TELLURIDE – The Telluride Gallery of Fine Art hosts an art exhibit this weekend in conjunction with the 40-year Telluride Reunion.
“Telluride Now and Then” showcases 40 years of creative vision through the works of 20 Telluride artists who lived and worked here during the 1970s. Many of the artists whose works are on display are still here. Others left years ago and never came back.
Artists were selected using two criteria: They were doing art in Telluride in the 1970s, and they are still doing art today, even if it is in a different media.
Each artist submitted two pieces reflecting their present style; a piece (or photograph of a piece) from the 70s; and two photos, mounted and framed, of themselves then and now.
Exhibit curator Lynn Rae Lowe said she was inspired by a similar art show mounted ten years ago for the 30-Year Telluride Reunion. She teamed up with TGFA’s Baerbel Hacke and Will Thompson, and work on the show began.
“The challenge was how many people now do art,” Lowe said. “We only had so much room in the gallery, and I didn’t want to judge the artistic merit of others’ work.”
In pondering the predicament, Lowe came up with the “Telluride Now and Then” concept. “With that format, I was able to objectively accept everyone who filled the requirements,” she said. “There is no statement that everything in this exhibit is ‘art.’”
An opening reception for ‘Telluride Now and Then’ takes place this Friday, Sept. 28, from 4 to 7 p.m.; the artwork remains on display through Sunday, Sept. 30.
Other Telluride 40-Year Reunion activities planned for this weekend include a potluck/picnic in Telluride Town Park on Saturday, Sept. 29, starting around 1 p.m. and a tribute to Telluride Ski Area founder Joe Zoline on Saturday evening at the Sheridan Opera House, starting at 5:45 p.m. A Telluride Trivia Contest takes place Sunday, Sept. 30 at the Floradora Saloon starting at 10:30 a.m. All reunion events are open to the public. RSVP to reunion organizers at telluride40reunion@hotmail.com.
Following are profiles of some of the participating artists.
CONNIE ANDERSON
Medium now: watercolor and pastel
Medium then: seedbead work
“Moving to Telluride in 1976 was a big influence on me. As an artist, because it changed the way I look at life. Living in a fresh, natural way in a small community encouraged me to follow my heart. As a city girl, I never had such freedom of expression.”
MELANIE BRITTAIN
Media now: etching, watercolor, metallic leafing, collage
Media then: oil painting
“Working in my sunny Elks' Club building studio, I realized that ‘real artists’ don't just paint on weekends, they paint everyday! Constant contact with master silk screen printer Rick Lamphere, whose studio was down the hall, was my biggest influence. My annual Telluride Film Festival art shows taught me how to sell to the public.”
JAN (WEICKHARDT) ERIKKSON
Media now: etching, relief prints
Media then: watercolor
“Living in Telluride…good friends, fun times, caring criticism and great collaborative shows supported by strong local participation set me on a path to learn more and experiment more with my work.”
JOHN FAHNESTOCK
Media now: clay
Media then: clay
Telluride became the world to me. It inspired everything I did, from showing movies to fighting fires to making pots, in a community that grew to accept me, and vice versa.
RUTH FELDMAN
Medium now: potter
Medium then: oil painter
“I arrived in Telluride in the summer of 1972 and feel like it is where I began my life as I know it. I fell in love with the mountains, played in nature and made lifelong friends. There is a special bond for those of us who were lucky to be here ‘back in the day,’ before everyone found it.”
ELAINE FRENETT
Media now: watermedia, mixed media, on archival paper and visual art journals
Media then: embroidery thread, pen and ink, watercolor pigments
“Living in Telluride, with all its beauty and character (yes, and characters) was an impetus pushing me to develop my artistic talents and use them creatively. Finally, six years after I left Telluride, my yearning overcame my fears, and still, to this day, propels my endless curiosity and development.”
RICK LAMPHERE
Media now: digital giclee
Media then: silkscreen printing
“Telluride has such an abundance of natural scenic beauty, it is the source of infinite inspiration for a creative person.”
LYNN RAE (SWARTZ) LOWE
Media now: sculptor and painter; bronze, steel, copper, aluminum
Media then: pottery and ceramic tiles, graphics
“Fleeing Detroit in 1973 I came to see my brother, John Cohn, in Telluride. I felt freed to start exploring who I was while, at the same time, I was provided the opportunity to interact with celebrated creatives in all genres of arts and science. These personal experiences taught me that creativity lies, waiting, within each of us. This gave me the confidence to pursue developing my own creative potential. I am still actively on that path, and grateful for the life of an artist. I cannot image how that could have taken root in Detroit!”
INGRID LUNDAHL
Medium now: photography
Medium then: photography
“I entered the Sheridan Bar, Christmas time 1977. The blast of outlaw spirit was palpable. I knew I was home. Though a writer by trade, I preferred speaking with my camera. I became obsessed with capturing Telluride’s impish behavior…and the festivals fraught with stars and musicians, bold enough to find their way to this remote burg, pre-airport. I still prefer shooting outlaws.”
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