Bluff Arts Festival is October 18-21

by Tina Krutsky
The small town of Bluff is an active center for artists, writers and archeologists within this area of national parks, prehistoric sites, diverse cultures, wild canyons and river recreation.
The theme of the 2012 Arts festival is “ARTchitecture – Inhabited Sculpture”. The weekend will be full of free-to-the-public cultural events, hikes led by local artists and archaeologists, the “Trail of the Artist” gallery walk, activities for children, music, workshops on painting, weaving, photography and much more.
Thursday workshops include Mastodon Sculpture Construction with Joe Pachak and JR Lancaster, Willow Weaving with Kyle Bauman and a house tour titled Architecture of Bluff with Mitch McComb. Thursday night Kate Harris, the 2012 Ellen Meloy Fund for Desert Writer’s Award winner, will read from her work Lands and Lost Borders.
On Friday Jonathon Till visits pueblo sites and talks about Ancient Architecture, Ancient Cosmologies. Mastodon construction continues. Sandra Murphy, Flagstaff author, leads a workshop titled Writing About Our Place. Don Mose, Navajo Cultural Specialist, visits a traditional Navajo Hogan.
Meet the artists and view their creations at locations throughout Bluff during the Trail of the Artists galleries and receptions Friday and Saturday afternoon.
The Friday night Film Festival will feature four southwest filmmakers who will show their work and interact with the audience.
Films include Chasing the Light, about a group of artists on a Grand canyon river trip by Ed George; A Return Home, about the challenges faced by a Navajo landscape artist who decides to move back to her traditional home by Ramona Emerson; Horse You See, about a horse by Melissa Henry; and DesignBuildBLUFF, about families they build homes for by Greg Windley.
Saturday workshops feature the completion of the Mastodon Sculpture Construction; a Photography Portfolio Review and Consultation with Santa Fe photographer Don Kirby; Garden Design in the Desert with Timothy Duffield, landscape architect, and Deb Clark, local botanist, and, an opportunity to Learn Basic Cob Construction with Jonah Hill of the Hopi Tutska Permaculture Organization. Dawn Dilego leads a Teen Improv Theater workshop and Amanda Bouchard creates Cake Sculpture with children ages 5 to 11.
On Saturday evening enjoy live music with Linda Carter and friends followed by Navajo singer, Shar Redhorse. Linda Moore offers face painting. Don’t miss the popular silent art auction with pieces donated by local artists. Featured speaker Genevieve Baudoin, Architect, talks about site and context informing the unique architectural style of the US Southwest.
Sunday offers Basic Cob Construction and Eileen Fjerstaad leads Painting Bluff in the Landscape for those who wish to enhance open air techniques.
October is a great time to visit Bluff with ideal temperatures, cottonwoods beginning to color the river corridor, and splendid fall foliage.
To register, call Marti at 928-856-1471, visit www.bluffutah.org or call Tina at 435-672-2253.

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