The 'fab five'
'&' not your ordinary art gallery

The five co-habitants of the new ‘&’ downtown gallery include (in no particular order): Crissy Coniglio, Tirzah Camacho-Powell, Tim Kupustka, McCarson Jones and Sarah Steppelman./Photo courtesy of Red Scarf Shots

by Stew Mosberg

It might seem like an odd name for an art gallery, but then, “&” is no ordinary art gallery. It’s more of a place where art is made, and if someone wants to buy the output, so much the better. The tenancy at 1027 Main Ave. has gone through several changes over the past few years; recently it housed Beehive, and before that it was home to Harper/Roberts Gallery, Dungeons & Dragons, and Axxis Audio.

Now, five artists have come together to morph the 600-square-foot space into a working studio. Crissy Coniglio, Tirzah Camacho-Powell, Tim Kupustka, McCarson Jones and Sarah Steppelman bring their diverse talents to the mix, including but not limited to: painting, sculpture, photography and graphic design, as well as personalized children’s products. The group of entrepreneur artisans are known as “&,” but the moniker is actually more definitive than it sounds because in addition to the creating, displaying and selling of artwork, the artists expect to engage the community, hold gatherings and hopefully generate similar venues in town

Kupustka, the lone male among the collaborators, designed the ampersand logo and is also the most recent transplant to Durango, having moved here only 6 months ago from Chicago. The four female colleagues arrived in Durango over the course of 13 years from a variety of locales around the country.

Most artists work in isolation, away rom distraction, but that solitude limits peer feedback and the immediate sharing of ideas that often nurtures creativity. Steppelman might well have spoken for all of them when she commented, “I miss the studio atmosphere of artists creating, discussing and simply hanging out. It is a unique experience that I have not had since graduate school. I am looking forward to being a part of that community. I am looking-forward to building a new body of work in a visible space. I am looking forward to my ‘studio’ not being a crammed corner of my  dining-room.”

Conceptually, “&” will be more of a working studio than a traditional gallery. Each of the “fab” five has set up studio space that will fill the major portion of 1027 Main. Most every stick of furniture is on casters and can be easily moved to accommodate the planned exhibitions, some of which will feature work by artists who are not part of the collaboration. Coniglio, Kupustka and Jones all plan to conduct the business side of their art at the gallery. Steppelman and Camacho-Powell will use it almost solely to create their unique art.

Knowledge of each other developed through the art community. Steppelman, for instance, recently won “Audience Favorite” at Jones’ “Deliciously Weird” guerilla art show. Her nine sculpted miniature horse heads, titled “Vernal” were the crowd pleasers. The other members of “&” were also represented at Deliciously Weird and all agree that guerilla art shows (short duration exhibitions) may well become the norm for the new gallery space.

The four gals and a guy also see the studio/gallery as an incubator for ideas and a common grounding place for local talent that shares a passion for art. A key to the group’s endeavor will be the evolution of ideas. Each expects to be fueled by the other’s talents, intermingling expertise whenever feasible, not knowing where it might lead and what might develop from the expanded consciousness.

Because the idea of “&”is so open-ended, it might be difficult to define its purpose or measure its success. When put to those questions, McCarson Jones, owner of Red Scarf Shots Photography remarked, “If we all set our sights in a positive way, to continue to support art in Durango and continuously develop new ideas and build creativity among the creative types, how can we not accomplish something? I think we have all seen what happens when people are passionate about something in their lives. Well, you have five people creating and promoting new ideas all while working and moving forward with an artistic eye.”

A collection of paintbrushes adorn a desk at the new ‘&’ artist space at 1027 Main Ave., most recently occupied by the Beehive./Photo by Stephen Eginoire

Further commenting on how she herself will define the success of “&” Jones said, “I want it to be a springboard for us to make change in ourselves and in our businesses while promoting and supporting an artistic Durango.” Jones has worked with Kupustka on graphics in the past and hopes to expand their collaboration on client marketing materials.

Camacho-Powell considers the success of “&” in a slightly different and more personal way. “On a structural level, being able to keep the space running is key by selling work and gaining clientele and collectors,” she commented. “For me, it’s making a living. Success on a personal level, though, is quite different. My goal is to produce the best work I can – work that stays true to my original intentions and shows continual progression.”

When considering the role of “&” in the community, Camacho-Powell added, “It’s important for people to note that ‘&’ is a broad and undefined space for these artists to keep a presence on Main Avenue; a space to build a reputation as working artists whose product is defining them. This concept does not exist yet in Durango, it is something I’d like to see become contagious.”

By moving from Chicago to Durango, where he was a book designer, Kapustka hopes to grow Cabbage Creative, his graphic design business. He plans to serve small business owners while also selling his line of note cards and posters. He speaks animatedly about creating T-shirt designs with Camacho-Powell by capitalizing on the painter’s additional skill as a print maker. “As far as trying something new,” he says, “I am super excited to work with Tirzah on some screen printing. We’re gonna do some great stuff. That excites me; cross pollination!”

Coniglio is a water-color artist and has a line of personalized baby gifts utilizing that medium, which she presently sells through Nordstrom online. She has been in 1027 Main for the past year and a half and was the one who originally suggested the space to the others when Harper/Roberts vacated.

In addition to exhibiting their artwork, the five artists hope visitors to the gallery will take advantage of the unique opportunity to see artists creating, and that locals will view the space as a place to visit and learn more about the process of art. In that context “&” is something akin to an open studios tour all year round.

Because of it’s pocket-sized space, “&” will have an invitation-only opening reception on March 11; officially opening to the public March 15. •