Artists of the Plains Insights
April 11, 2003
The Artists of the Plains Art Club has recently celebrated its second anniversary! During the past two years many important changes have occurred. The most important change is that the club went from meeting in the basement of the Kiowa County Courthouse to a building of its own. Our artists now have a wonderful place to show and sell their work. The club meets every second Tuesday at 7:00 p.m., at the former Our Place Restaurant on Highway 287, and anyone is welcomed to attend or join the club.
The gallery will celebrate Spring by having a quilt show. Quilting is an art form, which is gaining great popularity again. Kiowa County is very fortunate to have several gifted quilters. Some of their quilts will be displayed from April 23–May 2.at the gallery, from 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. Although no longer with us, Sarah (Jacobs) Bottorff was renowned for her quilting, and three of her quilts will be displayed at the show. Sarah’s sister, Hazel Krueger, will also present several of her quilts, along with those made by Gloria Peck, Pam Addington and Vi Koch. Please come and take a look at these wonderful pieces of American art. The work is extraordinary, beautiful and delightful!
Recently, Jeff Brooks, director of the Lincoln Gallery in Longmont, taught an oil painting class at the gallery. There were 13 students and by all accounts, it was an interesting, informative and fun class. Jeff will teach another class this summer and the date will be announced soon. He is also an artist and has national recognition for his work.
Sandy Jones is still enjoying teaching art daily at Eads High School. She reports that her students are imaginative and seem to enjoy the different techniques she shows them. There are some very gifted young artists in our schools and we want to continue to encourage them to learn and experiment with art projects. Art enhances all areas of one’s life.
Featured Artist:
Dwight Lessenden is a native son of Kiowa County. Although born in Denver, Dwight grew up in Eads and has lived here most of his life. Most folks probably know this easy-going, friendly man with the cowboy hat and boots. He has worked with 4-H for over 30 years, and has taught many children leather craft and woodworking. Dwight served his country in the Army during the Viet Nam war. He has a first-hand knowledge of the horrors of war, and we would like to thank this veteran for stepping up to the plate for the United States during that very difficult time. (We thank ALL veterans!)
Dwight married the former Bonnie Spady and they have three grown children. Dwight retired from CIG after 30 plus years, and is now the caretaker for our landfill. He also raises some cattle and farms. Dwight has a wonderful talent for sculpting and won first place in the first annual regional art show at the gallery last year. He also likes to paint with watercolor and work with colored pencils. His leather tooling is another facet of art that he enjoys doing, and does very well. His themes are often ordinary items found in everyday life on the plains. This native son has a diverse background in art and his work is displayed at the gallery.
The Artists of the Plains Gallery and Gift Shop is open from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Wednesday–Saturday. It is located on Highway 287 North in Eads, Colorado. Please stop by and look around! The shop is staffed entirely by volunteers and they would welcome any questions you might have. You can also see their works-of-art-in progress! Do stop in!