ISSUE NO. 26 | APRIL 27, 2026

Publisher’s Note | from Denise

Some weeks, it feels like everything is happening at once—in the best possible way.

This issue marks the beginning of a new series, Creative Leadership Across Southwest Colorado—a look at the people shaping the direction, spirit, and sustainability of the arts in our region. We start in Silverton, where Lisa Branner is doing just that through her work with the Silverton Creative District.

You’ll also find a story from Bekah Kolbe, who introduces us to artist Ray Tigerman, and the latest from Cindy Schmidt in her Shadow Shorts series—always a place to pause and reflect a little deeper. And if you’re in the mood for something playful, there’s a look at a production imagining a meeting of two young minds—Pablo Picasso and Albert Einstein—at the start of their creative journeys.

FOLLOW THE THREAD: A small ask as you read: don’t stop at the preview. Click in, take a moment, and spend time with the full story.

And if you haven’t yet, tune in to KSUT on Saturdays at 11:58 am, just after This American Life, for the 'Eye on the Arts Minute '—a quick listen and another way to stay connected to the stories we’re sharing each week.

If you value independent storytelling like this, consider becoming an Arts Advocate for $10 a month on Buy Me A Coffee. It’s a simple way to support Arts Perspective and help keep these stories visible, accessible, and growing.

Thanks, as always, for being part of this.

With appreciation,

Denise

PUBLISHER'S NOTE | Creative Leadership Across Southwest Colorado Series | sponsored by Silverton Creative District

Lisa Branner: Recognizing the Work Behind a Statewide Arts Leadership Award

In Silverton, creativity isn’t just thriving—it’s starting to connect in new and meaningful ways. At the center of that momentum is Lisa Branner, whose work with the Silverton Creative District is helping shape a more cohesive, year-round creative rhythm in this small mountain town. Recently honored with the Next Wave Leadership Award from the Colorado Business Committee for the Arts.

VISUAL ARTS | PAINTING sponsored by Blue Rain Gallery

Sacred Spirits: The Work of Ray Tigerman

Some paintings ask for a glance—Ray Tigerman’s demand your presence. Built through dozens of layered gestures, his vivid works reveal figures that seem to rise from the surface itself, carrying both power and quiet reverence. Rooted in the landscapes of the high desert and shaped by lived cultural connection, Tigerman’s process is as physical as it is emotional.

HEALING ARTS | Shadow Shorts With Cindy

At the Edge of Genius: “Picasso at the Lapin Agile” Comes to Mancos

In Mancos, where stories still have a way of bringing people together, the Sunflower Theatre Troupe invites audiences into an imagined meeting that feels surprisingly real. At the Mancos Opera House, Steve Martin’s Picasso at the Lapin Agile unfolds as a lively, thought-provoking conversation between two young minds—Pablo Picasso and Albert Einstein—on the brink of changing the world.

LITERARY ARTS | CREATIVE MOMENT sponsored by Hideaway Marketing Agency, LLC

The same sweet water flows | Fiction

Having had the good fortune of being able to live, fewer than 100 feet from the banks of the La Plata River in Breen, for many years, I was exposed to the beautifully unbridled, seasonal mutations, the natural order of things, and the laws of ebb and flow, which gave my private, personal life supreme value and meaning.

Beyond Our Corners...

• An immersive theater experience in Colorado invites audiences to move through the story of foster care—blurring the line between observer and participant in a way that brings deeper understanding to a complex system. Read more.

→ Read More

• By painting directly onto trash collected in national parks, one artist creates pieces that sit between preservation and consequence—inviting viewers to reconsider what it means to care for the places we love.

→ Read more

• Across cultures and countries, a growing body of research points to something simple yet often overlooked: time spent in nature plays a meaningful role in overall well-being. This piece explores how that connection shows up around the world—and why it continues to matter in everyday life.

→ Read more

• Tomokazu Matsuyama’s path from snowboarding to the art world carries through in his work, where movement, culture, and layered visual references come together in a style that feels constantly in motion. It’s a story of creative shift, and of finding a new language for expression along the way.

→ Read more

And as always, you’ll find the stories unfolding closer to home at artsperspectivemag.com.

WEEKLY EDITION SPONSOR | NEW MASTERS VILLAGE

A new creative energy is taking shape in Mancos at New Masters Village, where artists can step in and truly focus. This season features two immersive retreats: The Magic of Horses with Terryl Whitlatch (May 17–23) and Through the Eyes of an Animator with Aaron Blaise (May 31–June 6). Arts Perspective readers receive 15% off with code ARTSPERSPECTIVE15—with the option to stay on for both and deepen the experience.

Please support our sponsors! They help us keep Arts Perspective stories flowing. ♡

Quote for the Week: “Wherever you look, there are inspirations, books, literature, paintings, landscapes, everything. Just living is an inspiration.” – GAVIN ROSSDALE

Become an Arts Advocate Member today — and keep the stories flowing for $10 per month.

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Free copy of the 2026 print edition mailed to your home

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, Gina Rosato, Candace Leslie, Angie Zbornik, & Cindy Schmidt!