Get TIO in your Inbox!

Author: Susan Viebrock

[click "Play", Rachel Loomis-Lee and Lauren Metzger speak to Susan]

Artopia_sponsors_web Taken from a book of that name written by Sir Thomas More in 1516, "Utopia" defines an ideal society. Like Shangri-La – or Telluride.

The theme of the Ah Haa School for the Arts' 18th annual auction is ARTopia, suggesting an ideal place, the school, within an ideal place, Telluride. Ah Haa is a place where dreams are born and personal epiphanies acquire weight and shape as people of all ages channel their inner Leonardo.

This annual fundraiser is a happening: the high voltage live and silent auctions feature over 200 items of original art, services and trips, all donated by the region’s artists, businesses and supporters of Ah Haa and local celebrities. Former Grateful Dead drummer Bill Kruetzmann put his psychedelic stamp on a pair of Wagner Skis. (Talk about gilding the lily.)

23 July, 2010 /
[click "Play" for Susan's weekly conversation with Kristin Holbrook]

Image001 They're boxy. And they are big. In the fashion trend sense.Telluride Inside... and Out's fashion expert Kristin Holbrook of Two Skirts is talking about the small satchel. So move over large totes and hobos. Make way for the boxy, flap silhouette with the ultra long strap, petite purses that suggest a modern edge and ladylike elegance.


Hands-free carry-(mostly)-alls are great for the woman on the go and more than their big sisters, they work as accessories, adding just a touch of je ne sais quoi to any wardrobe, day or night.

23 July, 2010 /

Nicole Telluride local Nicole Finger is quiet and self-effacing in person. In successive interviews with this fine artist over the years, Telluride Inside... and Out has never spotted an ounce of hype or self promotion. With one exception: Last year the stunning brunette and Ah Haa School for the Arts board member shook it for all she was worth to sell a dress of an original design for her favorite non-profit.

This year, expect an encore. Nicole Finger has designed another hand-painted dress, the Klimt Dress, which will be on the catwalk at the 18th annual Ah Haa auction, Friday, July 23.

The Klimt Dress, size medium, is hand-painted in layers of acrylic in a perfect replication of Gustav Klimt's famous masterpiece, The Kiss. Woven into the design are 200 hand-stitched Swarovski crystals. It's retail value? Priceless.

Vitals about the auction:

21 July, 2010 /
[click "Play" to listen to Toshiko Akiyoshi's conversation with Susan]

Akiyoshi The 34th annual Telluride Jazz Celebration welcomes Guest of Honor, award-winnning (Downbeat polls, Grammy nominations, etc.) arranger-pianist-bandleader Toshiko Akiyoshi.

Manchurian born Akiyoshi began her piano training at  the age of seven. Her career as a jazz pianist was launched in Japan in 1946. Be-bop pianist Akiyoshi made her first U.S. appearance over 50 years ago: in 1956 she appeared at the Newport Jazz Festival before touring top jazz clubs across the country.
20 July, 2010 /

Flair_web Flair Robinson has created a fabulous chair for the 18th annual Ah Haa School for the Arts' auction. The vision for the chair came in a dream to the artist, So it seemed only fitting that the words from Edgar Allen Poe’s “A Dream” be part of the work’s theme.

"This chair is meant to be a throne for a much loved friend, someone so wonderful they deserve a special place to sit when in your home. The chair is covered in hand-cut ceramic tile, self-designed then heat-pressed tile, glass and embellished with recycled treasures," explained the artist. Retail value: $2,000.

Vitals about the auction:

20 July, 2010 /
[click "Play" to hear Matt Downer's conversation with Susan]

Reading+Lamp+1+(email) Furniture designer Matt Downer lives and works in the Telluride region. At his shop in Rico, he repurposes fine wood into quietly elegant functional art. Last year, one of his benches was featured in the Ah Haa School for the Arts. This year, Matt worked his alchemy to create a fabulous floor lamp for the silent auction. The Paige Lamp, named for his brand new baby daughter, is 50" tall and long, made of Shedua and steel with multiple counterbalance options. The light source is LEDs for max efficiency.

The Paige Lamp is one of hundreds of items donated to the Ah Haa School by regional artists intent on supporting Telluride's community art center, which offers courses throughout the year.  for young people and adults.

Vital information about Ah Haa's 18th annual auction, themed ARTopia, is as follows:
19 July, 2010 /
[to hear Susan speaking with Kristin Holbrook and Melanie Montoya, click "Play"]

Clutch1final Telluride-based San Miguel Resource Center is the region's only nonprofit serving victims of interpersonal violence Historically, the Resource Center's only public fundraiser has been the Chocolate Lovers Fling, scheduled on or close to Valentine's Day to underline the nonprofit's mission to promote healthy relationships. However, violence and assault are not seasonal occurrences. They do not melt away when the snow stops falling.

San Miguel Resource Center board member Kristin Holbrook owns one of the most popular stores on Main Street. Visit Two Skirts starting Thursday, July 22, 4 – 7 p.m. for a cocktail/appetizer reception to kick off a summer fundraiser in support of the Resource Center: Clutch for the Cause.
19 July, 2010 /

Skiis copy Telluride's Ah Haa School for the Arts celebrates its 18th annual auction this week, on Friday, July 23. The theme is ARTopia.

The centerpiece of the auction evening, a happening that includes art, food, drinks and multi-media, is the live auction. In support, Telluride Inside... and Out plans to post images of the featured items every day this week, starting today, with Wagner Custom Skis with Original Bill Kreutzmann Artwork & Signature.

Bill Kreutzmann, the drummer who played with the Grateful Dead, has created an amazing new piece of his signature psychedelic digital artwork, which means the custom alpine skis from Wagner Custom are unique. Ski Magazine cited Wagner Custom as one of the 28 people, products and inventions that are revolutionizing skiing. Wagner skis are produced in a solar-powered off-the-grid factory outside of Telluride and represent the pinnacle of ski equipment in the 21st century.

18 July, 2010 /


When Telluride Inside... and Out first heard the term "Americana" attached to "music," the words were used to describe Grammy-winner and Telluride Bluegrass Festival regular Tim O'Brien's hybrid of country, folk, bluegrass and swing. Americana is music with a comfortable back-porch feel.

Co-producers (Barbed Wire Productions/Sheridan Arts Foundation) of the Telluride Americana mini-Fest, July 21-24 sum up their event this way: "Americana, roots, blues, folk with a kick, and country with a rock ‘n roll heart."

18 July, 2010 /
[click "Play" to hear Dr. Philippe Goldin's conversation with Susan]

IMG_5912 Hosting a conference in conjunction with Stanford University, the Telluride Institute was tapping into the zeitgeist. While some people appear ready to storm the barricades, others are turning inward, trying to find ways to play nice in not so nice times: compassion as an antidote to overheated passions. In June, when the Drepung Monks performed at the Telluride Bluegrass Festival, they painstakingly created a mandala to generate energies for global healing. Between chants, the message was compassion for oneself and others in equal measure. On July 6, Telluride celebrated His Holiness the Dalai Lama's 75th birthday with events all day at the Wilkinson Public Library and the Sheridan Opera House. The Dalai Lama's message: compassion.

The very next day the Telluride Institute weighed in with its variation on the theme, hosting the first ever "Exploring the Language of Mental Life" conference, July 7 – July 10.

17 July, 2010 /