the Carpenter Ranch, the Colorado Art Ranch, and the artists-in-residence who were experiencing such a strong connection to our Yampa Valley. I sought out local produce from the Ranch and local gardeners in Steamboat and Hayden who had an abundance and hoped to plan a menu around my finds. This proved difficult as we had experienced some below-freezing nights in the past week and most had slim-pickens left. Additionally, deer had pillaged my garden just the weekend before.

My first find was a 10-pound zucchini from Betsy Blakeslee at Carpenter Ranch from which came Chocolate Zucchini Bread. (Always start with chocolate!) Betsy also rounded up and armload of beets, carrots, onions, garlic from Karen Gilroy's garden in Hayden. All but the beets went into a spicy vegetarian chili with the addition of lots of tomatoes, beans and chilis. My artist friend, JoAnn Baker Paul, was visiting a mutual friend and artist, Sue Oehme, one evening before the Artposita and called me saying that I had to come and cut romaine lettuce and spinach that was overflowing from her backyard garden. The lettuce was for the salad that included the beets, as well as beautiful mixed greens from JoAnn's garden. I managed to squeak out scallions and baby beets from my garden which also went into the salad, along with gorgonzola cheese and walnuts. I made a frittata with eggs from JoAnn's backyard hens, Sue's spinach and cherry tomatoes from my lone remaining plant that were dehydrated for intense flavor.

Dessert included Peach Vanilla Bars made with Palisade peaches. Of course, here in the Yampa Valley we can't subsist solely on local foods, so other items were included to round out the meal for these hearty eaters, but getting creative with local foods was a great way to showcase what we can grow here.

Salida 2010 Residency Deadline

2010-10-14T12:06:00.000-07:00

December 15, 2010

May 1-30, 2011 Residency

The deadline for applications is quickly approaching. The time frame had to be moved up because of the new way we doing this residency. After a very successful Artposita at Carpenter Ranch in Hayden, we have decided to give our artists-in-residence (AIR) more exposure. For the Salida 2010 Residency we will be selecting visual and literary artists and scientists whose work relates to the May Artposium theme of Dwellings. The Artposium will examine how we live, why we live that way, what makes a home, architecture and anthropology.

Successful candidates will have public speaking experience and work that relates to dwellings in some way. The AIRs will have an opportunity to present or give a workshop at the Artposium May 27-29, 2011. There will be other speakers included to represent different disciplines.

Colorado Art Ranch Welcomes Two New Board Members

2010-10-14T11:59:00.000-07:00

In September two talented and enthusiastic people were added to help Colorado Art Ranch fulfill its mission. The new board members were added to fill perceived gaps in our knowledge base.

Cathi Schwalbe-Bouzide cathi (at) coloradoartranch.org

Cathi is an artist living in Chicago. Cathi was a presenter at the Delta County Artposium in 2009, Dinner Stories, and was an artist-in-residence at the Salida 2010 Residency. In Chicago, Cathi Schwalbe-Bouzide is known as the Corn Lady. It's not hard to see why. Much of her artwork is about corn and explores corn culture. What she does is more than just "agricultural art." Bouzide's work reminds us of the relationship between land and food, between where we live and how we eat. Cathi’s will be responsible for overseeing the residency planning, recruitment and implementation.

Stevan Simich stevan (at) coloradoartranch.org

Stevan studied art as an undergrad before going on to business and finance. He is accomplished at providing strategic, operational, financial, sustainability and entrepreneurial support to growing businesses. He has a background in consulting, finance and venture and private equity working for such companies as Castle Pines Ventures, Rally Software and Republic Financial Corporation. Stevan holds a Bachelors degree from the University of Michigan and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Denver with a specialization in Finance. Stevan enjoys going on adventures with his wife and two sons, backcountry skiing, cycling, hiking/camping, gardening and print & furniture making. Stevan will be overseeing financial operations and helping with strategies to make the organization sustainable.

Atomic Circus by Darlene M. Morse

2010-04-25T07:23:00.000-07:00

When I walked into the Boulder Center for Conscious Living last evening, I had no idea what to expect. I was there to attend the Atomic Circus Salon Series and on this particular evening the topic was, “Water, Water Everywhere.”

Immediately my eyes were drawn to a frenetic woman with clear goggles perched on her head and a yellow plastic raincoat waving behind her. She was pressing tiny “H” or “O” stickers on everyone’s chest. I then saw the neat rows of chairs set up and facing this audience of chairs were four more with the speaker’s names above them. Below all of these chairs were clear (biodegradable) cups of water. I thought, how nice, they don’t want us to go thirsty.

The small crowd eventually sat down and the goggled woman, who turned out to be poet/teacher Marj Hahne, began the salon session. Since the evening was to be spent discussing the element of water, the first thing we were told to do was “bond” ~ as in finding two Hs and an O (H2O) We did this very well although it turned out that the Hs had to do more work than the Os. All the Os had to do was sit around and wait for some Hs to come along.
After an introductory poem about water read by Marj, the guest presenters and the audience members engaged in a lively discussion. The four represented diverse backgrounds but all concerned water in one way or another.

Greg Cortopassi is a photographer specializing in macro photography called “Facets of Nature.” He found that since water is in constant change that one never sees the exact same beauty twice. Trying to capture that beauty and share it is a labor of love and also of art.

Ross Thomas is a scientist who works in developing analytical methods and instruments for environmental water-monitoring applications. His goal is to work with businesses in order to reuse rather than release huge amounts of water daily in their manufacturing. Using technology available today can save money, save the aquifer, and save the groundwater. He began his own corporation to pursue this called Syntroteck.

Zia Parker’s background is diverse but on this evening it was focused on her work with Agua Alma, a fusion of in-depth aquatic bodywork, Aston-Patterning’s fluid biomechanics and deep ecology that connects us to the planet’s healing life forces. She discussed the fluidity within us and how we need to be aware of it and move in a natural fluid way.

The fourth guest was Greg Hobbs. He is not only a Colorado Supreme Court Justice, but a poet, writer and fisherman. His life is all about exploring water in all of its fantastic cultural and historic forms. He looked very comfortable in his black cowboy boots, turquoise bolo tie and ring. I wondered if he wore those with his judicial robe.

Wow. What an alive group they were. Marj then had us take the water from under our seats and observe it. It was purified water in that it had no pollutants or harmful bacteria in it. It did have minerals and other things associated with good water. We were asked to describe the water; words such as “clear,” “reflecting,” “refreshing,” “life-giving,” “pulsating,” “waves,” “drips,” “drops,” and “quenching” flowed forth. We then got to drink the water. And it tasted very good.

For almost two hours water was explored in all its facets through these four presenters and the audience. Poet Hobbs answered some of his questions by reading a poem; scientist Thomas used his background to give the specifics to the “hard” questions. Photographer Cortopassi responded to the visual qualities of water and the many forms it takes. And Zia Parker expressed the mind/body/earth connections we all have with water both inside of us and outside. Although diverse in approach, the four came together as one by saying that we need to treat water with respect.

I am now ready and looking forward to the next foray into water: the Colorado Art Ranch’s May Artposium, “Wade in the Water.” Greg Hobbs will also be a presenter at this three-day event and will have a greater opportunity to discuss water, read more of his poetry and give us his unique perspective on water rights.

I will never look at a water fountain the same way again. Thanks, Marj, the four presenters and the Atomic Circus Salon Series.

Two more reasons to attend Wade in the Water

2010-03-29T10:45:00.000-07:00

It's nearly April, which means it's nearly May, which means it's nearly time for our seventh artposium, Wade in the Water...May 21-23rd in Salida, Colorado. Still not sure about coming? Let's consider two more reasons you'll want to attend:

1. Author Craig Childs will be presenting...

2. And, so will Colorado Supreme Court Justice and poet/author Greg Hobbs

The New York Times called Craig Childs “a modern-day desert father.” He has spent years in the American Southwest canyon country, exploring the geography and the implications of water’s presence and absence. He was also a river guide. Childs has published more than a dozen acclaimed books on nature, science, and adventure, including House of Rain and The Secret Knowledge of Water. His rugged, spontaneous outdoor experiences inform his writing and his life. Childs is currently in Chile where he will be joining a documentary crew on the Baker River, which is threatened by major dam proposals. “We came to the Aisén region of Patagonia to take a look for ourselves and to record what are, we hope, not the last years of free-flowing water,” Childs recently wrote on his blog. Childs is sure to be an entertaining and enlightening speaker. Visit his website: http://houseofrain.com and his blog: http://www.houseofrain.com/rantsandwritings.cfm?mode=group&id=writings

Greg Hobbs has called attention to water as a scarce resource artistically and professionally, with a law career spanning 25 years. He is Vice-President of the Colorado Foundation for Water Education, Co-Convener of Dividing the Waters (the Western Water Judges Project), and is a three-decade veteran of water law. Hobbs is also an accomplished author and poet, with his works including In Praise of Fair Colorado- The Practice of Poetry, History, and Judging, Colorado Mother of Rivers- Water Poems, and The Public’s Water Resource- Articles on Water Law, History, and Culture. Hobbs' unique perspective will give Wade attendees a peek into the complexity of water issues.

We hope to see you in Salida!

Samantha

***Follow our blog and receive a special discount on Wade in the Water registration! Enter the code "blog" when you register online at http://coloradoartranch.org/current.htm (click register online on the right) or https://secure.acceptiva.com/?cst=cf3320 ***

Artist Basia Irland at Wade in the Water

2010-02-24T11:49:00.000-08:00

Hello, Blogosphere! Seeing as this is my first post for the Colorado Art Ranch blog, let me introduce myself. My name is Samantha, and I’m the new PR and Marketing Intern here at the Ranch. I’m so excited to be a part of this great non-profit. I grew up in Steamboat, so rural Colorado has a special place in my city-girl heart. I can’t wait to attend our upcoming Artposium, Wade in the Water, in Salida. Mark your calendars for a great, artsy time: May 21^st-23^rd.

If you’ve been following our blog and our goings on, you already know a little bit about Wade in the Water. But here’s a quick recap for those just now visiting. Wade in the Water will be a weekend of water-themed disscussions, workshops and lectures held in the lovely town of Salida, named one of Outside Magazine’s “Dream Towns & Adventure Hideouts.” Exciting guest speakers will entertain and enthrall and we’ll get a fresh look at the way we see, use, enjoy, and control our water.

“Water and Eco Artist” Basia Irland is one of our featured guest speakers. Irland is Professor Emerita at University of New Mexico, and one of the world’s foremost water-based artist-activist-thinkers. She’s a sculptor and installation artist, a poet and book artist, and an activist in water issues. Her efforts include building rainwater-harvesting systems, community building along river corridors, and creating “ice books” embedded with seeds to foster plant growth along rivers.

What most excites me about Irland are her otherworldly ice books. They are stunning in a simple, elegant way. Water is a beautiful medium, and Irland proves her ability to harness it with these “books” that look like they’re made of glass, with “text” written through seeds. Besides their natural beauty, they serve a functional purpose (and in my opinion art that is functional AND beautiful gets extra points): as the book melts in the river, the seeds float away, distributing themselves downstream and along the banks. Irland says on her website, “I work with stream ecologists, biologists, and botanists to ascertain the best seeds for each specific riparian zone. When the plants regenerate and grow along the bank, they help sequester carbon, hold the banks in place, and provide shelter for riverside creatures.”

Can’t wait to hear more from Basia Irland at Wade in the Water. Check out her website at http://www.basiairland.com. Register for the event at http://coloradoartranch.org/current.htm, or https://secure.acceptiva.com/?cst=cf3320. Follow our blog and receive a discount on registration…just use the coupon code “blog” at checkout. See you there!

---Samantha

Join the Colorado Art Ranch mailing list here: http://visitor.constantcontact.com/manage/optin/ea?v=001fCFdTiS7mDQ6H9iPBpovmg%3D%3D

Art and Dissatisfaction

2010-01-26T08:53:00.000-08:00

Last week Peggy and I attended the inaugural evening for Atomic Circus hosted by Nomad/poet Marj Hahne and featuring Nomad/ writer BK Loren. The event was in the salon style and featured a writer, poet, dancer, musician and painter. The format included questions from Marj and answers from the artist panel. The audience was eager to join in (did I mention this was in Boulder?).

One woman described in some detail her experience performing a dance for the entertainment of folks in an assisted care facility. She described her amateur status, but reported that she had moved from a very genuine place, had taken a risk and was rewarded with a feeling of. The dancer on the panel made a comment that not only was that not an art form, but that the audience had never seen good dance. This prickly response led to some rather heated dialog.

So, what is the difference between an amateur and professional? Between art and Art? Anyone can experience the benefits of creation, and anyone can learn the basic skills of an art, but does that make one an artist?

The amateur dancer needed to feel like what she did (create movement and entertainment from a place that's genuine and risky) had value beyond the reward she received from her audience and self. The professional needed to have the world understand his sacrifice and practice that was invested to get to where he is in his art. The huge difference between the two is that the professional experienced his risk/reward long ago. However, there is a dissatisfaction (neutral use here) that accepts the risk/reward, but wants more. That leads to the practice that leads to a higher form.

Artists treat this dissatisfaction in two (or more) ways. The dissatisfaction can be a motivator to practice, hone skills, seek knowledge, seek mentors, explore and create. Or, it can cause a crippling self-criticism that serves no one well. The latter leads to devaluing on the part of the artists. It leads to the poverty mentality, because, “if I am so hopelessly displeased with my work, how can it possibly have value?”

There is probably more of a continuum. The middle path may be more one of creating a life. Where we do, what we gotta do, regardless of group-think. In that scenario both dancers are equally correct. The first one, however, will not be getting a call from Twyla Tharp.

What do you think?

Changing Human Behavior

2009-12-08T08:51:00.000-08:00

A You Tube link came the other day from Steve Self in Durango. This clip features an experiment to get people to use the stairs instead of the escalator. Take a look at the Musical Stairs. It turns out this is a bit of viral marketing from VW who want to make a statement about innovation. The have highlighted several other ideas for changing behaviors at The Fun Theory.

This is a great example of how creative thinking can guide change without hitting people over the head.

Craig Childs at Wade in the Water

2009-12-08T08:23:00.000-08:00

Great news! Craig Childs has agreed to be a presenter for the Salida 2010 Artposium: Wade in the Water. Craig is one of my favorite writers. He has written extensively about the canyon lands, water and the fate of the Anasazi. I am re-reading The Secret Knowledge of Water. It's a work that demonstrates how art can give us a new vision for the future. The book celebrates water in a unique way and encourages the reader to think about this precious liquid.

Water is a tough subject because so much of the work lately has been pretty gloomy. There is no question that world-wide our aquifers and surface waters are in serious trouble. However, we believe that creative thinking people can help guide us out of trouble. At Colorado Art Ranch we hope to inspire such people and give others new ways of looking at topics and issues.

Jeanne-Claude

2009-11-20T04:52:00.001-08:00

I am very humbled and drained by the loss of Jeanne-Claude. Since 1993 she has been an artist of record on all the pieces created by her and Christo. I am well aware of the affect of a partner in any enterprise and it was clear from seeing Christo and Jeanne-Claude’s talk and conversing with them at the Artposium that she was a force, and an inspiration with everything they did. Jeanne-Claude's contributions to the projects is very evident in the films of the Maysles Brothers. Watching the films left me convinced that the projects could not have gained their scope with out her guiding hand.

I hope that Christo can continue with the projects that they had planned as they had intended. There is no question I am a Christo & Jeanne-Claude fan, and I wish the best for Christo and their family.

Colorado Art Ranch at DIA

2009-11-14T08:23:00.000-08:00

The Colorado Art Ranch is excited to announce The Denver International Airport Art Program has offered us one of their high profile exhibit spaces January 15 through April 15, 2010. The area on the bridge to concourse A security screening will host an exhibit titled 28 Ideas and features 28 works from those who have been Nomads, speakers, or residents of Colorado Art Ranch. Work will be selected by a jury. Finalists will be selected based on work that demonstrates how the artist uses their passion, skills and knowledge to address, envision, or question human and land issues.

DIA is the fifth busiest airport in the country and 10th busiest in the world. The security screening area sees approximately 40,000 passengers and employees per day. During the length of the exhibit almost 5 million people will pass across the bridge. Now, a lot of those people will be concentrating on their lattes, late flights, angst and irascible children. That leaves maybe one million that will notice the exhibit and 750,000 who will actually look at some or all of it.

We will have the artists work and statements online so visitors can learn more.

The show will go up in early February, 2010, and be up for three months. The letter to artists and RFP is available on our home page.

Ranch Community

2009-11-14T08:09:00.001-08:00

Here at the Ranch we've been pondering a redesign of our website. Having completed six Artposia and six residencies, we are bogged down by constant changes to the site. With a redesign we plan to migrate to a data-base driven site. That would make admin changes easier. Blah blah blah.

The more important part is the online community–all of you who do or do not participate physically, and are interested in exploring the intersection of art, science and land/human issues. We would like to have the site do more than report upcoming events and store past events. What if the site could be a meeting space for individuals of all types who are interested in a certain topic? Based on that topic, what if we could link to artists, orgs, scientists, and other thinkers? What if discussions could take place? What if recommendations could be made for future Artposia? What if the community could help envision an actual ranch for residencies and events? Huh? What if?

There is a site out there called Polyvore that allows people to create collages of fashion items. The picture becomes what we used to call a brand board–a reflection of color, mood, tone and image. Now, this site attracts me not a bit. I wear blue jeans and t-shirts unless I am getting dressed up to go to Safeway, and then I might wear a button shirt. The technology, however, is intriguing. What if (yup, another what if?) the viewser could select a topic and then add elements such as: presenters, artists, music, images, books, articles, performances, of videos to that topic? The resulting think-collage could be saved and become a point of discussion for the next person. Would you like this?

What else would you like to see on our site?

Carpenter Ranch Residency

2009-11-09T11:39:00.001-08:00

The Nature Conservancy in Colorado has agreed to collaborate with Colorado Art Ranch on an annual residency on the Carpenter Ranch near Hayden, Colorado. They previously allowed us to host three artists and an Artposium at the ranch in 2008. The ranch is in a unique setting along the Yampa River in Routt County and boasts a rare narrow-leaf cottonwood forest. The property has the original ranch house and barn that are on the historical registry.

We will begin hosting three visual and literary artists at the ranch in September 2010. These artists will work a few hours each week for the ranch and meet with school groups for one day. The rest of the time they are free to pursue their work and ramble around on the 900 acres of the ranch. There are materials available for sculpture in the bone yard, and birds, beeves and beaves on the property. Information is on the residency section of the Colorado Art Ranch web site.

TAPPED in Golden

2009-11-06T06:42:00.002-08:00

Peggy and I went to the screening of TAPPED last night at the Mountain Center in Golden as part of the Colorado Environmental Film Festival. This is a movie about all aspects of the bottled water industry in the United States although the effects are global. The film covered issues such as the privatization of water, problems with aquifer depletion, chemicals in the plastics (both in manufacturing and for consumers), and what happens to the bottles when they are empty.

I had been aware of these problems, but not the severity. Nestle's (Perrier and Arrowhead in the west) attempts to control water supplies have been legendary, but they are not alone. Coca-Cola (Aquafina), Pepsi (Dasani), Suez, RWE and Vivendi. See Public Citizen for descriptions.

I also did not fully understand the effects of bisphenol-A. The off-gassing was known to me and that it had been linked to reproductive problems, but that is just the tip of the ice berg. More than 200 animal studies have linked ingesting minute amounts of the

substance to a range of reproductive problems, brain damage, immune deficiencies, metabolic abnormalities, and behaviors like hyperactivity, obesity, learning deficits.

Prior to the screening we had dinner with John Graham and Michele Riggio of Chaffee Citizens for Sustainability who have been fighting Nestle in the Arkansas River Valley. We were also joined by Jim Wilfong, a former Maine legislator, who has been fighting Nestle in Maine for the past six years.

TAPPED is a good example of artists using their skills and passions to react to what they find in the world. What else is being done? Where are the arts being used to address water issues? Email me and let me know.

Metro Design Students and the Ranch

2009-11-05T06:02:00.000-08:00

I used to teach graphic design and typography. I enjoyed the interaction with the students and watching to see what their minds could come up with. There was always a mix of students and over time they seemed to form archetypes–the talented, the lazy, the clueless, the hard worker, the disadvantaged. I loved them all. I knew they would not all be designers, but I could teach them to see and to think visually. I could teach them to use their creative abilities to solve problems regardless of what they ended up doing to make a living. The ones who had the drive, passion, and talent would actually become designers. It was all very fulfilling. Unfortunately it was also fulfilling of all my time, and did you know what teaching pays?

I have continued an association with Metro State College of Denver, where I last taught. For three Colorado Art Ranch Artposia I have worked with classes of design students to create graphics. What's So Funny About Art, Sex and Sensibility, and now Wade in the Water have all used student designers. It gives the students a chance to work with a real client with real parameters and real foibles. The winning student gets the added advantage of having printed work for their portfolio.

The latest winner is Marlena Baker. Marlena's work stood out from the other 17 students for it's grace and relationship to the water topic. She will now work with me to develop postcards, posters, a program, fliers, and a banner. The mark she created is at the top of this blog. Congratulations Marlena, and thank you to all the students who worked on this project and the instructor, Jess Wurtzel, who put the project together.

Water Music

2009-11-03T09:52:00.000-08:00

Next May Colorado Art Ranch is hosting an Artposium called Wade in the Water. We'll explore art, science and policy as they relate to that most precious liquid–water. Peggy and I have been researching all aspects of water and the people who are doing inspired work related to water. The gospel tune, Wade in the Water, is compelling theme for this Artposium. It is a simple song with layered meaning. The song was sung by slaves in America and some say it is partly advice on eluding tracking dogs. It also suggests troubled times and yet hope. Beyond all that it is a beautiful song that reverberates in the soul and sticks in the mind.

Choosing an Artposium title led me to other songs about water. There are quite a few. I asked musician David Tipton to come up with a list. David can play many instruments, but his focus is on the Chapman Stick. This instrument combines elements of a guitar and synthesizer. It appears to be very complicated guitar, and can play an incredible range of sounds. David performed for two of our Artposia, What's So Funny About Art? and Sex and Sensibility.
David lives in Salida and plays gigs whenever and where ever he can.

Here is David Tipton's water music list in no particular order. Please contact us if you would like to add to it.

Water Music - Handel
Aquas De Marco - Antonio Carlos Jobim
Wade In The Water - Traditional
Washing Of The Water - Peter Gabriel
Slish - Splash - Bobby Darin
Rain - The Beatles
Take Me To The River - Al Green
Bridge Over Troubled Water - Simon and Garfunkel
Cool Water - Sons of the Pioneers
When The Levee Breaks - Led Zeppiln
Here Comes The Flood - Peter Gabriel
Water - The Who
Beyond The Sea - Bobby Darin
Hands Across The Water - Paul McCartney
The Water - Feist
Cool, Cool, Water - Beach Boys
Down By The Water - PJ Harvey
Black Water - Doobie Brothers
Smoke On The Water - Deep Purple
Clear Blue Water - Oceanlab
Water - Blue King Brown
Cold Water - Damien Rice
Bring Me Some Water - Melissa Etheridge
Gimmie Some Water - Eddie Money
Water - Brad Paisley
Glass Of Water - Coldplay
Still Waters Run Deep - The Four Tops
The Water Is Wide - Traditional
Water Line - Sage Francis
You Don't Miss Your Water - Craig David
Deep Water - Jewel
Cold Water Music - Aim
Sea Of Love
The Ocean - Led Zeppelin
Dock Of The Bay - Otis Redding
Lazy River - Hoagy Carmichael
Don't Go Near The Water - Beach Boys
Cry Me A River - Julie London
Dock Of The Bay - Otis Redding
Waterfalls _ TLC
Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea - Cab Calloway
Singing In The Rain - Gene Kelly
How Deep Is The Ocean - Irving Berlin

Ranch Mission Poem by Marj Hahne

2009-10-29T16:24:00.000-07:00

A while back I asked our poet laureate Marj Hahne to react to the Colorado Art Ranch mission statement with a poem. Our mission statement reads:

Many of us are looking for ways to understand and address previously unimagined challenges in the world. Colorado Art Ranch believes that the arts, in collaboration with the sciences, can help solve contemporary land and social issues. Our organization strives to nurture the development of literary, visual and performing artists who ask difficult questions through their work; stimulate interdisciplinary collaborations that help envision solution; and build the creative capital in towns throughout Colorado.

It took the board and me only about two months to draft that based on the old version.

Here is what Marj wrote:

Ranch Mission Poem

We are all of two

minds, two

halves of an earth spinning

on the axis of the spine.

When it’s winter, it’s always summer

somewhere else, the seasons a fourfold

way to know the whole

soul of a circle.

A dog chasing its tail.

Capitalism. Forest fires.

Global warming. Rain.

The food chain.

Every man may be an island,

but an island knows it’s part

archipelago;

a mountain knows it’s range;

a grain of sand, desert;

a wave, ocean.

And the ion that begins one thing

is the end of something else, say,

a word: question.

The end of a quest is a question.

Even Leonardo da Vinci knew

his mind wasn’t immutable.

Arte. Sciènza. Connessione. Curiosità.

To keep the feet moving.

To free the Q&A.

To see the Vitruvian Man

in a snow angel.

-Marj Hahne, 2009

A Visit to High Country News

2009-10-29T16:15:00.000-07:00

The week before last I stopped at High Country News (HCN) in Paonia. It was a beautiful fall day with snow, rain, and plenty of sunshine–pretty much at the same time. I drove up over McClure Pass and down through bright yellow aspens and eastern cottonwoods. Paonia was quiet and I easily found parking in front of High Country’s offices.

High Country News is a great magazine that covers topics of import for people living in the inter-mountain west. Environmental articles are common (from different perspectives), but there is also a lot of writing about what it is to live in the west and why we like it.

Several years ago I noticed how the things HCN covers are topics that we like to explore at Colorado Art Ranch. (Did you notice how I made that a link incase you want to go to our website?) Issues like land use, water, wild and domestic critters, plants, ecosystems, people, mining and food. I made up my mind to talk to those folks and see where any synergies might lie.

I met with executive director/publisher, Paul Larmer, editor, Jonathon Thompson, and development associate, Alyssa Pinkerton. We had a very pleasant conversation about the magazine, water, land, food and other issues. I told them about our water-themed Artposium next May and other Artposia we’ve hosted on food, sexuality, land, mapping, humor and rivers. These people are very dialed into all these issues. Well, maybe not sexuality. I would really like to tie our explorations in with what High Country News does. We’ll see, they know about us now. The atmosphere was so congenial it made me wish I worked there, then I remembered I don’t like jobs.

Where’s the snow go?

2009-10-29T15:46:00.000-07:00

We had a bit of snow here in Arvada since yesterday morning. They say we received about 21 inches. The scene is beautiful. The last 10 inches came without wind so fence posts are piled high and leaning like Marge Simpson’s hair-do. The trees haven’t dropped their leaves yet so they are feeling the burden and some branches are getting pruned.

I am ambivalent about shoveling the snow. I discovered in my Michigan youth that god brought the snow and god will take it away. A philosophy my parents found vexing and disrespectful. It will melt soon, as it always does in this part of Colorado. In two days it will be 60 degrees and the mounds of snow will fall like a high-altitude soufflé.

But where does it go? I have been thinking a lot about water as we plan for the Wade in the Water Artposium. If I were to shovel, I could pile snow on my yard or push it into the street. The yard snow will melt into the ground (and evaporate) before joining the aquifer. It will give our xeric plants a bit of moisture that they need in spite of the season.

The street snow will melt and run directly to Ralston Creek about 100 meters away. I have no idea what aquifer or what its properties are. I also have no idea where Ralston Creek goes, although I suspect it joins Clear Creek and then the Platte River.

I think I’ll ponder this until it all melts. No sense rushing out there and messing with a watershed.

Water Artist: Betsy Damon

2009-10-26T08:05:00.001-07:00

We have been researching artists and scientists who are passionate about water issues for our upcoming Artposium, Wade in the Water, May 21-23, 2010. Last weekend I read Blue Gold by Maude Barlow and Tony Clarke. That is, I read about two thirds. I fell under the spell of despair that can accompany a close look at any environmental problem. The facts are overwhelming and it seems like it's almost too late to do anything–aquifers are depleted or polluted, surface water is contaminated, paving has lead to less water retention, and greed is rampant. Whew.

Then Peggy (co-founder of Colorado Art Ranch, researcher, volunteer, spousal-unit) found Betsy Damon. Betsy is an artist whose work and life are a model for the artist as an agent of change. Her work usually involves cleaning or preserving water. She and a team put together an amazing project that addressed the polluted waters of Chengdu China by creating a park/sculpture that cleans the water. "Polluted river water moves through a natural, and artistic treatment system of ponds, filters and flowforms, making the process of cleaning water visible."

She has since founded Keepers of the Waters to help others around the world create similar projects on their polluted waters. Take a look at what they are doing.

This is the sort of thing that makes me see the shining sun, frost on the leaves, in a beautiful world. Now, if we can just get Betsy to be a speaker at Wade in the Water.

Food Glorious Food….

2009-10-25T07:47:00.000-07:00

I asked Katherine Leiner, who spoke at Dinner Stories, to write up here impression of the Artposium held in September 2009 in Delta County. Here is what she had to say:

Food Glorious Food….
Snob that I am about food, many years ago I promised myself that if I could help it I wouldn’t eat with anyone who didn’t fully appreciate food.

So, what an honor it was for me to be invited to be a presenter at the 2009 Colorado Art Ranch Symposium in Delta County. The weekend was called Dinner Stories. Three days of sublime 80 degree weather with workshops that centered on good food and culminated with the kind of communal spirit that felt like grace.

Our first stop that weekend was for cocktails in Hotchkiss at the Creamery Art Center where we were treated to an array of delicious hors d’oeuvres and art. We had our first taste of Surface Creek Wine and home made goodies from local faire. Then the three presenters were introduced in the order in which they would present the following afternoon, all of us coincidently from big cities. I was up first (from New York City and Durango, Colorado), followed by Howard Dubrovsky (Toronto, Canada) and Catherine Bouzide (Chicago).

The following morning we were all up early and a good number of us had breakfast together before we went off to our workshops, which were all over Delta County. We drove through areas that took us either down into the sensuous sand dunes of the Dominguez Canyon that emptied out into a fertile fruit orchard–New Leaf Fruit–next to the Gunnison River (some call it the Little Grand). There, we learned from the inside out about peach, pear, apricot and cherry fruit and the way growing it has influenced the poetry of Rosemary Trommer whose poetry to the ears is like her sweet pears to the mouth. My roomie raved about the potatoes she dug at John Cooley’s Rivendell Farm, a biodynamic farm based on the teachings of Rudolf Steiner. From my own experience, I know that biodynamic is the next best step beyond organic and if one does a taste test –believe me, you can even tell the difference between the two. This great taste allows one to suspend disbelief at the complicated procedures of that kind of farming. Frankly, biodynamic food on a number of levels, is simply divine. For lunch, both groups dined on local food. The group I was in had listened to the poetry of James Wright, Wallace Stevens and Rosemary Trommer as we made our way through the orchard, so for lunch we sat down by the river and while we ate, wrote our own poems.

After Lunch we met at the Stolte Apple Shed where I was first up and spoke rapidly and nervously about my newest book, Young and Hungry: A Road Map to Sustainable Eating, A LOVE STORY. For four years I traveled across America, interviewing over 150 young people between the ages of 20-38 who are involved in some manner of sustainable eating. Fifty of them are profiled in the book with photos. I spoke of what I had learned, how it had given me the understanding I needed in order to allow my youngest child to individuate; how the people I had met had given me hope for the future of food in the United States and how I had ultimately fallen in love. Howard Dubrovsky took us on a tour of a new kind of cuisine–really an extension of a cuisine we already know, called Molecular Gastronomy and how this new tilt and chemistry–which sometimes changes the way food appears, affects our smells and impacts our tastes. We were treated to examples of this fascinating new way to approach food. Catherine Bouzide calls herself “The Corn Lady” but she is much, much more than that. She is a fine artist who illuminates a deep sense of place through her work, which is as diverse as corn sculpture tables, weavings, high-fired plates, artist books along with a continuous string of story-telling that led us through the delights of her life and work.

For dinner Saturday night, hats off to Jim and Jeanne Durr who are Surface Creek Winery –where we were treated to their selected wine-paring with each course (including local goat cheeses to start), scrumptious food including local elk for the meat eaters, and local vegetables and tempeh for the vegetarians. The whole meal was delectable with dessert made by Nancy Gore from “Just Desserts.”

The next morning we divided up into groups: some going with Howard Dubrovsky to the old time Redlands Mesa Grange where we were carefully instructed by Howard and managed to put together 7 different parts of a perfect meal–beginning with carrot soup, celery slaw, spaetzle– colored by beet juice, onion tart with a pear compote, julienne beet salad over greens, lentils, and a fine grouper ceviche as the center piece. The others went off with either Nancy Gore to make our desserts or Jim and Jeanne Durr who apparently turned grapes into wine –although what we got for lunch was a delightful grape juice!

It was a weekend full of simple delights proving once again that food, glorious food, has a way of uniting us in the deepest manner. Good food and talk about food by its very nature extends into our psyches, making us family. It was my dream group, and by the end of the weekend, if we hadn’t before, everyone had considered deeply where their food had come from and the life it had before it made its way to our plates. Amen.

By Katherine Leiner