/krē’āt/ mountain arts + culture quarterly
Published by Breckenridge Creative Arts | ISSUE NO. 4, Fall 2016
/krē’āt/ : to make or produce : to cause to exist : to bring into being Launched in 2015, /krē’āt/ is an online magazine published quarterly by Breckenridge Creative Arts. Each issue profiles a creative individual or business, cultural organization, event, and object of art in a thoughtfully curated visual journey that aims to highlight and promote the greater creative community of Breckenridge. Creative Director Robb Woulfe, Breckenridge Creative Arts
Editor + Content Writer Erica Marciniec
Art Director + Designer Kate Hudnut, GatherHouse Inc.
Contributing Photographer Liam Doran
contents features MANY CULTURES, ONE FAMILY A ‘FILMAKERS’ FESTIVAL’ FOR ALL A THREAD RUNS THROUGH
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departments Foreward
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Conversations SKIN AS CANVAS
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Around Town SPIRITS OF THE MASH
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Scene CRAFT COOKERY
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Objectified MISTER BARNEY FORD
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Portrait MAURICIO MENESES, ARTIST
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Sourced
40
Additional Photo Credits Day of the Dead photos by Jenise Jensen and Line of Sight Photography; tattoo images from Chago Garcia; Craft Spirits Festival photos by Art Balluff and Jessie Unruh/Breckenridge Tourism Office; Breckenridge Film Festival archives courtesy of the BFF, with photos by Jim Patalan, Jon Boal, Meredith Fox and Neil Groundwater, and ‘Klocked’ poster from Michelle Carpenter; assorted quilt photos by Myrth McDonald.
Cover Artwork Photo by Liam Doran Special thanks to the Town of Breckenridge for its generous support. @breckcreate // breckcreate.org
FOREWARD /krē’āt/ fall 2016 Our fall issue of /krē’āt/ illuminates a web of community connections that give life to the arts in Breckenridge, from the longstanding Breckenridge Film Festival—which offers a thought-provoking show of independent films—to today’s local artists working in mediums from infused craft spirits to ink on skin. Here we stitch together folk arts that form the fabric of our cultural heritage— such as quilting, once a familial tradition, now transformed for the modern era by the patchwork of souls who make up Summit Quilters. And we celebrate the Mexican tradition of Día de los Muertos, remembering our loved ones through folk arts whose meanings are not only universally relatable, but found in the practice of ancestral cultures worldwide. Together we weave this new tapestry—one made rich not only by our diversity, but all that we have in common.
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FEATURED EVENT DĂa de los Muertos
From October 21-23, the Breckenridge Arts District hosts DĂa de los Muertos, a bilingual exhibition of folk arts from this rich community tradition south of the border.
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Many cultures, one family Community connects around DĂa de los Muertos
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tudy the history of any culture around the world and you will find folk art— everything from basketry, weaving, pottery, food, and musical instruments to masks, jewelry, face painting, and traditional dance. The folk arts serve as an expression of cultural identity. On October 21-23, Breckenridge Creative Arts (BCA) invites the community to embrace the folk arts of Día de los Muertos or Day of the Dead, an ancient tradition whose roots predate modern Mexico. Taking place at the Breckenridge Arts District, the weekend includes a slate of free activities in which participants craft traditional sugar skulls, paper flowers, masks, and a community altar; take part in face painting and dance workshops; and enjoy performances by the Aztec dance group, Grupo Huitzilopochtli Danza Azteca. The activities are led by bilingual instructors from Journey Through Our Heritage, a program at Metropolitan State University Denver that partners with BCA for the event. Traditionally, Día de los Muertos celebrates the lives of people who have passed on from this world into the next, and each folk art has its meaning in that context. The paper flowers or “papel flores” symbolize the fact that “our life is a beautiful flowering event,” explained Dr. Renee Fajardo, director of the MSU Denver
program. The masks and face painting offer a way to “transform yourself spiritually and mentally from walking in this world to a different place in the universe,” she said. Thus the Aztec dancers will don face and body paint, bringing them closer to the spirit realm as they pass on prayers through dance. “Every culture has some kind of masking tradition,” Fajardo said, citing her own people—the Pueblo Indians—who are known for their masked Katrina dancers. “In Colorado we have always been a crossroads of lots of different people,” she said. “This was Mexico before it was Colorado. We’ve had miners and ranchers and railroad workers here. We are a conglomeration, not a melting pot—a beautiful tapestry of all the people who’ve come here.” “What’s interesting,” she noted, “is that everyone who has passed through these mountains and valleys and rivers—if you follow their roots, they have a celebration of their past people.” Examples include Samhain in Ireland’s Celtic tradition, and of course Halloween. “When you put candles out for ‘Muertos’ you are calling back your ancestors,” she explained. “It is very historically relevant in the context of the people who have traveled to Colorado.”
Not only does Día de los Muertos celebrate lost loved ones, it also reminds us that death is not something to be feared. “That’s why we do the sugar skulls—because death is sweet,” Fajardo said. “It is a transition that is part of the natural process of our time here on earth.” Among the pieces to be featured at the Breckenridge celebration is a hand-hewn community altar at Randall Barn, decorated with candles, water, and earth to represent the elements; food for the dead; and flowers. Community members are invited to bring their own mementos of lost loved ones to place there. “Last year was really emotional for me because I had just lost my dad,” said Jenn Cram, BCA’s director of public programs and engagement. She placed a photograph and a Snickers bar— her dad’s favorite candy—on the altar. “It gives you the opportunity to remember those stories of people we love and miss, and the opportunity to make art in their honor.” Even though the altar is based in Mexican culture, the desire to celebrate a lost loved one’s life crosses cultural bounds, making for a meaningful, shared experience. At the same time, it illuminates a tradition dear to some high country residents, but less well-known by others.
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“I think a lot of people don’t realize how diverse Breckenridge is,” said Fajardo, who presents educational exhibits around the state and beyond, supported by the Colorado Folk Arts Council, with her students from MSU Denver. Her students, too, represent a diversity of backgrounds. Many have never been to Breckenridge, so being a part of Día de los Muertos opens their eyes to new places as well. “The greatest benefit of celebrating Día de los Muertos together is that all of a sudden it’s not just visitors and locals, it becomes a sort of celebration of us as human beings, and our humanity,” Fajardo said. “We become a whole community of people.” Breckenridge Creative Arts aims to grow such community connections through its Día de los Muertos celebration, which is now in its third year. “We want to make the arts in Breckenridge accessible to our entire community,” said Robb Woulfe, chief executive officer of the nonprofit. “Our hope is to open our arms and engage the greater Hispanic/Latino community in what we are doing through Día de los Muertos and other relevant programming.” Woulfe is thrilled that other community groups are coming on board with that goal, in particular
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The Summit Foundation, which awarded BCA a $10,000 grant for Día de los Muertos this year, helping make it possible to provide the activities free of charge. One of the group’s goals is “to increase access to arts and culture opportunities, especially for youth and people who might not otherwise have an opportunity to participate,” said Jeanne Bistranin, who came on board as executive director of The Summit Foundation last year. “Not only is this event reaching out to the diverse populations in our community, but it’s really helping us to learn about different cultures as well.” Bistranin expressed appreciation on behalf of the board for BCA’s emphasis on hands-on experiences. “Not only are you observing and
enjoying this wonderful art,” she said, “you also have the opportunity to contribute. That helps to elevate the experience, but also to remember it. We’re really excited about partnering with Breckenridge Creative Arts on this event,” she added. “It’s a perfect alignment of what we are both trying to do.” “Día de los Muertos offers many different aspects to celebrate,” Fajardo said. “There’s a whole ebb and flow of a community going on. It creates a new life of relationships between all these different people.” Beyond that, there’s no denying the richness and beauty of the Day of the Dead folk arts. “Día de los Muertos is a colorful, layered and artful tradition,” Woulfe said. “We are delighted to present this exhibition to our community.”
Día de los Muertos // breckcreate.org/ddlm MSU Denver Journey Through Our Heritage // msudenver.edu/journey The Summit Foundation // summitfoundation.org
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Skin as canvas Godspeed Tattoo’s Chago Garcia on style + form
What is it like to design for a human canvas? One of the most important things about the design is placement. It needs to look as though it fits the body. It should have flow with the anatomy. You want the focal points to be in certain areas and less important parts of the image on areas that are less visible or may have difficulties in the healing process. How do you take a customer’s idea and turn it into a design? I try to take the idea from references and create as much uniqueness as I can. I prefer references that people bring to be actual photos of things instead of other people’s tattoos—that way my idea will come fresh instead of being filtered through another artist’s vision first. How did you get your start as a tattoo artist? A friend of mine took a drawing I did for her to a local tattoo shop. The owner asked her who did it and if I would be interested in tattooing. I met up with him with my drawing portfolio. He liked my art and when he asked when I’d like to start my apprenticeship, my answer was “yesterday.”
How would you describe your style? My style has a very new school background but still borderlines on more illustrative. I try to do as many biomechanical tattoos as I can, and lots of color on as many as I can. What is a biomechanical tattoo? A biomechanical tattoo is derived from the art form created by H.R. Giger who made the art for the ‘Alien’ movies. Based from his anatomical and flowing designs, artists such as Aaron Cain, Grime, Guy Aitchison, and so many others brought the style into the tattoo world. It’s a style that flows with the anatomy of the body and fits almost as an exoskeleton. How are tattoos a form of self-expression? ‘A picture is worth a thousand words,’ as they say—and the tattoos on your body are a full story, like a timeline of your life. Whether or not that tattoo has a direct meaning, it marks a time in your life that you’ll never forget.
Chago Garcia, 33, is a resident tattoo artist at Godspeed Tattoo, located at 100 North Main Street in Breckenridge. Godspeed Tattoo // godspeedink.com Chago Garcia // instagram.com/chagotattoos /KRĒ'ĀT/
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Spirits of the mash Craft distillers converge on Breckenridge
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arly alchemists had a name for the immaterial vapor that rose from the corporeal mash when heated. This essence was called its “spirit.” Today, craft distillers continue to conjure “spirits” from creative mashes of fermented liquid to create their signature whiskeys, bourbons, bitters, vodkas and other hard alcohols. “People are infusing local peaches, berries, and chilies in spirits,” said Corry Mihm, who chairs the planning committee for the Breckenridge Crafts Spirits Festival, taking place this year October 21-23. “It’s creating a cool connection between the local food and craft spirits movements. We want to help support this still young but growing movement in the state.” In fact, the festival was one of the first of its kind in Colorado. At Saturday night’s headlining event—the “Still on the Hill” Grand Tasting—36 distilleries offer up tastes of pure spirits as well as mixed drinks made from them. This year, Breckenridge Distillery plans to bring its famous Breckenridge Blend of Straight Bourbon Whiskeys, its Breckenridge Gin, and possibly some small-batch surprises, according to spokesperson Grace Gabree. Some of the distillery’s flavored vodkas are also likely to find their way into specialty cocktails for the event. It’s “a trial and error process” to create a new spirit, Gabree explained, one that involves everything from a specialized gin still and particular whiskey-aging barrels to alpine flora used to flavor bitters. “It comes from the distillers’ passion for creating it—from their palettes and the way they experience different flavors,” she said. “It’s just like any
other art form where you are passionate about something and get really good at what you do.” “Our inspiration will usually come from a flavor—whether you’re out to eat and it strikes you, or drinking another spirit, or on a hike,” said head distiller Jordan Stielow. “Inspiration to start a new spirit comes from anything. Actually perfecting it can take a very long time.” “What we do is organic chemistry,” he explained. “You’re essentially putting together a theory and then testing it. The science will get you 95% of the way there. The art side is knowing when to make your cuts, when to add this and that, and what to add.” Colorado is at the forefront of the craft distilling movement, and many of the distillers coming to Still on the Hill are Colorado-based. In addition to the tasting, Saturday’s event features a live acoustic set from The Honey Gitters bluegrass band, and voting on favorite cocktails. Tickets to Still on the Hill are available at breckenridgecraftspiritsfestival.com until they sell out. The larger Breckenridge Craft Spirits Festival offers a full weekend of activities presented by the Breckenridge Restaurant Association. The fun kicks off Friday with a themed craft activity at the Breckenridge Arts District; there’s an open house at Breckenridge Distillery Saturday; and the party continues late into the night at The Gold Pan Saloon. Other weekend events include seminars on craft spirits, a Bar Mix-off where distillers join local restaurants to offer cocktails made with their spirits, historic saloon tours by the Breckenridge Heritage Alliance and Sunday Bloody Mary brunch specials at participating restaurants.
Breckenridge Craft Spirits Festival // breckenridgecraftspiritsfestival.com Breckenridge Distillery // breckenridgedistillery.com Breckenridge Restaurant Association // breckrestaurant.org
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Craft cookery Class infuses distilled spirits into 3-course lunch
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resh herb-marinated chicken skewers with Downslope Distilling Vodka citrus butter sauce. Dry-spice rubbed pork tenderloin with JP Krause Rum brown sugar glaze. Peach Street Brandy-infused peach and cherry tartlets with Breckenridge Bourbon caramel and Chantilly cream. Some artists work in paint or clay. Others channel their creativity into sound. For food artists, it’s about the ingredients, and how they come together to make a dish.
complement one another in a lunch menu that will interest students while offering lessons on how to cook with spirits. Buchanan directs the Recreational Culinary Institute, which offers one-session, non-credit cooking classes from baking to world cuisine in the commercial teaching kitchen at Colorado Mountain College’s Breckenridge campus. The college also offers an Associate of Arts degree and three-year internship program through its Professional Culinary Institute.
“Chefs are always looking for new creative ingredients to add into their repertoire,” said Ian Buchanan, who teaches the annual Spirited Cooking class at Colorado Mountain College, offered as part of the Breckenridge Craft Spirits Festival. The two-hour class is a hands-on culinary experience where participants work in teams to prepare a three-course luncheon that incorporates craft spirits donated by participating distilleries. Afterwards, participants sample both the food and libations.
The Spirited Cooking class accommodates a maximum of 15 students and usually sells out, but there’s an entire menu of interesting culinary classes to choose from in CMC’s program.
Previous years’ menus have used craft spirits in marinades, vinaigrettes, dessert sauces and main recipes. To develop the menu, Buchanan starts by studying the flavor profiles of the spirits—what ingredients went into them and how they have been used in past recipes by the distillers. “From there it’s really a lot of my own experience in the industry,” said Buchanan, who’s been a chef for 20 years. He looks at how to integrate the flavors so they
The culinary and craft spirits movements mesh well in that regard. Makers of craft spirits, too, are “moving away from big corporate distillers and looking to create small-batch, niche craft spirits that have unique flavor profiles and local ingredients that go into them,” Buchanan said. “As a community college, we like to support community, state, and local efforts, and integrate those concepts into the culinary world.”
“The culinary movement is increasingly locavore,” said Buchanan. “‘I want to know the guy that’s making that’—that’s the trend. We support it because it’s cutting down on our carbon footprint by keeping things local, and it supports local businesses.”
Colorado Mountain College Culinary Arts // coloradomtn.edu/programs/culinary_arts
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FEATURED ORGANIZATION BRECKENRIDGE FILM FESTIVAL
Taking place September 15-18, the Breckenridge Film Festival showcases independent films from Colorado and beyond, and is among filmmakers’ favorite festivals.
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A ‘filmmakers’ festival’ for all Breckenridge Film Festival returns September 15-18
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rowsing through photos from the 2012 festival, Colorado filmmaker Greg I. Hamilton finds the one that stirs the fondest memories is an image of himself and another participant wrestling the director of the comedy short, “Bobby Ellis is Gonna Kick Your Ass,” for his prize at Saturday night’s red carpet affair. Hamilton attended the festival that year with his directorial debut, “The Movement: One Man Joins an Uprising,” a documentary about Rick Finkelstein, whose triumphant return to the slopes after a paralyzing ski accident put him in league with so many adaptive skiers who have overcome challenges to find redemption on snow. “The Movement” turned out to be a huge success. It made it into 21 film festivals, including Sundance. Narrated by Robert Redford and Warren Miller and distributed through creative channels including Frontier Airlines flights, more than 1 million people are estimated to have seen it. But flash back to 2012 and there’s Hamilton, decked out in understated “mountain formal” attire—i.e. shorts and flip-flops—goofing off with his new film industry friends. “I love that sense of community,” he said, recalling a few “fun and lively” panel discussions, mixed-group happy hours with patrons and artists, and an awards ceremony that was anything but overblown. “Breckenridge was one of the festivals that fostered that better than many of the other ones I went to.” “We really have become a filmmakers’ festival,” said Janice Kurbjun, the Breckenridge Film Festival’s executive director, citing the high level of filmmaker attendance. “A lot of projects have been born over the years from filmmakers interacting with filmmakers, and some come back. It’s part of why we’ve been able to grow so fast.” From 2014 to 2015, the number of film submissions doubled from less than 200 to more than 400—primarily from word of mouth marketing, explained programming director Dianna Nilsson. “The festival is known for showing high-quality, exceptional independent films from all around the world,” she said. While other festivals pre-select a good percentage of their films, therefore showcasing only a small number of submissions, the Breckenridge Film Festival is made up of 75-90% submitted films, increasing a filmmaker’s opportunity to have his or her film accepted, Kurbjun said.
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Each filmmaker enters a work in a particular category, from Drama, Short Drama, Comedy, Documentary, Adventure and Animation to Spiritual—the latter not so much about religion, which is a popular misconception, but instead “films of the human spirit,” Kurbjun explained. With guidance from Nilsson, a panel in each category selects the films, which are shown at venues around town including the Riverwalk Center, Breckenridge Theater, Speakeasy Movie Theater, Breckenridge Christian Ministries, and sometimes Colorado Mountain College and Town Hall. There’s free children’s programming on Saturday morning, and for everything else, festival-goers are advised to purchase tickets early because they often sell out. “It’s really a perfect place for the community to get together—whether someone just stopping by to visit their second home, or people who’ve been here from the beginning,” Kurbjun said. “There’s pretty much something for everyone.” The Breckenridge Film Festival started in 1981 under the name Breckenridge Festival of Film. Originally it screened Hollywood front runners, before evolving into the independent film festival it is today. Moving forward, organizers hope to work with the Colorado Film Commission to bring some of that big-name programming back by featuring a few famous names in film, Kurbjun said, while staying true to the commitment to bring top-notch independent films to the high country. “I felt like the curation was well done at Breckenridge. I enjoyed the other films I saw,” said Hamilton, who returns this year with his first feature-length documentary, “Power of the River.” The film takes a humanistic approach as it follows a local named “Good Karma” down one of the last un-dammed rivers in Bhutan. Although the Buddhist country on the edge of the Himalayas is famous for preserving its wild spaces, it has jumped on board with hydroelectric power in recent years, damming most of its rivers.
“There’s a bit of a blind spot for rivers and water,” Hamilton said, noting how rivers are seen as dangerous in Bhutan. “Rather than getting political, our goal was to make a case that there is another use for a wild river,” he said. “They may be dangerous, but that’s an appeal for adventurers who love rivers and a pristine planet.”
Carpenter lauded everything from the quality of the films shown to the organizers’ hospitality to the “stunning view of Peak 9” she had from her housing last time she attended. “The Breckenridge Film Festival really values filmmakers,” she said. “It is one of the most professionally organized film festivals I have attended in the United States.”
Filmmaker Michelle Carpenter returns this year for a third time with her latest documentary, “Klocked: Women with Horsepower,” which she entered in the festival’s “Adventure” category. The film highlights a mother-daughter-daughter trio of motorcycle land racers who have been breaking speed records at Bonneville and beyond.
For filmmakers, attending a film festival may be about networking—from exposure to patrons, producers, and media outlets to fellow filmmakers. But for Hamilton, it’s also “just a chance to let your hair down, to kick back and enjoy yourself” after so many all-nighters in “the creative cave.”
“Women have been riding since two wheels were invented,” Carpenter said, listing important historical achievements of female motorcycle riders, including the 1930’s era journey of Bessie Stringfield, the first African-American person to ride coast to coast. “As humans we unconsciously judge people based on appearance within the first 10 seconds of meeting,” she said. “I think—or maybe I am hopeful—that female stereotypes are changing and will continue to change.”
“I live in mountains of Colorado,” he said. “This place works for my creative mind. I went for mountain bike rides and hikes while I was in Breckenridge, and I walked to the theaters. I think part of it’s the place—getting out of the cities, out of the urban bar scene. It lures filmmakers who want to go someplace cool. To have a finish line like this—to me that’s the beauty of film festivals.”
Breckenridge Film Festival // breckfilmfest.com Greg I. Hamilton // gihamilton.com // poweroftherivermovie.com ‘Klocked’ by Michelle Carpenter // klocked.us
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/objectified/ An object of art
Mister Barney Ford This three-tiered bronze sculpture depicts the life of Barney L. Ford, an escaped slave who became a Colorado businessman and leading civil rights activist. Among his businesses, Ford opened a chophouse in Breckenridge before moving on to Denver, where he developed education programs for African-Americans and pushed successfully for African-American suffrage at the national level. The piece is by Emanuel Martinez, an artist who fought alongside Cesar Chavez and other leaders of the Civil Rights Movement in the 20th century. It was installed in 2007 as part of the Breckenridge public art collection. Breckenridge Public Art Collection // breckcreate.org/explore/public-art Emanuel Martinez // emanuelmartinez.com
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/portrait/
Mauricio Meneses,
owner, D’Mau Artistic Services Background Home: Breckenridge, Colorado Education: Universidad Mesoamericana, Guatemala; business administration major Why Breckenridge? I used to come to visit family during my high school breaks, and fell
in love with the town. Even though I’ve been here for 12 years, I keep discovering new places and trails.
Art Medium: Watercolor, acrylic, pastels and mixed media Latest project: “Made of Stars,” an art show inspired in the space and magic of dreaming Favorite creative space: Blue River Plaza in summer and The Crown coffee shop in winter Source of inspiration: The beautiful landscapes that surround Summit County Creativity is: A spark that starts the fire and turns it into art
Insights Personal hero: People who work hard every day to follow their dreams Favorite book: “The Witch of Portobello” by Paulo Coelho Favorite restaurant: Aqua Blue, Hong Kong Song in your head right now: “Samba do Brazil” by Bellini Unique home or office decor: A set of three Native American paintings representing
water, fire and earth in my studio Favorite movie: “All About My Mother” Favorite causes: Laugh and make others laugh; it is a cure for the soul. Favorite way to spend free time: Mountain biking and skiing
Confessions What keeps you up at night? Creative ideas and the monster that lives under my bed Pet peeve: People who are mean to animals First job: Programmer First choice for a new career: Airline pilot What do you do to recharge your batteries? Wine and watercolor painting Guilty pleasure: Watching “The Golden Girls” anytime it is on TV
Originally from Guatemala City, Guatemala, Mauricio Meneses, 31, started painting at the age of 12. He founded D’Mau Artistic Services in 2012. D’Mau Artistic Services // facebook.com/dmauart // instagram.com/dmauart
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FEATURED CREATIVE SUMMIT QUILTERS
The folk arts are alive and well in the high country, with Summit Quilters carrying the torch to construct quilts—and community connections—for the modern era.
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A thread runs through QUILTING FOR THE MODERN ERA
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nce upon a time, daughters sat with mothers and grandmothers to piece retired scraps of clothing together into quilts for the family. The activity served purposes both utilitarian and social, while at the same time providing an outlet for creative expression. Unlike the fine arts, which are often highly individualistic, quilting is considered a folk art—a cultural tradition whose techniques are passed from generation to generation as collective wisdom. Interestingly, many of today’s quilters local to Breckenridge and Summit County came by it in a more random fashion. “I originally started out quilting in the 80’s because I wanted to learn how to make a comforter—which I thought at the time was a quilt,” said Deb Conway, who moved to Breckenridge from Virginia six years ago. “My first lesson was totally different than what I was expecting.” Whereas a comforter is essentially a cloth bag with filler inside, a quilt is more complex from design to finish. The top is constructed first, traditionally from a pattern of regular blocks of fabric that are hand or machine-stitched together. Or, smaller bits of fabric can be sewed edge-to-edge. “Some people do thread painting, where they sew on a very thin fabric and then tear the fabric away, creating images with stitches,” said Myrth McDonald, who serves as secretary for Summit Quilters, a group of approximately 30 members that meets twice a month to work on projects and learn techniques from one another. “There are a million different ways to sew. No matter which, it seems like someone does it in the group,” she said.
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Conway’s first quilts were family projects, despite the fact that her original interest was self-motivated rather than family-inspired. “I was not aware there were quilters in my family until I began to quilt and spoke with my mom,” Conway said. “She told me she had some quilt tops—quilts that hadn’t been finished yet—from my great aunt. I asked her if she would mind if I finished them. I gave the first finished quilt to my mom at Christmas. When she opened it up, her emotions got the best of her.” After she moved to Breckenridge, one of the first things Conway did was to seek out Summit Quilters. Finding the quilting group was a bit more of a journey for McDonald, who—at just a couple months shy of 40 years old—is the youngest member of Summit Quilters. “I didn’t realize there were groups like this out there,” admitted McDonald, a self-taught quilter who is an active blogger and owner of the Etsy store, Gooses Bags and Gifts. Although McDonald grew up in a family of artists and dabbled with sewing as a child, she was not raised in a family tradition of quilting either. Instead, she found her own way to it—and in so doing united with a multi-generational, modern family of quilters stitched together by a mutual interest in carrying on the folk tradition for a new era. “We sort of come from different places. I’m more from a modern quilting movement, and many of the group members are more traditional,” McDonald said. Traditional quilting choices, for example, might involve small-print fabrics like calico, and a layout of blocks in a regular rhythm. The modern movement, on the other hand, often involves more solid colors and more negative space, she explained.
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“Sometimes instead of 12 star blocks laid out 3x4, you might see one star block half in the quilt and half running off the edge,” McDonald said. “It’s like modern art—abstracting elements from the traditional and using those elements in a new way.” Still, she is quick to point out how much the members of Summit Quilters learn from one another—whether sewing techniques informed by decades of experience, or how to promote their art through social media. “I was so excited to find the group,” McDonald said. “It’s nice to have people who understand what you’re working on, and can understand, challenge and support you at the same time.” In addition to their bimonthly get-togethers, Summit Quilters hosts a show at the Frisco Historic Park each August. This year, they created a collection of small, self-portrait quilts on blue backgrounds they call their “selfies.” The group also sews donation quilts for the Family Intercultural Resource Center, and takes part in other community projects like the quilt which hangs in the new South Branch Library on Harris Street. “The Library Quilt,” which is part of the Town of Breckenridge’s public art collection, depicts the historic 1909 schoolhouse that houses the library, flanked by yellow aspens above a patchwork of plant life and local scenes, and set against white peaks and a mottled, multicolor sky. “It is not a basic quilting project at all,” said Conway, who teamed with another local quilter, Judy Keim, to lead the group through the process of creating it. “It pushed a lot of people out of their comfort zone—which was terrific.” Keim sewed the image of the school building using blueprints and pictures to guide her. She also did the quilt edges. “Creating a community treasure was so rewarding,” she said. “It is very satisfying and fulfilling to be part of crafting a quilt that is a historical and artistic part of Summit County’s legacy.” At her Breckenridge-based business, JK Studio, Keim has moved away from quilted items, instead fashioning handmade fabric pins, wall hangings, scarfs, coasters, cards and other pieces of fiber art that incorporate beads, yarns, threads and other embellishments on fabric. Conway, too, enjoys embellishing fabric, but she uses it to make intricate art quilts designed to hang as wall décor. She favors small blocks, embroidery, silk ribbons, beads and wool. “I really love using the various threads and beads and making them into something,” she said. “Those are my art.” After The Library Quilt was done, Conway noted that twice as many people started attending Summit Quilters’ meetings, whether to take part in group projects, learn from one another, or work on their own pieces. “I think it’s just the community that has been created—because of all the hands that touched one project.” Summit Quilters // facebook.com/groups/summitquilters Gooses Bags and Gifts // goosesbagsandgifts.com
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/sourced/ A guide to creative businesses and organizations in and around Breckenridge Cultural Organizations Breckenridge Backstage Theatre 121 S. Ridge St. backstagetheatre.org Breckenridge Creative Arts 150 W. Adams Ave. breckcreate.org Breckenridge Film Festival 103 S. Harris St. breckfilmfest.com Breckenridge Heritage Alliance 309 N. Main St. breckheritage.com Breckenridge Music Festival 217 S. Ridge St. Alley breckenridgemusicfestival.com Breckenridge Tourism Office 111 Ski Hill Rd. gobreck.com National Repertory Orchestra 111 S. Main St. nromusic.com
Branding + Design The Brandon Agency 235 S Ridge St. #2A thebrandonagency.com GatherHouse Inc. 110 Second Ave., Frisco gatherhouse.com KL Creative Design 304 Illinois Gulch Rd. klcreativedesign.com McGraphix Creative & Consulting 201 S Ridge St. mcgraphixcreative.com Nikki LaRochelle Design nikkilarochelle.com
Squeeze Designz squeeze-designz.com Straughn Design 552 97 Circle straughndesign.com Summit Creations 102 Continental Ct. summitcreations.com
Galleries Arts Alive 500 S. Main St. summitarts.org Art on a Whim 100 N. Main St. artonawhim.com Blue River Fine Art Gallery 411 S. Main St. blueriverfineartgallery.com Breckenridge Art Supply 201 S. Ridge St. artsupplybreck.com Breckenridge Fine Art Gallery 421 S. Main St. vailfineart.com Breckenridge Gallery 124 S. Main St. breckenridge-gallery.com Colorado Scenics 421 S. Main St. coloradoscenics.com Exclusive Collections 421 S. Main St. ecgallery.com Gary Soles Gallery 300 S. Main St. breckenridgephotoshop.com The Photo Shop 300 S. Main St. breckenridgephotoshop.com
Museums + Historic Sites Alice G. Milne House and Memorial Park 102 N. Harris St. breckheritage.com Barney Ford House Museum 111 E. Washington Ave. breckheritage.com Breckenridge Sawmill Museum Boreas Pass Rd. breckheritage.com William H. Briggle House 104 N. Harris St. breckheritage.com Country Boy Mine 542 French Gulch Rd. countryboymine.com Edwin Carter Museum 111 N. Ridge St. breckheritage.com High Line Railroad Park 189 Boreas Pass Rd. breckheritage.com Lomax Gulch 301 Ski Hill Rd. breckheritage.com Mountain Top Children’s Museum 605 S. Park Ave. mtntopmuseum.org Prospector Park 112 N. Main St. townofbreckenridge.com Red White and Blue Fire Museum 308 N. Main St. breckheritage.com Summit Ski Exhibit 308-B S. Main St. breckheritage.com
Boutiques + Specialty
Architecture
Breckenridge Photographics 500 S. Main St. breckphoto.com
Allen Guerra Architecture 1915 Airport Rd. allen-guerra.com
The Glass Art Company 411 S. Main St. #16 theglassartcompany.com
Arapahoe Architects 322-C N. Main St. arapahoearchitects.com
Global Candle Gallery 326 S. Main St. globalcandlegallery.com
bhh Partners 160 E. Adams Ave. bhhpartners.com
JK Studio 100 S. Main St., 2nd floor jkstudiollc.com
Equinox Architecture, LLC 520 S. Main St. equinoxarchitecture.com
Magical Scraps 310 S. Main St. magicalscraps.com
J.L. Sutterley Architect 500 S. Ridge St. jlsutterlyarchitect.com
Marigolds Farmhouse Funk + Junk 215 S. Main St. marigoldsfarmhousefunkandjunk.com
Matthew Stais Architects 108 N. Ridge St. staisarchitects.com
Ole Man Berkins 326 S. Main St. olemanberkins.com Portiera Designs 326 S. Main St. portieradesigns.com Ready Paint Fire 323 N. Main St. readypaintfireco.com Ruby Jane 232 S. Main St. valleygirlboutique.com Wandering Daisy 326 S. Main St. Young Colors 226 S. Main St., Unit 1 youngcolors.com
Breweries + Craft Beverages Après Handcrafted Libations 130 S. Main St. apreslibations.com Breckenridge Brewery 600 S. Main St. breckbrewpub.com Breckenridge Distillery 1925 Airport Rd. breckenridgedistillery.com Broken Compass Brewing 68 Continental Ct. brokencompassbrewing.com
Cafes + Coffee Houses Amazing Grace 213 Lincoln Ave. amazinggracebreck.com
Michael F. Gallagher Architect michaelgallagher.com
Cabin Coffee Company 222 S. Main St. cabincoffeecompany.com
Neely Architecture 1705 Airport Rd. neelyarchitecture.com
Clint’s Bakery & Coffee House 131 S. Main St. clintsbakery.com
Healing Arts
Cuppa Joe 118 S. Ridge St.
Alpine Spa and Salon 500 S. Main St., 3rd floor alpinespaandsalon.com Ambika Healing 435 N. Park Ave. ambika.massagetherapy.com
Mug Shot Café 435 N. Park Ave. Starbucks 225 S. Main St. starbucks.com
Blue Sage Spa 224 S. Main St. bluesagespa.com Breckenridge Bliss Massage Therapy 325 S. Main St. breckenridgeblissmassage.com Meta Yoga Studios 118 S. Ridge St. metayogastudios.com
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MOTH Poetic Circus performs at the 2014 opening of the Breckenridge Arts District—a campus of studios, galleries and performance spaces that was recently designated a Certified District in the Colorado Creative Industries Creative District Program. The campus celebrates its second anniversary this fall with a robust schedule of classes, open studios and special events.