Soul Food
Colorado nourishes a body with recreation galore. Our palates never experienced such exquisite cuisine. But, what about our spirits, our souls?
The sophistication of Colorado’s winter resorts makes art, in its many forms, an integral part of a vacation experience. The well traveled visitor expects the totality of indulgence...elegant accommodations, gourmet dining, unique shopping, and, importantly, art to feed the soul.
Summit County answers the call with art exhibiting many faces. It poses as a breathtaking sculpture of marble, bronze, and surprisingly, snow. It covers a wall with stunning serenity. It wraps itself about a wrist, finger or neck in silver or gold. It weaves supple threads and fabrics into fashions for home or self. The click of a shutter freezes a moment in time, capturing a raptor in flight. It struts its talent upon a stage, drawing the spectator into an engrossing drama or delightful comedy. Art reaches deeply into our psyches to touch a chord of inner peace. How could we possible live without art?
You can purchase prints in dozens of locations, but only galleries carry original pieces.
Possibly, the landmark location is the Hibberd McGrath Gallery on Main Street in Breckenridge. Representing some 50 American artists for more than 25 years, Hibberd McGrath offers a smorgasbord of textile art, ceramics, glass, silver, painting and folk art. Featured this winter are folk artist Ed Larson in January, Carol Shinn and her machine-stitched embroidery in February, and Laura Foster Nicholson’s imaginative textiles in March.
Breckenridge Gallery, located a few blocks south of Hibberd McGrath on Main Street, is slightly more traditional with its focus, offering contemporary wildlife sculpture and 
painters of “strong contemporary realism and impressionism,” as gallery co-owner Gary Freese describes it. He adds that all of his artists are committed to creating unique paintings and sculptures, rather than offering prints to their clients.
Thomas Mangelsen, award-winning wildlife photographer, exhibits his Images of Nature in Breckenridge’s Main Street Station. A world of animals is captured on film and portrayed in wall-size prints, posters, art cards and keepsake books.
At the Blue River Pottery Studio Gallery on Frisco’s Main Street, exhibitions include stunning artisan creations from Sunset Canyon Pottery.
Scores of art galleries and photography studios populate Summit County. Framing shops, poster mania, ceramic creations, and designer jewelry add to the vast variety. Take a full day to browse and feed your soul.
Beginning January 23, teams of sculptors from every corner of the earth descend upon Breckenridge to create works of art from 12-foot high, 20-ton monoliths of compacted snow for the annual Budweiser Select International Snow Sculpture Championships. The sculptures will be on display through the first week of February, weather permitting. (For more on the Championships, see page 40).
Summit County’s two live theaters bring seasoned performing artists to the stage. At the Lake Dillon Theater, Jacob Morley’s Christmas Carol plays during holiday time; in January, treat yourself to I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change. In February and March, a fun satire takes to the boards, The Musical of Musicals: The Musical! For reservations, call 970-513-9386. 
Since 1974, The Backstage Theater Company has entertained this mountain community with critically acclaimed performances. Catch a holiday revue in December. Greater Tuna starts the new year with the zany antics of folks in Tuna, Texas. Steel Magnolias displays the strength of Southern belles in February and March, followed by Hidden, one woman’s remembrances of the Holocaust. Call 970-453-0199 for tickets.
A virtual year-round arts festival…just one more attraction of Colorado’s Summit County.
Lillian Ross has worked in New York publishing, Montana ad agencies, and the Colorado ski industry. She also has been a travel correspondent for The Denver Post.
