Denver magazine 5280 spends an art-filled day in the Springs

"The beauty of Pikes Peak has inspired artists since the 19th century, yet only in the past few years has a diverse, truly exciting arts community blossomed in Colorado Springs, the city that lies in Pikes Peak's shadow. With major museum expansions, new galleries, and a wide range of community efforts to bring fine arts to the fore, the Springs has seen a burst of artistic energy that's drawing art lovers from all across the state." Read the complete article here.

Denver Post: Mexican ceramics fire up fun

The Denver Post's Kyle MacMillan reviewed our permanent collection exhibit Color, Whimsy and Humor: Mexican Popular Ceramics today, calling it "entertaining and down-to-earth" and "a visual carnival that anyone can enjoy."

"Art can inspire, inform, enlighten, provoke and comfort. And, sometimes, it can just be fun. Put an ongoing exhibition at the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center solidly in that last category. Its title aptly sums up the anything-but-highfalutin artwork on view: "Color, Whimsy and Humor: Mexican Popular Ceramics." The 29 playful, festively decorated clay sculptures draw on a variety of folk traditions and take the form of everything from fanciful animals to masked figures, ornate candelabras and even a miniature bullfighting arena. They are handsomely arranged in a gallery boisterously decorated to match..."

Botero exhibition getting some ink

The Fine Arts Center’s exhibition, The Baroque World of Fernando Botero, is causing a stir, featured on the cover of The Independent, the cover of the Go!, the top story on the Denver Post’s Entertainment section and on page 1A of today’s Gazette. The FAC hasn’t been on both local covers in the same week since the Extremely Grand Opening in August of 2007.

The Opening Celebration is tonight from 5-8 p.m. We invite you all to join us. FAC members can attend the Opening and every day of the exhibit for free.

The Independent
“Their breadth is stunningly majestic. Years from now, locals will still talk about the FAC hosting this show.”

Denver Post
“But Los Angeles' and New York's loss is Colorado's gain, because this exhaustive exhibition makes clear that it is time for a major reconsideration of this doggedly independent-minded artist … Indeed, the Botero that emerges via this exhibition, which will surely draw visitors from along the Front Range, is a surprisingly complex … “

Gazette
“As you walk through the three sprawling galleries, it feels much like the Louvre - room upon room of palace-ready paintings … “

Westword
“ … formidable, big-boned, larger than life and literally two tons of fun.”

Gazette: Puzzling, dazzling abstract art

The Gazette reviewed Colorado Springs Abstract. T.D. Mobley-Martinez writes, "There are works here that are simply beautiful, a quality that for some viewers has meaning enough. Dawn Wilde's recent large-scale paintings are a riot of color, movement and organic form. Like Wilde's work, Corey Drieth's gemlike pieces of pigment on wood planks are strangely poetic, but with the quiet simplicity of a Zen koan. The same is true of Holly Parker's imagistic imprints of found pools of oil and dirt, called "Untitled (Roman Buses I-IIIV)."

"At the center of it all, Bill Burgess' sculptures demand attention. Some are gritty; some are sleek and invite a caress. Exquisite."

Gazette: Charismatic cast keeps audience boisterous

Read the Gazette's Todd Wallinger's review of the Fine Arts Center's The Full Monty:
How far would you go to provide for your family? In these troubled times, it's a question more and more people are forced to face. Fortunately, it's also a question that can lead to an abundance of laughter - and some revealing performances - as the Fine Arts Center's production of "The Full Monty" proves.

"Terrence McNally's dialogue comes fast and funny, while David Yazbek's driving, pop-infused songs keep the energy - and laugh - levels high."

Denver Post: Designing Women is 'completely unexpected and wonderfully audacious'

Our Designing Women exhibition, which closes Jan. 25, has received its second positive review from the Denver art critics. We’ve heard from Michael Paglia of Westword, now Kyle MacMillan of the Denver Post gives his opinion.

“ … the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center has veered in a completely unexpected and wonderfully audacious direction.”

“The exhibition has no connection to the museum's permanent holdings, which are focused on Latino, Southwestern and modern art, and that's the point: something offbeat and startlingly different … (and) has gained the institution heightened credibility nationally. The Textile Museum in Washington, D.C., has just agreed to present the exhibition from May 15 through Sept. 12, 2010.”

“Boosting their appeal is the museum's handsome, viewer-friendly installation, with introductory wall panels on the three designers, each including a painted enlargement of one of their trademark patterns by exhibit designer Laurel Swab.”

Gazette: Exhibit looks at faith, humanity

An exhibition for the FAC Permanent Collection – Sacred Spaces – was featured on the cover of Friday’s Go!, the Gazette’s weekly A&E section ... “Las Vegas, New Mexico,” Alex Harris (right). This marks the first time a work of art from the permanent collection has ever been on the cover of the Go! T.D. Mobley-Martinez writes, “At a time of year when religious imagery is as common as our drive to gift, gift, gift, Sacred Spaces looks at faith in a very different context. The exhibition … speaks to the delicate thread that connects us all: our humanity.”

Also in the Friday Gazette, Theresa Farney’s food column, Table Talk, features information about Café 36 and our incredible two-for-one entrée special for FAC Members available through April.

Westword: 'Designing Women' is interesting, thoughtful and beautiful

Michael Paglia reviewed, Designing Women, in his weekly Westword column on Dec. 17.

“A few weeks ago, I went to see the Walt Kuhn/Edie Winograde shows there ("Myth America," November 26) with the thought that I would also write a brief notice on the other exhibition, Designing Women: Art and the Modern Interior From Postwar Britain. But the minute I entered the gallery, I knew I'd have to scuttle my plans and devote a full-blown review to Women — not just because it's surprisingly large, but because the quality of what's included might make you think that you've been transported to the Cooper-Hewitt Museum in New York or, maybe more to the point, the Victoria and Albert Memorial in London.

“I can't say enough about how interesting, thoughtful, intelligently laid out and beautiful Designing Women is. I wasn't surprised to learn that curators from various museums in Britain as well as from the Cooper-Hewitt, the Wolfsonian and even the Museum of Modern Art have made their way to Colorado Springs to see it. Suffice it to say, it wouldn't kill you to exert a fraction of that effort to do the same.”

Congratulations to the curator Tariana Navas-Nieves, exhibit designer Laurel Swab and the curatorial team for another great exhibition and positive review.

Gazette: A wide-angle view of arts

New Gazette arts writer, Tracy Mobley-Martinez, attended the opening of Dream City 2020: Through the Eyes of the Artist, Past, Present and Future, and asked attendees what role will arts play in Colorado Springs in 2020.

Artist Marica Hefti said, "I think a very large one, not just because I'm an optimist. But since I came to Colorado Springs in 1991, there was literally one commercial art gallery. Can you imagine that? But then they came, all kinds of galleries came and went. ... Once - I used to say ‘if,' but now I say ‘once' - once you have a whole country buying original arts, there will not be enough artists in the world to satisfy it all. And why not start in the Springs?"

Blake Milteer 'among the top art-world talents on the Front Range,' says Westword

Michael Paglia of Westword reviewed the Edie and Walt exhibitions last Wednesday, concluding "(Blake) Milteer's pairing of these two bodies of work is brilliant and reveals a young curator who is among the top art-world talents on the Front Range and one of only a handful in the region capable of putting on a great show — or, in this case, two of them.

Gold Winner ... Reclamation of a Good View

The Independent's Best of 2008 issue recognized the 'Reclamation of a Good View' at the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center's Cafe 36:

“When Café 36 first opened last year, I couldn’t help but cheer. An exceptional building and pristine views waited for the perfect food match. Alas, it wasn’t to be. Dull menu items and bland dishes left a bad taste in my mouth and eventually closed the café for a short stint. But thanks to new overseer Garden of the Gods Gourmet, the sky is a little bluer, trees a little greener and the food a whole lot more exciting. Rising to the level of art, lunch is now worth talking about – and definitely worth eating.”

Denver Post reviews Walt Kuhn exhibit

“A new exhibition at the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center makes a powerful case for a reconsideration of this modernist,” writes Denver Post art critic Kyle MacMillan in a review of Walt Kuhn: Imaginary History of the West, an exhibit on view at the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center on Sunday. “His zeal for the subject matter is obvious in the unashamedly romanticized vision and swashbuckling energy he brought to these depictions. Compared with much of Kuhn's later output … these works are rendered with bright, fauvist-influenced colors and black highlights and loose, highly animated strokes. (D)on't miss this long-overdue opportunity to see these modern masterworks.”

Biloxi Blues reviews from Gazette bloggers

The Gazette has posted reviews of Biloxi Blues from three individuals: Todd Wallinger, JaNae Stansbery and Leah Chandler-Mills. This weekend is the final weekend for Biloxi Blues. The FAC is offering discounts for military personnel. Call 634.5583.

Highlights include:

• “The FAC Theatre Company started off its new season with more than a bang last Friday. It started it off with a full-blown rifle blast.”
• “Mark Rubald is riveting as Sergeant Toomey”
• Jeffrey S. Miller, as Arnold Epstein, the bookish intellectual … burns with a courageous yet quiet intensity that was compelling to watch.”
• “ … an exuberant, hilarious performance by some of the area’s best talent … “
• “ (a) humorous and engaging production … “
• “ … a funny and insightful night of theatre … “
• “Marco Robinson has grown into this role, and it’s hard to imagine a better Eugene. (Matthew Broderick, who played the role in the movie, has big-time competition here.)”
• "Chris Sheley has given them a magic puzzle box of a set – don’t let the plain wall fool you, there are amazing things hidden here.”
• "There’s one more play in this trilogy; Broadway Bound completes the cycle (can we hope for this next season?) Right now, give yourself a night out and don’t miss this warm, funny play.”

Gazette on Cafe 36 menu: Makings of a masterpiece

The Gazette has reviewed the Fine Arts Center's Cafe 36 restaurant and said, "New Café 36 menu at museum shines with fantastic dishes, flair ... (it is) full of fresh, delicious food presented with the visual flair befitting an art museum ... order the threecourse, $20 prix fixe and you get a tremendous value." Read the full review here.

Reviews: Sunday in the Park with George

Cast, set paint artful play
By Mark Arnest, The Gazette (Feb. 1)

• “The Fine Arts Center Theatre Company’s production of “Sunday in the Park with George” ranks with the center’s best productions.”
• “It’s the most beautiful show I’ve seen on that stage…”
• “The orchestra, conducted by Sandi Shroads, has never sounded mellower or more delicate, shimmering colors matching the visual splendor.”
• “And the cast members — especially leads Brian Hutchinson and Carmen Mock — make Stephen Sondheim’s challenging music and lyrics sound as effortless as a walk in the park.”
• “Hutchinson’s voice combines beauty and power, and he’s equally convincing as the obsessive Georges and the vaguely dissatisfied George. Mock delivers Sondheim’s intricate patter with a bright, buoyant voice.”
• “You’ll be intrigued by this courageous and intelligent production of a courageous and thought-provoking piece — and the ticket prices ($26-$31) are cheap for a production of this quality.”

Sunday in the Park with George review
By John Moore, Denver Post (Feb. 1)

• “Director Alan Osburn's elaborate staging is capably performed to standards few area companies can match. The eight-member orchestra is as always a strength, and, for a show built on the concept of this being a canvas come to life, set designer Christopher L. Sheley has outdone himself, particularly in how he, like Seurat, toys with perspective and dimension in creating living stage paintings like "Bathing at Asnieres."
• “This all builds to a magical stage moment in which a fevered Seurat, employing all his artistic hallmarks of design, tension, balance and light, finally sees just how to place all of his pieces on canvas. Suddenly these real people (well, a few are pop-up boards) morph into clay models that Seurat manipulates into their final positions. It's a stirring, act-ending moment … “

Denver Post: Special art in our midst

Special art in our midst
Springs show whets the appetite for big Impressionists exhibit
By Kyle MacMillan, Denver Post (Jan. 31)

• “Lovers of impressionism should not overlook a notable group of such works that are part of a broader exhibition continuing through March 9 at the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center.”
• “it is a solid, engaging show with enough strong selections to make the drive worthwhile. Perhaps best of all, there are examples by artists rarely seen in Colorado”
• “this exhibition shows off the wonderfully accommodating special-exhibition galleries”
• “the old-master works are exquisitely showcased. One of the most successful aspects of the addition, this huge room — about 38 by 100 feet with a 19-foot ceiling — allows for sweeping vistas and ample dialogue among the selections.”
• "Impressionist and Old Masters" is a perfect excuse for a road trip and a pleasant way to spend an afternoon.”

Bon Vivant: "The mastery of light, color and line"

In the January edition of Bon Vivant magazine, writer Noel Black reviews the Impressionist and Modern Masters exhibition, saying it "satisfies like a weekend trip to New York."

"Using colored walls to denote the three separate eras in the chronology, Blake Milteer and the FAC curatorial staff hone done an excellent job of creating visual moods around the periods they define: regal burgundy for the pre-impressionist era, a brooding green for the impressionists and a sunny yellow for the modernists. The works themselves are, without hyperbole, some of the finest examples of their times."

Denver Post: Center's treasures revealed

The Fine Arts Center was featured on the front page of the Denver Post A&E section Sunday, complete with four articles and eight photos. About the FAC Permanent Collection, art critic Kyle MacMillan wrote, "The return of a little more than 200 permanent works to public view is among the most exciting aspects of the arts center's newly opened addition ... No comprehensive story of Colorado art, which for much of the 20th century was centered in Colorado Springs, can be told without including selections from the arts center's extensive collection."

"A major boost to those holdings came with the July announcement that 67 paintings from the extraordinary Colorado Springs collection of Katherine and the late Dusty Loo would be given to the institution. A selection of 27 pieces is on view.

"The Loos were highly discriminating in their purchases, managing to find a, if not the, definitive example of virtually every artist represented in their collection."

Center's treasures revealed: Rediscovering the Collection
Curating the Future: What's next for the Fine Arts Center
Miro and Monet: Impressionist and Modern Masters

RMN: Eclectic exhibit benefits from center's expansion

Rocky Mountain News art and architecture columnist Mary Voelz Chandler reviewed "The Eclectic Eye: Pop and Illusion" in today's paper.

"In short, the addition that opened in August, designed by David Owen Tryba Architects, offers beautiful spaces to view art, whether the more traditional Western pieces in "Colorado Sublime," or the numerous glass sculptures (and bright orange chandelier) the center acquired from artist Dale Chihuly, or the adventurous and provocative pieces from Weisman. It helps that the detailing is pristine, and the flow simple and direct."

"In "Eclectic," organized with a fair amount of wit by the late collector's wife, Billie Milam Weisman, the overall effect is, fittingly, a little bit of everything."

Read the complete review here.