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Author: Susan Viebrock

[click "Play" to listen to Sheryl Rydmark]

Telluride (2) On December 29, the Telluride Gallery of Fine Art opens a show of new work by jeweler Cheryl Rydmark. The jeweler is renowned locally for her now famous asymmetrical arrangement of sterling silver beads, gold, leaf-like charms, and small diamonds, worn by a trend-setting group of Telluride ladies like a sorority necklace.


A classically-trained-painter-turned-metal-artist, Rydmark's creation are as elegant and harmonious as Einstein's theory of relativity, the architecture of Renzo Piano, Brancusi's sculpture, Rothko's paintings, and ancient Etruscan jewelry, works that convey the idea that, in the hands of a master, complex concepts can be successfully conveyed very simply. After 35 years on the job, Rydmark is a true master, often described as a "jeweler's jeweler" for her uncompromising quality and sensitive handling of the materials.
26 December, 2009 /


Her latest release, "Shawn Colvin Live,"  was nominated for a Grammy for best Contemporary Folk Album. Shawn Colvin appears live at Telluride's historic Sheridan Opera House on Sunday, December 27, 8 p.m.

Colvin was born in Vermillion, South Dakota, a small college town just south of Sioux Falls. At age 10, she picked up her brother's Harmony four-string guitar and bought the plain vanilla Mel Bay chord books. At 13, she confiscated a classical gut instrument her father meant to give her mother. Colvin's first recording session occurred in high school, when she was also singing the role of Anna in "The King and I." She made her first public appearance on campus at the University of Illinois at age 15.

25 December, 2009 /
[click "Play" to hear David Holbrooke talk with Susan about the fundraiser and movie]

IMGP0403 Ten years ago, in 1999, Mountainfilm in Telluride regular, world-class climber/author Conrad Anker found the frozen body of mountaineer George Mallory on Mount Everest. In the years that followed the discovery, Anker obsessed about Mallory much in the way Mallory had obsessed about becoming the first person ever to conquer Everest's summit. Mallory and his partner, Andrew Irvine, were last seen in 1924 only 800 feet from the top. Had the duo successfully tackled the Second Step and reached their goal? Just how much was Mallory torn between ambition and his love for his wife Ruth? What was it like to climb a mountain as forbidding as Everest using the scant gear available in the 1920s? "The Wildest Dream" endeavors to answer these questions with archival video footage of Mallory and Irvine on the mountain, love letters between Mallory and Ruth, and a bold attempt to reenact the summit bid by  Anker and Leo Houlding. Liam Neeson narrates. Also with Ralph Fiennes and Natasha Richardson.

24 December, 2009 /

[click "Play" to hear Rachel Loomis-Lee about the school and the New Year's event]

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Bruce Gomez pastel

Telluride's Ah Haa School for the Arts has a lot to celebrate. In March 2007, after 17 years in cramped quarters in an old brothel in Popcorn Alley known as the Silver Bell, the school moved into a century-old train depot. Since then, the local institution has been able to realize its promise of becoming an upper case Community Center, while continuing to serve as a community arts center. There is, however, a price tag attached to an enhanced venue and now it is time to pay the piper.

The goal: begin the New Year by retiring the school's current debt of $750,000 and securing the Depot as the school's permanent home; at the same time, raising money for critical line items under general operations such as scholarships, materials, and teacher salaries. (And no. Tuition alone does not cover overhead costs necessary to run the school.)

23 December, 2009 /

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Winter at Indian Ridge

We at Telluride Inside... and Out hope to sweeten your Christmas with a recipe from master chef/baker Barclay Daranyi  of Indian Ridge Farm & Bakery in Norwood, active members of the Telluride Farmers' Market in summer. In winter, not so much.

Christmas Stollen is loaf-shaped fruitcake, with chopped candied fruit and/or dried fruit, nuts, and spices on the inside, powdered with icing sugar on the outside. Barclay's family has made this traditional German holiday treat every year for decades. "I can't  imagine Christmas morning without it," she exclaimed.

23 December, 2009 /
PC210053 Erik Dalton of Telluride's Jagged Edge is as busy as one of Santa's elves these days. Tonight, December 23, Jagged Edge is sponsoring a screening of Warren Miller's "Dynasty," the 60th action adventure film in the series and a look at the past, present and future of the twin sports of skiing and snowboarding. The event takes place at the Sheridan Opera House, 6:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. At the same time, Erik is channeling his inner Ho Ho Ho to bring you last minute ideas from Jagged Edge to round out your Christmas stocking. The following are his eleventh-hour picks.

Nikwax cleaning and waterproofing products are great for prolonging the life of your favorite jacket or pair of ski pants. Normal detergents tend to strip many outdoor fabrics of their waterproof treatments, clogging pores and hindering breathability. Nikwax washes effectively clean fabrics without leaving residue behind. Washes can be enhanced by using a waterproofing treatment specific to the make of the garment. Whether we are talking about your favorite wool ski sweater, your best pair of ski bibs, or even that old tent fly, Nikwax has a product for under $15 to make old favorites new again.
23 December, 2009 /

Onearchitectival The  Winter Solstice is one of two times of year when the sun is at its greatest distance from the celestial equator. The summer solstice in the Northern Hemisphere occurs about June 21, when the sun is in the zenith at the Tropic of Cancer. The winter solstice occurs today, December 21, when the sun is over the Tropic of Capricorn. The summer solstice is the longest day of the year and the winter solstice is the shortest. The winter solstice is also the true Yule, which in pagan times and pre-historic culture did not involve a baby Jesus, a manger, wise men, or angels on high.

21 December, 2009 /

Mike Hess (r) and friend In October, the Telluride region's Peaks Resort & Spa was honored with two not insignificant awards: Parents Magazine Top 10 Best Winter Resorts and SpaFinder Top Spa. Locals, however, met the news with the usual ho-hum. When...

20 December, 2009 /