Author: Susan Viebrock

[click "Play" to hear Susan's conversation with Israel Nebeker of "Blind Pilot"]

Unknown The band, Blind Pilot is in town for a concert at Telluride's venerable Sheridan Opera House. Show time is Tuesday, August 18, 8 p.m.

In 2008, Blind Pilot became a regular on NPR's "Best Of," list, where the track "One Red Thread" featured in a review of the year's musical highlights. iTunes supporters like the group too. The band appeared in the "Best of 2008 Indie Spotlight," a collection of 20 indie music tracks downloadable from the Apple Students Fan Page on Facebook. DJ Kevin Cole of KEXP, Seattle, Washington’s taste-making radio station, rated the Blind Pilot's debut recording, 3 Rounds and a Sound, one of the best of 2008.

[click "Play" to hear Ted's conversation on retriever training]

DSC_0182 Telluride Inside... and Out's dog whisperer, Ted Hoff of Cottonwood Ranch and Kennel, Crawford, Colorado, continues with his lessons about training retrievers, Labs and Goldens.

Working our way through the glossary of retriever training terms, we begin with concepts such as  "Amish training, " the art of training a dog without the use of an electric collar on to "cast," giving a dog a specific direction through the use of body movements and finally on to the lesson of the day, "D" is for "double retrieve."

[double click to view in larger format]Ask anyone who has been a member of the Telluride Academy's Mudd Butts Mystery Drama Troupe and they will tell you that theater is the ultimate learning tool – and not just because drama impacts all the senses. For...

[double click to view in larger format]

The idea to create a drama camp for kids in Telluride had been blowing in the wind. In 1987, the seed took root:  the Telluride Academy under the direction of  Wendy Brooks became the producer. Sally Davis and Kim Epifano (and John Fago, who is no longer directly involved) became co-directors. Mudd Butts thrived and grew: today, Mudd Butts International acts as a diplomat without portfolio, forging relationships and developing mutual understanding and respect for young neighbors around the globe through the medium of theater.

After 23 years and counting, Davis and Epifano remain the heart and soul of the Mudd Butts, because the two abundantly talented ladies possess childlike wisdom and grown-up teaching skills.

[double click to view in larger format]

The Telluride Academy's Mudd Butts Mystery Theater Troupe is an intensive drama workshop that covers all aspects of theater from script and songwriting to marketing. During the month-long program, kids also learn invaluable life lessons: how to laugh at themselves and ways to navigate the minefield of group dynamics.

Our big fear: Mudd Butts goes away. Right now, however, not so much, because this weekend, August 14 – August 16, the 23rd annual Mudd Butts ensemble performs its next musical. The production is based on the book, "Fears of Your Life,"  by Michael Bernard Loggins.

[click "Play" to hear Susan's conversation with Bruce Gomez]

TCMF Poster '09 Final Artist Bruce Gomez is the poster boy for the second year in a row for the Telluride Chamber Music Festival, this weekend, August 7 – August 8 and next weekend, August 14 – August 15.
On Thursday, August 13, patrons of the arts and the Chamber Music Festival can stop by Gomez's local gallery, the Telluride Gallery of Fine Art, to view the original, a work entitled "Rudy's Ingram Falls," named in honor of the artist's pal, Rudy Davison. The pastel will be sold at a silent auction following the concert of the series.

On Friday, August 14, 12 – 2 p.m. and Sunday, August 16, 10a.m. – 1 p.m., Gomez will be in the Great Room, at the Peaks Hotel, working at his easel, developing new paintings.

IMG_4173 Telluride Inside... and Out is pleased to congratulate locals Amy Jean Boebel and Sue Hobby. Three garments the two women created from discarded aluminum screens were accepted into WOW, the World of Wearable Art Awards Show. The  big event, the most prestigious on the international design, fashion and costume calendars, takes place late September, right after Blues & Brews, in Wellington, New Zealand.

WOW has a developing reputation for inspiring and encouraging recycling, but why aluminum screen? The ladies say, like fabric, the screen is woven. The material is also illuminative, (gives off light), translucent, and abundant at the construction site next to Boebel's studio.

"The process of making these garments allowed for  the kind of experimentation that challenged both of us. (Actually, the biggest challenge was keeping enough band-aids around.)  Getting the screen to respond in the prescribed way was both frustrating and fascinating, "  explained Boebel.