The reception and party for the newest exhibit at the Mancos Town Gallery will be on Friday, April 18, from 5 to 7 p.m.

The art is all about moving, however you can interpret it. Anyone who wants to be included in this show can submit their work on April 11 and 12 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. If you need to make special arrangements, call Marilyn Kroeker (970-533-7464) or Jan Wright (970-882-3130) Please join us at the Gallery in the Visitors' Center, 103 E. Bauer at Boyle Park.

It's time 'For the Birds'

The exhibit "For the Birds," runs April 19 through May 11, with an opening reception, Friday, April 25, 2014, at the Cortez Cultural Center in conjunction with The Annual Ute Mountain Mesa Verde Birding Festival. Today's meadows, pastures, cultivated fields, historic orchards, stock ponds and reservoirs establish habitat for a wide spectrum of migratory and resident birds. Some species, such as Lucy's Warbler, are found no place else in Colorado.

Hosted by the Cortez Cultural Center, the UMMV Birding Festival draws upon the expertise of regional wildlife specialists who volunteer as tour guides and guest lecturers. Each year, new tours and repeat favorites explore an array of birding hotspots that attract avian species including loons, grebes, sparrows, grosbeaks and finches. Southwest Colorado's first birding records date to the 1880s. Tours that combine birding with regional archaeology, ecology and history take UMMV birders into the realms of gulls, shorebirds, waterfowl, osprey, peregrine falcon, bald and golden eagles, owls, woodpeckers, flycatchers, phoebes, American Dipper, towhees, crossbills, and colorful bluebirds, tanagers, and warblers. The festival's birding tally has climbed to 180 species.

The UMMV Birding Festival designs activities and tours to fit a gamut of abilities, ages, and interests. Early evening lectures, social hours, a bird-themed art show, and banquet add to the festival's five days of enjoyment - learning, socializing, and most important, birding.

Watercolor workshop

Last Thursday, I attended a demonstration of Jan Wright's watercolor techniques. It was a great event with about a dozen folks watching and learning. Jan promises to give a two-day workshop as soon as she gets back from Ireland. (I am so jealous!)

Time for planting

Jama Collins, our intrepid "town beautifier" wants all people who have green thumbs or not to pitch in and make Mancos gorgeous for our summer visitors. If you have plants or pots or whatever, contact Jama (799-8859) and let her when and how you can help.

Durango Art Walk

This Thursday, April 3, the Durango Artwalk will take place. Now that daylight savings time is upon us, it's a great way to spend a couple of hours imbibing art. Then go and imbibe dinner. It's spring -get out and look at the art!

Mixed media show

Feat of Clay Gallery is pleased to feature Sue Johnson (mixed media artist), Catherine Thomas-Kemp (jeweler), and Betty Reed (mixed media artist) for the March 28 - April 19 show. Please join these talented artists for an opening reception from 5-7 p.m. at Feat of Clay Gallery, 107 South Main St., Aztec, N.M.

Betty Reed likes whimsy and elegance. "I want to know how things are done, and I just have to try it. Art is a learning thing for me." Betty's fiber art began with a Levi quilt, repurposing dark and light scraps from old Levis into a traditional quilt pattern, and she was bored silly. "I need some whimsy to keep me smiling, and I was compelled to learn more, to spin, weave and dye my own textiles."

Catherine Thomas-Kemp makes jewelry because she has to. "It calls out to me. I dream it, live it, and breathe it. Clean lines, boldness, as well as Art Deco and industrial influences are prevalent in my work."

Sue Johnson's art has centered on fiber since the 1970s, when she first began sharing it with the public. "Workshops and classes from noted fiber artists have provided inspiration and new techniques over the years, but my style remains uniquely my own." Sue's themes often draw from the minute details of nature which are so often overlooked in our busy lives and rushed schedules. Feat of Clay is a Co-op Gallery that features local artists. The hours of operation are Wednesday through Saturday 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. You can contact Feat of Clay at 505 334-4335.

Reach Dian Law at (970) 533-7536 or email at [email protected]. Be sure to check out our website - www.mancosarts.org.