Shorts

The Scene / Arts

MUSIC IN THE MOUNTAINS

The al fresco music scene in Mountain Village is sensational this summer. First, look for a trio of popular concert series: the highly regarded Music on the Green, on Reflection Plaza Friday evenings until early September; the venerable Sunset Music Series, Wednesday evenings on Sunset Plaza until mid-August; and lively Music in the Village Center on Heritage Plaza Friday, Saturday and Sunday afternoons until mid-September. For one-off celebrations of music, head to FirstGrass (the June 14 event, on Sunset Plaza, kicks off the Telluride Bluegrass Festival weekend) and the Red, White and Blues Celebration, July 3-4 in the Village Center, which marks Independence Day.

A 50-YEAR PASSION FOR INDIGENOUS ART, CRAFTS

As much a gallery as it is an exquisite retail space, The Gordon Collection, located at 220 E. Colorado Ave., offers fine Navajo weaving, Native American jewelry and art. In a newly expanded space are exquisite pieces, artwork and textiles carefully curated throughout a 50-plus-year relationship between the Gordon family and indigenous creators across the American West.

“Every piece of our jewelry is handmade by Native American artisans; we are very specific on this,” says Corina Gordon, daughter of founder/owners Bill and Ginny Gordon. “We primarily carry Navajo, Zuni, Hopi and Santo Domingo styles. Along with contemporary jewelry, we also have a very extensive collection of vintage pieces. The larger space has allowed us to expand our Native American pottery and basket collections as well.”

As for The Gordon Collection’s textiles, Gordon notes, “We are now able to have a designated textile room to showcase our immense inventory of Navajo weavings. Every weaving is Navajo, handmade and original art. We have an amazing antique

collection with pieces that date back to the 1880s, as well as a large contemporary weaving collection.”

Corina Gordon explains that she shares the love and interest behind The Gordon Collection with her parents, whose passion

drew them in the late 1960s to the Navajo Nation, where they served as teachers at an indigenous-led school before moving to Telluride and beginning their half-century as purveyors of indigenous arts and crafts. It’s a passion shared by long-time staff, Norwood couple Oak and Carrie Smith, she adds.

“It is incredibly important to us that people understand not only our love of Telluride and our history here,” Corina Gordon remarks, “but the long-term love, knowledge and interest we have in Native American people, arts and culture.”

A HAPPENING HQ

For several years, the Transfer Warehouse, the cherished historic structure at South Fir and Pacific, had served as a hub for the performing arts. Now, with renovation work underway on the Transfer Warehouse, head to Telluride Arts HQ (located at 220 and 224 W. Colorado Ave.) for a summertime arts fix. The local arts council is both overseeing the renovation work and providing a happening spot for live music, spoken word performances, happy hour events and more. For further information, and to support the restoration project, visit telluridearts.org.

The Scene / Dining

TBC’S NEW ‘BEER LOVING’ MENU

Leave it to the folks at the Telluride Brewing Company to describe the new food menu at TBC’s Brewpub & Kitchen as “beer loving”. It’s only natural, though, given that the elevated pub food is typically paired with the local brewery’s awardwinning beer. Running the show are chef Kevin Bush and assistant manager Andrew Bass, who are based at the Brewpub & Kitchen’s perch beside Black Iron Kitchen in Mountain Village. This summer, hungry hikers, bikers and shoppers can nosh on menu items that include a classic burger with thick-cut potato chips, carne asada tacos, snacks and salads and grilled chicken wings with a choice of homemade buffalo sauce or Face Down Brown barbecue sauce. Yum.

OH YEAH, TACOS + BARBECUE

Run, don’t walk this summer to Borracho’s BBQ and Tacos at Poachers Pub in Mountain Village. The brainchild of highly regarded local chef Cody Yates, Borracho’s serves up a mouth-watering array of nachos, tacos, empanadas and sliders, and sides like tots and tostones with mojo sauce. There is also a truly glorious Golden Carolina barbecue sauce and rotating smoked specials like brisket and a rib dinner with coleslaw, smoked beans and jalapeño cornbread. There are options for dine-in or takeout, says Yates, who adds, “I also have an option on the menu called ‘Food for the Crew,’ where you can order a large amount of meat and sides, and sort of do your own style at home for families and groups.” Yates’ culinary experience dates back to his teens working at a Florida barbecue joint and eight years at restaurants on the Telluride Ski Resort. Now, as he presides over his own kitchen, how’s he feeling? Says Yates, “It’s been a dream.”

COMMUNITY COOKOUT BENEFITS THE BISON

Love barbecue? Love the West? If you answered “yes” to both (and who wouldn’t?), mark July 1 and the third annual Alpine Cookout on your summer calendar. The event takes place from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. on Reflection Plaza beside the Madeline Hotel and Residences in Mountain Village and features awardwinning chefs from around the West serving up delicious food from the grill. There’s also live music and family friendly activities for the kiddos. Best of all, proceeds from the Alpine Cookout go to Indigenous Led, a nonprofit focused on rewilding the American bison to its natural habitat in southwest Colorado.

THE HAPPIEST OF HOURS

Love a good happy hour? Uno, Dos, Tres has you covered. The fast-andfresh taco eatery at 123 S. Oak St., beloved locally for its casual and friendly vibe and a menu that runs the gamut from oldschool authentic to wildly creative, is celebrating happy hour daily this summer. Sip on two-forone margaritas — an Uno, Dos, Tres specialty — and sample $10 chips served with a trio of salsa, queso and guacamole. See you there.

Word On The Street

HEIRLOOM APPLES … YUM

The West End, a close-knit rural community just over an hour’s drive from Telluride, is steeped in ranching and mining history. Some of that history can also be seen in the local heirloom apple trees whose lineages date to the early 1900s. The Apple Core Project was created to preserve this heritage and save rare apple genetics in Western Colorado by grafting and planting trees, mapping orchards and educating the public. “The overall goal is to propagate the genetics,” says Melanie Eggers, co-founder of the project. “We’re planting these trees and selling them to other people so we can preserve the genetics of the heirlooms.”

Some of the heirloom varieties in the region include Rhode Island Greening, Wolf River, Yellow Bellflower, Jonathan, Rome Beauty, Grimes Golden and Summer Banana. Eggers says Grimes Golden is her favorite and adds, “Once you taste some of our apples, they’re so multidimensional that all of the other apples at the store are so bland.” Eggers points out that an easy way to support the project is to buy its juice, which is available at Mountain Village Market and from Mesa Rose in Norwood, as well as by the glass or liter at The Butcher and The Baker and Bruno, both in Telluride. For those interested in trying the apples directly, the Apple Core Project will have its varieties on display at the Heritage Harvest Festival, held on Oct. 7 in Nucla, about 75 minutes’ drive west of Telluride. — Allison Bills

PINHEAD PARTNERS WITH MAKERUSA

MakerUSA and the Pinhead Institute have partnered to secure a $100,000 grant to fund a program manager who will operate “maker” programming regionally. The partnership will see Pinhead, the Telluridebased nonprofit that promotes STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) programming for students in San Miguel, Ouray, Montrose, Dolores and Montezuma counties, join forces with MakerUSA, which advocates for maker education and ecosystems nationwide. The grant will cover the costs of a program manager, as well as an $8,000 sub-grant that will go directly to Pinhead, according to MakerUSA CEO and co-founder Colin Lacy. He adds that the aim is to ensure “that rural students will have consistent access to high-quality STEM and maker experiences to allow them the opportunity to explore skills and experiences that connect to local in-demand careers.”

GENEROUS $36K GRANT FOR TASP

Earlier this year, the Christopher Reeve Foundation awarded the Telluride Adaptive Sports Program a grant for a partnership program with the Tribal Adaptive Organization. The $36,140 grant will provide funding for six ski and handcycle camps for Native American athletes living with paralysis. “We are thrilled to welcome athletes from the Tribal Adaptive Organization for therapeutic recreation in Telluride and Mountain Village,” TASP Executive Director Courtney Stuecheli says. “The focus of the program is to offer multiple skiing and cycling opportunities so athletes living with paralysis can become independent skiers and hand cyclists, encouraging lifelong skills and a love of these sports.”