A&E

Fledglings take flight and life is renewed

By Sally King Redstone Review

LYONS – It has been seven years this September since the flood that disrupted life as we knew

King it here in Lyons. There was so much work to do. I think we were in shock. This summer we’ve had the opportunity to revisit our post-flood feelings. Some call this PTSD: working a little too hard, finally replacing an essential structure, our studio, which was lost in the flood. It has been a very long road but with permit in hand the building is underway. New construction is loud with compressed air guns shooting nails and so it was upsetting to discover in the midst of all of this building activity that a house wren had placed its nest right where the new building meets the old. Peering from inside the nest were six baby birds with their parents coming and going to feed them. What a dilemma we were striving to accommodate, conflicting activities in exactly the same place. But yesterday, to our relief and wonder, all six of the young wrens flew down onto the work bench below, then ventured outside into nearby trees. Their parents continue to feed them. But the fledgling analogy to our personal life here at the Riverhouse was remarkable. Our daughter and son-in-law and two grandsons, ages 15 and 12, have been living with us for more than a year while they have been building their home in Boulder and they had just completed taking all their stuff into Boulder. My daughter and I thought a ritual fire would be the right way to honor this big change in our lives and they came out. We ate pizza. Everyone was tired, moving is upsetting and hard work, and these days no one has extra game. But we wandered over to the fire and a few of us spoke, watching the smoke rise. Ritual always delivers relief. We carry so much on our hearts, taking a moment to acknowledge the change that is happening, whatever it is. Like the birds, we parents will continue to feed them. They just moved into Boulder. It’s not far. Life is in constant motion and a part of us does not like that at all, although Sally’s husband John King in front of the studio they moved to its new location at their home on Apple Valley Rd. The original studio was lost to the flood in 2013. There is now a poured slab underneath it and it has been enlarged.

we are forever curious too, so there you go.

Sally King is a local artist who has created whimsical bears and delightful wildflower acrylic paintings to enhance the appearance of Lyons all over the town. She lives with her husband John King, a kinetic sculptor artist, near Lyons.

New art on Main Street

By Sally King Redstone Review

LYONS – You might have noticed that we have some new sculptures provided by our Lyons Arts and Humanities Commission (LAHC). The piece that caught my eye is called Trifecta and was made by artist Maureen Hearty. She hails from Joes, a town on Colorado’s eastern plains which is the most sparsely populated region of the United States, where she has brought together her two interests, social work and art. She works with the community to activate space using art, music, and collective storytelling. Maureen Hearty received the 1916 Governor’s Creator Creative Leadership Award for this work. Her advice to women working in the arts is, “Be strong, focused, ambitious, assertive, aggressive, opinionated, loud, technical, dirty, profane, sexual, intellectual, bossy and wild.”

Trifecta can be found in front of Gateway Reality and Living Arts Flowers across the street from Oskar Blues. It appears to have solar lights tucked into the flower head, so maybe an evening visit would be fun. And while you are there, cross the street to view a lovely glass and stone piece called Sandstorm by Justin Deister And yet another new sculpture is due to arrive this month, on Main Street in front of the Pinball location, so be on the lookout for Space Invader by Mark Mathews.

A Basho Haiku, 1694, approaching his own death Fall deepening in how are the neighbors and how are they making out

Indigenous Peoples Day request for proposal released BOULDER – The City of Boulder Human Relations Commission is soliciting proposals from local organizations that would like to host a non-in-person event for the Fifth Annual Indigenous Peoples Day, to be held between Friday, October 9, and Monday, Octtober 12, 2020. The celebration is part of a national effort to recognize and honor the existence, culture, and contributions of the original inhabitants of North America. Community groups and organizations are eligible for grants through the Human Relations Commission with a maximum amount of $2,000 per event. In addition, the Office of Arts and Culture is offering enhancement sponsorships of up to $2,000 available per event for programs that include arts components. Funding priority criteria include: community-initiated event; nonprofit agency / group; free and open to the public; event to be held between October 9 and 12, 2020. Arts components examples include: visual arts and crafts; music; theater and dance; educational activities, including lectures. Proposals must be received by 5 p.m., Thursday, August 20, 2020. For more information and an application, visit bouldercolorado.gov/community-relations/indigenous-peoples-day. Contact Clay Fong at fongc@bouldercolorado.gov or call 303-441-3141.

CU Art Museum will be closed to the public through the fall semester BOULDER – The university continues to monitor the impacts of COVID-19. We miss you and are committed to bringing the museum, 1085 18th St., into your home by examining artwork in the collection as seen through a variety of personal perspectives. Please check out our virtual Close Looking programs and follow us on Facebook and Instagram. For more information, call 303-492-8300. During our COVID-19 closure this summer we’ll be sharing artworks from our collection weekly so that you can do some close looking exercises from wherever you are. Invite a friend and do it together (virtually or physically distanced) to spark conversation or do it by yourself for some relaxation. This month Traci McDonald, the CU Art Museum’s visitor experience coordinator, discusses an artwork from our collection: “This August will be my little one’s first birthday. The year has been full of sweet snuggles, bath time splashes, tears and sleepy eyes. I had hoped to plan a big celebration for our family’s first year together. As we try to stay healthy in the continuing pandemic, party plans must change. “Rather than plan a party, I’ve had time to reflect. Mother Love, a print by David Alfaro Siqueiros, reminds me of all that parents bear on this journey. As parents, we spend our lives carrying our children. Early on, they are little bundles attached to our hips and rocked in our arms. As they grow, we find ourselves holding their hands, along with their joys and worries. Like the mother in Siqueiros’s print, no matter what lies ahead, I’ll always hold my child and wrap him in my love as we traverse this world together. Happy birthday, my sweet boy. Here’s to another year around the sun.” The Visual Arts Complex is at 1085 18th Street in Boulder. For information, call 303-492-8300.