Governor's Art Show Emphasizes Colorado Talent

In the often chaotic business of contemporary art, the Governor's Art Show at the Loveland Museum "makes sense to me," says landscape painter Scott Maier, who came to the opening-weekend artist meet-and-greet on May 11. "It feels very direct and a tangible connection,” helping us “intuitively understand the role art plays in a community.” Maier was there speaking with fellow landscape artist Kelsey Kopp and wood sculptor Ron Schleiger about the special connection artists and patrons feel during the annual philanthropic event, which runs through June 9.

These first-time participants in the long-running celebration of Colorado artists embraced the opportunity to connect with the communities that support them. “We have twenty first-time artist participants in this year’s show,” says Ruth Scott, the show’s director, describing the lineup of 62 Colorado artists. “And they just keep getting better and better."

One notable contributor is the event's legacy artist, Clyde Aspevig, whose stunning, 60-by-48-inch floral piece “Hollyhocks” grabs the eye upon entering the gallery. “I like painting big,” Aspevig explains, “and that piece is actually life-size,” inspired by his own garden.

The show’s program describes legacy artists as previous show participants who have “excelled in their careers and who are an inspiration to up-and-coming artists.” Mentorship is part of the artistic and creative process, according to Aspevig. On the honor of being a legacy artist, he says with a laugh, “That’s what happens when you stick around long enough.” He appreciates the meet-and-greets, which take place every Saturday from 2 to 4 p.m., because he tends to be "an art hermit.” Having started painting in Loveland in the late 1980s, Aspevig is thrilled to be back in the show, noting, “It’s really great to see the event is not just surviving, but thriving.”
While many Colorado art shows display an array of landscapes and Western art, this event offers an eclectic showcase of fine-art paintings ranging from abstract to surreal, from portraiture to photorealism, as well as the work of twenty sculptors. Other than the implication of its tagline of “Art With Heart,” the Governor’s Art Show never has a specific focus for submissions, because “a theme would be too limiting” to the creativity of the artists, Scott explains: “The show is meant to be diverse and representative and truly offer something for everyone.” The show’s curators don’t limit artists to their application pieces, either, though submissions must be representative, giving artists the freedom to explore ideas and submit compelling pieces.

That freedom is appreciated by abstract expressionist Janet Rundquist, who is participating for the first time. For her, inspiration "always starts with nature,” she says, as she seeks to express her reaction to the physical environment. When Rundquist goes out for hikes, she takes note of “the temperature, the sounds, the wind and, of course, the colors,” and then returns to her studio hoping to capture the essence of the experience. Her abstract pieces contain as many as twenty layers as she works her emotions into the piece, producing bright explorations of color with such titles as “My Spirit Soaring” and “The Delight Alone.”

Woodworker Schleiger initially resisted applying despite being urged to do so because there was no wood in the show. And now there is. Schleiger is in his second career as an artist, noting, “Hey, I’m a farmer and seventy years old.” His style is deeply influenced by the work of legendary wood-shaper Malcolm Tibbets, and the technique of “segmented woodturning” is a unique addition to the sculptural offerings. With knots and spheres and even a twisted piano keyboard, Schleiger earned a merit award alongside five other new sculptors.

Another unique entry that blends the tangible lines of sculpture with the visual stimulation of paint is the multimedia work of Ana Maria Botero, whose pieces are flowers painted on single panes of glass. Numerous panes are arranged in a line to create a three-dimensional impression of depth and complexity. The dandelion in Botero's “Bloom Spectacle,” a merit award winner, is so vivid and deceptively tangible, you’ll be tempted to blow on the glass, hoping to scatter the seeds.

The landscape work of Philip Carlton caught the eye of artist Kopp, who loved his piece “Wasteland.” Kopp, whose Southwest desert paintings find life amid empty space, appreciated the subtle beauty of Carlton’s wrecked, abandoned trucks along a snowy landscape. The scene is “desolate and sparse,” she says, “yet with the light and angles, it becomes something magical.” Carlton’s piece “Moon Cows” is a representational landscape with a surreal element that he describes as a “visual and conceptual journey in the dark recesses of my studio,” an experiment for the traditionally plein-air artist.

That inquisitive perspective is the gift of artists such as Lindsay Jane Ternes, who also appreciated Carlton’s wrecked-truck image. “There’s a real musicality to it,” she notes, intrigued by the interplay of the snow and the machines. “What could be just wreckage along the side of the road, Philip saw something and made it beautiful.”
Ternes, another first-time participant, takes a similar approach with her pieces, adding, “I like the juxtaposition of man-made lines against a natural landscape.” Her piece, “Moonlighting,” is classic Americana, depicting a barn in the evening glow, while her painting “Sunset Over Back Bowls” features the mechanical lines of a ski lift at dusk, blending the natural world with the technological.

Fine-art painter Douglas Wodark, a traditional Western landscape painter for much of his career, explores a new style with his vibrant rainbow-colored buffalo titled “Colorful King,” an eye-catching piece from across the gallery. “You can end up falling behind a change. or you can embrace the change and find a new creative process,” Wodark says of his new direction. “I’ve gotten so much better with soft edges,” he adds, citing his experiments with palette knife strokes and paint thinner drips to create an abstract component in a predominantly representational piece. Viewers can key in on small sections of the piece to appreciate explorations of color.

Wodark’s “Winter Monarch” is a majestic black-and-white image of a moose in the falling snow. “That’s actually just black paint,” he explains, “but I use a Q-tip to pull back parts to reveal the white canvas.” He also plays with splattering paint thinner to create “atmospheric snow or drops of rain.” It’s a truly striking effect for a two-color palette. Speaking with artists like Wodark is one of the true joys of the event, as he talks animatedly, almost giddily, about the fun he has in the creative process.

The Governor’s Art Show, a collaboration between the Loveland and Thompson Valley Rotary Clubs in conjunction with the Loveland Museum is truly a reflection of "Art With Heart,” as proceeds benefit projects and causes, including the Thompson Education Foundation and scholarships for local art students. In his statement endorsing the program, Governor Jared Polis praises the annual tradition of “recognizing current Colorado artists, displaying the work of students, and providing scholarships for young artists” as an investment that is “fundamental to growing and supporting the art industry.”

Polis and his office “encourage everyone to check out the wonderful art,” emphasizing how events and collaborations such as the Governor’s Art Show “foster an environment where artists can thrive, which enriches our communities and makes our state a better place for everyone.”

Visitors to this engaging and comprehensive show will most certainly agree.

The Governor’s Art Show 2023, through June 9, Loveland Museum, 503 North Lincoln Avenue, Loveland; tickets for non-members are $7.