Sentinel Lakewood
Jefferson County, Colorado • Volume 89, Issue 44
Up-cycled coUtUre
June 13, 2013
A Colorado Community Media Publication
ourlakewoodnews.com
Gun law affects domestic abusers
Restrictions received no GOP support in Legislature By Vic Vela
vvela@ourcoloradonews.com Domestic violence offenders will find it more difficult to own or transfer guns under a bill that was signed into law by Gov. John Hickenlooper on June 5. Senate Bill 197 places greater gun restrictions on people who either are convicted in cases involving domestic violence, or those who have been served with a court-issued protection order. Prior to the bill being signed, Colorado law had already Report prohibited domestic violence offenders from having guns. The new law puts in place a system by which state courts ensure that offenders relinquish their weapons. Sen. Evie Hudak, D-Westminster, a bill sponsor, said an incident from about 20 years ago motivated her to carry the bill. A former teacher, Hudak said that a student of hers was shot to death by an ex-boyfriend, who had a restraining order against him. “I’ve wanted this to happen for a very long time,” Hudak said. “I think a lot of women and children will be safer because of this.” Under the new law, persons who have received court-imposed protection orders must relinquish any firearms and ammunition in their possession for the duration of the court order. The same rules will apply to persons convicted of domestic violence cases. They can then either sell or transfer their weapons to a licensed gun dealer or to someone who has successfully completed a gun background check. The weapon may also be given to a law enforcement agency for storage. Before transferring a gun back to the offender, a firearms dealer or local law enforcement agency will be required to request a background check from the Colorado Bureau of Investigation, to ensure that the person can lawfully possess the weapon. The bill was part of a package of Democrat-sponsored gun-control bills that passed the Legislature and have been signed into law by Hickenlooper this year. Republican lawmakers unanimously opposed the bill. Hudak’s sponsorship of the legislation, along with her votes on other gun bills, led to a recall petition effort being waged against her. That effort recently was suspended by recall organizers.
Capitol
The three second-place winners in the Everything Recycled Fashion Show on June 8. All the outfits were made from recycled materials. From left to right, Ana FairbanksMannuke, Katy Noble and Melody Epperson. Photo by Clarke Reader
Getting into a head space Sculptors installation examines rural-urban dichotomy By Clarke Reader
creader@ourcoloradonews.com
A
rt is a way to tell a story for metal caster Laura Phelps Rogers. The contemporary artist has been working in the conceptual style for several years, and has a new installation called “A Space In Time” at the Lakewood Civic Center’s James Richey Gallery, 480 S. Allison Parkway. “My art really focuses on narrative identity — people will tell their own stories as a way to be healthier and connected to what’s around them,” she said. “By telling these stories, they’re able to document things and honor those memories.” According to Lorene Joos, arts coordinator with Lakewood, an installation pieces is something the city has wanted to host for a while. “In the suburbs you don’t see a lot of installations, but they can be really powerful,” she said. “They give you a chance to get into the artist’s mind and see how they think.” The centerpiece of Rogers’ installation is a life-sized pink horse called Midnight named in honor of a famous bucking horse from the 1920s — which stands in front of a giant photo of the Nevada-New Mexico landscape, right next to the framework of a living room, complete with a couch. The installation is all about Rogers’ attempt to exist in two worlds — that of the urban and the rural. She said that both her parents came from a very rural background, with horses and farms, and so the conversations were always about these issues. At the same time she grew up in Denver, so she had the urban aspect of life to contend with as well.
Laura Phelps Rogers stands with Midnight, the horse she created as part of her “Space In Time” installation at the Lakewood Civic Center’s James Richey Gallery. Photo by Clarke Reader “I had a foot in both of these worlds, but there was always the lure of open space,” she said. “Part of the installation is about the vanishing of that open space.” Joos said that Rogers is a very thorough artists, and everything in the exhibit is there for a reason. Other facets of the exhibit — like tress and blue skies in little boxes and bronzed cowboy boots — invite visitors to take part in the practice of substitution — where people’s subconscious are able to connect to underlying experiences created by view-
ing the art. “I want to invite the viewer into the space, because it helps them go to their own space in their mind,” she said. “I also want the viewer to question the installation. They should see the things here and wonder why I included it.” Rogers said her work has a very layered approach, which is how she is able to connect what can be intensely personal experiences to topics of larger societal concerns. The “Space In Time” exhibit will be running until Aug. 7.
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