Telluride Art News Aug Sept 2016 special edition

T.art tellurideartnews.com

Aug / Sept 2016

Alessandra Jacobson Living above Bridal Veil Falls

Time Travel

KAMRUZ GALLERY

Eunika Rogers Mary Kenez Su Baker

Manny Valenzuela Connie Townsend Eunika Rogers Mary Kenez

September Show

Plastography revived

Jo Ellen Bourg Mary Kenez at Kamruz Gallery

featuring...

“Gondogola” - Mary Kenez

Kamruz Photography & Art Gallery • 398 W. Colorado Ave. • Telluride, CO

“Bike and ski Telluride” - Mary Kenez

“Colorado Ave White VW” - Mary Kenez

Dear Readers, Welcome to the Aug/Sept 2016 edition of T.art!

The end of summer in Telluride is marked by the Telluride Film Festival. The stars are will be flooding into town and into Kamruz Gallery!

“Time Travel” the new show at Kamruz Gallery featuring Eunika Rogers, Suchitra Baker and myself.

Opening reception will be during September Art Walk Thursday, Sept 1st 5 pm-8pm.

Kamruz Gallery is thrilled to have Eunika Rogers live and in person, painting daily in the corner gallery.

Eunika’s art is fabulous in every way ...the medium is clay! Each stroke is clay from her travels. Come by and watch her next painting emerge.

Mainstays Connie Townsend and Manny Valenzuela both have new work at Kamruz Gallery. Come in and add to your art collection!

In this edition of T.art I’m excited to reprint Alessandra Jacobsen’s interview “Living above Bridal Veil Falls” part 1 . So interesting and informative. Can’t wait for part 2!

T.art welcomes artists to submit art of all media types, to be considered for Kamruz Gallery, T.art magazine or for tellurideartnews.com. The Kamruz photography contest runs each month.

Kamruz Gallery has something for everyone: catering to both the serious collector and the souvenir shopper. There is moderately priced art including signed originals and prints.

You can’t miss Kamruz Gallery, it’s right on the corner of Aspen St. and Colorado Ave..just look for the red beach cruiser and red skis.

Shop locally!

Mary Kenez Editor

cover: “Vitruvian Eunika” by Eunika Rogers

Telluride Art News is printed by:

Kamruz Gallery

Telluride, CO 81435 (970)708-0135 editor@tellurideartnews.com tellurideartnews.com Editor: Mary Kenez Publisher: Kamruz Gallery

Layout/Design : Eunika Rogers

Design and Website: TelluridePhotographer.com

logo and images ©2016 T.art & Mary Kenez

“Ruff RIders, Telluride” - Mary Kenez

Ruff Riders Jerseys are back! Available exclusively at Kamruz Gallery and Kamruz.com

Clay is Paint Eunika Rogers

I was born and raised in Eastern Europe - Czechoslovakia, but currently live in Memphis with my husband Scott. My creative lifestyle and my husband’s adventurous spirit take us to a lot of places - these last few months I’ve been wondering between Canada, Florida, and now Colorado. My upbringing and my travels play a huge influence on my art and how I see things. I express myself primarily in painting - I paint with clay that I dig up. I find it on my travels and as an ultra distance runner - on long runs or hikes. I take my camera everywhere and document my journey and ideas that go with it.

My artwork is in self-portraiture and the environment that surrounds me and influences me. It is a visual dialogue between landscape and the female body. I focus on spiritual and physical connection with the Earth and my use of clay in my paintings (being a female element) compliments my theme … being and extension of nature and nature becoming extension of my body. I try to capture this in my photography too. I paint from photographs ... I take my own photographs and as with my painting, I try to stay true to what I see ... and how I see it.

Painting with clay is a process that I developed by accident through my studies in ceramics. I apply it to canvas and watercolor paper using technique similar to watercolor but my medium, being quick drying clay has to be treated with technique similar to fresco. I challenge myself to create photorealistic work using original and unconventional technique.

“fluttering intuition”

“time molds me like clay”

“missing moment”

“breeze sighs an elegy”

“winding roots”

“stains on my memory”

“‘wide awake”

“establishing a symbiosis”

“‘til I complete a cycle”

“still my soul whispers”

Eunika Rogers Photography

“what is to come”

“maybe it was not meant to be easy”

“innate feeling of drift”

“because I let go”

Mary Kenez Photography

Alessandra Jacobson talks about..

Living above Bridal Veil Falls You have an interesting history here in Telluride, part of that is that you spent several years living in the house above Bridal Veil falls, how did that come to be?

I came to Telluride in 1997, as a senior at CU Boulder, with an Undergraduate Research Opportunity grant (UROP), for a summer. I was a field assistant to a pHD student conducting water quality research for the County, as well as conducting my own small study on the functional value of alpine wetlands. I was hiking all around above Telluride, all summer, collecting water samples for both projects, and spent a lot of time in Bridal Veil Basin collecting weekly samples from Bridal Veil Creek in several locations. I met Eric Jacobson in Bridal Veil Basin on numerous occasions while monitoring equipment and collecting samples. Eric had been rehabilitating Bridal Veil Power Station for several years prior to our meeting, and was living there and producing hydroelectricity. One thing led to another, as they tend to do, and a few years later I was married to Eric with three children, living on top of a 365 foot waterfall in an historic hydroelectric facility.

Is there an official name for the house?

Bridal Veil Power Station.

When and by whom was it built?

1904-1907 by Bulkley Wells, the manager of the Smuggler Union Mine at the time (which is presently owned

by Idarado Mining Company). The story goes, that at the turn of the century Mr. Wells wanted a summer home to rival that of the Walsh family at Camp Bird Mine, above Ouray. He went to the Smuggler Union board of directors meeting in Boston and proposed a summer home perched atop Bridal Veil Falls; a suggestion which was immediately shut down. A couple years later he went back to the board to suggest a hydroelectric plant atop the cliff, to power the Smuggler Union Mill. This was approved, though in reality, it was a very poor location for a hydroplant. The pipeline from Blue Lake runs a stretch of about 2 miles and crosses numerous avalanche slopes and rockfall areas, and the ground is always somewhat mobile, so the amount of upkeep that the pipeline requires is really quite demanding. Regardless, the power plant was built atop the cliff, and then the home just magically happened to appear above the generator room… it became Bulkley Wells’ summer home and entertainment quarters, where many a lively party were hosted!

Most people assume that due to its location, the power production has something to do with the waterfall, but it doesn’t; though back in the day water was also captured at the crest of the falls and piped down to the mill itself where another hydroelectric turbine and generator produced more power. There were written recollections from that time period, of the waterfall having been completely de-watered by this practice! I can only hope that doesn’t occur with Telluride’s re-enactment of this fallscrest diversion very recently, for the current power project at the new water treatment plant. I would be curious to know if an environmental study was undertaken, to see how that diversion will affect the rare Black Swift which nests behind the falls.

How long did you live there?

We were only there year-round for a few years, before acknowledging the very threatening dangers of living amidst avalanche slopes with children in the winter. After that, we lived full-time up there from June through October, though we would weekend and holiday there frequently in the winter, and the plant would run all year long. All together I was there for about 13 years. Eric, for about 20.

What keeps the house from falling off of the cliff?

Concrete and gravity!

Did you remodel the house and give tours?

Eric never really remodeled the house, as he is a historical purist, and wanted things primarily kept the way they were created 90 years earlier. He had done a huge repair job on the house and the electrical generating equipment (penstock, turbine and generator) prior to my meeting him. While raising a family, we did remodel a bit, such as putting in a nursery and children’s rooms, but we were very careful to maintain the historical integrity of the building. The structure was originally built to produce electricity and to entertain; not as a family home at all. We still only had one bathroom, wood-burning stoves for heat and cooking, single-pane glass windows, and a claw-foot bathtub. The house was by no means an elegant trophy home… though we were indulgent in having a hot tub on the lower porch at the falls crest!

We opened up the house to non-profits organizations to use for fund-raisers several times a year, gave complimentary tours to friends and their families, and the museum held an annual open-house with us. We never used the building commercially except to produce power.

How did you and your family travel back and forth?

In the summertime by car and 4-wheeler primarily, as well as by foot or horseback.

In the wintertime, primarily via snowmobile or snow-cat, though also via skis, snowshoes or tramway.

Each time we had snowfall of more than a few inches, the “Finn-boy” chutes would let loose. These are the avalanche chutes directly facing town, under the big cliff-face of Ingram Peak. They didn’t run huge, but they ran big enough to push snowmobiles and snow-cats off the edge, and big enough to make the road impassable to a snowmobile due to the extreme side-slope that resulted, so then Eric would have to get the snow-cat with a blade back up the road to carve out a safe passage for the snowmobiles again.

Was the tramway used for groceries?

Sometimes, yes. If we had a lot of gear to haul up for a wintertime holiday or party, we used the tram, rather than crossing the Finn-boy chutes over and over, back and forth, especially if the avalanche danger was high.

Eric engineered and built the tram in around 1997; it’s basically a USGS stream-gauging car modified for a 35 degree angle, which is pulled up and down an anchor-cable with a lighter winch-cable from the top. The tram carried a 400’ climbing rope incase of an emergency evacuation, which I practiced rappelling from with climber extraordinaire Michael Covington. When the tramway was new, I used it as a ski lift for snowboarding the chutes, but that became a bit scarier over time, with aging of the tram and the passenger! I rode the tram up to the power station in my wedding dress for our wedding ceremony, too. It was actually really fun and totally terrifying. It went 100 feet per minute, over a 1400 foot span, and it rattled and vibrated a lot, to the point where you kind of imagined all of the nuts and bolts that hold the thing together slowly loosening themselves, like in a cartoon.

What kind of pets did you have ? :) Cats, dogs and horses.

The cats were supposed to keep the mice and packrat populations in check. The dogs were just in heaven living there, and the horses…. Well, horses are always so complicated.

Our husky-wolf, Peanut, grew up there, and was in paradise as a young dog. In fact, many readers hiking in Bridal Veil back in the day may have met him, because he was always out in the basin, accompanying people on hikes when I couldn’t go hiking with him myself. ...to be continued, next issue of T.art!!!

Manny Valenzuela Born 1963 and raised in Tucson, Arizona Hispanic Heritage Principal works are acrylic on canvas paintings, cast bronze and welded steel sculpture.

“Passion for the Gaucho, simplicity and emotional complexity, this is the basis of my art. The central element is a minimal silhouette of a cowboy wearing a gaucho hat. Adding vibrant colors and positioning multiple characters together stir emotion. This is the starting point for my artwork; from here it is constantly evolving. My gaucho characters started with individual colors. Currently I’m mixing the colors within each character to bring out more depth making the subject more vibrant and dimensional.

This takes my paintings in a new and exciting direction while keeping true to my passion for the Gaucho.”

Manny is a dynamic, Contemporary Artist.

His sculptures and paintings are inspired by his colorful heritage.

“Many of my paintings are metaphors of personal relationships that convey a message using western influences. I love using my artwork to express that special bond between a parent and his/her kids. Bright colors and textures are mixed in a contemporary fashion creating a unique interpretation of the world around us. The combination of subject and technique brings character and flair to a room while still embracing a deeper meaning. Everyone has something to say I just prefer to communicate with metal or paint.”

“I mainly work with western figures because of the poetic lifestyle they lead.

It appears simple yet contains a complexity that goes beyond what seems obvious. I love creating paintings that stir emotion. It’s a great feeling to know you’ve touched someone’s heart or put a smile on their face. My style is minimalistic because of its ability to best convey the message with very little distraction. Some of the designs are derived from childhood memories and others represent my relationship with my own kids.”

Pre-historic art, western icons, and personal life experiences influence the designs for his sculpture. A contemporary touch coupled with a southwestern flavor is evident in his artwork. His contemporary abstract pieces consist of visual metaphors, symbolizing both personal and global representations.

Manny creates sculpture using welded steel and cast bronze. These mediums are selected for their permanency and value. He is involved in every step of the process to ensure the highest level of quality. His goal is to create artwork that provides enjoyment and a sound investment.

Family Secrets

Standing Tall

“Midnight Cowboys”

Time Travel Exhibit showing work by

Eunika Rogers - Suchitra Baker - Mary Kenez

September 1- 30 Opening Reception, September 1 5:00 - 8:00

Mary Kenez I see colors...

I’ve loved photography and the outdoors for as long as I can remember... My photography is a documentation of my travels and adventures in...vivid color and sometimes not. Telluride is so full of color and beauty it’s easy to be inspired here. I find inspiration around every bend and in everyday I’m fortunate enough to spend here. Each season brings new colors, new light and new photographic opportunities.

Mary Kenez Photography

Lorelei Exhibit photographs by Mary Kenez

Jo Ellen Bourg and

On plastograpy? Its not for everyone ... but if if it’s for you, you know it; you love it. What some have called ‘dark’, ‘pointless’, or ‘disturbing’ – I call funny. Hence, the beauty of art, Actually, in all honesty, I did capture a few shots that may have given me slight nightmares.

Mary Kenez Plastography

For me Plastography is the natural world combined with the unatural world... of plastic.

I attempt to incorporate the living with the “dead” in most of my plastography.

The art is also about movement and storytelling ... a rooster crowing, a ravenous dinosaur...an angry bear, all come to life in the world of plastography. Hopefully you will find a plastograph that inspires you... “A Life of Plastic is Fantastic!”

Connie Townsend

“Whoa “- 30 x 48 / oil - $3900

Plastography by Mary Kenez

Photography Contest...

Mary Kenez

Mary Kenez Mary Kenez

Mary Kenez Mary Kenez

Mary Kenez

Casey’s Corner “I know a little about photography” Please send me your best Dog photograph to be considered for the Photography Contest! Despite what it may seem, our contest is not rigged.

Mary Kenez

Subjects for monthly PHOTOGRAPHY CONTEST

Telluride, Dogs, Ski, Bikes...Plastography digital submission: mary@kamruz.com

A Big Bike

LOVE exhibit at Kamruz Gallery

Massage by Alessandra Alessandra Jacobson FSMTB Certified and Licensed Massage Therapist

970.729.1737 jacobson.alessandra@gmail.com

alessandratelluridemassage.com

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“Utah She Weed” - Jo Ellen Bourg Kamruz Photography & Art Gallery • 398 W Colorado Ave Telluride CO