Emerging Artists in Durango

What do you do when you have a town full of artists looking to display their art but lack the resources to do so? How about create an artist incubator, a program that provides emerging artists with support and gallery space? Ted Moore, a local artist, is part of the Incubator Project and his display, "natura fabricata," is currently gracing the walls of Stillwater Music. You're watching "The Local News Network" brought to you by StoneAge and the Community Foundation serving Southwest Colorado. I'm Wendy Graham Settle.

So we started an Incubator Program for Emerging Artists, which will have an eight-week training program, followed by eight-week exhibitions at Stillwater Music, and we're looking to expand that program.

Kathryn was really interested in starting an incubator program, which is something that she had ran for many years in her gallery on the East Coast, and I expressed that I was really interested in having a solo show to kind of highlight the work I'd been doing in the last year. Kathryn got together with Jeroen van Tyn, who is the Director and Owner of Stillwater Music, in September, and Jeroen was in the process of finishing this extensive renovation here and had the idea of making it not just a space for performances, but also a space for visual arts.

Moore's art explores woodworking and ink painting, often in the same piece. Various pieces adorn the walls, and the show also features some cabinetry work by Moore. The show included a gallery opening night and Artist Talk on December 9th where Moore was able to share about his work and the eight-week exhibition. When visiting, you have the opportunity to get up close and personal with the art, explore the wood choice and framing, all done by Moore, and see the detail on the cabinet pieces. The exhibit is the culmination of Moore's participation in the Emerging Artist Incubator Program.

It kind of fills an opportunity gap that we have here in Durango, I think. In Durango, we're surrounded by creatives. Everyone I know, it seems like is a creative of one sort or another. And then we also, fortunately, have access to a lot of established artists, whether it's in galleries in town or our proximity to Santa Fe or what have you. What we don't have are those programs that help artists who are on that transitional stage, building their career. So this is a great opportunity for that.

"natura fabricata" will run until January 6th. Come visit anytime during Stillwater Music's operating hours. Make sure to stop by before the gallery closes, and take the time to explore the variety of pieces at the exhibit.

I want them to come and see the space and recognize that there is an opportunity and a space for emerging artists here in Durango, and that there's, I like to think, compelling contemporary art being made by emerging artists here in Durango.

To learn more about the Incubator for Emerging Artists or to apply to be an artist, visit durangocreativedistrict.org/ incubator-for-emerging-artists. To view more examples of Moore's work, visit tedmoorewoodworkandart.com. Thank you for watching this edition of "The Local News Network." I'm Wendy Graham Settle.

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