Join me for a conversation with Gail Lovell and Daisy Grice, co-chairs of the Durango Poet Laureate committee. The committee will be selecting the first Poet Laureates for Durango, an exciting addition to the literary scene in the community. There will be both an adult and youth poet laureate selected to represent Durango and La Plata County, both will serve a three year term and receive a stipend. Gail Lovell is on the board of Friends of the Library and Daisy Grice is the Adult and Circulation Supervisor for the library. The city accepted applications from community members of La Plata county recognizing the importance of making poetry accessible to everyone and celebrating the creative economy! The winners will be announced in December 2023. The Friends of the Library was awarded money form the new Lodger's Tax program which has helped to grow the art scene in Durango. For more information visit https://www.durangogov.org/1728/Durango-Poet-Laureate-Program

When people don't have their basic needs met in our community, Stella Zhu of the Grub Hub at Fort Lewis College and Seanan Culloty of the Manna Soup kitchen use their energy and compassion to make sure no one gets left behind. By working together and combining their resources they can accomplish so much more in providing prepared foods, grocery items, housing, job skills, and a safe shame-free environment to spend time and hang out. Manna makes soup five days a week, some of which is also brought to the Grub Hub. Through creative thinking, lots of energy and community sponsors these two organizations help to keep our community healthy and safe. Although Stella oversees the Grub Hub, it is a student run entity. College students are also assisted in their job searches and Manna's culinary program allows community members to develop job skills. Counseling is available at both locations. Stop by to know more about all the wonderful things that are happening here and learn about volunteer opportunities as well.

mannasoupkitchen.org

https://www.fortlewis.edu/life-at-flc/health-safety/student-well-being/grub-hub

The art scene in Durango is getting a big boost from the creative energy and vision of Marissa Hunt and Emily Ciszek. Together they founded Rodeo Odyssey as an entity to support local artists and celebrate these talents through a project called SPACE. This will be a month long pop-up Art Market in the vacant Basin Printing building in downtown during the month of November 2023. The participating artists applied for a 10' X 10' lot which can used as a gallery and retail space. In addition there will be workshops, art installations, music and other creative and diverse types of art. Through this inclusive space there is a chance to build community and celebrate local art. Thanks to the new Lodgers Tax provided by the Durango Creative District the seed money was available to fund the project. To learn more you can visit their website at www.rodeoodyssey.com.

The Merely Players Theatre Company has been bringing professional theatre to the Durango community since 1994 when it was founded by Mona Wood-Patterson and her husband Charles Ford. In this episode I have the pleasure of speaking with Mona who is directing the upcoming performances of William Shakespear's The Tempest and two of the talented actors Paul Laakso and Matt Bodo. Paul Laakso plays the role of Prospero the banished Duke of Milan and Matt Bodo plays the part of the savage servant Caliban. Learn about the techniques they use to embrace their characters' roles. Any Shakespeare play is a huge undertaking but Mona's devotion and enthusiasm for his work comes through in this production of The Tempest. There is tragedy and comedy in this story of betrayal, revenge and magic. The set design is created by Charles Ford who does his magic at their theatre space The Merely Underground. The play opens this Friday October 6th and runs through Sunday October15. There are seven evening shows and two matinees. These shows are sold out but you can check their website for all the wonderful upcoming shows this season.

Merelyplayers.org

In this episode I speak with Jeff Hamner, Alex Vick and Briana Boyer also known as BB. These three put their talents and enthusiasm to work as they create a brave space to encourage youth and community members to realize their true potential. Jeff is the program director who founded the organization together with Alex who is the creative director. BB works as program coordinator and fabric workshop instructor. The mission of the hive is to "create and pollinate" working together with other community organizations to build an atmosphere of inclusiveness. An indoor skate park allows students to build confidence as they face their fears learning how to skateboard. The activity selection is extensive including mural painting, building a rock band, soil gardening, theatre, dance and various outdoor activities which also includes transportation. This is a sober space where members can explore their true creative expression. Visit their website at www.thehivedgo.org

I speak with author Stacie Denetsosie about the release of her debut book this month titled The Missing Morning Star. Stacie is a member of the Navajo Nation and her writing has previously been featured in many magazines and journals. This book consists of nine short stories highlighting the resilience of the many Navajo characters dealing with complex family bonds. Stacie writes with such depth and texture appealing to all of the readers' senses. The character development is brilliant bringing the people in her stories to life creating a book that is both heartbreaking and up lifting. Stacie speaks of the taste of the Diné language and the reservation as not just a state of mind but a state of life. She weaves in the importance of the landscape and the bond like an umbilical cord which is buried in the ground there. Stacie holds an MFA in Fiction from the Institute of American Indian Arts. Join me for an in depth conversation of her path to becoming a published author. You can visist her website at www.staciedenetsosie.com

Local artist and painter Hannah Wilson will be unveiling her new outdoor mural during Durango's first annual Arts Week! This event will be held on Thursday Sept 21 from 1-3pm at 3124 Main Avenue when there will also be a ribbon cutting ceremony. Hannah's use of colors is bold and exciting bringing a vibrancy to North Main. The mural is on the north facing wall of Mac's Liquors celebrating the beer brewing culture of Durango as the brewing capital of Southwest Colorado. There will also be a small BBQ hosted by Tina Haefele the owner of the business. Hannah is a recipient of the Lodger's Tax grant thanks to the Durango Creative District. All week from Sept 15-24 there will be lots of events, workshops and activities highlighting the variety of art and artists in our community!

Javon "Ja Moon" Jones premiered his solo performance A Slow Crawl Towards Heaven at the Merely Players Theatre space this month, the Merely Underground. The performance which was created by Jones is an immersive experience of storytelling through movement, text and sound. He worked closely with associate director Zachary Chiero of the Merely Players to bring the performance to life. The soothing space created by Ja Moon for the performance encourages a feeling of trust between the performer and the audience while the tough subject of slavery is explored. Ancestral traditions through the generations are woven onto the storytelling. Ja grew up in Detroit, MI where he first fell in love with dance and movement. After graduating from Class Technical High School he trained with the Julliard School in New York City. Currently he is also performing in Sleep No More an immersive production there. Zachary will be the associate director for all of the exciting upcoming performances scheduled for the 2023/2024 season. He is also continuing to be involved with the Enchantment Theatre Company in Philadelphia, PA. Merely Players was founded by Mona Wood-Patterson and Charles Ford in 1994. www.merelyplayers.org

You can follow Ja Moon on Instagram @jamoonemir

Join me for a conversation with Greg Marshall the author of a memoir titled Leg: The story of a limb and the boy who grew from it. Greg is a National Endowment for the Arts Fellow in prose and graduated from the Michener Center for Writers in Austin, Texas where he currently lives with his husband. Growing up in his eccentric but also very loving family had it's many challenges. He deals with the struggle of having a Mom who has been fighting cancer for many years while bringing up five kids, and a Dad who died at age 55 of ALS. In additon to all of this he writes about his own challenges of having cerebral palsy and also being a gay man in Salt Lake City, Utah. Greg didn't find out until the age of 30, that after all these years he didn't just have tight tendons but was actually diagnosed with cerebral palsy creating a complete shift in his perception of himself. The book is a refreshingly honest, witty yet loving memoir full of compassion and humor as the family navigates through the tough situations that life throws at them. Greg shares his most vulnerable experiences of coming of age as a gay man with cerebral palsy. Maria's Bookshop is hosting an author talk and book signing at the Rochester Hotel Garden on Thursday August 24th at 6:00pm.

Kathryn Waggoner is the Executive Director of the recently formed Durango Creative District working closely with Bekah Kolbe who is the Communication and Project Manager. They both bring years of experience as gallery owners and managers to the organization, but mostly focus on supporting and mentoring emerging artists in this community. With information on fundraising, marketing, website design and opportunities to exhibit their art, they encourage the development of these artists' careers. The art scene in Durango has really blossomed recently with many different art forms being created by the talented artists in this area. As a result it can be overwhelming but Kathryn and Bekah are bringing the many different aspects of the art scene together through collaboration and relationship building among artists and arts organizations. Kathryn and Bekah's passion for investing in local artists and helping to organize a comprehensive list of art events will bring more exposure to each one of these artists and events. Between them there is so much energy for what these women bring to the Durango Art scene. To find out more visit the website at www.durangocreativedistrict.org.