1st Rock Ledge art exhibit ‘great success’

       Last weekend's first-ever juried art exhibition at Rock Ledge Ranch went so well that administrators of the city-owned historic site are planning a “second annual” event next summer.
       “It was a great success,” said ranch manager Andy Morris. “We're going to continue with that.”
       Artists were limited to pieces about the Garden of the Gods or Rock Ledge Ranch. Any media could be used.
       According to both Morris and artist/organizer Kathryn McMahon, the high point of the three-day, 100-piece show was Aug. 11, when a four-hour award reception drew 400 people to the ranch - more than would be there on an even-free Saturday. “All the food went, so it was well attended,” McMahon commented.
       In addition, she noted, 15 pieces sold. a portion of the sales proceeds go to the Ranch.
       The judge was area artist Mariya Zvonkovich. A total of 45 artists had been juried in.
       The Best of Show award went to Michael Baum, for a landscape painting including some of the principal Garden of the Gods rock formations. Other awards were: first place, Fran Dodd; second, Richard Williams; third, Jean Shom; honorable mention, Dale Pittock, Kazuko Stern, Cindy Weller.
       If there was an award for most talked about, it would have gone to a Garden of the Gods painting by Pittock. Composed at a similar angle as Baum's and titled “What If?”, it shows flying saucers landing in front of the rocks.
       According to Morris, the goal of the show was to “showcase Rock Ledge in a new way,” inspired by the fact that both the ranch and the Garden are regular subjects for art.

Westside Pioneer article