Two 8 foot windows facing Grand Avenue in Mancos are the heart of the gallery.
Each has a wide sill and overhead rafters made from reclaimed barn wood, creating a stage to share the stories of the people, animals and props that inspired the art displayed.
Since many of you may not be in Mancos to see each window, the content will be brought to you through email.
I will strive to make this like a virtual studio visit to give you insight into the creative journey.
AS THE WHEEL TURNS
The first Trail Visions Window honors women who marched
West in the late 1800’s.
More than 350,000 families trekked over 2,000 miles from Missouri westward between 1841 and 1867
THE INSPIRATION
This extraordinary wood hub wagon wheel was the initial inspiration for “No Turning Back.”
It is typical of wheels found on the Conestoga wagons that carried all worldly goods westward along the famous trails during the 1860’s.
I bought it in 1992 at an antique store near Salida, Colorado.
On the drive home to Santa Fe, my mind was more than a century removed from the car and paved road. I was walking in the dust alongside that wheel,
crossing a prairie to a land of dreams.