The march of art
New exhibits highlight the Durango weekend

This portrait of Lucy A. Willey, by Carlan Tapp, is part of the exhibit, “Question of Power,” on display at the Fort Lewis College Art Gallery./Courtesy photo.

by Jules Masterjohn

Do you get juiced knowing how artists make things and why? Are you inspired when in the presence of creative individuals? Do you secretly think you were an artist in your last life or aspire to be one in this life? Are you now or have you ever been in association with artsy folk?

If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, make your weekend plans for Nov. 8–10, after reading this exposé of local art happenings.

Documentary photographer and educator Carlan Tapp will be at the reception tonight, Nov. 8, from 5 to 6: 45 p.m., for his photographic exhibit, “Question of Power,” which opens at the Fort Lewis College Art Gallery in the Fine Art Building. The exhibit, whose title is a double entendre referencing both an inquiring look at power as an authority and power as an energy source, focuses on the current opposition of some of the Diné (Navajo) people to their tribal leadership’s support of the proposed Desert Rock coal-burning power plant and strip mine, to be located on tribal land. Portraits of Diné elders, their traditional livelihood of ranching, and the results of living in the fallout of two existing coal-powered plants and mines, are the subject of Tapp’s black-and-white images.

His 30 photographs show somber faces, sacred mountains and sites, and the environmental realities of mining in an arid and delicate ecosystem. The only smiling face among the tribal members pictured is that of Joe Shirley, current president of the Navajo Nation. Tapp’s portraits of the Diné elders portray dignity and tired determination. The photograph of Shirley captures his excited, toothy grin leaning into the camera. The natural distortion from the camera’s lens increases the oddness of Shirley’s posture. This is documentary photography at its best.

Following the photography reception at 7 p.m., next door to the Center of Southwest Studies Lyceum, is a lecture by art historian and FLC art faculty member Dr. Marilee Jantzer-White. Her presentation, “The Vatican of the Americas: Mitla, Oaxaca, Mexico,” will compare the pre-Columbian ruin site’s little-known lintel paintings to the Sistine Chapel paintings at the Vatican in Rome. Jantzer-White highlights the paintings as a “program of power,” telling the story of “spiritual forces that animate the world of the living and the dead.” Mitla, a complex of buildings that contains palaces and tombs, is best known for its intricate stone mosaics and colorful exterior painting. The name, Mitla, translates from its native tongue to mean “Place of the Dead.” This is a timely subject due to last week’s celebrations throughout Mexico of the “Day of the Dead.”

This weekend’s art offerings range as broadly as the many colored leaves floating to the ground. On Friday evening at Sorrel Sky Gallery, located at 870 Man Ave., meet two artists whose works are inspired by living in the West. Durango was once the home of Stephen Day, who relocated to Douglas County where he works as a full-time artist. A child of Western landscapes, his paintings capture the brilliant colors seen at sunset in these wide-open spaces and the unusual quality that the light possesses in this part of the country. “I paint almost exclusively from life, trying to capture the feeling and the mood of the subject before me. This work philosophy forces me to paint quickly to get a spontaneous and fresh response, because everything around us (including ourselves) is in a constant state of change,” the artist writes.

A stone mosaic at the ruin site of Mitla, Oaxaca, Mexico./Photo by Bobak Ha’Eri.

Getting a head start on the holiday season and avoiding that last-minute, mindless gift buying is always a desired change. On Saturday, a group of 10 local makers will help you do just that. The 10th anniversary Artisan’s Holiday Gift Show and Sale will be held at the Durango Arts Center on Nov.10 from 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. An eclectic blend of handcrafted work by Marsha Franklin, Pam Williamson, Deborah Gorton, Nancy Conrad, Heather Laurie and Flare Robinson as well as High Desert Foods, Rocky Mountain Bound, Encantos and Durango Fiber Works, will be offered. Together, artisans are offering just about everything a girl might like to wear, eat, see and put on her body. The sensual and the feminine is expressed through the use of fused glass, mixed-media and beaded jewelry; silk, velvet, woven and felted wearables; sauces, jams and jellies; stained glass, pottery, handmade books, mosaic and collage works; and soaps and skin-care products.

Indulge your spirit with Alison Goss, nationally known fiber artist, who is opening her studio to anyone who is inspired, on Sat., Nov. 10 from 1 - 5 p.m. “Connecting with the Flow” is the name that Goss gives to these afternoons of creative play with art materials. This is an art day for big kids. Goss sets up her studio with an abundance of paints, papers, fabrics and mixed-media “stuff,” and lots of room to create. As a life-long teacher and learner, Goss has developed “no-fail” techniques for painting and collaging with fabric. She encourages experimentation and improvisation. There is no fee though donations for art materials are welcomed, but not required. The only requirement for participants is to have fun. Contact Alison Goss at 385-0315 or agoss@frontier.net if you plan to stop by for a dose of the “flow.” •