2017 TRADICIONES • THE TAOS NEWS
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Katharine Egli
Pot Creek ceramic artist Autumn Borts-Medlock demonstrates her technique for carving out designs.
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The creative spirits of Taos
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Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life. As the proverbial saying goes, art often mirrors life. You could argue, however, that life here in Taos is art. For many decades artists from all walks of life, from near and far, have been inspired by and beckoned to this mountain mecca of creativity. For some artists it’s the special light
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spreading down from the turquoise sky that catches their eyes and spins the wheels of their imaginations. For others it’s the diversity in materials and artistic interests that draw them in. Spirit-moving traditions and historic structures give pause and clarity to many a painter, sculptor, songwriter, potter, metalsmith, wood carver, jeweler, actor, author ... Taos’ guiding light is as boundless as its horizon. The talented people of Taos live life lyrically, in which feelings are more powerful than
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reason. They are thirsty for the magnificent and the mysterious. They courageously strive to transform inanimate materials into lively pieces or perform on a stage or on screen to make the viewer look, feel and sometimes dance and sing. Within these pages of Artes is a taste of Northern New Mexico expression, passion and talent from the past and the present, often throwing conformity to the wind leaving us to applaud and wonder. — Scott Gerdes special sections editor