Issue No. 3 | November 17, 2025

Weekly Edition Sponsor

A Note from Publisher, Denise Leslie | Welcome back to Eye on the Arts!

There’s a creative buzz in the air, and I’m so glad you’re here to share it with me.

Our 'Spark Story' spotlights Bekkah Kolbe, whose presence in Durango has quietly but powerfully shaped the way we experience art.

I’m also thrilled to announce that 'Creative Voices' launches in December. In this new series, I sit down with the makers, musicians, performers, and dreamers who define our region’s artistic heartbeat. Real conversations, real stories.

This week, we explore the rich jam-session culture thriving across Southwest Colorado and take a look at The Raven Narratives' upcoming performances. And don’t miss this week’s Flash Fiction feature, Bacchus Doesn’t Drink Here Anymore by David Feela — a sharp, memorable piece that adds its own spark to the issue.

A special thank-you to Jimmy’s Music & Supply for supporting this week’s Eye on the Arts. Community-minded businesses like theirs help keep our creative scene vibrant.

Here’s to the stories, songs, and sparks lighting up our region.

With appreciation and joy,

Denise Leslie

Publisher & Editor, Arts Perspective

Bekah Kolbe | Gallery Manager, Curator & Writer

I’ve been writing stories for as long as I’ve been able to form full sentences. In fourth grade, my teacher encouraged me to write for the science fair instead of building a project. As a creative kid, I was thrilled to skip the volcano experiment and instead penned the first in a series of novellas, "The Adventures of Mary Caldwell".

PERFORMING ARTS | MUSIC
Circle Up: How Jam Sessions Keep the Music Alive in Southwest Colorado

by Denise Leslie, publisher

On a Thursday night in Durango, if you follow the sound of strings through the clinking of glasses downtown, you’ll find a circle of acoustic musicians leaning in close, listening for who will take the next break. Across town, a cluster of ukulele players settles into the front room of a winery—first the warm-up strums, then the laughter as everyone flips to the same page of the songbook. And on some evenings at the Durango Public Library, a quieter, more acoustic energy fills a community meeting room as the Folk Jam gathers—a welcoming mix of guitars, fiddles, banjos, mandolins, and the occasional mountain dulcimer.

Read the entire story here...

VISUAL ARTS

Clyfford Still: Influential Maverick

By Leanne Goebel | Originally Posted: Issue #32, Spring 2012

In 1944, Clyfford Still shocked the art world with a monumental painting that felt less created than excavated. A dense field of black pigment—troweled thick with a palette knife—splits open into a vivid red wound, where flashes of yellow, white, and emerald push forward like something alive beneath the surface. There is no place for the eye to rest, only the sense that the painting continues beyond its borders.

READ THE STORY HERE...

CREATIVE VOICES | sponsored by Jimmy's Music & Supply
Creative Voices: Conversations That Shape Our Creative Community

There’s a moment I live for—when a creative person leans back in their chair, exhales, and says something like, “You know, I’ve never actually said this out loud before…”

That’s the spark.

That’s Creative Voices.

Thank you to our Weekly Edition Sponsor | "It could be YOU!"

Each week, Arts Perspective keeps an eye on the arts with curiosity, joy, and heart—spotlighting the people, performances, and places that make our region shine. As a Weekly Edition Sponsor, your name appears right here, alongside the stories that celebrate creativity across the Four Corners.

Want to learn more? Visit Denise at 1309 E. 3rd Ave., Suite 110, in Durango, and feel the hum of our creative community in action.

Quote for the Week "If you see someone without a smile, give them one of yours." – Dolly Parton

Your Eye on the Arts is free to read and share. We believe stories about creativity should be accessible to everyone, which is why there’s no paywall. If you find value in our work, we welcome donations or ongoing support through our Buy Me a Coffee platform — every contribution helps bring more stories to life.

Thank you to all who supported Arts Perspective magazine this month on "Buy Me a Coffee" - YOU ALL ROCK!! Milt Beens, Moni & Jonas Grushkin, Tad Smith, Heather Freeman, Shell Simonson, and Barbara Grist!