31 Jul From the Editor: Leaning In

Life’s splendor is all around, from the luminous quality of light during a Rocky Mountain sunset, to the magnificent stance of a grizzly bear lumbering along a hillside, to the transcending moment of triumph when a wild trout hooks onto a fly. These are the makings of memories, moments that beckon, inspiration for a body of work that tells the story of the West.

For many artists, the physical act of using ordinary objects to produce a work that speaks to a viewer is a form of intimate expression. It’s a processing of experiences and memories that serves to connect the artist to the subject and the viewer. For painter Kenneth Yarus (page 134), it’s about rendering the landscapes of the region with such quality that a viewer can feel the experience. For muralist and painter Talissa Abeyta (page 106), it’s a form of discovering her own voice and connecting to her heritage. For sculptor Mike Barlow (page 118), art is a way of appreciating the very identity of an animal. Chef Earl James Reynolds (page 56) engages all the senses in his art form, creating tastes inspired by place.

These are just a few of the many talented artists in our region seeking to create something beautiful as a small contribution to the larger narrative of life in the Rocky Mountains.

Textile artist Meghan Spielman (page 110) enjoys that her preferred medium challenges the boundary between fine art and craft. “[Textiles] ask the question, When is something defined as art?” Indeed, what activities transcend the ordinary to produce meaningful results, ones that move people during moments of experience?

Painter Brooke Wetzel (page 126) describes it thus: “Rather than just telling a story or creating a passive experience, I’d rather create an active, resonant one that moves the viewer from observing to feeling. I think a good painting should draw out something intangible.”

Equally so for all art forms: architecture, design, music, you name it. As the viewer leans into the experience, the creator leans in too. The result is catharsis.