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Rio Grande Museum November Newsletter

October 29, 2019

November, 2019 

Rio Grande County Museum will be hosting “HOLIDAY AT THE MUSEUM” with an opening reception on November 16, 2019 from 10am - 4pm. Several artists will be featured for this holiday event. The art show will run through December 21 with special Friday and Saturday refreshments and opportunities to spend some time in the Museum, do some shopping in the gift shop, with the artists and have a chance to see the Museum. It will make a great time to visit to Del Norte to check out the restaurants and gift shops in town as well as spending some time in Monte Vista with their “Christmas Vacation” events and seeing what they have available. South Fork also has some great holiday events coming up as well. Remember Del Norte’s Parade of Lights and Merchants’ Open House on the first Friday of December. Also, on November 16th, stop by the Monte Vista Fire Department for their appreciation chili dinner from 4pm - 7pm. 


​The artists who will be showing during the Holiday at the Museum are well known San Luis Valley artists. The following are brief biographies of our artists. 

Nancy Harris is a mixed media artist from Alamosa. She has a Masters Degree in art history from UC in Santa Barbara, California. She teaches workshop in collage and mixed media. Harris has shown her work in Colorado and New Mexico. Her unique talent is shown in each piece as she makes it a one of a kind. She will be showing her greeting cards as well as framed pieces. 


Darwin Thompson will be the only artist showing whose work will not be for sale. He majored in art and taught at all levels in public schools. He owned Design Built Construction Company for 30 years and worked in the San Luis Valley as a general contractor. He enjoys drawing, painting, wood carving and wood working. He has devoted the past ten years to carving mountain men, trappers and Native Americans, not to mention animals, birds and Santas. His display will consist of Santa carvings in both traditional and old world style carved in basswood and painted with acrylics. 

Cathy Morin is an award winning glass artist. She has worked in both stained glass and fused glass for over 15 years. Fused or hot glass has evolved over the years from slumping glass into molds to a variety of diverse and innovative methods to create glass art. 


Craig Lehmann worked in metal in various forms. He does abstract sculptures by welding metal and bronze castings. He studied biology, archaeology and sculpture and art at Adams State College, now University. He manages Lehman studios and Craig Lehmann Sculpture Studios. He shows in various local art galleries. 


​Laura Lunsford has always dabbled in the arts, from painting to pottery. By the age of 12, she was designing and sewing her own clothes. In 1994 an article in “Soft Dolls and Animal” featured a doll covered with silk ribbon embroidery with no instructions. At that time, Lunsford was teaching at Michaels and after a few attempts, she figured it out. As skills improved she began submitting ideas to the magazine and she was enlisted to be on the Editorial Advisory Board. Her career in the magazine world was launched and a new magazine called “Just Steampunk was established. She makes dolls, writes for magazines and conducts classes and workshop. Her favorite shirt states “I Still Play With Dolls”. Two of her dolls Pirate Jack and Rosalee were featured on November 2016 cover of SD &A and have been re-created to take part in this particular show. 

Mary Susan Eldredge studied art at the University of Minnesota under several great artist teachers. Now, living in the high mountains, she enjoys making landscapes, insects and flowers part of her art work. Her painting style of bold colors and shapes works for her stained glass designs. 


Marian Schlagbaum has an eclectic style of art work. She is now doing something with glass with her work. Marian’s free style of art work makes one feel good. High, high heeled shoes are one of her favorite subjects in the various media in which she works. She will also be showing three of the beautiful wooden boxes that her late husband, Roger, did and for which he was known. 

John Patterson is known for his sculptures made from farm equipment pieces. Imagination is the key to finding what will work to make his creations. He does sculptures ranging from flowers, insects to tractors and more. He can find beauty in the items many throw away. He works as a farmer and draws from his experiences with equipment and a working knowledge of these items. 


Albert Kahan is another one of the artists who will be showing. In the past he has done work with his photography with glass cutting boards. He has now ventured into new and different media. Albert’s work is always a pleasure to see and to own. 


This will be the final event for the year 2019. However, the calendar of events for 2020 will be just as exciting. Rita and I are working on an exhibit for the celebration of the passage of the 19th Amendment which gave women the right to vote. 


We are also working with Chuck Harbert and Morgan Williams on a post card exhibit that will show the work by photographer, William H. Martin on “boosterism” in the San Luis Valley in the early 1900s. This will be one of the postcards in the exhibit. 

​

The Old Spanish Trail will also be featured in an exhibit and the quilt show again for Covered Wagon Days. 

Thank you for your continued interest and support of the Rio Grande County Museum. 

Louise Colville and Rita Trujillo


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