Festival celebrates a quarter-century

By Penny Stine
Special sections staff writer

The Art and Jazz Festival celebrates 25 years of opening the downtown summer festival season, so its fitting that the musicians include a perennial crowdfavorite, Hazel Miller, a couple of local high school jazz bands, a couple of longtime local musicians in Walt Smith and Bobby Walker, and at least one newcomer to the mix, Gumbo le Funque. This band has been together about a year, said Jason Justice, the sax player and lead singer for Gumbo le Funque, a Denver band that combines the funk culture with a little New Orleans sass. All musical roads lead to New Orleans, said Justice, who also said Denver has a great tradition of funk music. A lot of New Orleans bands come through here, Justice said, but no one is doing this style of music. Theres a hole. I decided I would fill it. Before Gumbo le Funque, Justice performed with Mondo Bizarro, playing in several Western Slope venues. He also played in traditional Dixieland jazz bands.

Music and artists converge on Main

Mothers Day weekend always means a celebration of art, food, drink and all that jazz in downtown Grand Junction. The 25th annual Wells Fargo Art & Jazz Festival celebrates art and artistic expression. Nationally renowned jazz musicians provide a musical backdrop for a weekend that could include dancing in the streets, sampling local microbrews and wines, browsing wares by dozens of artists, window shopping at downtown boutiques and enjoying dining specials. Taking place along Main Street from Third to Seventh streets in downtown Grand Junction, there truly is something for everyone. This year, in the interest of safety and because of the success of the festival and the expansion of its beer and wine garden, 5th Street will be closed to vehicle traffic between Rood and Colorado for the

Gumbo le Funque, a Denver band, combines funk with the New Orleans sound. See a schedule of whos performing on page 4 of this pullout.
I love that style of music, but it doesnt lend itself to playing in clubs, Justice said, or getting people out of their seats and boogieing. In addition to Justice on sax, Gumbo

robert johnson/johnson-photography.com

le Funque features T-Bone, a longtime Denver musician, on guitar, Alex Wilkerson, a recent arrival to Colorado

See MUSIC on page 4 of pullout

See FESTIVAL on page 4

sponsors
Wells Fargo city of Grand Junction Commision on Arts and Culture The Daily Sentinel Grand junction visitor & Convention bureau the Blythe group fairfield Inn & Suites Hampton Inn SpringHill Suites St. Kathryn Cellars Talon wine brands kafm 88.1 rockslide brewery grand valley magazine J.B. Hart music KREX Newschannel 5 KUVO/KVJZ JAZZ PUBLIC RADIO (DENVER)

Appreciate art up close at the festival

Story and photos by Penny Stine
Special sections staff writer

During the Art and Jazz festival, artists and their art are accessible in a way that makes it possible to ask questions, learn and appreciate the artistry and craftsmanship on display. The festival is usually the first one of the season for the artists, who often spend their summers selling their work at various festivals and fairs throughout the West. Its one of the hardest to do, said Tish Collins, a jewelry-maker who has won the Best of Show award twice. The hours are long for exhibiting artists at the Art and Jazz Festival. For Collins, it was a challenge worth tackling. Last year sales were about three times higher than those of previous years. Collins, who lives in Fruita, wont be a vendor at this years show. Two downtown retail stores carry her metal jewelry and she doesnt like to compete with the stores that support her year round. She is looking forward to attending the show, however, to enjoy the music and appreciate the work of other artists. Jim Miller with Firewind Art Glass will have a booth at the downtown festival again this year. Miller, who has been blowing glass since 1970, shuts down his furnaces during the warmer months so he can hit the festival and show circuit. I like selling, Miller said. Everything I sell at shows is all because of the color. And what color it is. Millers blown glass vases, glasses, balls, bowls and other

The blowpipe, which has been dipped into hot, molten glass, is continuously inserted into the glory hole to keep the glass hot enough to form a piece. The glass must be kept above a temperature of 920 degrees or it will break. Temperatures in the glory hole are usually above 2,000 degrees Farenheit. Jim Miller works on one of his unique blown glass fish. He pulls the fins and the tail out of the body of the fish while the glass is hot to give the fish a smooth and fluid look. Miller will have several of the blown glass fish available for sale at his booth during the Art and Jazz Festival. Miller and Greg Bowen collaborate together on bronze and blown glass sculptures like these sharks (below).

LEFT: Students tried their hand at creating a colorful painting with alcohol ink during the 2012 Main Street Art School, which was introduced during the Art and Jazz Festival last year. (Courtesy photo) RIGHT: Lynn Finley and Marty Hendricks, standing behind a table displaying samples of their recent work, were students last year at the Main Street Art School. This year, both will be instructors.

penny stine/Sentinel Special Sections

Teachers at Main Street Art School are former students

By Penny Stine
Special sections staff writer

See ARTISTS on back page

A passion for art is an elusive beast, not always recognized, not always pursued and too easily pushed aside for other priorities. The Main Street Art School, happening during the Art and Jazz Festival, is a great way to awaken and feed the beast. This is the second year for the program, which was wildly successful, introducing dozens of festival attendees to the process of making art. Two of last years students, Marty Hendricks and Lynn Finley, will be instructors this year. Ive played with art my whole life, said Finley, but nothing ever seriously. Both women signed up for an acrylic class, a pastel class and an alcohol ink

class. Finley had no idea what alcohol ink was and didnt know it could be used to paint a picture. With the one class, however, she began her journey and a brand new love affair. I loved it, said Finley about alcohol ink. She immediately started buying her own set of alcohol inks and began experimenting with various techniques. Finley and Hendricks also got involved with the Grand Valley Art Students League and with the local art community. Finley, who is the director of quality improvement at Family Health West, will be teaching alcohol ink classes. Hendricks, who is an accounting technician for the state of Colorado, will be teaching jewelry-making. In spite of busy professional lives, art has become a passion for both women. Finley will have card stock, ink

and a few other supplies and wants to give students the opportunity to play with different techniques. The bright, translucent colors created with alcohol ink are reminiscent of stained glass. Its a fun, vibrant color, Finley said. Since those initial classes during the Art and Jazz Festival last year, Hendricks has taken several acrylic and pastel classes. She also serves as a teaching assistant when Sara Allyn Oakley teaches workshops as part of the Grand Valley Art Students League. Her interest in jewelrymaking pre-dates her involvement with all of that. Jewelrys always been a passion of mine, said Hendricks, who has been making jewelry since she was a teenager. I love beads, and working with different color combinations. Hendricks plans to put together kits of

all the necessary supplies in a variety of colors and shapes for the students who take her class during the festival. Im giving away the ability to walk away with a pair of earrings and a simple necklace that match, Hendricks said. Its a very useful skill and one Im going to enjoy sharing with other people. In addition to jewelry-making and alcohol ink, local artists will also be teaching acrylics, pastels, drawing, sumiink painting and water color. Participants must be at least 12 years old, and this year, class size will be limited to 2 students per class or 60 students per day. The classes are in 45-minute blocks and anyone wishing to take a class can sign up at the Oakley Gallery, 602 Main St. The cost varies, depending on the amount of necessary supplies. All of the instructors are volunteering their time.

Fruita jewelry maker Tish Collins wont be at the Art and Jazz Festival this year as a vendor, and is looking forward to going to the festival as an attendee. Collins doesnt like to sell at shows in areas where retail stores carry her jewelry, and two downtown stores now carry her metal pieces.

Jim Miller and fellow glassblower Greg Bowen create bronze and blown glass sculptures, like the one pictured above. Miller will bring a few of the bronze and glass pieces to the Art and Jazz Festival, along with many blown glass vases, glasses and other decorative pieces. LEFT: Jim Miller and Greg Bowen work together in Millers studio on a glass vase.

artists
From page 2
decorative pieces come in myriad colors, shapes, color combinations and patterns. Theyre unique, one-of-a-kind and a perfect gift for Mothers Day, which always bodes wells for Millers sales during the Art and Jazz Festival. Miller is also an ongoing student at Colorado Mesa University. Technically, hes a senior, but he has no intention of graduating. Hes already got a degree and what hes after now is knowledge. So he audits art classes that he finds interesting or that he thinks will take him in interesting directions in his art. Right now, Miller is collaborating with fellow glass blower Greg Bowen on sculpture pieces that combine bronze sculpture with blown glass. Very few artists collaborate with bronze and glass, said Bowen, who often does the blown glass portion while Miller works on the bronze sculpture portion of their pieces. The process that we do is dictating the form of the art, said Miller, who explained that the two artists work together on a concept, but the actual form often changes from the initial conceptualization simply because of the physics involved when combining blown glass and bronze sculpture. Miller will have more of the simple blown glass pieces rather than the bronze and glass sculptures at the Art and Jazz Festival. He considers them more of an artistic craft rather than a true piece of art. Theyre usually more practical and functional, as well. They may not be art, but theyre definitely beautiful, hand-crafted and oneof-a-kind. The difference is the feeling a piece evokes, Miller said. Miller also welcomes visitors to his studio, where he works at least three days a week on blown glass pieces. If youre interested in a studio tour, find him at the Art and Jazz Festival to set it up. Miller usually shuts down the furnaces in his studio in June when the temperatures start climbing.

guerilla knitters

music
From the front
after years on the road with other groups, on bass, and Jason McDonough on drums. McDonough spent two tours in the Navy and performed with the NATO band in more than 35 countries. He was also stationed in New Orleans for four years and became part of the New Orleans music scene during his stay. Gumbo le Funque will bring its one and only CD, Get it Out, a live recording the band did at Hermans Hideaway in Denver. The band is hoping to go into the studio to work on a CD that will feature all original music. Expect to hear some music that makes you want to jump up and dance when Gumbo le Funque hits the stage. Although the band plays a mix of traditional New Orleans tunes and some of their new original songs, they add a little funk to whatever they do.

Festival Highlights
FREE Admission (but no pets!) FREE parking available at the Downtown Parking Garage located on Rood between Fourth and Fifth Streets. Adult beverages beer and wine available at Fourth and Main. Valid ID is required. Information booth located at Fourth and Main

When youre downtown for the Art and Jazz Festival, be sure to look for the Knit on the Corner project. Many of the downtown statues and structures will be adorned with colorful, hand knitted pieces, courtesy of Allison Blevins and Christina Gaspari, owners of Tangle, the downtown fiber and fabric store.

penny stine/Sentinel Special Sections

festival
From the front
artists. Cash awards are also provided for Best of Show and first-place winners. Second and third place receive gift certificates. In addition to the music and art vendors, Grand Junctions Art and Jazz Festival has historically taken place in conjunction with the unveiling and installation of new sculptures for the citys popular Art on the Corner project. For a second year, the new sculptures will be installed after the festival, but the Art on the Corner project now boasts more than 85 permanent structures, so theres plenty to see. Art on the Corner provides local and national sculptors the opportunity to display their work, free of charge, to the community for one year. All new sculptures are for sale to the public, and 25 percent of the proceeds of sculpture sales goes back into the Art on the Corner program, allowing it to expand yearly. Located in the heart of Grand Junctions Downtown Shopping Park, the Art on the Corner outdoor sculptures showcase Grand Junctions commitment to the arts, and the prominent place of culture within the community.

music lineup
Friday, May 10
4 PM 6 PM 8 PM Fruita Monument High School Jazz Band Gumbo le Funque The Hazel Miller Band

Saturday, May 11
11 AM Theatre Project Dance Performance Noon 2 PM Central High School Jazz Band Max Wagner Quartet

duration of the Art & Jazz Festival. Past festivals, scheduled as a Main Street Art School located at springtime Grand Junction event for 20 6th and Main. years, have featured such jazz artists as Knit on the Corner taking place the Hazel Miller Band, Quemando, Lynn from Friday afternoon til Sunday Skinner, Craig Kingfish Griffin and the morning. Michelle Wilkinson Jazz Quartet. The main music stage, located at the corner of Main and Fourth streets, anchors the Were really honored to be included festivities. in this, Justice said. We hope its the The art at the festival rivals its explosive beginning of a long relationship. jazz acts. Local and national exhibitors display and sell their work, as well as participate in demonstration exhibits. Visitors can watch the artists creating their work. Artisans at the festival 4 PM Russ Chapman range from jewelry-makers to weavers, 6 PM Frank Bregar Orchestra with sculptors, potters, woodworkers, painters, Krystyn Hartman glass artists, photographers and a variety of mixed-media creators. Artists are 8 PM Chris Daniels and the Kings judged prior to entry in the festival on Sunday, May 12 originality, creativity and quality, and are painstakingly selected for inclusion into 10 AM Adam Bodine Trio the Art and Jazz Festival. Noon Bobby Walker In addition, the event requires that the artist must accompany the art and 2 PM Colorado Mesa University Dance personally attend the booth, making the Performance Art and Jazz Festival a unique and special 2:30PM Walt Smith & Friends showcase for only the finest art and