In this episode I have the pleasure of speaking with Joel Arnold about the upcoming Four Corners Gem and Mineral Show which has been happening for the lat 72 years. The show takes place this Friday July 10 through Sunday July 12 at the La Plata County Fairgrounds with 67 dealers from around the world displaying their rocks, gems, minerals and jewelry. The show is put on annually by the Four Corners Gem and Mineral Club which was established in 1947. Joel has been a long time member as well as President and Vice President of the club where he teaches classes in advanced cabochon making. In addition to many classes and access to the studio the club hosts field trips to Creede, Silverton, Del Norte and South Fork for rock hunts. The gem show which brings in 4-6,000 shoppers is their biggest event of the year. Entry to the gem show is $5 for adults and free for kids 12 and under. The La Plata County Fairgrounds is located at 2500 Main Avenue n Durango, Colorado. To find out more about both the Four Corners Gem and Mineral Club and the Gem Show you can visit the website at durangorocks.org

Today I'm excited to be speaking about the San Juan Symphony's upcoming 41st Anniversary Season called "Larger Than Life" featuring four concerts including performances by guest soloists. Joining me in the studio are Thomas Heuser Music Director and Conductor of the symphony and Meghann Zenteno Executive Director who together created this outstanding program. You'll hear music by composers such as John Adams, Gustav Holst, Melanie Bonis, Johannes Brahms and Amadeus Mozart with guest soloists Norman Krieger on piano and Tommy Mesa on cello. The San Juan Symphony has been bringing professional high caliber music and concerts to the region for over four decades as well as exciting collaborations with other community organizations. The symphony also has many programs to support music education including youth orchestras, Side by Side performances, scholarships and a new Young Artists Competition! In addition to the full symphony experiences they host chamber music and chamber singer performances, a Bach Festival and the Majesty of Christmas through the Beyond the Concert Hall series. The regular season performances take place both at the Community Concert Hall at Fort Lewis College here in Durango, Colorado on Saturday evenings at 7:30pm and at the Henderson Fine Arts center at San Juan College in Farmington, New Mexico at 3pm. Beginning July 6 new season tickets are available at 50% off for first time subscribers in Durango and 25% off in Farmington! For more information and tickets you can visit the website at sanjuansymphony.org.

In this episode we are talking about the 8th Annual Durango PlayFest taking place Tuesday June 23 through Sunday June 28 at the Fort Lewis Community Concert Hall. PlayFest brings professional and emerging playwrights together with professional actors and directors from around the country to workshop new plays. Joining me in the studio is Felicia Meyer, Artistic Director and Producer of PlayFest who is also the Chair of the Performing Arts department and an associate professor of theatre at Fort Lewis College. She has a background in theatre and film and holds an MFA in directing from the American Film Institute and a BFA in Theatre Arts from New York University. Of the 200 plays that were submitted, four were selected for the event. With me are two very talented local actors who will be taking part in the readings as the plays are developed. Tara Demmy is a teacher, clown and historian originally from Philadelphia, she has a PhD in theatre performance studies from the University of Maryland and is a member of Durango's Merely Players Theatre Company. Tara studied Lecoq movement-based theatre at the Helikos International School of Theatre Creation in Italy. Also joining me is Jason Lythgoe, originally from Southern California who has performed on stages across the country from the Old Globe in San Diego to the Kennedy Center in DC. He has appeared in many productions at both the Durango Arts Center and the Merely Players. His most recent short film, The Station, has won numerous awards and has been screened in festivals around the world. Much of his time is dedicated the Durango Arts Center running the Youth Theatre program there, he also helped create the Durango Arts Repertory Theatre company. For tickets and to find out more about this exciting event you can visit the website at durangoplayfest.org

In this episode we will be talking about the 7th Annual BurroFest in Mancos, Colorado happening this Saturday June 20 from 10am until 5pm. This event has become a Mancos tradition featuring a day of burros, artists, obstacle course, food trucks and more. This year the theme is "Burro Birthday Bash" celebrating Colorado's 150th Anniversary. Joining me in the studio today are two of the local artists who will be paired with a burro. Mike Harder works in both oil paints and bronze sculpture. Her background in biology and love of the natural world contributes to the work she does bringing out the character of the animal. Also joining me in Elizabeth Kinahan, oil pinter and animal artist focusing on the beauty and personalities of farm animals. She is committed to the preservation of nature and wildlife. There will be 16 burros joining of which 8 will be obstacle course racers and the other 8 will be ambassadors, some are returning and others are new this year. In addition to the Maker and Artist Market which will host 34 artists, there will be educational booths, a Burro Paint and Sip workshop, a film and talk about Butch Cassidy and the Wild Bunch by a local historian and a Beverage Pasture. For more information on all the activities you can visit burrofest.com

Join me for a conversation with Durango artist Marie McCallum whose paintings done in the classical realism style bringing to life images of clothing, shop windows, store fronts and automobiles. He work is influenced by her years as a dressmaker, sign artists and Trompe l'oeil painter. She studied painting at Otis College of Art and Design and sign graphics at Los Angeles Trade Tech. This Saturday June 13th from 3-7pm Marie will be showing her work at Thrive Artisan Boutique for a pop-up show and sale located at 809 Main Avenue. There will be an artist talk at 5pm. Marie has won awards for her work and has shown extensively in Arizona, California and Colorado. For more information about Marie and her work you can visit her website at mariemccallumart.com.

In this episode I have the pleasure of speaking with Aimee Morse and Allison Wall, both founders of the SW Mahj Club offering beginner lessons, guided games and open play events for American Mahjong. Their mission is to spread the love of the game of Mahjong across the Four Corners. In addition to Durango, they also host events in Santa Fe and Telluride offering special gatherings for birthdays, Mother's Day, corporate events and other special occasions. This community based organization brings people together where they can make new friends while learning a new skill. What started small has continued to grow to include many members who play the game at many locations and businesses around town. Allison and Aimee recently opened the SW Mahj Clubhouse in the Main Mall at 835 Main Avenue, suite 214 as a home base hosting regular games. For more information or to join the SW Mahj Club you can visit the website at swmahjclub.com You can also follow them on Instagram and FaceBook.

In this episode I'm excited to be speaking with a group of six of the artists who are involved in creating and donating pieces of art to the KDUR Furniture As Art auction, an annual fundraising event that has taken place for over 25 years. The artists joining me in the studio are Miki Harder, Bill Grimes, Nancy Byers, Jonas Grushkin, Amy Vaclav and Rich Stewart all local creators of beautiful and functional pieces of art for this fundraiser. With over 30 artists total there will be both a live and silent auction for bidding on their unique and fun furniture items while enjoying drinks and appetizers. Don't miss the chance to see these amazing things created by folks in our community! The event takes place this Friday May 29 beginning at 6pm in the Student Union Ballroom at Fort Lewis College here in Durango. For more information about the artists and tickets you can visit the website at kdur.org and go to the events page.

Joining me on the program today is Blake Boles, a traveling writer, speaker, partner dancer, lover of adventure and experiential educator building exciting alternatives to traditional schools for self-directed young people, leading Unschool Adventure trips for teenagers. He himself lives a non-traditional life with no particular home base, Blake has two bicycles and no car but with is lifestyle he finds himself full of a sense of community, purpose and meaning. We'll be talking about his most recent book "Dirtbag Rich" which is also the name of his podcast. There will be an author event where you can meet Blake at Maria's Bookshop on Tuesday May19 from 6-8pm located at 960 Main Avenue in Durango. For more information you can visit the website at mariasbookshop.com also Blake's website at blakeboles.com.

Today I have the pleasure of speaking with Dr. Tom Myers, author of the "The Grandest Trek" his most recent book about his journey hiking the length of the Grand Canyon and the people stories and life lessons he learned and the bond created with his son who joined him on this 600 mile trek. Tom has co-authored the best selling book "Over The Edge: Death in the Grand Canyon" and "Grand Obsession". Since 1990 Tom has been practicing medicine at the clinic in Grand Canyon Village as an expert in wilderness medicine and advisor to the park's search and rescue program. Growing up in Flagstaff, Tom has had a life long obsession and love for the Grand Canyon. Maria's Bookshop will be hosting a free author event where you can meet Tom on Thursday May 14from 6-8pm. Maria's is located at 960 Main Avenue Durango. For more information you can visit the website at mariasbookshop.com

Joining me on this episode is Anna Knowles, the Executive Director of the Durango Farmer's Market. The market opens for the season this Saturday May 9th on Main Avenue from 8am until noon with vendors and live music as well as an opening day chef competition called Let Them Cook! using market sourced ingredients. On the other three Saturdays of each month the market will take place at the TBK Bank parking lot. The farmers market is a program of the non-profit Onward Foundation which in addition to hosting weekly markets and educational programs for farmers and ranchers, addresses food insecurity in the community with various programs and SNAP benefits. There are also seasonal and holiday events such as Farmers Table and Seeds of Success. For 30 years The Durango Farmers Market has been an invaluable organization in the region "growing community through local food and connections". There are many ways to become involved either as a volunteer or to become a Friend of the Market with a donation. For more information you can visit the website at durangofarmersmarket.com.