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[click "Play", Nancy Landau talks about Friends of the Library and Funday Sunday]

 

12-12 Dinner Why does Telluride's Wilkinson Public Library need Friends?

The Wilkinson is a five-star book mecca in part because it attracts a steady stream of traffic. Locals and guests love the place and use it as a regular hang-out, a kind of safe haven. The kids' section is always alive with activity. And Scott Doser's programs attract regular weekly crowds.

December 12 is Funday Sunday at Telluride's five-star Wilkinson Public Library. The all-day event begins with a brief annual meeting of the Friends of the Library, 1 p.m., to explain the role of the Friends.

The meeting is followed by a High Def/Blu-Ray screening of "The Wizard of Oz." (The High Definition Blu-Ray format projector was gifted to the Library by the Friends.)

10 December, 2010 /
[click "Play" to hear Paul DiStefano's conversation with Susan

 

 

kicker: Ames Conservatory's big production takes place this weekend, 12/10 – 12/12

Polar Homeboy Paul DiStefano is a Telluride success story:  He grew up in Telluride, became a street magician and is now poised to become a dancer on the world stage.

In September 2009, Paul showed up at the Telluride Dance Academy, now the Ames Conservatory. His idea was take classes with former prima ballerina and artistic director Valerie Madonia. Within six months of intense study, pedal to the metal (or toes to the boards), Madonia felt confident enough in Paul's emerging talent to recommend him for an audition at the Joffrey School of New York, where Valerie regularly taught.

10 December, 2010 /
[click "Play" to listen to Mark Galbo's conversation with Susan]

 

What Now?!? Telluride local Mark Galbo is an innovative educator and a leading voice in contemporary music education. His unconventionally relaxed and spontaneous approach to teaching has endeared him to thousands of students across the country. But especially in the Telluride region.

See on why Saturday night, December 11, when nine all-kid bands, 45 kids aged 7 – 18,  take the stage of the Sheridan Opera House to perform material from Green Day to Taio Cruz, from the Beatles to Bad Company. The event also features a collaboration between the Rock and Roll Academy and the Telluride Karate Studio in a first of its kind choreographed rock and roll martial arts demonstration.

09 December, 2010 /

Polar kicker: Theatrical dance event features exclusive guest appearance by Ted Keegan of Broadway's "Phantom of the Opera."

Yes, you read the headline correctly. The Telluride Dance Academy is not serving up the usual Christmas diet of sugarplums. I am saying Telluride is not succumbing to the tweeness that afflicts the rest of America and mounting yet another production of Tchaikovsky's "The Nutcracker."

What's more, there is no longer a Telluride Dance Academy.

Next thing you know, I'll be saying there is no Santa Claus.

Which is what the little boy in another Christmas classic, Chris Van Allsburg's "The Polar Express" was starting to believe.

This coming weekend, Friday – Sunday, December 10 – December 12, at Telluride's Palm Theatre, the brand new Ames Conservatory presents its inaugural holiday production: "The Polar Express."

08 December, 2010 /

Thenextthreedays_smallteaser Burlesque_smallposter Telluride's Nugget Theatre has three feature films on tap for the week of December 10-16. In addition, there is the opportunity to see Ben Clark's "Ski the Himalayas" and support a worthy not-for-profit organization, the Horizon Program on Saturday, December 11 at 8:00 pm.

The week starts with "Burlesque" (rated PG-13) with the never-aging Cher; and Russell Crowe whose task is to spring from prison his wife who maybe didn't kill anyone in "The Next Three Days" (rated PG-13).

Legendoftheguardians_smallposter Ski_The_Himalayas_LARGEIMAGE All the programs on Wednesday and Thursday are showing "Legend of the Guardians: the Owls of Ga'Hoole" (PG), an animated feature about good owls and bad ones.

See below for movietimes, and the Nugget website for trailers and reviews.

 

08 December, 2010 /

[click "Play" to hear Lance Waring's conversation with Susan]

 

Ski_The_Himalayas_LARGEIMAGE Telluride Inside... and Out recently announced the availability of an adventure documentary by local filmmaker/mountaineer Ben Clark on Dish Network Pay Per View.

The 90-minute "Ski the Himalayas" chronicles three climbers' attempts at climbing and skiing 23,390' Baruntse. Local mountaineers Ben Clark, Josh Butson, and Jon Miller spent 750 days attempting to climb one mountain in a way that had never been done before just to ski one run. A twist of fate sent the adventure into overdrive as the explorers met scenarios that forced them to ask; What is it really worth? They pushed forward anyway...

The catch: you need a dish and a Dish subscription to view "Ski the Himalayas." At least you did until now. On Saturday, December 11, 8 p.m., The Nugget Theater sponsors a special screening of Clark's film. The event is a fundraiser for Telluride's Horizon Program.

07 December, 2010 /

[click "Play" to hear Susan's interview with Rhonda Muckerman]

 

Darkness-to-Light The thought of it makes some people quake in anticipation and others shiver with angst and cold. Whichever your camp, in Telluride, all over America, you own it. In this country, Christmas belongs to everyone, not just Christians who celebrate the birth stories about Christ, but also Jews, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, even atheists.

The secular holiday is Chipmunks and Charlie Brown, Grinches and Scrooges. It is Rudolph and giant conifers, baked ham and chestnuts roasting on an open fire, and one too many tipples of eggnog. The holiday season is classic movies such as “It’s A Wonderful Life” and “Miracle on 34th Street.” But most of all, Christmas is music. Perhaps no other holiday in the world is more closely associated with music than Christmas. Locally, Christmas music means the Telluride Choral Society's WinterSing, one of the premier opening events of the holiday season.

The Telluride Choral Society is under the able direction of Rhonda Muckerman.

07 December, 2010 /

Come on, you know you wanna! Don’t you want to be able to make coffee mugs, ice cream bowls? They make great gifts and trust me, people LOVE them. Well, our very own Goedele Vanhille will be teaching Beginning Wheel Throwing next weekend...

07 December, 2010 /

[click "Play" to hear R.J. Rubadeau's conversation with Susan]

 

Gatsby_CVRdj_front_300 Telluride local Bob Rubadeau is familiar with launches. He is, after all, a major league ocean sailor, a Cape Horn veteran. But Rubadeau is also an author of both fiction and non-fiction works of contemporary literature. This time we are talking books – or book – not boats.

On Tuesday, December 7,  6 p.m., in the Program Room of the five-star Wilkinson Public Library, Bob finally shows his hand, revealing the final chapters in his protagonist Wit Thorpe's trials to find the real killer in his latest novel: Gatsby's Last Resort: A Telluride Murder Mystery. Seems Wit, a Telluride native and the local Peeping Tom for hire, has been charged with 1st degree murder of a quick succession of victims, all linked as major shareholders in an attempt to acquire the Valley Floor. And despite what the local Sheriff may think – he describes Wit as "our own Ted Bundy" –  Wit admits that he "probably didn't do it."

Rubadeau's readers across the country have tracked Wit closely over a nine-month publishing odyssey in part on Telluride Inside... and Out, a key partner in the author's premier Community Publishing 101 project. Other partners include the Wilkinson Library, Between the Covers Bookstore, The Telluride Writers Guild, and Beacon Hill Publishers. The latest addition to this stellar lineup is artist Roger Mason, who donated the cover art.

06 December, 2010 /

by Tracy Shaffer

Riva Opening
Tracy, Riva, "Heaven & Earth"

Cool morning, bright day. I sit down for tea with artist, Riva Sweetrocket, in her gorgeous Ballpark Neighborhood loft. She meets me at the door and takes me into her studio, a clean and spare space which reflects the clarity of her thought and vision. A 44 x 38 inch paper is affixed to a Plexiglas wall; the striking image of a crimson cushion with an oversized, gold satin bow hovering above it is in progress. There is nothing else in the room but light, a small cart holding art supplies and a larger blank sheet of paper on another wall, awaiting inspiration.

The precision of Sweetrocket’s work is extraordinary. Many times I’ve stood before her works at Denver’s Plus+ Gallery, mesmerized and wondering “How does she do that?”  It was my privilege to find out. We spoke of images, what strikes the eye and how these fascinations reach the gallery wall. “I keep a file of photographs, things I see and the colors and textures I find appealing. Most of the time I photograph them myself, but others come from memory. When I get an idea about what I want to put together, it all comes alive in Photoshop” says she. I get a sense that there is a lot of silence and rumination in this woman’s daily life, and a fair amount of chalk dust. Riva’s works are created in soft pastel on paper and have a luxuriant quality that is radiantly defiant of the medium. “Once I’m happy with the image, I begin the work on paper and that is when it starts to really come alive” she continues. 

06 December, 2010 /