The majestic face of artist Tracey Belt's puma is covered in glass-on-copper enameled tiles that she individually cut and shaped to fit the puma's surface. The 29 large cats will be on display throughout Southwest Colorado as part of the public art project "Pumas on Parade," initiated by the San Juan Mountains Association./Photo by Todd Newcomer.

The pumas are coming the pumas are coming! Actually they are already here, hiding in artists' studios around the region. These larger-than-life cats are tame, so docile in fact, that creative types have been "artifying" them for the past few months. These cats are not real mountain lions. However, they have come alive through the imaginative minds and skillful hands of 29 area artists. Whether embellishing the sculptures with paint, glass-mosaic or copper-enameled tiles, native wild flowers, or cast concrete, artists are offering their creativity and time to "Pumas on Parade," a public art and environmental education project organized by the San Juan Mountains Association. An opportunity for artists, local businesses and art patrons to come together in support of our public lands, "Pumas on Parade" will be showcased around Southwestern Colorado this summer and early fall.

The project was initiated by SJMA Development Director Felicity Broennan who, having familiarity with the New Mexico's similar public art project, "Trail of Painted Ponies," knows first-hand how projects of this kind bring people together for a cause. "These public art projects have been incredibly successful around the country. New York and Chicago used cows, Seattle did pigs. But we thought since we see enough cows on a daily basis here, why don't we use something different?"

The "different" in this case also comes with careful thought and reverence for the mysterious animal. Many artists who submitted proposals for the project were inspired by their personal experiences with the majestic cats. Durango artist Mike McPherson recalls, "There was this really old mountain lion at the Tucson Desert Museum. Whenever I saw him, I got chills . . . the power of the animal was amazing. When I heard about the pumas project, I just had to apply." Artist Deborah Gorton, who lives up Lightner Creek in Durango, had a mountain lion regularly using her son's sandbox as a giant litter box. She said she wants to honor the big cat through her art. "I have utmost respect for the mountain lion and here we are living in their backyard." Like Gorton, Rhonda Polsfut, of Durango, holds reverence for the lion and has encountered them in her dreams and in waking life. "The puma has acted as a guide, and evidence of its presence along hiking trails has inspired me to make many good, life-changing choices."

During the months they have been working on their sculptures, the artists have developed deep feelings for their cats. Each of the sculptures has been assigned a gender, with the artists referring to "he" or "she" when speaking of their feline canvasses. Most have names - like "Seychelle," "Tony" and "Big Guy" - and many are spoken about as members of the artists' families. Sabine Baeckmann-Elge's cat blooms with painted wildflowers as it rests in her Pagosa Springs family room, where her son has been camping out on the floor beside the beast ever since it arrived two months ago. This place of honor is due, no doubt, to the majestic nature of the mountain lion and to the beauty of this sculpture in particular, created by Rosetta, a Loveland artist whose work depicts many of the big cats from around the world. The puma form each artist is working with is a replica of Rosetta's original bronze sculpture, "On the Alert." Rosetta gave SJMA permission to duplicate this sculpture for the project.

In deference to the fine art of Rosetta, it took Mike McPherson two days to begin painting on the white puma form. Each time he readied himself to put brush to paint, he said he felt as if he was "about to adulterate another artist's work." This apprehension stirred from his deep admiration for Rosetta's sculpture. "It is absolutely beautiful white, without one mark of paint on it." When McPherson did finally begin, he was still hesitant. "I had never taken on a challenge this big, literally, in my artistic career." As he was adding dot after dot of paint onto the layers of the vividly colored surface, a style of decorating inspired by Oaxacan wooden animal sculptures, he was surprised to find the painting a bit like meditation. "I can be painting for a couple of hours, and I just lose myself in the work, until I realize that my hand is cramped from the constant application of dots." The other thing that pulls him occasionally from his concentration is the thought, "What would Rosetta think?"

The large scale of the sculpture has challenged many of the artists. Tracey Belt, who usually works small, combining lamp-worked glass beads and metal to create jewelry, offers, "This has been really expansive for me ... I am excited to see where my work will go after this project. I really busted through a threshold with the scale and material for this sculpture." Belt's puma, "Connected Life," is being covered with luscious glass-on-copper enameled tiles that she individually cuts and shapes to fit onto the highly articulated surface of the sculpture. Her puma in progress will be one of three sculptures on display at the "Pumas on Parade" Sneak Peek at the Durango Arts Center next week. Through the use of posters picturing each artist and her or his sculpture in progress, the broad artistic scope of the project is revealed.

Local artist Amy Vaclav-Felker continues painting her puma Tuesday morning in her studio./Photo by Todd Newcomer.

The large scale of the sculpture has challenged many of the artists. Tracey Belt, who usually works small, combining lamp-worked glass beads and metal to create jewelry, offers, "This has been really expansive for me ... I am excited to see where my work will go after this project. I really busted through a threshold with the scale and material for this sculpture." Belt's puma, "Connected Life," is being covered with luscious glass-on-copper enameled tiles that she individually cuts and shapes to fit onto the highly articulated surface of the sculpture. Her puma in progress will be one of three sculptures on display at the "Pumas on Parade" Sneak Peek at the Durango Arts Center next week. Through the use of posters picturing each artist and her or his sculpture in progress, the broad artistic scope of the project is revealed.

The Sneak Peek will formally introduce "Pumas on Parade" to the community with the artists and major business supporters present to meet the public.

Durango artist Barbara Tobin-Klema, who is painting a botanically themed puma, said she has encountered a lot of interest. "People are really curious about the project . . . where are the pumas going to be displayed . . . how long will it take to paint, things like that."

Well, you know what they say about curiosity and cats, so satisfy yours soon and make it to the Sneak Peek. This will be the first of many opportunities to see the fabulous felines. All 29 completed pumas will be unveiled July 4 and will prowl down Main Avenue in the "Stars and Stripes" parade that evening. After their big debut, the sculptures will be placed in locations available to the public, and a free map will guide interested viewers to the sculptures' sites. Be on the lookout!

The Puma Sneak Peek will be held Thur., May 19, 6-8 p.m. at the Durango Arts Center with appetizers from Cyprus Café and music by Lawrence Nass. A $10 donation is requested. Limited seating. RSVP by May 13 at 385-1256. For more information about Pumas on Parade, visit www.sjma.org. To see Rosetta's art, visit www.rosettasculpture.com.

Mike McPherson displays his unfinished puma, which he painstakingly has painted with tiny dots, a style of decorating inspired by Oaxacan wooden animal sculptures. He estimates he has about 50 more hours of work to do on the project./ Photo by Todd Newcomer