South Main comes to Quigley

Western Colorado University’s Quigley Hall will be opening the final exhibition in a series of shows exploring the art history of the Gunnison Valley on Sept. 3 from 5-8 p.m.. “Regenaissance: Remembering the Future of the Gunnison Valley” showcases the collaborative work created by artists at Blue Thunder Circle ARTiFactory at South Main in Gunnison. It’s a creative space that facilitates networking opportunities to create a thriving ecosystem of resident artists and organizations who collectively contribute to the vitality of the region through artistic creation, educational workshops and the production of cultural festivals.

Curated by the new 2021 cohort of Masters in Gallery and Museum Management (MGMM) students during their August practicum, the gallery space becomes a creative zone working towards a culture of regeneration and vitalization in the region in which we dwell. The interactive installation invites visitors to participate in Amanda Sage’s Vision Train. Joe Bob Merritt’s found and upcycled pieces embody a community reconnected to its own matter. Brian Stewart’s metal fabrications express a futurist ideal for an elevated consciousness in form, and Olivia Jane’s paintings offer a landscape of spiritual empowerment. The entire Quigley Gallery becomes a gesamtkunstwerk forged from the Blue Thunder Circle ARTiFactory’s total vision of a future based in memory. 

This show serves as the third and final installment in a research and documentation project on the art history of the Gunnison Valley by the graduate students of the MGMM. 

Jeffrey Taylor, Director of the MGMM, explained, “We thought the Blue Thunder Circle and the scene at South Main to be the most exciting trend currently in the valley, and so for our students it was very meaningful to work closely with these artists.” 

Alejandra Nunez Pinero, a first-year MGMM student from San Juan, Puerto Rico, described the approach the curatorial team took to the exhibition. “From the moment we entered South Main, we knew this was a very special place, and as we toured with Joe Bob and Amanda and heard them talk, we knew we had an enormous responsibility to use all of our curatorial tools to allow the visitor to understand the full profound depth of their concepts.”