Issue No. 18 | March 2, 2026

Weekly Edition Sponsor

PUBLISHER'S NOTE | Denise Leslie

This week’s Eye on the Arts feels beautifully layered, with stories that remind us how creativity shows up in many forms. We’re featuring artist Cindy Coleman, whose work combines quiet strength with playful expression, alongside Durango PlayFest, where new scripts find their footing and brave voices step into the spotlight, and at Müller Guitars, craftsmanship becomes music in the most tangible way.

We’re also inviting writers, poets, and lyricists to share their Spark Stories — those early moments when something stirred and wouldn’t let go. There’s a quiet thread running through all of it — people choosing to create, take risks, and share what matters most.

I hope you’ll take time to explore and allow something to ignite within you as well.

With gratitude,

Denise

P.S. Be sure to click Read More to experience the full stories.

PERFORMING ARTS sponsored by Durango PlayFest
Durango PlayFest: Hearing a Story Before the World Does

Some communities attend the theater. In Durango, they help create it. Since 2018, Durango PlayFest has invited audiences into the earliest stages of new plays and musicals through intimate staged readings — where actors perform scripts in hand, and the spotlight stays squarely on story. With no elaborate sets or technical effects, the experience is immediate and alive: a work in progress unfolding in real time.

VISUAL ARTS sponsored by Community Concert Hall

Cindy Coleman: Where Light Meets the Landscape

Cindy Coleman helped shape the visual voice of Arts Perspective years ago. Today, her own voice shines through pastel art that captures wide skies, shifting light, and the quiet beauty of open places — from Southwest Colorado to the national parks she loves. Her work feels familiar in the best way, like a landscape you’ve stood in and never quite forgotten. Discover the story behind her art, her playful Duck Girl spirit, and where to see her work on the website.

PUBLISHER'S FEATURE|sponsored by Müller Guitars

Gary Muller: Built by Hand, Shaped by Memory

There’s something especially compelling about a creative life that begins after retirement. In Hermosa, Colorado, Müller Guitars is the result of just such a turning point. After a career in accounting, Gary Muller traded balance sheets for beautifully shaped tonewoods, building his first ukulele from a piece of family wood rich with memory. What began as a heartfelt gift has grown into a collection of handcrafted guitars, ukuleles, and distinctive cigar box builds — each one warm, unpretentious, and made to be played.

SPARK STORY | CALL TO WRITERS - POETS & LYRICISTS! sponsored by Arts Perspective Magazine

The Spark That Started It All

Every creative life begins with a spark — that first flicker of inspiration that refuses to fade. For this special launch-season feature, Arts Perspective invites poets, writers, and lyricists from across Southwest Colorado and Northern New Mexico to share the moment that ignited their artistic path.

We’re gathering short, first-person reflections that reveal the beginnings behind the voices shaping our region’s literary landscape — whether it was a teacher’s encouragement, a heartbreak that demanded language, or a lyric that wouldn’t let go.

EVENT SPOTLIGHT | sponsored by Mancos Creative District

What began in 2024 as a bold idea from the Mancos Creative District has grown into something celebratory — a night when original regional music is not only performed but also preserved. Inside the historic Mancos Opera House, audiences don’t simply attend a concert; they become part of a recording, part of a living document of Four Corners sound.

Mixed in Mancos is more than an evening of music. It’s a commitment to place-based creativity — to honoring the songwriters and bands shaping this region right now, and ensuring their work resonates well beyond a single night.

Quote for the Week: "When I find myself in times of trouble, Mother Mary comes to me, speaking words of wisdom, Let it be, ' and in my hour of darkness, she is standing right in front of me, speaking words of wisdom, Let it be." ~ Paul McCartney

WEEKLY EDITION SPONSOR | Arts Perspective magazine

Arts Perspective | Arts & Culture Guide to the Southwest is heading to print. This beautifully curated annual issue will celebrate the artists, makers, performers, and cultural leaders shaping our creative corridor — from Durango to Mancos, Cortez to Ignacio, Silverton to Pagosa Springs, and beyond.

Advertising opportunities are now open!

Reserve your space today!

Join us in telling the story of the Southwest.

Thank you all, Barbara Grist, Shell Simonson, Heather Freeman, Tad Smith, Moni & Jonas Grushkin, Milt Beens, Aunt Victoria & Jim, Cinda Wassmer, Randy Hays, Patricia Burk, Sharon Abshagen, Mary Zaleski, Jan Wright, Charles Shaw, Linda Barnes, Julie Cooley, Beth Drum, Hilarie Strong, Charles Leslie, Cary Lindley & Ilze Aviks!