Art Around Town

To continue the tour of Lafayette Public Art...

Public art doesn't always follow a specific theme. But two of Lafayette's most recent public art installations are directly related to the history and culture of our town.

The first is a sculpture called towns-woman by artist Tim Upham. It was installed alongside Baseline Road, in front of our Rec Center, in the fall of 2006. While I must admit, at first glance, I didn't really "get" the sculpture, it has come to grow on me. When I first drove past the piece, I wasn't drawn to its angular, industrial look. I quickly noticed, however, the words etched into the crosspieces were more feminine in nature, "favorite niece" "girlhood home," "birthplace," "maiden name." And, when I heard the story behind the piece, I grew to like it more. Mr. Upham's inspiration for the piece is Mrs. Mary Miller, the founder of the town of Lafayette. The form of the piece is a representation of the original street plat of the town of Lafayette. The words on the piece reflect the many aspects of Mrs. Miller's life. It is a thoughtful piece of art.

The second sculpture called Toros Curiousos was installed in September of 2007. This large scale sculpture is by Christopher Weed. I think this sculpture is great! It consists of two huge, vibrant, angular bulls with lengths of industrial chain as their tails. They sit amid the prairie, over looking Highway 287. The two bright orangey-red bulls sit adjacent to the Super Wal-Mart parking lot. While it's location is not totally conducive for viewing, there are plans for a walking trail to run from nearby Anna's Farm neighborhood towards the east and past the bulls. And, it certainly is a head turner for the commuters travelling south on the road. I love that the Toros are so whimsical, and that they are a nod to Lafayette's agricultural and ranching roots. As for the Bulls being near the Wal-Mart, that is no coincidence. All commercial properties built in Lafayette contribute 1% for art as part of their building permit fees. This is one of several ways that the Public Art Committee is funded in the city.

So, on with the tour. Next time I think I will take you on a drive down Public Road, our main street and show you how we add art to our lives on the road.

Friday Freebie

Fall is in the air here in Colorado. We've had several rainy cool days, and snow up in the mountains. Here's a nod to autumn.

The back of this over-sized vintage, technicolor post card says,

"FALL FESTIVAL TIME" Pretty SARAH McCRACKEN of HOG FALLS, IOWA sitting pretty after winning first prize in the annual Pumpkin Hatching Contest.

I never knew pumpkins hatched!

Happy Birthday

Today we are celebrating a birthday. Our youngest turns 7. Yes, on September 11. Yes, she was born on THE day. 9/11/01.
Sadly, you may be having the reaction that most have when they say, to my daughter, "How old are you? When is your birthday?".....pause for cute child response...."Oh!" or worse, "Oh, no!" or they look at me and say, "So, you were in labor when it was happening?" or "That's sad," or worse yet, "That's too bad."
For many, that was a day where time seemed to stop. For others time was marching on. According the the census bureau, around 10,000 American families welcomed a child into the world on 9/11/01. Like me, 10,000 other moms were in labor. Like me, 10,000 moms and dads were riveted to the TV in between contractions. Like me, 10,000 families wondered what kind of world they were bringing their newborn baby into. Like me, at the end of the day, they were in love with a new life.
Having a child born on such a day of historic tragedy, of course, filled me with mixed emotions. I was sad, even devastated, for our country. But we were also overjoyed to welcome a happy little baby into our hearts and our home. How could we not be when we looked into those big blue eyes?
Perhaps this is similar to what a previous generation faced when they gave birth on June 6, 1944. D-Day. Perhaps there were babies born on that day who were pitied for their birth date, as well. I wonder how the moms of June 6, 1944 handled the negative responses. There aren't too many of those parents left to ask.
My hope for my daughter is that, by the time she is fully aware of the historic significance of her birth date, she does not regret the day. My hope is that she will embrace the day as her own. My hope is that, with appropriate respect and reverence for the tragedy that occurred and the lives that were lost, we can also acknowledge and celebrate the lives that were made that day.

Happy Birthday, Molly!

Friday Freebie

In honor of the recent political festivities of the DNC and the RNC, here are some presidential Friday Freebies. You may love them, you may hate them, but here are four presidents of the past.

Enjoy your weekend!

Milagro Jewelry on the Front Page.

Check it out, Rachel and I are on the cover of The Denver Post today. The Your Hub section Editor interviewed us last Friday. Enjoy!

Workshops offer creative freedom

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Kerry Feiman, left, and Rachel Hanson work on jewelry pieces during open studio time Aug. 29.

Provided by: Kristin Morin

Contributed by: Kristin Morin/YourHub.com on 9/3/2008

Decades ago the house on the corner of East Simpson Street and South Finch Avenue was a center for learning. Not much has changed.

What once was the first kindergarten in Lafayette, the blue building at 600 E. Simpson St. is now The Helen Parker Art Studio, where skills are being taught to an entirely new generation through its recently reinstated open studio time twice a week.

The Helen Parker Art Studio serves as the home of Milagro Jewelry, a business run by Rachel Hanson, of Lafayette, and Kerry Feiman, of Superior.

"We work three days minimum and we're open at least two (days)," Feiman said.
What started out as just friends stopping by to see their work and doing some shopping has grown into numerous classes for students 13 and older.

"There's hardly ever classes for adults," Jacqueline, of Lafayette, said as she worked on a small pocket mirror Aug. 29. "A lot of adults, I don't think, have a chance to be kids."

Open studio time began a few years ago, and after a summer-long hiatus, recently re-opened the studio to the public.

Hanson and Feiman, both mothers, said the open studio largely follows the Boulder Valley School District schedule. After the summer break, the studio is gearing for what is usually its busiest season.

"We usually have at least a couple people in here each Friday," Feiman said. "In the fall we definitely have more, doing their holiday shopping."

Handmade pendants with family photos are often a popular gift idea at the studio.
"It's just nice to be a part of someone making something for someone else," Hanson said. "Instead of buying a gift, this has a little more purpose and intent behind it. Hopefully that trend is continuing to grow."

Drop-in open studio takes place Tuesdays and Fridays from 9 to 11:30 a.m. Hanson and Feiman offer a variety of workshops like collaged candles, beaded servers, collaged journals, pocket mirrors, card making, collaged pendants and gypsy bracelets.

"People don't realize what a skill we have just using our hands," Jacqueline said. "It's an extension of your feelings."

The studio is a small workshop behind Hanson's house that the two friends renovated and decorated for their work space. Open studio participants get a cup of coffee and basic instruction from Hanson and Feiman. Then, they are given creative freedom to look through books, talk with other studio-goers and peruse the shelves of art for inspiration and conversation.

"It's a comfortable place," Hanson said. "People seem to enjoy being here."
Hanson and Feiman started Milagro Jewelry about five years ago and sell their work in the studio, at various venues and online.

A milagro is a charm that the women import from Mexico. The charms originated in Europe, each carrying a religious connotation. Hanson and Feiman have put a modern interpretation on the charms, labeling each one with a unique message of good fortune or happiness. Hanson and Feiman are often working alongside studio attendees to fill online orders that ship around the country and to Europe.

Most studio projects take only one session to finish and the studio provides all the supplies. Open studio time is free, but the material fees vary depending on the workshop. Some workshops require materials to be pre-ordered. Groups are welcome to attend open studio, but are asked to call first so Hanson and Feiman can make the necessary accommodations. Private workshops are also available.

For more information on workshops or The Helen Parker Art Studio to go www.milagrojewelry.com or call 720-840-1170.

Friday Freebie - end of summer

Labor Day marks the traditional end of summer for families accross the country. Our kids went back to school two weeks ago. But, for many, this is the last day of the pool being open, the last day at the beach, the last big weekend for those big barbeques.

My friday freebie, vintage postcard offering, is a tribute to those sensational swimming pools of years gone by and the family weekend at the beach. Enjoy your long weekend. Happy Labor Day!

Every now and then go away and have a little relaxation. To remain constantly at work will diminish your judgment. Go some distance away, because work will be in perspective and a lack of harmony is more readily seen. -Leonardo daVinci

looking for reasons...

Sometimes I ask myself why...

Why don't I carry my camera in the car with me? This question came up today when I saw an elderly man, in shorts, white socks pulled up high, smoking a pipe, riding a pink vespa. Why, oh why didn't I have my camera with me? Hopefully the description creates a nice visual for you.

Why should I look for that long lost friend? This summer Kerry and I joined the facebook craze. And craze it is! It is a time-sucking, I mean networking tool that allows you to find long lost acquaintances and current friends and keep in touch in yet another social-electronic way. I think I may be addicted. So, the question is, if you find that long lost friend, do you send the message? What if they don't reply? Do you take it personally? For me the answer came when I found a friend from college. We had lost touch and she had since moved to Europe. When I found her, her reply was, "I have tried to find an email address for you every now and then, but with no success. I'm really glad to hear from you." So, I am glad I did. Thank you facebook.

Kerry and I frequently ask ourselves: why should we continue writing our blog, when so few (if any) people comment? The answer came in the form of an email last week. After my first post about the public art committee, I received an email from the Mayor of Lafayette who, in her words, is a "regular reader" of our blog. Hello Mrs. Mayor!

Questions asked, and answered. I guess I shouldn't go to far to look for those reasons why, I should just give it a try.