DURANGO ARTS CENTER ANNUAL JURIED SHOW

Entomon

This artists' book sculpture uses stone from Colorado and Lokta paper with collaged insect imagery taken from an early 20th century encyclopedia. An accompanying box holds pinned insects.

Winter Pressing 2007-08

The other work accepted by the juror is my annual "Winter Pressing". Each year I lay paper on the earth to be buried under winter snow. Nature acts on the paper, embossing, staining and documenting the snowfall amounts. The image shown is one of four in a series. The series won an honorable mention.

COLORADO NORTH JOURNEY

Red Shale Stack (from an environmental art workshop at Colorado Art Ranch Artposium)

Late spring found me traveling to Steamboat Springs and the Colorado Art Ranch's Artposium at the Carpenter Ranch owned by The Nature Conservancy. The drive with friends Carol and Ron Ozaki along the western slope of the state (Ouray, Montrose, Grand Junction, I70east, to Rifle and north) was resplendent with spring green against a background of snow still on the high peaks. The theme of land at the Artposium was fascinating and inspiring with presenters and attendees from the fields of visual arts.literary arts, and land stewardship. Art sharing, good food, a bird watching walk, environmental art and writing workshops, a roaring bonfire, and a cello performance enriched the weekend.

Animal Hole (from the environmental art workshop)

Nature's Calligraphy, Denver Botanic Garden at Chatfield (in process)

On the route home through Denver, catching a ride with Ridgeway, Colorado artist Meredith Nemirov, we stopped to see how my April project was faring. (see April 19th post) The sod had turned a golden brown and the grasses were bright green and growing, threatening to engulf the sod lines. This site-specific landwork continues to transform in its on-going process.

BRAIDING '08

I recently harvested grasses in a wetland area that were braided last fall at the Edgemont Highlands development where I am artist-in-residence. The braids of grass, pressed to the earth by the winter snows, were gathered and wrapped around a nearby cottonwood tree.

SECRETS & LIES

I was recently in this exhibit at 23Sandy Gallery in Portland, Oregon. It was juried by Gay Walker, Special Collections Librarian at Reed College Library in Portland. Link to the 23 Sandy Gallery website, click Past Exhibitions, Secrets & Lies to find my name and images of 3 artists' book works.

SWEETHEART OF THE ARTS DINNER & DANCE

This fundraising event on April 26th at the Durango Arts Center was held to honor me as an artist and contributor to the arts in the Durango community for over 25 years. An exhibition and silent auction of tribute artworks was also part of the evening...the artists having donated an original work of art with proceeds benefiting the Arts Center. It was an amazing exhibition by amazing artists: Judy Brey, Sandra Butler, Nancy Deacon, Ron Fundingsland, Deborah Gorton, Louise Grunewald, Chyako Hashimoto, Barbara Klema, Pat Lorenzen, Jules Masterjohn, Carol Martin, Maureen May, Mary Ellen Morrow, Mariah Mullins, Karen Pittman, Linda Robinson, and Carol Salomon. A lovely comemorative program was produced which included poems by my friends Katherine Leiner and Grace Cavalieri and images of my art over 40 years. The documentary film, "Seeing the Forest for the Trees: The Art of Mary Ellen Long" was also shown. Maureen May, my long time friend in art, gave a very touching tribute talk. Needless to say, I was humbled and very overwhelmed by this outpouring of love. The committee worked very hard to make this a memorable evening included Regina Hogan, Chair, Karen Thompson, Christina Ertezek, Linda Geer, J.M. Jones, Pat Lorenzen, Carol Ozaki, Diane Panelli, and Janice Weeks. I thank them all.
Program

Program page

Program page

Accepting my award

Husband Wendell and I beginning "The Dancing"!

5th ANNUAL EDIBLE BOOK SHOW & TEA

Our little town participated in this international event on April 4th at the Art Library, Durango Art Center, Durango, CO. A great time was had by one and all. To see examples of this art from around the world, google "edible books".

A few examples:

SEEING THE FOREST FOR THE TREES FILM UPDATE

I have just learned that Durango Community Access TV (DCAT) website has the film on Flash Media Player (which works on some computers, not mine!). One can check it out by linking to dcat.tv, clicking Web videos, then documentary...a mini version of the big screen.

ART OF NATURE: Denver Botanic Gardens at Chatfield

I recently completed three environmental art projects at this nature conservancy. Working with grand vistas of the foothills of the Rocky Mountains southwest of Denver, Colorado on former farmlands, my site-specific installations used indigenous materials and sod grasses.

"Nature's Calligraphy"

Patterns etched by worm larvae inspired the sod lines on this hillside. Enlarged, they speak of intricacies in nature and create a meditative trail to experience and walk.

"Curtains: Bone and Twig



Twigs gathered from the land's predominant tree, the cottonwood, and bones refering to the land's domestic and wild animal life, were gathered and hung to create curtains of floating calligraphy.

"Willow Bundling"



Fabric ties wrap sheaves of willow and refer to practices of bundling cut stalks of grain on these farmlands in past eras.

KDUR FURNITURE AS ART AUCTION

"Nature's Calligraphy"

Here's my contribution to the annual fundraiser for the local college radio station in Durango, Colorado. (A gluelam, carved with patterns that worm larvae make in the cores of trees, becoming a plant stand). Always a fun event that challenges the artists of the community. Check out the website to see this years variety of items up for auction, Thursday night, April 3 at the Durango Art Center.

10th INTERNATIONAL COLLAGE EXHIBITION AND EXCHANGE

"Ocean" (part of a collage series)

I have been making collage since 1980. Collage was my primary gallery work for over 25 years. My production of collage is less now, but my fingers get itchy around this time of the year and this exhibit on the net and in New Zealand is a great destination for sharing small image collage. Please link to the virtual.tart.co.nz website in April to see an amazing array of collage from all over the world and to learn more about how artists are exchanging and selling their work through the vision of artist Dale Copeland in Okato, New Zealand.