Durango artist and graphic designer Tim Kapustka knew since high school that he wanted to be a graphic designer but didn't know what that path looked like. He studied advertising in college and eventually landed a job at a publishing house in Chicago which gave him the opportunity to learn graphic design by fire, and soon after two years he became the Art Director. During that time he started Cabbage Creative, his own design firm which is wonderfully successful. Having visited his brother in Durango multiple times he finally decided it was time to move here in 2009. Shortly after that in 2010 he and three other artists co-founded the artist's collaborative called Studio & which has become a popular hub of activity highlighting the work of local artists. There is a full schedule of upcoming shows at www.anddurango.com. To find out more about Tim and to see images of his work you can also visit www.timkapustka.com. Tim's next creative passion is sculpture, so stay on the lookout!

Alejandro Valdepeñas and Hannah Ji joined Music in the Mountains for its 37th season this month. Both play with the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra during the regular season and in the summer months join music festivals around the country. This is Hannah's third year with Music in the Mountains and Alé's first. They bring a level of skill and talent to our small town that is so valued by the community, their bios are impressive. During the three weeks here with Music in the Mountains they played a variety of music including Symphonic, Salsa, Pops, Movie music as well as a kid's performance, in addition many soloists and guest artists also appear. Alé and Hannah performed in an octet for a beautiful candlelight concert which was new this year. Learn about the structure of an orchestra, how festivals work and the daily life of a musician. To stay informed on upcoming events visit musicinthemountains.com

Turner Wyatt talks about his journey in creating a documentary film that he and his brother Cameron Wyatt are producing together. The movie, MOVING LINE, documents a winter adventure taken by three men on skis 45 years ago over 6 weeks. Their purpose was to find the most direct route from Durango to Ft. Collins over the Colorado rocky mountains. Two of these men, now 85 years old, approached Turner and Cameron asking them to make a film highlighting their journey which laid much of the route for the Colorado Trail. The surprise though was how much this became an adventure of not only connection and nature, but very importantly about art. Through creative connection to the outdoors, nature becomes a canvass for landscape art. The film is trageted to be released in the spring of 2024.

Jeff Glode Wise is a long time Durango resident and professional artist. In his words "Art has inhabited me continuously, and the making of objects has defined my life" He's always had a passion to create since he was young, enjoying the process as much as the finished art piece. His unique large scale sculptures can be viewed in many locations around town, they are playful and engaging taking the viewer on a visual journeys as they move with the forces of gravity and balance. Jeff finds his inspiration from the movement of birds, Mayan Stelae, curling waves and smoke but he feels that he can even get inspiration from daily experiences and ordinary objects around us. It all began in the 1960s when as a high school student he started making jewelry such as peace signs and roach clips. He continued his art business in a cabin he built in the mountains of Colorado and later as he worked as a cowboy on a cattle ranch. Because architecture and landscaping have always been his other passions he and his wife Susan built their next art house when they moved to Durango in 1983. Much of Jeff's smaller indoor sculptures and Susan's paintings are exhibited in galleries and museums around the country. Funding from Lodger's Tax through the Durango Creative District has helped to support his outdoor public art installations.

To learn more about Jeff's amazing artwork, visit his website at jeffwiseart.com

All her life Cat Jaffe has had a passion for storytelling inspired by the people she's met traveling and at home in her own community. Not only did she travel, but she ended up living in multiple countries around the world. She spent close to 7 years in Eastern Turkey organizing a honey-tasting trekking company called Balyolu using the proceeds to train local women in beekeeping and hospitality. This eventually lead to her becoming an audio producer and podcast creator and founder of the House of Pod in Denver, Colorado with the mission of "Building a better world through better listening". This was a co-working space helping individuals, companies and organizations to create podcasts to tell their story with sponsorships available for marginalized communities and women of color. She has partnered with businesses such as National Geographic Society, PRX, PBS, Gimlet, Sapiens and the Denver Museum of Nature and Science. She also produces The Daily Rally with Outside podcast which happens five days a week with 10 minute "stories of resilience in the face of big challenges and unexpected adventures". Cat has won multiple grants and awards for her work, including best non-fiction podcast for Guardians of the River at the Tribeca and the Jackson Wild film festivals. After spending 4 months producing and directing this podcast together with The National Geographic Society in Angola West Africa, she returned home sick with malaria, dengue fever and a diagnosis of ovarian cancer. Throughout her chemo treatments she continued to work on her various projects meeting multiple deadlines all while being isolated during the pandemic. Cat moved to Durango, Colorado two years ago and now calls this community her home.

For the 37th year Music in the Mountains hosts over a hundred proffesional classical musicians in Durango, Colorado for its annual music festival. Angie Beach has been the Executive Director for the last 13 years and speaks about all of the many exciting events that will be happening. Beginning July 6th for three days there will be free chamber music performances on mobile stages in Durango, Pagosa Springs, Mancos, Bayfield and Ignacio. Beginning July 14th the Festival Orchestra conducted by Artistic Director Guillermo Figueroa will perform 11 different events which include guest musicians and soloists. One of those events is a family concert with $5 tickets thjat include a hot dog and rootbeer float, so everyone can enjoy classical music! Year round education is a big part of the mission with "Music on the Mountains goes to School" as well as scholarships for high school musicians to attend online classes in music theory through the Julliard Extension program. These are just a few of the ways young musicians can be a part of Music in the Mountains. To get a full list of performances and exciting events happening at Music in the Mountains this festival season, check out their website at www.musicinthemountains.com

The Durango Playfest is hosting it's fifth annual season from Wednesday June 28th through July 2nd. This is an exciting event bringing professional actors, playwrights and directors to our town. If you're not sure what a playfest is, listen to this podcast to find out more! It's a unique opportunity for community members as the audience to see script readings of plays that are still being developed. It allows them to be part of the creative process by giving feedback after the performances. Three of the plays will be performed twice and the second time may have changed to include some of the additional suggestions. It's important for the playwrights to get this feedback since this is the first time the script will be performed in front of an audience. It's also a very affordable way to see professional theatre right here in Durango at $25 a general ticket, $15 for Fort Lewis College alumnae and $10 for students. The Playfest partners with Fort Lewis College and provides opportunities for students to be involved as interns or staff members and learn more about theatre as a career. Find out more on their websit at www.durangoplayfest.org.

In this interview I speak with artist Heather Martinez a long time Durango area resident and community member. She takes us on a journey through her experiences to becoming a lettering artist and more specifically a visual practitioner, facilitator and trainer. This journey has taken her internationally to learn from the best graffiti artists, sign painters and calligraphers worldwide. She continues to travel to legal graffiti meet ups were she can advance her skills. We talk about Visual Facilitating which she performed for three years at the Nat Geospatial Agency and other corporate and non-profit businesses in Washington, DC putting words and ideas into graphics. Learn about Tech Hosting and AI (Appreciative Inquiry) as it applies to understanding the skills needed for businesses to address the needs of the future by helping clients to use their strengths and ideas to sharpen their vision and inspire action for positive, sustainable change. Sounds a little confusing? Listen to the podcast and you will understand

how this all comes together! And if you've always wanted to improve your lettering skills you can take a workshop right here in Durango in Heather's studio at the Smiley Building. www.letslettertogether.com

Improvisational Theatre is alive and well in our mountain town of Durango, Colorado! This is thanks to the many talents of Cindy Laudadio-Hill who is an actor, comedian, writer, producer, director, and teacher. Through performances at the Durango Arts Center theatre as well as improv adult classes on Thursday evenings, she brings laughter and spontaneity to our community. While in Durango she collaborates with Mary Quinn who also has a passion for sharing her love of the art form. Laudadio-Hill recently moved from Denver where she founded the all women improv group "Dishwater Blondes", The Denver Improv Festival as well as SCRIPTprov. She trained in Chicago with The Second City, Improv Olympics and Annoyance Theatre, also trained with the Denver Center Performing Arts and Players Workshop West. In addition she has appeared in multiple films as well as live theatre. In this interview learn more about the the different forms of improv and the healing powers of laughter because life itself is all about improvisation!

From the Archives: Felicia Meyer, Associate Professor of the Theatre Department of Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colorado talks about the upcoming production of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. Also with me are Siena Weiden and Maya Moray both students at Fort Lewis College performing as the two main characters in the play. Just as in the past where men played all the roles, including those of women, in this scenario two women are cast in both roles as Romeo and Juliette. The other unique aspect about this production is that rather than being set in Italy in 1590, it takes place in a New York type of city in 2023. The play is directed by Felicia Meyer and will be performed at the Main Stage Theatre. Tickets are available at durangoconcerts.com.