On Friday, Sept. 12, the Colorado Mountain College campus in Edwards will come alive with art and music. To celebrate the campus’s inaugural student art show, CMC ArtShare and the recently formed Vail Valley Art Guild will be hosting a free, public opening reception in the auditorium from 5 to 8 p.m.
The evening will feature drinks, appetizers, a renowned jazz quartet and the artwork of more than 30 talented Colorado Mountain College students and faculty. All artwork will be for sale and on view throughout the building during the month following the opening.
The impetus for the show came from a small but dedicated group of students, faculty and community members, excited to showcase the incredible work of local artists and engage the local community, said Roger Sheffield, CEO of the CMC Foundation and the college’s vice president for advancement. From mid-September through mid-October, the campus will be transformed into a gallery with more than 125 pieces on display, including pastels, watercolors, oils, photography, mixed media and ceramics.
“Colorado Mountain College believes in the power of the arts and culture to build communities,” said Sheffield. CMC ArtShare, a program powered by the college’s foundation, “is committed to improving the quality of education through collaboration in the arts with an emphasis on the values that civic engagement brings to students,” he said.
ArtShare offers a regular series of visual art exhibits at the CMC ArtShare Gallery located in downtown Glenwood Springs, oversees the George and Patti Stranahan Collection (a traveling collection of iconic black and white photographs) and works in conjunction with each campus to present the visual and performing arts throughout the college’s district.
The Vail Valley Art Guild is a nonprofit organization founded in 2013 to foster the growth of artistic skills and promote awareness of the visual arts within Eagle County. The guild supports and partners with Colorado Mountain College as a community of local artists and art teachers. Currently VVAG operates diverse workshops and classes in the arts and sponsors regular art exhibits featuring local artists. Future goals include providing programs and resources for young and disadvantaged student artists, and procuring inexpensive studio facilities and permanent art exhibition space.
Performing at the Sept. 12 opening reception will be the Jeremiah Johnson Jazz Quartet, consisting of Denver-based musicians who perform regularly at jazz clubs and events throughout Colorado, including Houston’s, El Chapultepec and Dazzle. The band consists of Rob Dando on upright bass, Jerry Weiss on piano and CMC staff members Jeremiah Johnson on tenor sax and Larry Dutmer on drums, and features vocalist Mary Lynn Gillespie, a former member of Benny Goodman’s band Rare Silk.
CMC in Edwards is at 150 Miller Ranch Road. For more information on CMC ArtShare, go to www.cmcartshare.com or contact Alice Beauchamp at 970-947-8367, abeauchamp@coloradomtn.edu. For more information on the Vail Valley Art Guild, go to www.vailvalleyartguild.com or contact Lynn Feiger at 720-244-3977.