OLIO ART: The artist being shown at Olio currently is Nancy Richmond. To call her work photographs is to give a false impression. She starts with a photograph, but does a good deal of digital magic and turns the image into wonderful, colorful abstractions. Stop by for a glass of wine, and some great (as usual) art.

WHEELS AHOY: The Car Show opens with a reception for the artists on Thursday evening, May 23 from 5- 7 pm. And there are lots of them. Here's the current roster (we may add more) Sarah Allen, Milt Beens, Nancy Brewer (from Durango!), Janet Chanay, Jim Law, Marilyn & Bill Kroeker, Barbara Lynch (from Farmington!), Susan Matteson, Robin Strother, and Steve Williams. The show features artwork about or made from vehicles - old, new, missing parts, you name it. As usual, the reception will be a great community party, with refreshments and some live music from Marilyn Kroeker. Come on down and enjoy yourself with your friends and neighbors, local artists and a general good time.

AH SWEET MUSIC: "Nothin' you can do will take me away from ... my Mancos Valley Chorus!" The Chorus just wrapped up its spring concert series with a blockbuster performance on Saturday evening. We traveled from Africa to New York to our beloved Colorado mountains and spent a lengthy stopover in Motown. My old friend, Gloria Thatch-Woody soloed, "You Better Shop Around", a Smokey Robinson/Berry Gordy classic. Newcomer to the Chorus, Susan Givens, gave Martha (and the Vandellas) stiff competition! Sadly, Lloyd McNeil was under the weather, and we really missed his whistling solo. More kudos to musical backing from the perennial Lee Bartley on piano, and two talents from Ft. Lewis College, Mike Morris on drums, and Spencer Church on the electronic and stand-up bass. Okay, so I burst into tears with a John Denver medley of "Rocky Mountain High" and "Take Me Home, Mountain Roads" ... we are just so lucky to live with such beauty, nature and the music. We were so stoked, and went to Chavolo's, eating and talking way past their 9 p.m. closing. Thank you for not kicking us out!

MUSICAL SPRING AND SUMMER: Time for all you live music fans out there to hit the road! The music lineup is overflowing with hundreds of concerts for every musical taste. Here are some of my favorites in our four corners region. Mumford and Sons will be at Kit Carson Park in Taos on June 6. Emmy Lou Harris (with Rodney Crowell) will perform at Santa Fe Downs on June 15. On June 13, a Mariachi Spectacular takes place at the Sandia Casino. Up in Telluride, there's the annual Bluegrass Festival which runs June 20-23. Music in the Mountains (at various Durango locations Resort) runs from July 10-28. Of course, my fave is the Santa Fe Opera which runs from late June through most of August. Moreover, Lyle Lovett will perform at the Opera theatre on May 26, and Robert Mirabal is booked there on August 30 and 31. Check venue websites for ticket information and booking.

THE ROUNDUP: Or, as it is formally known, The Great Mancos Arts Roundup will happen on Saturday, June 22, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. This is the annual "Studio Tours & More" - strictly Mancos and the Mancos Valley. If you would like to be one of the artist participants, go to Raven House or the Mancos Town Gallery at the Visitors' Center (on Bauer) and pick up a registration form. All local artists are welcome to join. You can show and demonstrate at your home studio, or do the same downtown at the Visitors' Center, the Community Center or one of our galleries or coops. We're only doing a one-day event this year, to see how it goes, and we may possibly expand to the whole weekend if we have the volume of visitors. The Mancos Valley Arts Council is the sponsoring entity, and will carry the "Studio Tour" onward from here.

For more information, contact Marilyn Kroeker at Raven House Gallery on Grand, (970) 533-7149, Marianne Griffin at the Visitors' Center, (970) 533-7434, or Dian Law (see below for contact info.) This will a great opportunity to get your work a larger audience, and show 'em how it's done! For artists who've signed up already, or are thinking about it, there's a brief meeting at the Visitors' Center on Wednesday, May 22 at 5 p.m. (with refreshments, of course!)

Contact Dian and let me know what's happening in the arts community. I'd love to publish info about your event, show, concert, play, whatever! Call me: 970-533-7536. [email protected].