Visitors in Mancos State Park taking a cool dip in Jackson Gulch Reservoir are now greeted by a new installation blending local art and park education.
The installation is part of a Colorado Parks and Wildlife project aiming to address decades-old interpretive signs – some from the 1970s-era – across statewide parks.
The project’s first attempt was unveiled last month at the outdoor destination and camping hub about five miles north of Mancos. The state park provides recreationists plenty of mountain biking range, swimming or fishing opportunities plus sweeping views of Mesa Verde National Park to the south.
What was unveiled is a little more than a sign. It’s an outdoor exhibit rotating large-format artwork and artist statements in three panels, sheltered under a timber-framed pavilion adjacent to the Visitor’s Center.
Jeffree Matthews’ art piece draws the eye toward a giant blue heron taking flight amid a backdrop of a lake brightly colored blue.
His work “Web of Life” stages the iconic state flower, the Rocky Mountain Columbine, and other wildflowers, which Matthews said in the artist statement serves “as a welcoming mat” to remind visitors of nature’s wonders and adventures right at their feet.
The project, led by CPW’s sign coordinator, Brittany Frederick, who was hired last year, partnered with Tess Lynston at Mancos Creative District for the selection of three works.
“I'm just in a state of gratitude to be part of this project and to work with Brittany and park staff to be able to take my artistic expression and work it into your larger vision,” Matthews said during a ribbon-cutting ceremony June 23.
The installation intends to connect visitors with nature and the wildlife one might glimpse in the park – the same animals those living in Southwest Colorado are accustomed to seeing.
Black bears are featured in Matthews’ work along with mule deer. The piece by Sophia Borchers and Nick Arbogast, titled “Shared Wilderness,” has a great blue heron, rainbow trout and smaller trout near a mountain summit.
In the third piece, crows drift in the corner of Dai Salwen’s “Looking East” while a fox leaves snowy tracks along the gulch’s empty berm.
Salwen’s artistic statement noted inspiration came during a winter run with a friend. “Looking East” highlights how darkness can sometimes be quiet and peaceful. Salwen concocts a moving sky though shades of blue awhile letting the La Plata Mountains snow peaks – also widely viewable from the park – bask in sunlight.
Lynston told attendees at the June 23 ceremony the prompt provided to artists consisted of several questions: How do they feel connected with the park’s environment, how would they represent that visually?
“I kept thinking about the art submissions and different creative expressions the artists portrayed in their storytelling,” Lynston said.
She told attendees at the ribbon cutting the selection process was guided by one overarching question: “Is it inspiring, thought-provoking, leaving the viewer with warm, fuzzy feelings?” The “fuzzy” part of the comment garnered a laugh from the crowd.
Lynston, who specializes in curating Indigenous artwork, also serves as a board member.
Park Ranger Nathan Bolton said about 50,000 people visit the park each year. The campgrounds are typically booked out in its 32 sites during summertime, and he said there’s about five miles of trails wrapping around the park.
On the far side, a trail head connects to the Chicken Creek Trail System and national forest that connects to the Colorado Trail, extending all the way to Denver.
awatson@the-journal.com
