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Crestone: A Community of Artists
by Suzanne Frazier

Crestone is home to many artists. Throughout the year, artists and artisans gather together to show their creative work at various venues around Saguache County, in town and at their studios nestled among the foothills. There are many opportunities to meet the local artists and purchase one-of-a-kind creations for your personal enjoyment or for unique gifts.

Dancing Reed Gallery
The Dancing Reed Gallery, located in the White Eagle Village, displays the works of local artists throughout the year. Each month, usually on the second Thursday of every month, the gallery hosts an opening reception for a new art show featuring paintings, drawings, watercolors, photography and sculpture. The gallery is open daily from 10am to 6pm. The staff at the White Eagle Village is available to assist you in purchasing artwork.
In 2003, the gallery hosts two major group shows, featuring many local artists, during the Crestone Music Festival in August and the Crestone WinterFest Celebration in November.
Two nights before the Music Festival begins, an opening reception will be held on Thursday, August 7 from 5-7pm. The opening reception for the “Local Artists Christmas Sales Show”, offering unique and distinctive holiday gifts, will be part of the Friday, November 28 Crestone WinterFest Celebration festivities around town. The Christmas Show continues until the end of the year.

Crestone Potters Guild
The Crestone Potters Guild was formed in 2002 by the students of Master Potter Bertha Gotterup and is located at 1607 New Meadow Overlook. The group, Bertha Gotterup, Mary Anne Buehler, Jo Ann Connington, Lynn Drake, Kizzen Laki, Mary Lowers, Shawn Quick, and Margaret Wilson, create both functional and artistically unique pottery.
The studio is open to the public by appointment, with a selection of work by the potters on display and for sale. The styles and techniques within the group are diverse and exciting to the eye and include bowls, plates, platters, tea pots, playful mugs, tiles, vases and artistic pottery.
On Sunday, May 4, from 2-4pm the Crestone Potters Guild will hold a “Mother’s Day Open House” with a wide selection of functional and artistic gifts. The Guild hosts a booth during the Fourth of July Celebration, the Crestone MusicFestival and theCrestone WinterFest Celebration at the Holiday Bazaar.
For more information or directions to the studio, call Bertha at 719.256.4929.

JD Marston Gallery
The JD Marston Gallery, located at 13 Baca Grant Way in the Baca Grande near Crestone, is open over the summer and will host three special gallery events. The “Grand Reopening Show” will be held during Memorial Weekend, May 24-26, from 1-5pm, displaying the photographic work of JD Marston and other artists. The popular annual “Fourth of July Show” will take place on July 4th from 1-5 pm. JD’s photographic retrospective show has been part of the town-wide day long celebration for many years, and this year will include other artists. To complete the season, JD Marston will mount his final show of the year during the Labor Day Weekend.
JD Marston is the winner of the Ansel Adams Award for Conservation Photography and an Ernst Haas Photographic Scholarship, and has been included in Who’s Who? in North America. Recently he has been nominated to Who’s Who? in American Art. His color and black/white photography captures the essence of the sacred landscapes he photographs.
The JD Marston Gallery is open from Memorial Day to Labor Day, Monday through Saturday from 1-5pm or by appointment. After September 2, the gallery will be open by appointment only. For more information contact JD Marston at 719-256-4162 or www.jdmarston.com .

Fall Festival in Saguache
Every year on the third weekend of September, just in time for the

changing of the Aspen in the valley, the Fall Festival of Saguache County features the fine arts and crafts of local artists and artisans. In 2003, the Fall Festival will be held on
September 20-21, from 10am-5pm, at the Otto Mears Park (on Highway 285) in Saguache. During the weekend, live entertainment by local bands and musical groups is scheduled. Food booths provide delicious treats and artisan booths showcase local artists, artisans, and craftspeople from around the county. Plan to spend the day and experience what Saguache County has to offer.

Crestone WinterFest Celebration
(for updated Winter Fest information, please go to crestonevisit.com home page or saguache.org)
Since winter arrives early in Crestone and stays through late spring, the town celebrates the arrival of winter with the Crestone WinterFest Celebration. The annual town-wide event begins on the Friday after Thanksgiving, November 28, from 5-8pm and continues on Saturday, November 29, from 10am-4pm. Over 80 artists and artisans gather together at four locations, the Holiday Bazaar, Old Fashioned Christmas Festival, Local Artists Christmas Sales Show and Christmas Holistic Conference. All restaurants, stores and shops join in the celebration with special events.
People from all over the Valley and beyond visit Crestone to purchase fine arts and crafts as special, one-of-a-kind holiday gifts. Many of the artists and artisans in the area sell their work in galleries across the United States, and this is the one opportunity to see their work in Crestone and to experience the town’s special festive perspective.

4th Annual Art and Photography Exhibit by H. Johns and Bill Ellzey
(billellzey.com - click here)
In mid-December every year, enamel artist H. Johns and photographer Bill Ellzey host an exhibit of their work. In 2003, the show will be held on December 13 and 14 at the studio of Bill Ellzey at 891 Camino Real (“Two Trees Road”).
H. Johns’ work features fusing color pigments with either steel or copper to create porcelain enamel on steel or copper enamels. She has been a pioneer in the the art of painting porcelain enamel on steel. The copper enamels are part of her current work, wherein she fuses ground pigment
onto copper to create brilliant and unique colors. The size and scale of the work ranges from miniature pieces to 36 foot long installations. In addition to the enamels, Johns will be displaying giclee prints.
Bill Ellzey, a professional photographer for more than 30 years, has photographed on assignment in Egypt, India, Australia, Ireland, Mexico, China and Alaska. In addition to international images he will exhibit photographs from the San Luis Valley. In September 2001, Bill’s photograph of the Great Pyramid and sphinx was featured on the cover of National Geographic Magazine. Prior to moving to Crestone, Bill was the director of the Western Photo Workshops in Telluride, Colorado. He has taught at the Anderson Ranch Arts Center and Winona International School of Professional Photography.
For more information contact Bill Ellzey at 719-256-4565.