COLORFUL COLORADO

0 Comments | Gazette, The (Colorado Springs), Dec 21, 2007 | by MARK ARNEST

Colorado's landscape has inspired artists ever since the first painters made the arduous trek to what was then a remote territory.

"Masterpieces of Colorado," an exhibit of landscape paintings that opens Saturday at the El Pomar Carriage Museum, traces that history from the 1860s to the present. The show was created to celebrate the Colorado Council on the Arts' 40th anniversary, and includes 42 paintings from numerous public and private collections.

"It had to be of Colorado," said Rose Glaser Fredrick, the exhibit's curator. "The grants they're handing out now are 'Masterpieces of,' and then fill in the blank."

Fredrick put together a show that includes 25 historical artists and 16 contemporary artists -- with a gap from the 1940s to the late 20th century corresponding to the rise of abstract art. (Vance Kirkland -- represented here by his 1935 "Ruins of Central City" is one of the artists in this exhibit who abandoned representation for abstraction.)

But, Fredrick said, "it's interesting that artists came back around to painting landscapes."

In some cases, the story is as interesting as the art -- such as the case of John Dare Howland, who in addition to being a painter was one of the first to strike gold in Cripple Creek.

Other historical artists include Charles Partridge Adams, John Carlson, Charles Craig, Ernest Lawson, Thomas Moran, Robert Reid, Birger Sandzen and Harvey Otis Young.

The contemporary artists include such figures as Daniel Sprick, the renowned magical realist who created new works specifically for this show.

"Because he lives in Glenwood Springs (and not a big city), it's possibly hurt his career on a national scale, but he's an amazing painter," said Fredrick.

One work that arguably stretches the exhibit's guidelines is Charles Forsman's "American Fable," a dystopian vision of development in the mountains.

"It's not a specific painting of a specific place so much as Chuck's commentary on what's happening," said Fredrick.

Among the other contemporary artists are Clyde Aspevig, Joellyn Duesberry, Tracy Felix and Michael J. Lynch.

Colorado Springs is the fifth stop on a six-city tour that began in February and will end next year at the Denver Public Library. Not all the original 70 paintings will be on display at the Carriage Museum because it's one of the smaller venues. "I had to cut back on some of the contemporary artists," said Fredrick. "Instead of dis playing all eight of Karen Kitchel's paintings, I'll display four. But every artist will be represented, and all the historical work will be there."

details

Masterpieces of Colorado

When: Opens Saturday; museum hours 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Mondays- Saturdays, 1-5 p.m. Sundays, closed Christmas and New Year's days; through Feb. 3, 2008 Where: El Pomar Carriage Museum, 11 Lake Circle Admission: Free; 577-7065

Also: Parking is available in the Broadmoor garage; museum visitors can have their parking validated at the museum for free parking.