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< Back Previous Ruth Stanley Next Ruth's new role on the Vail Valley Art Guild board represents a significant opportunity for both the Guild and the Town of Avon. Her deep ties to the community, established during her decades in the valley and particularly through her engagement in Avon's civic and cultural activities, equip her uniquely for this liaison role. Ruth's experience on the Cultural Arts Special Events Committee since its foundation demonstrates her commitment to the arts and community engagement, and her position as a Council Representative further solidifies her as a bridge between local government and cultural initiatives. Joining the Vail Valley Art Guild board, Ruth brings a wealth of knowledge and a fresh perspective that will be invaluable in crafting strategies to enhance the Guild’s visibility and impact within the community. Her goals include fostering stronger community connections and leveraging her understanding of public engagement to benefit the Guild. Her experience with CASE will allow her to introduce innovative event ideas and community-focused arts programming that could broaden the Guild's appeal and deepen its community ties. Ruth looks forward to assisting the Guild in building a robust relationship with the local community, which will not only enrich the cultural landscape of Avon but also reinforce the Guild as a pivotal player in the region's artistic community. Her vision includes creating collaborative opportunities that benefit both the Guild and the town, ultimately making art more accessible and engaging for residents and visitors alike. < Back Previous Next

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< Back Previous Raymond Bleesz Photographer Raymond A. Bleesz is a self-taught photographer who has lived his entire life in two mountainous counties West of Denver since 1970, so he can be called a “regionalist photographer of the West”. Stepping out of the high school classroom as a teacher of history and photography, Bleesz has pursued photography as a fine art. His interest is in The History and Aesthetics of Fine Art Photography. Next bleeszr@comcast.net Raymond Bleesz is an American original, and by that, I mean something specific. “American originals,” whether they be musicians, politicians, writers, artists, or photographers, have something in common: they tend to be attached to places, patches of land (even though they may travel far and wide), and their work has a strong regional flavor. At the same time, no matter how local their interests, they always seem to seek qualities that are universal, that could be understood and appreciated by anyone — a city slicker from New York or Paris, say, or an immigrant recently arrived, or an astrophysicist with her newly minted Ph.D. from Berkeley. Is this universal mode of address all just an illusion of American optimism? I think it’s worth consulting Raymond’s photographs for the answer. First of all, he has been looking at a large patch of land in Colorado and points west for a very long time. So he is sensitive to its physical moods and textures, its spaces, and its theatrical shifts of light. There’s plenty of visual interest in his landscapes, made even more dramatic by the contrast of his favored black and white. But unlike Ansel Adams’ west, Raymond’s is populated. People make their marks on it, build there, and travel through. Just when you might be inclined to take all this metaphysical panorama too seriously, however, the photographer will show you an outhouse, or a goofy road sign. So much for human hubris, ambition, and the taming of the west. That sense of humor reveals what might be most important of all about this photographer, more important even that the extensive catalog of Colorado scenes he has imaged– a valuable visual history. It is a quality of sympathy. This is especially clear in his portraits. Very often what you see in photographic portraits is an artifact, usually of the photographer’s control and desire to make some kind of statement about his hapless (usually) victim. In Raymond’s portraits, something else is revealed. His portraits rarely seem forced even when they are formal because what he really captures is something that passes back and forth between himself and his subjects. I am not sure how to put that into words. Call it respect or affection or trust, it yields portraits that are distinct and particular as a signature but as common and familiar as a nearby relative. He accords them dignity, but he lets them breathe. For many reasons, these are fraught times to call yourself American. Look at these pictures, and take it easy. It’ll pass. We’ll get together again, put aside the internet-stoked grievances, and recognize that we’re all together in the same leaky boat. We may even laugh at each other’s jokes. Raymond Bleesz absolutely guarantees it. March 23, 2019 – These words, sentences were written by Lyle Rexer. Rexer is an author, teacher, photo critic, and curator. Bleesz has worked with Rexer as a mentor. Rexer is a faculty member of the school of visual arts, NYC. < Back Previous Next

Tim Moffet < Back Tim Moffet Gore Creek 2022 Sept SF Rivers Rivers and Lakes Painting using Acrylic on Wood 11" X "14 Inquire Previous Next

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Alice Laurent < Back Alice Laurent Imagine Your Destiny 2022 CMC Fine Arts Show Abstract Painting using Oil on Canvas 30x24x2 Inquire Previous Next

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< Back Rick Spitzer Rick is a Colorado native and grew up in Greeley, Colorado. He completed a BS degree in biology with a minor in chemistry at the University of Northern Colorado. He taught various science courses in grades 7 through 9 and later taught high school biology and photography. Rick worked 22 years as a director of technology in two school districts and retired in 2006 with 34 years in education. His all-time favorite job was 15 summers as a Seasonal Supervisory Park Ranger Naturalist in Rocky Mountain National Park. During his park service summers he sold prints through many gift shops in Grand Lake and Estes Park. He self-published “Focus on Photography: A Simple Guide to Better Pictures” and after retirement published a coffee table book titled “Colorado Mountain Passes: The States Most Accessible High Country Roadways.” Landscapes are among his many subjects, but his photographic passion is wildlife photography. Rick’s camera has captured most of Colorado’s wildlife in all the life zones of the state. His images have appeared in the Vail Daily and other newspapers, Colorado Outdoors, The National Geographic web site, Walking Mountains publications, and a number of local magazines and other publications. Previous Next

Kit Cammermeyer < Back Kit Cammermeyer The Eyes Have It! 2022 CMC Fine Arts Show Animals Photography using Digital Camera on Paper 11x14 Inquire Previous Next

Mason Torry < Back Mason Torry Homestake Creek 2022 CMC Fine Arts Show Landscape Painting using Oil on Canvas 12" x 16" Inquire Previous Next

Raymond Bleesz < Back Raymond Bleesz Lock, Colo River, Glen Canyon Dam 2022 Sept SF Rivers Landscape Photography using Digital Camera on Paper 20x24 Inquire Previous Next