Arts Perspective magazine - Issue #30

studioFall 2011 • Issue 30

visual | performance | literary | culinary | healing

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StudioFall 2011 • Issue 30

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Note to ReadersDenise Leslie, Publisher

Art Events Calendar

Culinary Arts Listings

Artist Listings

The Artist Studio From A to ZStew Mosberg

The Great ManJohn Seed

The Parlor and the StudioJudith Reynolds

Sanctuary for the SoulMalia Durbano

Can’t Stand The Heat? Get Out of the StudioLauren Slaff

The Six Degrees of Ed StasiumLeanne Goebel

(Sometimes) Sacred SpaceLauren Slaff

Dancing Back to their RootsConnie Gotsch

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Gleb Derujinsky, 1925 – 2011

Durango has lost a great friend and an immensely talented photographer. Gleb Derujinsky passed away June 9, 2011, leaving a large hole in our photographic community. He was as well known for his trend-setting fashion and jazz photography, as he was for his glider flying skills, his stint as a racecar driver, his years of ski instruction at Durango Mountain Resort, playing Chopin on the piano, and his cranky sense of humor.

As a photographer, Gleb had a natural understanding of composition and a unique ability to combine the extraordinary and the plain. He developed his own style, mixing high fashion models with everyday settings and working class people. Gleb was a true innovator – he became a member of the prestigious New York Camera Club as a teenager and worked beside such legendary artists as Steiglitz, Steichen, and Avedon. What made Gleb so unique was not the scope of his talent, but that he mastered whatever he put his mind to. We’ll miss his stories, his mentorship, and his music. - Brandon Donahue

Brandon Donahue is the manager of Open Shutter Gallery, (970) 382-8355, www.openshuttergallery.com.

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Note to the Readers

Studio Fall 2011 • Issue 30

Welcome to the publisher’s studio of Shared Vision Publishing – home to Arts Perspective magazine, Southwest Arts Programs and Durango Open Studios. It’s a small and simple office, and one that’s in total transition (as the meager furnishings suggest).

This has been a fantastic year for us. In addition to an art director, we have added a sales manager, distribution supervisor, official “staff” journalists, a photographer and a new copy editor – all of which have facilitated the move from a one-room space at the Durango Arts Center to a two-room suite on Main Avenue in Durango. We are a “publishing house,” but I am rather fond of the “studio” concept and enjoy the feeling of being in our own little sacred place where we think, create and develop our publications.

In this issue, you will have an opportunity to learn more about how and where artists find their inspiration to create. Look for the “Studio Quirks” throughout the magazine and consider joining us for the Durango Open Studios tour and art sale Oct. 15-16, 22-23. Get an inside look at the business of an artist, tour the studios and watch them work – you’ll be amazed!

Until next issue,

Denise LesliePublisher/Editor

What art offers is space - a certain breathing room for the spirit. - John Updike

Carrie Fell – paintings, hand-embellished limited edition giclée printsStudio location: Denver, Colorado

When Carrie Fell enters her studio to create, she becomes a different person.

The effervescent personality gives way to the graceful ballerina. As she pours

diluted acrylic paint across the canvas laid horizontal on sawhorses, the dance

begins. When she puts her hand on the canvas to move the paint she becomes

the lead in a fabulous production of a story of the west. With ethereal music as

a backdrop to the performance, her studio becomes a stage for the ballerina,

and her cast of canvases and paints come together in perfect rhythm. At the

performance’s end, anyone observing is witness to bright colors that tell stories

of cowboys and cowgirls, longhorns, horses and buffalo. As Carrie emerges

from her alter ego, we give a standing ovation and applaud her joyful, colorful

work. And if we’re lucky, we get to bring the result of one of her many studio

“performances” home to enjoy for a lifetime. - Kay Ford

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PHOTOS: Scott Griggs

Photo: Brian Birlauf

magazine

8 Studio Fall 2011

PHOTO: Scott Griggs

Introducing our “Creative & Editorial Team”for Arts Perspective magazine

(L to R) Stew Mosberg, Lauren Slaff, Judith Reynolds, Denise Leslie, Leanne Goebel, Amy Hartman, Tracy Korb, Scott Griggs

Stew Mosberg - Stew retired from a suc-cessful career in design and branding and moved to Colorado to write full time. He is a recipient of a grant from the National Endowment of the Arts, has taught at The School of Visual Arts and Parsons in New York, has authored three books, is former publisher of The Cultural Times, and has written hundreds of newspa-per and magazine articles, mostly about art.

Lauren Slaff - Lauren is a graduate of Syra-cuse University and the Institute of Culinary Education in Manhattan. She trained in the kitchen of Blue Hill at Stone Barns – recently named “The Most Important Restaurant in America” by The New York Times - un-der the guidance of chefs Dan Barber and Michael An-thony at the metropolitan area’s only 3-star restaurant on a working organic farm and educational facility.

Judith Reynolds - Journalist, critic, and co-author of Nordenskiold of Mesa Verde, Judith cov-ers cultural events in the Southwest. A graduate of the University of Michigan, Judith taught art history in Michigan and upstate New York before converting to life as an arts journalist and political cartoonist. She has won awards from New York and Colorado Press Associations for features, reviews, cartoons, and in-vestigative series.

Leanne Goebel - Leanne is an indepen-dent art writer, critic and curator who strives to write about art in a way that is accessible, with a strong voice and purpose. She is a member of the Interna-tional Association of Art Critics, a 2010 Excellence in

Journalism Award Winner for best online blog, a 2009 NEA International Arts Journalism in the Visual Arts Fellow, and a 2007 Creative Capital | Andy Warhol Foundation Arts Writers Grant.

Amy Hartman - Amy is Designer and CEO of honeybee: interactive, which believes that logical design – whether print or digital – should enchant and inspire. Amy has 27 years of professional experience, honed at Walt Disney Interactive Group, PETsMART.com and others. Her designs have won a 2008 Sum-mit International Award and a 2008 Communicator award. Amy’s original flash piece, The Voice of Hawaii, inspired author Tim Brooke’s Guitar: An American Life.

Tracy Korb - Tracy has 20 years of experi-ence as a writer, editor, and communications profes-sional. After graduating from Marquette University, she began her career in public relations in New York City. A resident of Durango, CO, since 2000, Tracy is currently lead copywriter and editor in the marketing department of Mercury Payment Systems, one of La Plata County’s largest employers. In her spare time, she is a freelance writer and editor.

Scott Griggs - Scott is the owner and man behind the lens at Scott Griggs Studios, a business-to-business commercial photography studio, located in Durango since 2009. His images grace websites, trade journals, annual reports and books. Scott is a firm believer in the adage “nothing happens until somebody sells something,” which is why his spe-cialty is creating images for advertising.

Maggie FinalistBest B&W Layout & DesignWestern Publications Association 2008 Awards

1st Place A&E Feature“Hello, Goodnight!” Written by Sonja HoroshkoSociety of Professional Journalists 2008 Awards

3rd Place Personality Profile“Laboratory Ink” Written by Connie GotschNew Mexico Press Women 2009 Awards

The mission of Arts Perspective magazine is to reflect the diversity of arts in Colorado and west of the Rocky Mountains.

Publisher & EditorDenise Leslie | [email protected]

Art Director & DesignerAmy Hartman

Advertising SalesJennifer O’Donohue, Sales ManagerVeronica CortesJanice Reich

Copy EditorTracy Korb

ContributorsBrandon Donahue, Malia Durbano, Leanne Goebel, Connie Gotsch, Scott Griggs, David Long, Stew Mosberg, Judith Reynolds, John Seed, Lauren Slaff, Kate Skrainka, Kay Ford, Kyla Jenkins

DistributionAlan Rolston, Supervisor. Jay Alsup, Milt Beens, Scott Griggs, Janice Reich, Steve Williams

31,000 annually throughout the region including:Bayfield, Buena Vista, Cortez, Creede, Crested Butte, Dolores, Durango, Gunnison, Ignacio, Lake City, Mancos, Montrose, Ouray, Pagosa Springs, Ridgway, Salida, Silverton & Telluride, CO; Farmington & Aztec, NM; Blanding, Bluff & Moab, UT

Marketing & PublicityIndiana Reed(970) 382-9734 | [email protected]

MembershipsCortez Chamber of Commerce, Durango Arts Center, Durango Chamber of Commerce, FarmingtonChamber of Commerce, Mancos Chamber of Commerce, Pagosa Springs Chamber of Commerce, Western Publishers Association, National Association of Professional Women

PrintingVanguard Printing

Subscriptions$25; Mail payment to Arts Perspective magazine, P.O. Box 3042, Durango, CO 81302 or call (970) 403-1590 to pay by credit card.

Arts Perspective is an independent magazine published quarterly by Shared Vision Publishing, LLC. ISSN#1554-6586. Contents are copyrighted, 2010 by Shared Vision Publishing. All rights reserved. No part of this print or online publication may be reproduced without written permission from the publisher. Queries are accepted. Articles and letters are welcome; however the publisher is not responsible for unsolicited materials and will not return materials unless accompanied by sufficient return postage. Materials accepted for publication become the property of Arts Perspective and Shared Vision Publishing, LLC. Artists retain all rights to their work. Arts Perspective is not responsible or liable for any misspellings, incorrect dates or information in its captions, calendar, listings or advertisements. Articles and editorial notes represent the views of the authors and do not necessarily represent theviews or policies of Arts Perspective magazine.

Shared Vision Publishing, LLC736 Main Ave. Suite 7, Durango, CO 81301

(970) 403-1590

Publishers of Arts Perspective magazine, Southwest Arts Programs & Specialty Publications

10 Studio Fall 2011

The Artist Studio From A to Zby Stew Mosberg

the word studio might invoke images of a tiny garrote overlooking the rooftops of Montmartre or a messy, crowded, walk-up flat in the Greenwich Village of the 1950s.

This somewhat romantic notion is likely based on cinematic portrayals of the struggling artist, but not always.

Historically, the studio, or atelier, as known in France, grew out of the workshops and schools of the most popular artists of their day. The word itself stems from the Latin studium or studere, meaning to study.

During the Renaissance, successful artists often accepted simultaneous commissions which then required assistants to mix pigment and prepare walls for frescoes or build sets for backgrounds. Students sought apprenticeships with the most famous of the lot and paid handsomely for the privilege of learning from the master. In the 13th century Giotto, the so-called first “modern” painter, had apprenticed with Cimabue, and it is likely he, too, had learned his craft from another.

Some two centuries after Giotto, Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519) inhabited several studios in various locations that were considered centers of artistic pursuit and invention. Frequented by eager students as well as noblemen, these were places where paintings shared space with miniature models of da Vinci’s contraptions; where hand tools, powdered pigment and encoded notebooks filled shelves and tabletops.

Two hundred years after da Vinci, Flemish master Peter Paul Rubens (1577-1640) held court in his own immense studio-workshop, where allegorical tales were staged much like theater pieces, replete with costumed models and winged-cherubs hanging from ropes. The space in which to do all this had to be large indeed.

As painters grew more sophisticated, they recognized the value of indirect light; it was light from a north facing window in particular that helped generate some of the Old World’s greatest paintings. Dutch master Johannes Vermeer (1632-1675)

is known for his north lit studio in Delft, Holland where most of his famous paintings were produced. The scene within his The Art of Painting gives a lovely idea of what his studio probably looked like.

Some 700 years after Giotto, Andy Warhol’s silver foil lined The Factory, became one of the best known studio-workshops of the 20th century. On any given day or night, The Factory could be counted on to have an assortment of eccentric people milling about. There, visiting artists discoursed on conceptual and expressionistic art and fed off of each other when pushing the limits of where art was heading. A contemporary of Warhol’s, Peter Max, continues working today and employs over a hundred people in his Manhattan studio.

A studio can be chaotic or orderly, noisy or serene, cavernous, or petite in scale. An artist’s work will dictate the size and type of space needed, yet many make do with whatever they can: a garage, an attic, or a corner in the basement. Jackson Pollock (1912-1956) converted a barn on his Long Island property into a studio. There, he could roll yards of canvas onto the floor and splatter, spread, and throw paint to his heart’s content while walking around all four sides.

Some artists listen to music while others want complete silence. Some work standing up, others prefer sitting down. Because he was small in height, painter Vance Kirkland (1904-1981) created a system of belts and pulleys so he could suspend himself above large canvases, allowing his short arms to reach every corner with relative ease. An artist’s creative environment is as diverse as the work itself. Ask, and most will tell you they are happy to have any dedicated space. But then, almost all would like more of it.

Durango environmental artist Mary Ellen Long works in a home

Visual

Left: Jeff Madeen’s studio, photo by Scott Griggs. Right: Angels hung behind the clouds in Ruben’s north facing windows

For non-artists, Warhol, Rubens, da Vinci


Open Studio ToursMost people never get to see the

inside of an artist’s studio, so when given an open invitation to enter the inner sanctum of creativity, art lovers and the generally inquisitive public will jump at the chance. Over two consecutive weekends, October 15-16, and October 22-23, the recently restructured Durango Open Studios Tour (DOS) will provide just such an opportunity.

Expanded this year to encompass Durango, Bayfield, Ignacio and Mancos, the tour will include 48 studios where visitors can meet the artists and discuss their styles, mediums, methods and even purchase work directly from the source. As an appetizer of sorts, on September 9-20, the Durango Arts Center tantalizes viewers with a “taster” exhibition curated by Crystal Hartman, which showcases work by participating DOS artists. Guides to ease your journey are available at the DAC, as well as each artist’s studio and select locations throughout the region. For more information, go to www.durangoopenstudios.com.

Hungry for more? The Farmington Studio Tour, now in its ninth year, will be held November 5-6. Hosted by Sarah Teofanov, Janet Burns, Liz Stannard and Anna Ashford, the four Farmington artists open their studios and invite other area artists to share their space during the tour; about 20 in all are expected to be involved. To make it even more fun, visitors can pick up a “passport,” have it stamped at each location and then entered in a drawing for artwork by participating artists. Maps and additional information can be requested by emailing [email protected].

- Stew Mosberg

studio which is approximately 400 square feet; large by most standards, yet she too would like more space. Her work space is well lit, organized and immaculate; everything is tucked away in boxes, on shelves, in storage cabinets and files, even old suitcases. Long is quick to caution however, that while the space looks almost pristine to a visitor, “It is messy when I am intensely involved.”

Post-industrial visual artist and sculptor Jeff Madeen tends to work big: big imagery, big ideas, big issues. He is fortunate to have three adjacent spaces in which to create his diverse work: a tidy computer design space of 800 square feet and another very clean fabrication studio of the same dimensions, plus a welding place of 1,000 square feet. Madeen is always on the lookout for more post-industrial waste and consumer electronic cast-offs, which he cleverly incorporates into his work. As might be expected, things such as packing material, computing hardware, magazines, steel and wood, can

pile up quickly. As a result, he half jokingly says, “The design studio is usually organized but the fabrication studio runs from barely organized to a totally chaotic pigsty.”

One unique approach to the studio environment can be experienced at “&”, located in a windowed storefront on Main Avenue in Durango. Studio to five artists, the essence of the workspace is found in the camaraderie offered by the close proximity of each artist. The alliance and incubation gained from such physical closeness and all that talent far exceed the loss of privacy and lack of room to spread out.

Tomorrow’s version of the studio may well be foretold in today’s iPads and all-powerful laptops. In the hands of a talented, tech-savvy artist, it is all that is needed to create visually stunning images that move, incorporate sound and can be transmitted around the world in nanoseconds. Da Vinci would be pleased. e

Tim Kapustka – Graphic design and Digital ArtsStudio Location: Storefront, Durango, Colorado

Kapustka works at studio “&” on Main Avenue in Durango, alongside four other artists. Of

his work environment, he says, “I am constantly writing things down; be they bits of ideas,

sketches, or just words that I need to remember. I could have 5-6 pieces of paper surrounding

my computer and usually at least one notebook open. And pens ... I really like a good pen to

write all these little bits of information down. I keep lots of books in the studio. I am very inspired

by the way things ‘used’ to be done. (Conversely) the internet also provides a great way to get

in these odd little cracks that can inspire in the most unexpected of ways. I love it ... and I hate

it. That’s my relationship with the internet.” - Stew Mosberg

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Literary

Fiction

UCLA Professor Emeritus Lorenzo Sifuentes, recently turned 80, adjusted his glasses, his new black “computer” glasses. Although he had composed his poems in pencil on yellow legal pads for over 50 years, it was time for his habits to change. A month after his wife Margo’s death he sent his son Marcus to the Apple store on the Santa Monica Promenade, instructing him to bring home “a fine poet’s computer.” At this point in life, money was not an issue. “Just use my gold card,” he instructed.

Maybe the new machine would actually unlock Lorenzo and facilitate the writing of a few more sublime verses. Perhaps a long-delayed elegy for Margo? Since the beginning of their 53 year marriage, Margo had been his transcriber, his typist, and ultimately his word processor. Five years ago she had coaxed Lorenzo to start typing his own emails; now it was time to catch up with the times and compose his poems on the computer. “Pencils are for old men,” Lorenzo mused, trying to believe it as he thought it.

Sifuentes typed in a few words just to feel the square metal keys submit to his fingers. They were the first words he had written in three months, and they came slowly.

Marcus had, of course, followed his father’s instructions with passive aggressive avidity, bringing home a large horizontal monitor and an expensive brushed steel processor vastly more powerful than any writer needed. As the aging professor forced out his few solemn words, he mused that they were like the survivors of a shipwreck, struggling in a silver ocean. He was thinking of the words on the screen, but then he realized he was also thinking of himself and his son.

Lorenzo Sifuentes had been born with a metaphorical mind, for better and for worse. It was the fount of his genius, and also something of a handicap.

Necessarily, genetically and fatefully, his late mother, his late wife and his sole living offspring were all practical and literal minded. Lorenzo had been surrounded all his life by people who were different than him, but who stood in awe of him and served him loyally.

Lorenzo’s father had died in a car accident when his son was six months old. Perhaps the random genius that marked Professor Sifuentes had come through that genetic conduit, but he could only speculate. He learned early in life not to bring up the subject of “that drunk” in front of his mother. Nature, Lorenzo believed, had made him different, not nurture. His childhood had been unremarkable until his eighth grade writing teacher had called his mother in for a conference. “Lorenzo,” he said with the boy present, “has a special gift.” And, in truth, he did.

Everything came to Lorenzo early and easily. Marriage to his high school sweetheart, rave reviews on his writing, a plum teaching job; all of these things were effortlessly his by the age of 26. What talent he had. Lorenzo could easily say and write things that could take

The Great Manby John Seed

ILLUSTRATIONS: David Long


your breath away. The years brought an embarrassment of accolades, and a living room wall plastered with honorary degrees and tributes.

The plan had always been that Lorenzo would be the first to die. Margo would be fine; the Westwood house alone was worth $2.2 million, the university pension was generous, and the mortgage had been paid off twenty years ago before. Publishers were still sending checks, and the book of essays on Lorca was going into its fifth printing.

Since he turned 50, Lorenzo had gone through some kind of health crisis every ten years or so – the encephalitis that hit him in Rome in 1983 had nearly done him in. Margo’s family had the longevity gene. Her father had made it to 92, her mother to 96. Lorenzo had already given Margo and Marcus several very beautiful, very maudlin “When I am gone…” speeches after the pacemaker was installed in his mid-seventies.

Death however had its own agenda. It always does. Between the fateful morning when Lorenzo had first noticed something

was wrong – “Margo, you are yellow,” he had told her as she stepped out of the shower – and her death from two kinds of cancer, there were only 63 days to plan, cry and hold each other under the covers. When Margo died, Sifuentes was shocked to find, after all the years of marriage, just how much he had loved her. Even more shocking was the realization of how much he had depended on her. His grief was profound, his helplessness pathetic.

Marcus was pathetic in a different way. Forty-eight, grey in the temples and overly tanned, his second marriage had staggered through its final stages as his mother fought cancer. When the funeral came, his soon to be ex-wife Nora had done him a favor by being there at all. What a mess this divorce was going to be. Nora and Marcus had owned a restaurant that Lorenzo had given them the money to open. A failed restaurant, a failed marriage, and the death of a mother who had oiled all the gears. Marcus had a lot to face.

After his mother’s burial, Marcus went straight to a bar, picked up a woman, and poured out his misery to her. “My father is a great man,” he told her sarcastically, “and now I am going to be his maid.”

Still, things started out reasonably well. In the weeks after Margo’s funeral, relatives, friends and former students brought casseroles and took out the trash. Marcus moved out of the house he had shared with Nora for 13 years and rented a two bedroom apartment ten minutes from his father’s place. He bought a bunk bed so his two boys could spend weekends, stocked the kitchen with a few stealthily procured things from the restaurant, and then walked away. Having an apartment at all was a futile gesture. He knew that for a few months at least, his grieving father would need him day and night.

Marcus did not become his father’s maid. An actual maid was hired, and along with vacuuming, dusting the folk art and making the beds, she left behind very nice beef empenadas for the weekends. Marcus served his father as a sort of amanuensis, just as his mother had.

He took nearly all the phone calls. Only the “chosen few” had the professor’s direct cell phone number. Marcus handled all the dealings with publishers, literary agents, editors, bankers, lawyers and doctors. The week after his mother’s death, Marcus arranged to have his father’s pool drained and re-plastered. Yes, he felt grief. Yes, the divorce was weighing on him. Yes, his father was a grieving pain in the ass. Yes, he was sad, too. But the pool needed work. Maintenance, tangible work, grounded him. Add to that, Marcus was now on Lorenzo’s payroll. At least his father trusted him – or didn’t care about

money. So he wrote checks to himself: $7K per month. “Marcus,” the forgetful professor asked his son one morning over coffee,

“just how much am I paying you?” “Not enough,” Marcus countered, “take your Levatol.” Marcus was an only son, born after three miscarriages. He had been a

handsome, appealing boy, and he was the subject of his father’s poems for several years. Still, Marcus couldn’t help noticing that after the age of ten, his father’s approval became more muted, his affection more distracted. In time, it all curdled into mild disapproval. Teenage Marcus chose – in the professor’s opinion – the wrong school activities, the wrong friends, and especially the wrong girls. Margo played the intermediary, but his father’s opinions lingered in the air. Even when Marcus finally excelled in something – soccer – Lorenzo rarely attended his games, and had trouble covering up the fact that he would really rather be at home writing.

Marcus’ first wife had married him, he quickly discovered, to gain access to Lorenzo. That was a disaster. In his second marriage, Lorenzo’s name often came up in arguments. “Your father patronizes you,” Nora would tell him. “That’s true,” Marcus would respond. “But please, let’s not bring my Dad into this.”

In essence, Lorenzo was in every aspect of Marcus’ life whether he was wanted or not. It was the “great man” effect. Growing up, there had been literally dozens of moments when a well-meaning adult at a book-signing or cocktail party had leaned down to ask him, “Young man, are you a poet too?” Lorenzo, when he overhead these things would gently intervene. “Well, he is quite a poet with a soccer ball…”

Although he did try, Lorenzo was not a good father to Marcus. He wasn’t a bad one either; mainly the father and son were mismatched. Friends of the family who observed the situation noted that fathering was really the only thing Lorenzo didn’t effortlessly do well. Paradoxically, Lorenzo could be fatherly towards students, but Marcus somehow grew up in the chilly shadow side of Lorenzo’s otherwise nurturing spirit.

With his father now dependent on him, Marcus rose to the occasion. Visitors commented on how well the house was running, and Lorenzo and Marcus got along better than they had in years. They were united by grief, and it helped that there were so many good restaurants in the neighborhood. Marcus enjoyed driving his father’s silver BMW, and he learned to sit back and enjoy the public moments when he overheard whispers at the next table. “Isn’t that Lorenzo Sifuentes?” The whisperers were often women his age, and over time Marcus began to relax and simply extend an invitation, “Won’t you join us?”

Spending more time with his father, Marcus began to realize that although Lorenzo would always effortlessly surpass him in nearly everything, maybe the old man’s style could be mimicked. When he was in public with his father, Marcus listened more carefully than before. He also began to re-read his father’s poetry, something he hadn’t done in years. He could see that it was great, but he was also struck by how disconnected it was from life’s realities.

By the summer after his wife’s death, the professor had become productive at the computer, and a new anthology of poems was slated for publication. Marcus made sure at the end of each work session that his father’s working files were saved and sorted, and that his publisher received the latest poems via email.

When the new book was almost complete, the professor’s health took a

Everything came to Lorenzo early

and easily. Marriage to his high school sweetheart, rave reviews on his

writing, a plum teaching job; all of these things were

effortlessly his by the age of 26.

14 Studio Fall 2011

turn for the worse, and he became depressed. Marcus would coax his father through each day, drive him to the doctor’s office and turn most visitors away. In the evenings fights broke out between the father and son. Lorenzo, ill and morbidly obsessed, reminded Marcus of his shortcomings. But Marcus held his own. One evening, after a few beers, Marcus told his father the truth, in simple unvarnished language: “You were a good husband to Mom, but you never knew how to be a father to me.” Lorenzo cried and admitted that it was true.

“I have been very self-absorbed ... and I had no father myself,” Lorenzo offered. “I didn’t realize how much you needed my approval.”

These things needed to be said for years. After that night, something changed. For the first time since his early

childhood, Marcus began to feel genuinely appreciated and approved of by his father. Marcus, who had been knocking himself out to care for the ailing professor, realized that the approval was well deserved. From the day of his mother’s death, Marcus had made smart decisions, seen to his father’s needs, and shown competence in dealing with the people and situations that needed attention. Visitors had been noticing this too, and Lorenzo’s friends complimented Marcus on what he had accomplished.

“Because of you,” a visiting editor told him, “your father has been able to write again.”

While his father watched TV one evening, Marcus logged in to the computer to review the day’s writing and to organize the files that were accumulating. His father’s most recent poem “Columbine: The Virgin’s Sorrows” was nearly three pages long, and Marcus read it dispassionately. Almost unconsciously, Marcus went to the end of the poem and added a few lines. He had read enough of his father’s work to mimic the style.

Then, he went back through the poem and changed a few words. Just making these small changes felt liberating. It was like winning an argument that had gone on for years. Working on his father’s poem felt both wrong and wonderful. When the TV went off in the next room, Marcus deleted his changes and re-saved the file. At least, years later, when he went over and over what had happened, that is what he told himself he had done.

Two weeks later, Lorenzo died, peacefully, in his sleep. He and Marcus had both been in great spirits the night before. Lorenzo felt his illness was receding. They had eaten at Lorenzo’s favorite restaurant, shared a fine bottle of wine and laughed together. Anyone who saw them that evening would have assumed the father and son were each other’s best friends, and would have envied their close relationship.

The memorial service, which Marcus organized precisely as his father requested, had some off moments, but none of them were Marcus’ fault. The turnout was large, but not as large as expected. Many of the other writers, professors, poets and critics in Lorenzo’s circle had passed away, and a few that had been expected didn’t show up. Doris Larkin, Lorenzo’s literary agent for over 30 years, later phoned to offer personal condolences and then mentioned that she “just couldn’t handle the traffic.”

Jim Reiser, a literary critic and a lifelong friend of Lorezno’s, muttered his eulogy into the microphone and those in the back of the university chapel missed half of what he said. After the service, a bulb in the LCD projector burned out halfway through the Powerpoint of snapshots culled from Lorenzo and Margo’s photo albums.

It took the LA Times a few days to run Lorenzo’s obituary, and the New York Times ran only a short piece, written by a travel writer who had never met

Literary

Almost unconsciously, Marcus went to the end of the poem and added a few

lines.


Lorenzo. All of the obituaries seemed to be largely based on Lorenzo’s Wikipedia entry, and there were a few small factual errors. Marcus made sure to write letters to the editor the next day to offer corrections.

Marcus decided not to sell his father’s house. There would be more than enough money to pay the property taxes and upkeep and hang on to it. He had practically been living there anyway, so he gave up the apartment. His sons came to stay for two weeks, the longest time they had spent together since his divorce from Nora. Marcus felt genuine grief over the loss of his father. He was also grateful that they had been able to resolve so much before the old man’s death. Marcus felt fortunate. He met a woman, and something about the new relationship felt right.

When his father’s book was released, Lorenzo Sifuentes: Final Poems, 2010, Marcus checked the papers every morning expecting so see a review, but nothing appeared. Eventually, Doris Larkin e-mailed him a link to a review that appeared in a new literary blog. It was a very short piece titled, “A Once Great Poet’s Surprising Last Verses.”

“Thirty years ago Lorenzo Sifuentes was considered one of America’s leading poets, but his reputation has been in decline. The publication of a small anthology of his final poems will likely reverse this trend. A poet once known for his obscure references and esoteric metaphors, just weeks before his own death of heart failure, Sifuentes apparently found himself confounded and challenged by the death of his wife Margo. Grief wrought a change in the poet’s approach.

“In Sifuentes’ final poem, ‘Columbine: The Virgin’s Sorrows,’ there is a surprising, unexpected and revelatory shift in tone. Sifuentes’ language, normally elusive, becomes lapidary and precise. Shifting from metaphorical speech to direct reference Sifuentes momentarily becomes another writer entirely. The result feels like a complete rebirth for a poet whose best years had seemed to be far behind him. ‘Columbine’ will be remembered as Sifuentes’ greatest poem, and is likely to cause a re-examination of interest in the poet’s prior works.”

Marcus sat at the monitor, absolutely silent for minutes, maybe even an hour.

“Oh fucking mother of Jesus!” he finally muttered out loud.Then, Marcus screamed, to an empty house: “Papa! Papa, where are you?

I need you!” e

John Seed is professor of art and art history at Mt. San Jacinto College. He contributes to several publications and has been honored by the Society of Professional Journalists.

16 Studio Fall 2011

Fall 2011Art Events CalendarFree Art Event Listings are subject to editorial revision to accommodate space and AP Style Guidelines. Limited space is available on a first come, first serve basis. Email [email protected] by November 1, 2011E V E N T L i s T i N g s

SEPTEMBERNOW – SEPT. 30 “Just Nell” Photographer, Nell Lindenmeyer Riverside Nature Center, Farmington NM (505) 599-1422 www.farmingtonmuseum.org

NOW – SEPT.19 - LAURA COOPER ELM Ceramics Exhibition Crested Butte Center for the Arts, Crested Butte CO www.crestedbuttearts.org

NOW – SEPT.17 Eat Local Celebration!Durango CO (970) 382-2542 www.local-first.org

SEPT 9-17The Fountainhead: black and white photography by Cole Thompson Sideshow Emporium & Gallery, Dolores CO (970) 739-4646

SEPT. 9-10, 16-18 The Secret Lives of the DivinePagosa Springs Center for the Arts Pagosa Springs CO (970) 731-SHOW www.pagosacenter.org

SEPT. 9 – 25Durango Showcase of the ArtsDurango CO www.durangoshowcaseofthearts.org

SEPT. 9 – OCT 7New Mexico Stories Art ExhibitFine Arts Center GallerySan Juan College, Farmington NM (505) 566-3430 www.sanjuancollege.edu

SEPT. 9 Durango Gallery WalkDurango CO

SEPT. 9, 5-7 P.M. Art at Eno w/Mary Lou MurrayEno, Durango CO (970) 385.0105 www.enodurango.com

SEPT. 9, 5-7 P.M.Open Doors Exhibition ReceptionDurango Arts Center, Durango CO (970) 403-1590www.durangoopenstudios.com

SEPT. 9-10 Durango Public Library Literary FestivalDurango CO (970) 375-3380 www.durangopubliclibrary.org

SEPT. 9-18Open Doors - Taster Exhibition for Durango Open StudiosDurango Arts Center, Durango CO (970) 403-1590www.durangoopenstudios.com

SEPT. 10, 6:45 P.M.San Juan SymphonySan Juan College, Farmington NM (505) 564-3600 www.sanjuansymphony.org

SEPT. 10, 4-9 P.M.Harvest Beer FestivalParque de Vida, Cortez CO (970) 560-2767 www.montezumaland.org

SEPT. 10, 5 P.M.Pops in the ParkValley Symphony Association Cedaredge CO www.valleysymphony.net

SEPT. 11Meet the Artists – Cogan, Hubble, Farm, Blair, LawingWines of the San Juan, Blanco NM (505) 632-0879 www.winesofthesanjuan.com

SEPT. 11, 3 P.M.Pops in the ParkValley Symphony Association Montrose CO www.valleysymphony.net

SEPT. 11, 5 P.M.San Juan SymphonyCommunity Concert Hall Fort Lewis College, Durango CO (505) 564-3600 www.sanjuansymphony.org

SEPT. 13, 10-11 A.M. Art & Artists - Alexander Calder presented by Joanne Bagley & Sandra Mapel Durango Arts Center Durango CO (970) 259-2606 www.durangoarts.org

SEPT. 15-25Colorado Mountain Plein Air FestivalSalida, Buena Vista CO Reception: Sept. 24, 5-8pm (719) 221-9398 www.coloradopleinairfestival.com

SEPT. 16, 4-7 P.M.The Grand PetiteArtist, Elizabeth Kinahan The Irish Embassy, Durango CO (908) 403.9975 www.elizabethkinahan.com

SEPT. 17Durango Salsa FestivalDurango, CO (970) 247-1129 www.durangosalsafestival.com

SEPT. 16-17, 7:30 P.M.Durango 10-Minute Play ContestDurango Arts Center, Durango CO (970) 259-2606www.durangoarts.org

SEPT. 16-18Telluride Blues & Brews FestivalTelluride CO1-866-515-6166www.tellurideblues.com

SEPT. 16-20San Juan Chamber Music FestRidgeway CO (970) 325-4381 www.opcag.org

SEPT. 18, 2 P.M.Sunday Screening Series presents Girl with a Pearl EarringDurango Arts Center, Durango CO

SEPT. 18, 7:30 P.M.Sam Bush w/The TrishasCommunity Concert Hall Fort Lewis College, Durango CO (970) 247-7657www.durangoconcerts.com

SEPT. 19, 8 P.M.Greater TunaDurango Arts Center, Durango CO (970) 259-2606 www.durangoarts.org

SEPT. 20-23TOP Exhibit & AuctionReception: Sept, 23, 5:30 p.m. Durango Arts Center, Durango CO (970) 259-2606 www.durangoarts.org

SEPT. 20, 10-11 A.M. Art & Artists - Georgia O’Keefepresented by Rosemary Juskevich, Connie Voss, and Susie Bonds Durango Arts Center, Durango CO (970) 259-2606 www.durangoarts.org

SEPT. 22, 7 P.M.Riders in the SkyHenderson Performance Hall San Juan College, Farmington NM (505) 566-3430 www.sanjuancollege.edu

SEPT. 22, 8 P.M.Calypso RoseSheridan Opera House, Telluride CO (970) 728-6363 www.sheridanoperahouse.com

SEPT. 23-25 Mancos Valley-Mesa Verde Country Balloon & Arts FestivalMancos CO (970) 533-7434 www.mancosvalley.com

SEPT. 24, 5-8 P.M. Real Night at the Museum Farmington Museum, Farmington NM (505) 599-1174 www.farmingtonmuseum.org

SEPT. 24, 6 P.M.Durango Film Festival “Walk of Fame”Durango Arts Center, Open Shutter Gallery & The BackSpace Theatre, Durango CO (970) 375-7779 www.durangofilm.org

SEPT. 24-2522nd Annual Fall Photo TrainDurango Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad Durango CO (970) 247-2733 www.durangotrain.com

SEPT. 24-25, 12-7 P.M.Harvest Wine Festival & Great Grape StompWines of San Juan, Blanco NM (505) 632-0879 www.winesofthesanjuan.com

SEPT. 27, 10-11 A.M.Art & Artists - Navajo Weavingpresented by Marta Snow and Susana Jones Durango Arts Center, Durango CO (970) 259-2606 www.durangoarts.org


Christina Erteszek – fashion designerStudio location: her home in Hermosa, Colorado

A visit to the cozy studio of designer and self-described “mad scientist” Christina Erteszek

provides a rare look into the alchemy of fashion design. Sketches and fabric swatches overlap

each other on a cork board; ribbons and yarn spill out of baskets. Working on several projects

at the same time, she develops her ideas organically, yet methodically. She might begin with a

sketch, then add a detail inspired by a magazine clipping, then adapt it based on forms found in

the natural world. Never satisfied with “good enough,” Erteszek often works at a frenetic pace,

pushing a design to reach perfection in fit and proportion, always searching for the perfect small

detail — a pocket, a line of decorative stitching, an unusual trim on a neckline. The garments she

presented last year at the DAC’s TOP fashion show helped jump-start her new line of women’s loungewear, Hermosa by Christina E.

- Kate Skrainka

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SEPT. 29, 5-9 P.M.ArtWalk Evening, Studios & Galleries Crested Butte CO www.awearts.org

SEPT. 29 – OCT. 1, 4, 6:30, 8:30 P.M.BUCK BackSpace Theatre, Durango CO (970) 259-7940 www.durangocowboypoetrygathering.org

SEPT. 29 – OCT. 2Western Art ShowReception: Sept 20, 5-7 p.m. Durango CO (970) 259-2606 www.durangocowboypoetrygathering.org

SEPT. 29, 7 P.M.Ken Overcast and R.P. SmithHenry Strater Theatre, Durango CO (970) 749-2995 www.durangocowboypoetrygathering.org

SEPT. 29 – OCT. 2Crested Butte Film FestCrested Butte CO (303) 204-9080 www.cbfilmfest.org

SEPT. 30 – OCT. 29Sacred Arts FestivalSt. Mark’s Church, Durango CO (970) 247-1129 www.sacredartsfestival.com

SEPT. 30, 8 P.M.Scott Cusso Live in ConcertSheridan Opera House, Telluride CO(970) 728-6363www.sheridanoperahouse.com

SEPT. 30 – OCT. 31Susan Reed, ArtistReception: Sept. 30, 6-9 p.m. Arborena Contemporary Art Gallery & Wine Bar Café Mancos, CO (970) 533-1381 www.arborena.com

SEPT. 30 – OCT. 1, 8 P.M.Western Swing DanceSyd Masters and the Swing MastersDurango VFW Hall, Durango CO (970) 749-2995 www.durangocowboypoetrygathering.org

SEPT. 30Cowboy Poet TrainDurango Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad Durango CO (970) 247-2733www.durangotrain.com

OCTOBEROCT. 1 Diesels and EaselsDurango CO (970) 259-2606www.durangoarts.org

OCT. 1, 7 P.M.Concert Band Benefit ConcertSilverton Congregational Church (505) 566-3430 www.sanjuancollege.edu

OCT. 1-2Aztec Highland Games and Celtic Music FestivalRiverside Park, Aztec NM www.aztechighlandgames.com OCT. 1 – NOv. 30Peoples of the Four Corners Art ExhibitReception: Oct. 8, 6-8 p.m. Farmington Museum, Farmington NM (505) 599-1174 www.farmingtonmuseum.org

OCT. 2, 7:30 P.M.San Juan SymphonyCommunity Concert HallFort Lewis College, Durango CO (505) 564-3600 www.sanjuansymphony.org

OCT. 7 – NOv. 12Seuss on the LooseDurango Arts Center, Durango CO (970) 259-2606www.durangoarts.org

OCT. 6, 7:30 P.M.SOLASCommunity Concert Hall Fort Lewis College, Durango CO (970) 247-7657www.durangoconcerts.com

18 Studio Fall 2011

Elsewhere StudiosStudio location: Paonia, Colorado

Nestled in the North Fork Valley between the Grand Mesa and Mount Lamborn is Paonia.

Comprised of environmentalists, New Agers, artists, activists, coal miners, organic farmers

and ranchers, Paonia is sui generis. In the heart of this town of 1,500, around the corner from

the Paradise Theatre, is a refurbished thyme green house, home to Elsewhere Studios, an

intimate artist residency program. Situated on Paonia’s main street with no traffic jams, it’s

the ideal setting for artists looking to do more than “get away from it all,” but to transcend life

as they know it and explore their intellectual and creative vision. Elsewhere Studios offers 3-4

residency spaces for artists with shared bath and kitchen. The quirky building has hardwood

floors, exposed brick, quiet nooks and lofts, stenciled walls, and arched doorways. It features a

working ceramic studio, a woodworking studio, and an open drawing and painting studio. One

to six month residencies are available for $450-$600 per month. http://www.elsewherestudios.org

- Leanne Goebel

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OCT. 7Downtown Art WalkFarmington NM

OCT. 7, 5-9 P.M. The Women of DurangoArtist, Elizabeth Kinahan Serving Life Chiropractic Studio, Durango CO (970) 403.9975 www.elizabethkinahan.comOCT. 7-15 Plein Air Moab ‘11Moab UT www.pleinairmoab.com

OCT. 8Durango Heritage TrainDurango Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad Durango CO (970) 247-2733 www.durangotrain.com

OCT. 8-10, 10 A.M.Abiquiu Studio TourAbiquiu NM(505) 685-4200www.abiquiustudiotour.org

OCT. 9 LA Philharmonic LIVE!Dudamel conducts Mendelssohn StoryTeller Theatre, Durango CO (970) 247-9799www.storytellertheatres.com

OCT. 13, 7:30 P.M.Anais Mitchell presents: Colorado Sings “Hadestown” Community Concert Hall Fort Lewis College, Durango CO (970) 247-7657 www.durangoconcerts.com

OCT. 14, 7 P.M.Durango Choral Society “He & She”St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, Durango CO (970) 759-2206 www.durangochoralsociety.org

OCT. 14, 11 A.M.Durango Friends of the Arts presentGlitz, Glamour and GirlFriends Strater Hotel, Durango CO (970) 259-0313

OCT. 14, 7:30 P.M.Masterworks Concert Henderson Performance HallSan Juan College, Farmington NM (505) 566-3430 www.sanjuancollge.edu

OCT. 14-15Four Corners Storytelling Festival Farmington NM (505) 599-1270 www.infoway.org

OCT. 14-31The Turn of the Screw Pagosa Springs Center for the Arts (970) 731-7469 www.pagosacenter.org

OCT. 15 Metropolitan Opera LIVEAnna BolenaStoryTeller Theatre, Durango CO (970) 247-9799www.storytellertheatres.com

OCT. 14-16Telluride Horror ShowSheridan Opera House, Telluride CO(970) 728-6363www.sheridanoperahouse.com

OCT 15-DEC 3Rosie Carter’s Farmers Market Photo Booth Project & Rick Scibelli’s Edible EyeReception: Oct 15, 6-9 p.m. Sideshow Emporium & Gallery, Dolores CO (970) 739-4646

OCT. 15, 7:30 P.M.Deer Camp, The MusicalFarmington Civic CenterFarmington NM(505) 599-1145

OCT. 15-16, 11 A.M. – 5 P.M.Durango Open StudiosDurango, Bayfield, Ignacio, Mancos CO (970) 403-1590 www.durangoopenstudios.com

OCT. 15-1612th Annual Farmington Renaissance FaireFarmington NM (505) 599-1174

OCT. 19, 7:30 P.M.Golden Dragon AcrobatsCommunity Concert Hall Fort Lewis College, Durango CO (970) 247-7657 www.durangoconcerts.com

OCT. 20-23Bluff Arts Festival 2011Bluff UT (435) 672-2253 www.bluffutah.org

OCT. 20-29Seussical, The MusicalPresented by Durango Performing Arts CompanyDurango Arts Center (970) 403-8000 www.durangoarts.org

OCT. 22-23, 11 A.M. – 5 P.M.Durango Open StudiosDurango, Bayfield, Ignacio, Mancos CO (970) 403-1590www.durangoopenstudios.com

OCT. 22, 5-9 P.M.The Soul of All Souls: The art work of the Day of the DeadStudio &, Durango CO www.anddurango.com

OCT. 22, 7:30 P.M.Those Amazing Teenagers – Mozart, Schubert & MendelssohnValley Symphony Association Delta CO www.valleysymphony.net

OCT. 22, 7:30 P.M.Suzy BoggussCommunity Concert Hall Fort Lewis College, Durango CO (970) 247-7657www.durangoconcerts.com

OCT. 27-29Rocky Horror Picture ShowHenry Strater Theatre, Durango CO (970) 375-7160www.henrystratertheatre.com

OCT. 28-29, 10 A.M.Rag Rug Festival & Design CollectiveFarmington Museum, Farmington NM (505) 599-1174 www.farmingtonmuseum.org

OCT. 29 Metropolitan Opera LIVEDon GiovanniStoryTeller Theatre, Durango CO (970) 247-9799 www.storytellertheatres.com

OCT. 29, 7:30 P.M.Trevor Hall w/Cas HaleyCommunity Concert Hall Fort Lewis College, Durango CO (970) 247-7657www.durangoconcerts.com


NOVEMBERNOv. 2, 7:30 P.M.Julie FowlisCommunity Concert Hall Fort Lewis College, Durango CO (970) 247-7657 www.durangoconcerts.com

NOv. 4-6Moab Folk FestivalMoab UT www.moabfolkfestival.com

NOv. 5 Metropolitan Opera LIVESiegriedStoryTeller Theatre, Durango CO (970) 247-9799www.storytellertheatres.com

NOv. 5 & 7Durango Choral Society“Ancient to Modern: Masterpieces for Choir and Organ” St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, Durango CO (970) 759-2206 www.durangochoralsociety.org

NOv. 5, 7:30 P.M.The Stand-Up DadsCommunity Concert Hall Fort Lewis College, Durango CO (970) 247-7657 www.durangoconcerts.com

NOv. 10, 7:30 P.M.San Juan College Jazz Combo Concert Henderson Performance Hall San Juan College, Farmington NM (505) 566-3430www.sanjuancollge.edu

NOv. 11The Art of Studio & Durango Arts Center, Durango CO www.andstudio.com

NOv. 11-12, 18-19Sarah Syverson: One Woman Comedy ShowDurango Arts Center, Durango CO (970) 259-2606 www.durangoarts.org

NOv. 1-30Unique Christmas DesignsRena Wilson Reception: Nov.11 6-9 pm Arborena Contemporary Art Gallery & Wine Bar Café Mancos CO (970)533-1381 www.arborena.com

NOv. 11, 7 P.M.Dancing EarthCommunity Concert Hall Fort Lewis College, Durango CO (970) 247-7657 www.durangoconcerts.com

NOv. 11The GourdsHenry Strater Theatre, Durango CO (970) 375-7160 www.henrystratertheatre.com

NOv. 12Boulder Acoustic Music SocietyHenry Strater Theatre, Durango CO (970) 375-7160 www.henrystratertheatre.com

NOv 12- DEC 3Dark Art: a macabre group show Sideshow Emporium & Gallery, Dolores CO (970) 739-4646

NOv. 12, 7 P.M.State Street Ballet’s Jungle BookHenderson Performance Hall San Juan College, Farmington NM (505) 566-3430www.sanjuancollege.edu

NOv. 13, 3 P.M.Montrose Arts Council SingersMontrose Pavilion Auditorium, Montrose CO (970) 240-0278 www.montrosearts.org

NOv. 15, 7 P.M.Classic Albums Live:Fleetwood Mac’s “Rumors”Community Concert Hall Fort Lewis College, Durango CO (970) 247-7657 www.durangoconcerts.com

NOv. 18 – DEC. 4The Lion in WinterPagosa Springs Center for the Arts (970) 731-7469 www.pagosacenter.org

NOv. 18, 7:30 P.M.San Juan College Concert BandLittle Theatre San Juan College, Farmington NM (505) 566-3430www.sanjuancollge.edu

NOv. 18, 7:30 P.M.BlastFarmington Civic Center (505) 599-1145

NOv 19 Metropolitan Opera LIVESatyagrahaStoryTeller Theatre, Durango CO (970) 247-9799www.storytellertheatres.com

NOv. 19, 7:30 P.M.San Juan SymphonyHenderson Fine Arts Center San Juan College, Farmington CO (505) 564-3600 www.sanjuansymphony.org

NOv. 20, 3 P.M.San Juan SymphonyCommunity Concert Hall (505) 564-3600 Fort Lewis College, Durango CO www.sanjuansymphony.org

DECEMBERDEC. 2, 5-9 P.M.Super Amazing Noel NightIrish Embassy Pub, Durango CO (970) 946-7660

DEC. 2, 5-9 P.M.I want that & that & that & thatStudio &, Durango CO www.anddurango.com

DEC. 3 Metropolitan Opera LIVERodelindaStoryTeller Theatre, Durango CO (970) 247-9799www.storytellertheatres.com

DEC. 5, 3 P.M.A Traditional Family ChristmasCommunity Concert Hall Fort Lewis College, Durango CO (970) 247-7657 www.durangochoralsociety.org

20 Studio Fall 2011

The Parlor and the Studioby Judith Reynolds

Salon, studio, workshop, the names we give our work spaces rarely include the word parlor. But by tradition, that’s where the art of tattooing takes place.

Body piercing and painting have a long history. The descriptor, tattoo parlor, emerged sometime in the Victorian era after sailors brought the practice of artistic tattooing back from the seven seas. Somehow, the word parlor drifted down from the French verb, parleur, to talk. It signified a room set aside for conversation, as in “grandmother’s front parlor.” But over time parlor came to mean simply a room for a particular purpose as in “beauty parlor.”

To satisfy sailors’ demands, tattoo parlors from London to Lisbon sprouted up in port cities. They were dark, smarmy places with more than a whiff of danger.

But that was long ago, and the ancient art of tattooing has undergone a modern makeover. Not only has tattooing become an acceptable fashion statement for many young people all over the world, but tattoo parlors have become downright upscale.

“We want this to be a welcoming place,” says Matt Rousseau about Your Flesh Tattoo Parlor, a stylish, light-filled studio on Main Avenue in Durango. “We completely redesigned our whole floor to make it appealing. We remodeled the space and opened it up. We have two skylights, lots of windows, brick walls, a new tin ceiling, and comfortable seating. We don’t want people to be intimidated.”

Rousseau’s studio is indeed open, airy, and inviting. The entrance may be a mere Main Avenue doorway, but once you turn the brass handle and climb the steep staircase, you stand in a pool of brilliant natural light. This is not your great grandfather’s tattoo parlor.

By knocking out interior walls and getting rid of office cubicles from the previous business, Rousseau created as airy a studio as any New York City loft. The skylights let in an avalanche

of clear Colorado sunshine. Windows along the south and western walls give the space an air of openness. One area spills into another.

“We wanted as much light as possible,” Rousseau said of the parlor’s 2000 square feet.

Like any studio, the tattoo parlor is a work space. A granite-topped reception desk holds a computer, a calendar for appointments, and sample books. More design books fill a table nearby where clients can sit in comfortable oversized chairs and consult with one of Rousseau’s six employees. The adjacent treatment area and the studio-within-the-studio contain what Rousseau calls “the drawing room.” And he doesn’t mean another Victorian parlor for conversation. He literally means drawing tables, a light box, copy station and reference library full of art books.

In this free-flowing studio, there are only two closed spaces, he says, both for privacy. The piercing room sits off reception. A sterilizing room used to be a kitchen and is full of stainless steel equipment.

“It’s the most important space here,” Rousseau says. “We’ve been in business 15 years, the last four at this location. We’re not exactly recession proof, but we’re holding our own.”

For his longevity in the tattoo business, Rousseau is well known about town. LeAnn Brubaker refers to his artistry as “new school.”

“Matt’s first rate,” says Brubaker. She displays her own tattoos with pride as Technical Director at the Community Concert Hall at Fort Lewis College. She got her first tattoo the minute she turned 18, she says, in Rangely, Colorado. In the beginning, it was just a moon and a pinnacle, to symbolize change and continuation.

Over the years, Brubaker has added to those first images and dresses to show off the tattoos on her back and legs. They have been created by several artists, but she stands by an “old school” artist at Custom Tattoo in Buena Vista, CO.

“Donnie, the owner, used to be here in Durango,” she says. “But he and his wife, Kim, moved to Buena Vista. It’s worth a trip up there to see him work. I like freehand tattoo work, and

“This is not your great grandfather’s

tattoo parlor.”


Visual


that’s what I mean by ‘old school.’ In that regard, Donnie is old school.”

Brubaker has taken her ideas, preferences, and often her own sketches to Buena Vista’s Custom Tattoo. Then, Donnie creates a universe that would be her own.

“It took two years and four sittings,” she says. “I wanted it done before I got married. I designed my wedding dress to show off my back.”

Brubaker’s legs are encircled with other imaginary characters, a small population of fairies.

“I believe that magic is possible, and these figures - gnomes, pixies, and a pooky - also represent the balance of good and bad in life. Tattooing is art you wear, art you take with you, art you carry with you.” e

Matt Rousseau at the drawing board

LeAnn Brubaker’s ‘magic’ legs

Bradley Kachnowicz – PainterStudio location: Garage

Kachnowicz currently works in a representational, expressionistic style. His

art can be seen locally at Wildflower Antiques in Durango. Of his work habits,

Kachnowicz says, “I regularly work on pieces for 6 or 7 hours, deluding myself

the whole time that I like the direction and then just smear the whole frustrating

thing up with rocks and sticks or wipe it all off with rags and begin again...

arrgh! Sometimes, and this is the weird part, I may actually be happy with

a day of creation. I tend to rearrange things a lot, and I do prefer a pleasing

Feng Shui (sic) and a certain constructive non-time wasting, where the f#@/%

is that order? But that’s in a perfect world, so things can get a bit messy and

chaotic at times. My perfect working vision is a Zen environment ... absolutely

zero clutter.”

- Stew Mosberg

PHOTO: Scott Griggs

24 Studio Fall 2011

Sanctuary for the Soul

by Malia Durbano

“You have to put your feet on the land to really experience this place,” says owner, Peggy Cloy. She and husband Lee have spent years creating the perfect retreat center.

“People come and take a day to decompress while exploring the grounds, and then go out to enjoy the surrounding communities. Using Willowtail as a home base, they have access to so many cultural, historical and nature based things to do.”

The immaculately and creatively designed lush gardens with tree branch lined gravel walkways connect the four small buildings that comprise Willowtail Springs Bed and Breakfast to the cattail rimmed private lake. Relax in the lounge chairs or take a canoe out for a spin or some fishing. The solitude and tranquility seep into your soul and psyche,

creating an inner peace that is hard to achieve in the hectic world that feels so far away.

Artists, writers, dancers, musicians and anyone wanting a totally private, quiet time to awaken creativity and restore balance will be inspired by the atmosphere here. The total immersion into lush gardens among ancient pinion, ponderosa pine and juniper trees nurtures body, mind and spirit. Benches appear in the walkways allowing for spontaneous moments or hours of outdoor contemplation. In the winter months, the cozy cabins with fireplaces provide that home away from home comfort for snuggling up with a good book or

Malia Durbano is a freelance writer and Zumba instructor in Durango. She enjoys international travel and outdoor recreation.

Healing



creative project. Snowshoeing and cross-country skiing are available right outside the front door.

Peggy’s original artwork hangs in the tastefully furnished cabins which all have full kitchens. The working artist studio is perfect for a private retreat, a group meeting or workshop in the intimate, secluded setting.

Willowtail Springs is recognized as an amazing bird sanctuary due to the wide variety of species that are attracted to the trees, water, and abundance of raw nature.

“Guests are always moved by something here. The landscape is magical. This place is an unusual mix of ancient trees, lush flowers, and spectacular views of distant mountains that nurture in a very special way. Once people experience this place, they always want to come back,” explains Lee.

Detailed information can be found at: http://www.Willowtailsprings.com or by calling 800-698-0603. e

Peggy Cloy in her art studio Lee Cloy in his ‘studio’

26 Studio Fall 2011

D u r a N g o

Pa g o s a s P r i N g s

C u L i N a rY a r T s L i s T i N g s

CHRISTINA’S GRILL AND BAR21382 Hwy. 160 West • Durango, CO (970) 382-3844http://www.christinasgrill.comWhere good friends meet and eat. Grab a burger on Tuesday night, a huge pasta spread on Wednesday night, or the Saturday rib-eye special.

eno723 E. 2nd Ave. • Durango, CO (970) 385-0105http://www.enosdurango.comDurango’s newest coffee/wine/tapas bar is an exciting contemporary atmosphere dedicated to the finer things in life, gourmet coffee, fine wine and tapas.

SEASONS ROTISSERIE & GRILL764 Main Ave. • Durango CO(970) 382-9790http://www.seasonsofdurango.comAmerican-style cooking perfectly paired with exemplary service. Our casually elegant dining room buzzes with the excitement of an open exhibition kitchen, award winning wine list and the best views of Main Street.

ALLEy HOuSE GRILLE214 Pagosa StreetReservations (970) 264-0999http://www.alleyhousegrille.com Located in downtown, the Alley House Grille has brought the dining experience to Pagosa Springs. Enjoy our global fusion cuisine in a 1912 renovated home. Winter/Spring hours: Tues-Sat. 5-9pm

If you would like be part of the Culinary Arts listings, email 30 words or fewer, including your contact info, description and a photo or logo to [email protected] or call (970) 403-1590. Listings are $50

H E s P E r u s

KENNEBEC CAFÉ4 County Road 124 • Hesperus, CO(970) 247-5674A taste of Tuscany nestled in the La Plata Mountains. Bistro setting featuring Mediterranean & American inspired cuisine, 10 miles west on Hwy 160. Extensive wine list, full bar, takeout and an ever changing seasonal menu. Event and banquet facility available.

WINES OF THE SAN JuANWinery, Tasting Room and Vineyard233 Hwy. 511 @ Turley - Blanco, NM 87412 505-632-0879http://www.winesofthesanjuan.comExplore Native American Ancients' territory as you meander along the San Juan River below Navajo Lake. Experience a "fine to fun" tasting fiesta for the palate in a rustic atmosphere with International acclaim. Open Daily except Tuesdays.

N a Va J o L a K E

M E s a V E r D E

METATE ROOM AT FAR VIEW LODGE(15 miles inside Mesa Verde National Park)970-529-4422 Open nightly 5 - 9:30 p.m. April 22 - October 21, 2011 http://www.visitmesaverde.com/dining/metate-room.aspx2010 Winner of the coveted American Culinary Federation Award for Excellence in Sustainable Cuisine, the Metate Room will surprise all your senses - heritage foods prepared with a southwestern flourish.

M a N C o s

ARBORENA114 Grand Ave. • Mancos, CO 81328(970) 533-1381http://arborena.com/home.htmlArt Gallery/Wine Bar Cafe featuring California & International wines along with local organic light fare, including vegetarian as well as gluten free choices. Thursday-Saturday & Monday 4-9. Limo service now available to and from Durango by reservation.

HIMALAyAN KITCHEN992 Main Ave. Durango, CO(970) 259-0956http://www.himkitchen.com Authentic flavors of the high-mountain regions of Tibet, Nepal and India. Our daily lunch buffet is a gourmet delight. The dinner menu offers a variety of tempting choices, including Yak, Lamb, Chicken, Beef, seafood, an extensive vegetarian menu and freshly baked bread from our clay oven.


BACK PORCH B.B.Q.480 Wolverine Dr., Bayfield, CO970-884-4364Back Porch BBQ Restaurant and catering serves traditional barbequed meats, slow cooked in our smokers with hickory wood and served with southern sides and desserts, all cooked fresh in our kitchen.

PAGOSA BREWING CO118 N. Pagosa BoulevardPagosa Springs, CO 81147 www.PagosaBrewing.comPagosa Brewing Company & Grill is Pagosa's National Award-Winning Brewery, recommended by Sunset Magazine & The New York Times. We've got a full made-from-scratch food menu including: Wild Harvested Salmon Fish & Chips, Local Grass-Fed Angus Burgers, Pizzas, Sandwiches, Salads & More.

Below: Todd and Kellie Stevens of Alley House Grille, owners

WHITE DRAGON GOOD FEELINGS TEAROOM Located at There’s No Place Like Home, Inc 820 Main Avenue, Durango, CO(970) 769-1022Purveys a selection of artisanal teas from Chinese Farmers. General Tearoom services 3-5 daily. Tea Flights upon request. Monthly shows of clay artists and tea vessels. Call to schedule tasting party or drop by during regular hours.


Pa g o s a s P r i N g s

28 Studio Fall 2011

You heard me. Watch my kitchen. This was better than anything Netflix could possibly offer.

Aaahhh. I’d just kick up my feet and absorb the beauty of it all. I’d marvel at the clean lines of the ample Euro style cabinets cleverly hiding the guts of my operation; the retro style filament light bulbs dangling from their pendants illuminating the cool surface of the massive stainless island; its brand new steely siblings - fridge, range and dishwasher - carefully chosen for their marriage of style and function. I’d gaze in awe at the magically suspended “floating shelves.” Beam at the cavernous double sink with its elegantly arched gooseneck faucet. It was like culinary porn.

Years later I still get goosebumps from my creation. Not just the aesthetic allure, but the functionality that goes hand in hand. Marrying all I had learned and desired as a passionate cook and a professional, it was my ultimate studio.

In the 1920s, a streamlined workspace known as the “Frankfurt Kitchen” was designed to offer maximum efficiency for minimum effort. Kitchens for the masses were stripped down to a dedicated special-purpose room, hygienically separated from the parts of the house where people worked, ate and relaxed. Perfectly modern in design, the original Frankfurt kitchen was the star of the Museum of Modern Art’s Counter Culture exhibit celebrating

the evolution and artistic relevance of the culinary studio.Just hours south at the Smithsonian, curious culinarians can

ogle over a later pinnacle in the stages of kitchen evolution. No studio has been as celebrated as that of the doyenne of American culinary creativity, our beloved Julia.

I recall visiting Edison’s Menlo Park studio as a kid. Marginally impressed by the work of the man credited with inventing the lightbulb, I would have gleefully traded up for touring the “lab”

where Julia Child perfected her infamous Boeuf Bourguignon. Donated in 2001, it was in this space she cooked for herself, family and friends - and the entire country. Child gave lessons, tested recipes for her cookbooks, and cooked with and for colleagues. For seven years it was the set for three public-television series inspiring millions.

In the past 40 years we have seen the size of the average kitchen double while the percentage of cooking time in these overgrown spaces dramatically diminish. Prompted by the media’s glorification of the “Celebrity Chef ” and the explosion of culinary programming, food preparation has transcended from necessity to leisure activity. An indulgence.

And indulge we have. The romance with high-end kitchen gadgets has prompted American to install professional Viking ranges with more BTUs than Burning

Can’t Stand the Heat? Get Out of the Studio

by Lauren Slaff

Culinary

our beloved Julia

When I first moved in, I’d sit in the living room and for sheer entertainment watch my kitchen.


Man and Sub-Zero fridges more spacious than my first apartment. Women prize top of the line Kitchen Aids and Cuisinarts while men gravitate towards “the golf clubs of cooks,” state of the art knives.

As a student, a teacher and craftsman of this art form, I chose to be more practical than the current trend towards unbridled excess suggests. Forgoing my professional discount on the aforementioned range, I consulted Consumer Reports, selecting a powerful GE at a fraction of the price. Sticking to a fixed budget, I thoughtfully selected my critical tools; trading pricey granite countertops for simple ceramic tile affording me the professional luxury of a low-maintenance stainless surface for my island, the center of my gastronomic universe. To maximize work surface I discretely tucked away countertop gadgets typically on display in today’s status-centric kitchens, behind a sleek cabinet door. In contrast, I ditched some cabinets and splurged on an open wall of trendy

floating shelves where folks could easily help themselves to dishes and drinking vessels. It was critical to me that nobody had to rummage around to feel at home and grab a plate of vittles.

This was my vision meticulously researched and orchestrated to create balance and ease in my workspace. Don’t get me wrong, I managed just fine for 18 years in a narrow galley kitchen in my Manhattan rental complete with crappy electric stove, minimal storage and even less counter space. Organizing as well as ebbing into my living area, I created function.

Culinary studios are a recipe of vision, resource and intention. Whether toasting a slice of bread in your $250 Breville toaster or concocting a complex soufflé in your secondhand toaster oven, the objective is the craft and the experience. The challenge lies in creating what inspires your own brand of culinary creativity in your own “perfect” studio. Come visit mine anytime! e

When I first moved in, I’d sit in the living room and for sheer entertainment watch my kitchen.

Louise Grunewald – Painter, Printmaker, Calligrapher, Artist’s Books Studio location: Durango, Colorado

“It is important to me to feel a sense of place and purpose in my studio. I value my privacy when I work and having the studio in a separate building accomplishes this, creating “sacred space” of a sort where my ideas can form, grow, and find expression. “Organization into distinct areas helps clarify and categorize tasks. The office area is for the business end of my work, emailing and time on the computer. It is in a corner separated by a wall from two creative areas: the largest part for drawing, painting, and bookmaking, the smaller section for my printmaking projects, where my etching press resides. I love the way my studio feels, particularly the great light - so essential to my work. I love spending time there and am grateful for the talents of my husband who converted a former garage into such a lovely environment.”

- Judith Reynolds

Cul

inar

y

Inspired by her kitchen, Lauren creates delicious art

30 Studio Fall 2011

Marilyn KroekerIntroducing watercolor worksAt Raven House Gallery120 Grand Avenue, MancosMon-Sat 10-5 • 970-533-7149 [email protected] at Desert Pearl, Cortez

Elizabeth Shull110 W Main St. Farmington, NM505-327-2129 / [email protected] Semi-precious Stones & Beaded Art Jewelry. One-of-a-Kind jewelry pieces, custom orders welcome. Hand made and unique pieces can be seen at Art, Bead & Soul in Farmington.

Mariah KaminskyCommissioned Portraiture & Paintings www.mariahkaminsky.comOil on canvas paintings from life or photos in any size up to 6’6”. Call 970-749-4089 for a consultation.

Beth WheelerCalligrapher(970) 533-7943Taking your favorite poem, song lyric, quotation, etc. and turning it into a work of art. Professional hand lettering and picture framing. Custom Calligraphy and Frame, est. 1991.

David SipeFolk & Fine Artist & Wood Sculptor(970) 533-7518 [email protected] collection of wood-carved sculptures in the Four Corners area. Just 3 miles east of Mesa Verde on Hwy 160. Sculptural furnishings for home, office and outdoors. Will travel for on-site dead tree enhancement.

If you are an artist or wish to support an artist you know by running an Artist Listing, email 30 words or less, including your contact information, description and a photo or logo to [email protected], or call (970) 403-1590. Listings are $50.a r T i s T L i s T i N g s

Barbara Grist Photography & Fine ArtArtist • Educator • Photographer(970) 560-2767 www.barbaragristphotography.comCreative images for all occasions including publication, stock, events, portraiture and fine art • One-on-one or group classes in the arts or photography • Fused glass jewelry and masks • Work for sale at Artwork Network in Denver, Picaya Home in Cortez and Sideshow Gallery in Dolores.

Maureen May(970) [email protected]/MMayPrintmaking, Painting, DrawingRepresented by Shy Rabbit Contemporary Arts, Pagosa Springs, CO

Janet Grenawalt DesignsFarmington, NM(505) [email protected] inspired by nature.Wall art, home décor, and garden mosaics

Tracy E. ImhoffArtist and owner of art supply storewww.paintingmarmotart.com 970-325-7232612 Main St./PO Box 1790Ouray, CO 81427Oil and pastel artist. Portraiture and pet portraits. Also work with Encaustics and glass.

Amy Vaclav-Felkerwww.amyfelker.com (970) 759-8457Quirky, colorful and ALWAYS fun!Stop by my website to see what's in stock ~ or request a creation of your own!

Page HollandArtistwww.moabartists.com801-201-4748Oil paintings inspired by the Colorado Plateau. See originals at The Western Image 39 North Main, Moab UT.

Peg Peterson, ownerThe Working ArtistOnline Artist Coop for Functional Art(970) 403-5076www.theworkingartist.orgAccepting Members Now

Jan Wright Watercolor artist • shamanic practitioner(970) 882-3130 • [email protected] www.butterflyvisions.comCliffs ~ Canyons ~ Collages Durango Studio Tour (October 15,16 & 22,23)Far View Lodge at Mesa Verde (Through October 15)Artisans of Mancos • Also see paintings at Artisans of Mancos.

Heather R. Narwid

Style Consultant970-739-4646 [email protected] Services: closet consults, wardrobe refinements, event and wedding concepts • Costume concept and design • Interior ReDesign: artwork, decor and furniture styling for home or business

Longsight Design

David Long970-769-4657In his spare time David operates Longsight Design offering design services including industrial design, graphic design, design visualization, illustration and 3D animation.

Photogenesis Photography Jonas Grushkin(970) 259-2718 www.grushkin.comPhotographer specializing in artists’ portfolios, commercial work and unique portraitures. More than 30 years experience.


Belly Dance Durango AnneCorrine www.annecorrine.comAnneCorrine has been teaching Belly Dance in Durango since 1998. All levels/ages welcome in Dolores and Durango.

a r T i s T L i s T i N g s

Timothy J. [email protected] in the San Juan Mountains • violins, violas and cellos • Commissions and restorations.

Lisa Mackey PhotographyArtist • Photographer(970) 247-3004 www.lisamackeyphoto.comStunning outdoor images from Durango and the Four Corners. Prints and notecards available online and at Open Shutter Gallery. Offering high quality photo printing of your digital images up to 13x19.

Anne & Louis ChavezJackalope Jewelswww.jackalopejewels.comEclectic adornment for yourself and your home. Paintings, original art neckwear, mixed media. Available at Feat of Clay, Aztec NM and Taos Art Museum Gift Shop, Taos NM.

Joaquin SalazarPhotographyhttp://www.wix.com/handsandfeetjoaquin/joaquin-salazar-photographyJoaquin Salazar was born into the landscape of the Southwest. Bluff offers proximity to walk in that landscape and his relationship with a camera leads him to represent the moments when language between earth and sky harmonize in song.

The Guitar Dojo, LLCRuth CutcherSmiley Building, Room 12www.GuitarDojoFC.com970-422-1891 [email protected] guitar lessons for children aged three and up.

Peggy Melyssa CloyWillowtail Springs and Nature Preserve970-560-0333www.willowtailsprings.comwww.peggycloy.compeggy@willowtailsprings.comPastel, oil pastel, acrylic and oil paintings and mixed media sculpture contemporary "mindscapes" or "interpretive reality"

Sydney Cooley Acupucture970-426-8736 [email protected] http://www.myacupuncturedurango.com Combining the art of Traditional Chinese Medicine with the science of modern medicine and practical tools for healthy balanced living. Now located within Serving Life Chiropractic 1040 Main Ave, Durango.

Connie GotschAward winning writer and photographerFarmington, NM505-326-4969 [email protected]’s Star and Belle’s Trial follow the development of a mutt from undisciplined to champion agility dog, empowering eight to 12 year-olds to make good life choices. Connie also has "Roving with the Arts" radio program on San juan college's KSJE Radio.

Cindy ColemanGraphic Design - Illustrations - Painting(970) [email protected]

Tanya LawyerCreating unique, one of a kind sculptures from recycled materials.(970) 563-4600 - [email protected] for sale at Dancing Spirit Gallery in Ignacio, CO

Featured Artist

32 Studio Fall 2011

Scarlett’s Snowdrift IIOil on Canvas 30 x 24”

Kathy Steventon | Wild Spirit Gallery, Pagosa Springs | www.steventonart.com


Theodore Geisel with his first wife HelenStudio location: La Jolla, California

This 1961 news photo features Theodore Geisel in his studio with his first wife

Helen (Palmer). The apparently happy photo of the rhyming author known as

Dr. Seuss, belies that Helen committed suicide in 1967 and Theodore remarried

Audrey Stone Dimond, the woman with whom Helen suspected her husband

was having an affair. Theodore and Audrey were married until 1992 when he

died of throat cancer at the age of 87. He had no children, but changed the

way they learn to read through his popular children’s books: The Cat in the Hat

and Green Eggs and Ham. Geisel made drawings and sculptures that he rarely

exhibited. In 1997, Audrey launched The Art of Dr. Seuss project to share his

drawings and paintings. Today, Dr. Seuss is known as an author and an artist.

Selections of his drawings will be exhibited at the Durango Arts Center,

Oct. 4-Nov. 12, in Seuss on the Loose.- Leanne Goebel

34 Studio Fall 2011

“I’m not the Smithereens. I’m Ed.” Ed Stasium said this nearly an hour into our interview when it was clear he was not just

any Ed, but Ed the award-winning music producer, engineer, mixer. Our conversation had wandered tangentially down a few pathways of his life and work. The walls along the stairs that lead down to his music studio are lined with platinum and gold records, Grammy Awards,

photographs and priceless mementos of rock ‘n’ roll history. We are sitting in the music studio of Stasium’s modest log home overlooking

a lake in Southwest Colorado. The wind is whipping the chimes into such a frenzy that he closes the door, blocking out the scent of summer’s

first raindrops, teasing the parched, dry land. I suddenly realize the Smithereens might not be the Smithereens without Ed.

He described his work as akin to a film director’s: guiding the creative process. A producer listens to demos and rehearsals, helping a band decide which songs to record. Ed isn’t a songwriter, but he knows what sounds good. He’s not a member of a band, although he’s played guitar with some of the finest. And he’s most famously known as the “Henry Kissinger of Rock ‘n’ Roll,” for helping reach a peace accord between Phil Spector and Johnny Ramone at Hollywood’s infamous Tropicana Hotel in 1979. Spector, during an all night recording session at Gold Star Studios, had forced Johnny to play the opening chord to “Rock ‘n’ Roll High

School” dozens of times and Johnny threatened to quit work on the album End of the Century. Seymour Stein of Sire

Records, upon hearing of this dilemma asked Stasium to solve the problem. Ed set up a meeting with the Ramones and Spector

in Joey’s freezing cold, darkened hotel room on a hot Spring day and brokered a deal between the mad genius producer and the band.

Stasium is credited as Musical Director on the album.Stasium is not a producer like Phil Spector – who considered himself

equally star maker and musical genius. Stasium is not about Stasium. He’s about the music and making it the best that it can be. He doesn’t have a signature sound or

style. Yes, he’s a musician, but he considers himself more craftsman than artist or visionary. He’s a collaborator, a member of the team.

“Frank Zappa said that art is making something out of nothing and selling it,” Stasium said. “I don’t make something out of nothing. I use an existing entity and build this vision.”

That vision has included everything from Gladys Knight & The Pips’ “Midnight Train to Georgia,” to the local Durango group, “Fuzzy Killing Machine.” Stasium was the founding chief engineer of Power Station, the legendary studio on 53rd Street in Hell’s Kitchen in New York City. He then went on to pursue an independent career recording and producing such diverse artists as Talking Heads, Julian Cope, Peter Wolf, Mick Jagger, Jeff Healey, Joan Jett, Marshall Crenshaw, Living Colour, Soul Asylum, Motorhead and The Hoodoo Gurus. Just to name a few.

Stasium has been making music and playing guitar since he was a young boy growing up in New Jersey. He recorded and mixed music on tape recorders, experimenting with multi-tracking in his parent’s basement. He played with various bands in New Jersey and had his first music deal in 1971 with the band Brandywine. Their album was released the same week as the The Who’s Who’s Next.

the six degrees of Ed StasiumBy Leanne Goebel

At the age of ten, Ed cataloged the records he bought with his allowance

Perform

ing



“We were the only white group recording at Brunswick Records, which was more well-known for Louis Armstrong, Count Basie, Jackie Wilson and Lavern Baker. And we had terrible songs,” Stasium said. Yet their album was engineered by Bruce Swedien who went on to record, mix and assistant produce Michael Jackson’s Thriller with Quincy Jones.

But it was Stasium’s experience recording at Brunswick and his work with Tony Camillo and Tony Bongiovi, owners of Venture Sound Studios, where he received his first hands-on experience in professional recording and earned his first Gold Record. Today, he is waiting for his download award for the number of Ramones’ hits that fill iPods around the world.

After meeting with Stasium and listening to just a few of the stories he can share about his life in music, it’s clear that he very well may be the Kevin Bacon of the music world; the music business could have six degrees of Ed Stasium. Name almost any well-known musician, and he’s worked with them, or worked with someone who worked with them, producing, mixing and engineering music, whether analog or digital.

Today, Stasium does it all from his computer in his home studio in Southwest Colorado, and he’s available for hire. Perhaps the next song or album he produces will provide the newest Grammy for his collection. e

36 Studio Fall 2011

I am perched on my great grandmother’s less-than-stable chair at her diminutive antique desk.

To the right of my mockingly modern laptop is a glass of water and a mug of half-caff, both tepid. The coffee draining faster than the H2O.

To the left, my trusty spiral notebook and black pen. Always black.I am showered, dressed and shod.To my left, I can gaze out at the serene river valley. To my right, a

meticulously made queen bed.This is my writing studio. And my bedroom.In my experience, a studio is the sum of its parts and the people it serves

– not the walls containing it. As the artists and architects of our crafts and our lives, we create the parameters of this sacred space.

Bed unmade? Still a bedroom. Shoes? A must. O.K., sometimes the coffee shifts to the left. These are the finely balanced elements creating the confines and space that foster creativity.

In 1983, my aunt and uncle’s courtship began with a decision to learn a craft together, helping create a common language. Living in a California commune, now affectionately referred to as “the cult,” they took up copper enameling and took vows. (Who knew copper enamel was such an aphrodisiac?)

Fast forward. With the commune long defunct, the years spent laboring in increasingly bustling San Diego inspired a move to the Southwest with retirement in sight. The transition from a life of creating income to one of simply creating meant finding a home to host their new direction. Actually, finding something that wasn’t built with a chainsaw and had an impenetrable roof was first on the agenda, followed closely by the need for a structure amiable to creating studio space.

She has always been an artist; he a journeyman and Jack of many trades. Their styles and needs very different. After perusing an “interesting” string of “possibilities,” a three-car garage that happened to be attached to a nice house revealed itself.

Project #1: a wall, her “one-car” studio. Project #2: a carport, his “two-car” workshop.

She required minimal natural light, thus creating more storage for her meticulously organized materials. And an easily cleanable floor. He needed room for his table saw, forthcoming bulky woodworking apparatus, heap of lumber and “enough rope to hang himself with.”

She used experience to dictate the evolution of her space. He believed the space would teach him what it needed. Both needed room to “not drive each other nuts.” For her, that meant sacred and specific. He preferred not viewing it as sacred at all, but fun. Motivating.

While their quest took them in different directions, their relationship and the space to be creative brought them closer. Sometime she “borrows” one of his massive tables. The carport doubles as an extended spray booth. The addition of their very own copper enamel kiln took them full circle.

Thus is the intrinsic nature of a studio, feeding not only the evolution of art, but also relationships. Take my pal who decided to transform an old tool shed into a glass blowing studio. Several years “A.D.” (après divorce), the single dad chose to move his neglected jewelry bench and other junk

out of the shed and create a well-equipped space for his teenage daughter and son; both had rejected high school to pursue their craft and actualize their dreams.

In this newly defined space, the kids learned, mastered and even taught. To an ever-present rhythmic Reggae pulse, friends joined in cultivating an energetic environment in contrast to the part-time empty nest created by the division of a family and the restless nature of teens. Dad, an artist himself, got back on the old jewelry bench and began creating.

Now in their mid-20s, each living on their own, the glassmith siblings and their posse continue to “come home” to Pop’s place to convene and create. They share space, ideas, tools, often dinner, always laughter.

Studio is as much a state of mind as it is a physical space; appearing in many forms, meaning something different to everyone. Whether it’s the table at your favorite coffee shop, a dedicated nook, a tool shed or a spacious three-car garage, studio exists in and opens up the hearts and minds of every artist.

Swallowing my last swig of cold coffee I type these final words and revel in the gift of creativity, sitting back in gratitude of the space that is mine in which to explore. e

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(Sometimes) Sacred Spaceby Lauren Slaff

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Ilze Aviks – Fiber Artist, Painter Studio location: Durango, Colorado

“Having a large studio has enhanced my art-making considerably.

In my college days and for years after I was scrounging for

studio space, no less large studio space. I was a painting major,

painted large canvases, usually in very small spaces. For the last

10 years, I have had a 600 square foot studio with vaulted ceiling

and windows on all four sides. It’s changed the way I feel when

I work – expansive, unfettered, uncrowded. I have a wall that is

covered in white Celotex fiber board onto which I pin drawings,

paint large lengths of cloth, and compose. It’s the largest easel I’ve

ever owned.

“I work on a regular schedule after a morning walk and breakfast.

Then, as I walk up the flight of steps to my studio every morning, I

feel a surge of gratitude and appreciation for the luxury of space.”

- Judith Reynolds

38 Studio Fall 2011

40 Studio Fall 2011

B u s i N E s s D i r E C To r Y


B u s i N E s s D i r E C To r Y

42 Studio Fall 2011

Dancing Back to Their RootsBy Connie Gotsch

Rulan Tangen’s career in modern dance and ballet put her on stages from New York and Canada to Europe. In summer, she danced in a different context – outdoors at Northern Plains traditional pow-wows.

Then she experienced cancer, and lay during recovery in “a dream like state,” where she became conscious of the rich aesthetics and philosophy of her Native American culture.

“I wanted to try to express (both) in a powerful physical way that didn’t look like any of the dance moves I’d seen,” she says.

But the cancer treatments left her “almost without a physical state.” She had little fat, little muscle. Barely able to walk and covered with burns, she could not make the movements she imagined.

Then, Joe Baker, “a compassionate and visionary” curator at the Heard Museum in Phoenix, asked Tangen to create a site-specific dance for the museum.

She collaborated with Native American violinist and break dancer Quetzal Guerrero, and two of his Native American break dancing friends, Thosh Collins, and Alejandro Meraz. The result was Dancing Earth Creations, with Tangen as Founding Artistic Director and Choreographer.

That was in 2004. Today, Dancing Earth has 8-20 performers from many Native American and dance backgrounds. It’s the first indigenous contemporary dance company to receive a National Dance Project

Production Grant. Tours have taken the ensemble around the country for performances and workshops.

When they visit Durango, CO in November, the company will perform a dance titled Of Bodies Of Elements (OBOE). With movement both futuristic and ancient, Tangen creates an intersection between ecology and the living cores of Native American cultures. To explore ecology, she employs bits of Native American stories and life philosophy.

“Ecology is present in many of our stories, which show us how to live in relation to the world,” she says.

As an example, she discusses a segment of OBOE called “The Three Sisters,” in which three women intertwine to depict corn stalks growing with beans wrapped around them. Squash spreads on the ground, just as a Native American farmer described to her.

“I think I realized my purpose in life,” she says. “I had been the instrument to the visions of other people, which is a beautiful way to go through life without ego. After I got sick and survived, I came to purpose: to create,

and to involve younger dancers in that creative process.”Dancing Earth Creations will perform at the Fort Lewis College

Community Concert Hall in Durango, CO, on Nov. 11, at 7:00 p.m. e

Barely able to walk and covered with

burns, she could not make the

movements she imagined.

PHOTO COURTESY OF: Dancing Earth

Perform

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Connie Gotsch is a freelance arts writer, who has published two award-win-ning youth novels, Belle’s Star and Belle’s Trial, written from a dog’s point of view and promoting pet care. She is the program director of KSJE FM public radio in Farmington, New Mexico. Contact her at [email protected].

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