HOW WE FEEL ABOUT PUBLIC ART’S BENEFITS

Special Events

Dragon Vaudeville Theatre Circus: This show is a mix of talents and pantomime performances and a lot of imagination. There is no registration or cost. First come, first seated. Mobility accessible. Poetry writing activity by Poetry

Heals, clay activities by Wong Wares and art activities by K8 Orr will follow the performance. 10 a.m.-noon. Saturday, Aug. 27. 7 Minute Spring Gazebo, Washington Avenue and El Paso

Boulevard. Information: poetryheals.org. Draw Your Community: Join instructor LeRad Nilles to learn the basics of drawing with pencils. Participants are encouraged to submit a drawing to a community art gallery during First

Friday at the Manitou Art Center. Ages 16 and older.

Registration required. 1 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 27. Manitou

Springs Library, 515 Manitou Ave. Information and registration: ppld.org/programs or 531-6333, ext. 7004. Empty Bowl Fundraiser: Support Clayfest and the What If festival and get tasty feed and a beautiful bowl in return. A $50 donation will get you all the noodles and dumplings you can eat, served in a bowl you get to keep. 3-6 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 28. Manitou Art Center, 513 Manitou Ave. Information and registration: www.manitouartcenter.org or 685-1861. Commonwheel Artists Labor Day Art Festival: The 48th annual event will feature fine arts and crafts, live entertainment, children’s art activities and food. Free admission. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 3-Monday, Sept. 5.

Memorial Park, 502 Manitou Ave. Information: www. commonweel.com/festival. Quilt Showcase and Boutique: Piecing Partners Quilt Guild of Colorado Springs will offer handmade quilts and household items, home décor and gifts, along with a silent auction. City

Hall, 606 Manitou Ave. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 3, and

Sunday, Sept. 4, and 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Monday, Sept. 5.

Information: www.ppqguild.com. “Pikes Peak, America’s Mountain”: After four years, artist

Jack Denton has completed his second series of 100 oil paintings depicting Pikes Peak. They will be showcased at the

Briarhurst Manor Estate, 404 Manitou Ave., 11 a.m.-9 p.m.

Monday, Sept. 5, through Saturday, Sept. 17. Receptions will take place 5:30-7:30 p.m. every day, when Denton will sign the books he’s compiled of his work. Information: jackdenton402@gmail.com or 719-639-0350. Moonlight Market: Check out new art, cool food and gift items, and listen to live music. 5-8 p.m. Fridays through Sept. 30. Manitou Art Center, 513 Manitou Ave. Information: www. manitouartcenter.org or 685-1861.

Arts Events

Art Classes

FAB LAB: Make things, fix things and build things. Come and create cool projects. Learn how to use tools, expand your skills and expand your world. Kids younger than 13 should be with a parent. Participants can come to a single class or attend a series. Class sizes are limited to eight. 3:05-5 p.m.

Wednesdays. Manitou Art Center, between 513 and 515

Manitou Ave. Information: www.concretecouch.org. Makerspace Certification Classes: The Manitou Art Center offers certification classes for a variety of equipment in its makerspace. Most are free to MAC members and library card holders. Times and dates vary. 515 Manitou Ave. Information: www.manitouartcenter.org/learn. Teaching Opportunity: The Pikes Peak Arts Council and the

Small Business Development Center are seeking experienced artists to teach classes for Courses for Creatives. Artists will be compensated for each class that they teach (typically $150 per class). Classes are usually taught from 5:30-7:30 p.m. on third or fourth Tuesdays, Wednesdays or Thursdays, at the Manitou

Art Center. Apply at tinyurl.com/esmdcc3c.

Ongoing Art Exhibits

“Worthy”: Through different mediums, artist Jeresneyka Rose reinforces the notion that Black people are not monolithic, and that the idea of worth is not tied to white supremacist history, norms and values. The exhibit highlights Black faces and Black bodies in hopes of expressing that Black people are of great value simply because they exist, and that value is not directly tied to a specific aesthetic, labor, education or materialism.

“Worthy” is an eclectic body of works that tell stories of trials,

tragedies and triumphs of the Black existence. Through Aug. 27. 513 Manitou Ave. Information: www.manitouartcenter.org or 685-1861. “Flights of Fancy”: Art in various mediums created from a soaring of imagination and fantastic notions for pieces that are vibrant and full of energy. Commonwheel Artists Co-op, 102

Cañon Ave. Information: commonwheel.com or 685-1008. “Manitou Bottles and Bottling Plants”: Experience the development of the bottled mineral water industry in Manitou

Springs. In the early 1900s, Manitou Springs was the capital of bottled mineral water. Learn about the mystery of the town’s

“effervescent and healthful mineral spring waters” and see the world-famous Ute Chief Gusher Bottle and other colorful bottles that helped put Manitou Springs on the world map.

Manitou Springs Heritage Center and Museum, 517 Manitou

Ave. Information: manitouspringsheritagecenter.org or 685-1454. “Van Briggle — The Manitou Connection”: See one of the largest exhibits of Van Briggle pottery in the Pikes Peak region.

Learn more about Artus and Anna Van Briggle’s creation of this iconic pottery works and the connection of its later ownership and operations to historic Manitou Springs. Check website for hours. 517 Manitou Ave. Information: manitouspringsheritagecenter.org or 685-1454. The Pikes Peak Hill Climb Exhibit (virtual): The photography of Pulitzer Prize-winning photojournalist Robert

Jackson. The Manitou Springs resident, a photojournalist with the Colorado Springs Gazette from 1980-1999, has captured the excitement of the Pike Peak International Hill Climb for more than 40 years. See the dangerous turns, the wheels turning and the dust flying in this exciting collection. Manitou

Springs Heritage Center, 517 Manitou Ave. Information: manitouspringsheritagecenter.org or 685-1454.

To submit a calendar listing (at least 10 days before your event), email calendars@pikespeakbulletin.com or mail a typed announcement to: Pikes Peak Bulletin, attn. Calendars, 513 Manitou Ave., Manitou Springs 80829. No phone calls please.

Survey finds public art improves quality of life

Creative Alliance (CRANE) Manitou Springs published a public art survey for residents and business owners to provide input on public art in late May 2022. Advertised in person at City Hall, in the Pikes Peak Bulletin and on social media sites, the purpose was to gauge levels of support and attitudes toward the current collection and seek input on new acquisitions.

The survey was open for eight weeks and received 223 responses, and 50 percent of the respondents were Manitou Springs residents.

The four finalists’ works included “Manitou Juniper” by Tom Benedict, “Guitar/Coyote” by Joe Norman, “Interwoven” by Bobby Zokaites and “Wild Contemplation” by Amie Jacobsen.

Resoundingly, the community’s selections echoed that of the jurors as Amie Jacobsen’s oversized cast-glass columbine bench and Tom Benedict’s steel and juniper proposals garnered the most enthusiastic responses.

CRANE also sought input on Javier Rocabado’s Becker’s Lane Bridge proposals. Based on the winning option, the artist will create glass mosaic tiles that represent colorful bees and flowers.

The Creative Alliance asked for qualitative input on how art affects people in the community and received 75 responses summarized thematically below: • Makes me happy, joyful; improves my mood (21 percent); • Strengthens the sense of community; lends civic pride; sets Manitou Springs apart; spawns other creatives and business ventures (21 percent); and • Provokes thoughts and mindfulness; inspires me; sparks creativity; causes me to pause and wonder (20 percent).

Here are the questions and responses:

“Does public art in Manitou Springs improve your quality of life?” • 70.9 percent yes, definitely; • 22 percent yes, somewhat; and • 7.2 percent neither improves nor detracts.

“How much do you support or oppose funds from public sources like the Manitou Springs Urban Renewal Authority going to spaces with less public art, like Fields Park or Manitou Avenue east of Highway 24? • 60.1 percent strongly support; • 21.1 percent somewhat support; and • 17.5 percent neutral.

“How do you feel about the amount of public art (sculptures, mosaics, murals, other installations) in Manitou Springs: Is there too much, the right amount, or would you like more? (223 responses) • 76.2 percent would like more;

and

• 18.4 percent right amount. For the complete survey results, please visit manitouspringscd.org/ publicart.

2022-2023 MSHS FALL SPORTS PREVIEW Allen’s return a welcome sight for Manitou volleyball

Manitou Springs senior Grace Allen takes aim at a kill during volleyball practice on Aug. 12.

MANITOU SPRINGS GIRLS VOLLEYBALL

Head coach: Crissy Leonhardt 2021 result: 20-5 (10-1 Tri-Peaks), regional appearance Key returners: Grace Allen, Ayla Flett, Lily Glass, Norah Jorstad First competition: Aug. 23 vs. Fowler

Story and photo by Daniel Mohrmann

The Manitou Springs girls volleyball team gets a much-needed boost this season with the return of Grace Allen. The senior missed all of the 2021 fall after suffering a knee injury during the 2020-21 basketball season.

Spending a year on the bench wasn’t an ideal way for Allen to participate with the team, but heading into her senior year it helped further her understanding of the game and should impact her on-court play this season.

“Communication and trusting your teammates is super important,” Allen said. “On the bench, you can see when people look at each other and think the other one should’ve had the ball. (I learned a lot about) communication, trusting each other and trusting yourself.”

The Mustangs put together a solid 2021 season, but it ended short of reaching the state tournament. The senior class has spent the majority of its time on the varsity roster and the experience is something that coach Crissy Leonhardt knows will be vital to the team’s success this fall.

“They’ll have some mental toughness,” she said. “That’s my expectation is that there is going to be a lot of mental toughness this year.”

Manitou lost four seniors from last year’s team, along with Avah Armour, who transferred to Rampart. Those losses do not make the Mustangs an unexperienced team, considering that most of this year’s starters have at least two years of varsity play under their belts.

That will come in handy with the team looking to compete in the Tri-Peaks.

“Leadership is a big part of it with the seniors this year,” Ayla Flett said. “We have so much experience and there are a few girls on this team who don’t have a lot of experience. We need to take them under our wing and be supportive.”

Seeing some non-league teams, such as Lutheran and Doherty, will be helpful in making the team battle-ready for league play.

Simply playing tougher teams isn’t enough, however. The Mustangs know that the work they put in outside of the matches will be what propels them back into regionals — and give them a chance to make the state tournament for the first time since 2015.

“We have to push ourselves in practice,” Allen said. “We have goals this season and we need to focus in practice and in games and improve every day.”

Manitou’s cross-country teams will be seeking consistency

Story and photo by Daniel Mohrmann

The Manitou Springs cross-country team is about to find out if the consistency that the program has been searching for in recent years will be present in 2022. The Mustangs are coming off a year in which a full team made it to the state meet.

In previous years, the hope had been that Henry Ilyasova would qualify as an individual and, hopefully, one or two more runners could get there to keep him company.

The 2021 season felt like a turning point.

The Mustangs had a talented group of runners and a fair number of them will be back this fall. Ilyasova’s loss will be heavily felt, but he helped set the standard for what the program seeks to accomplish each season, and junior Cody Kelley is eager to carry that torch.

“One-hundred percent I feel like it’s on my shoulders,” Kelley said. “(Ilyasova) passed the reins down to me and we have some serious kids that are starting their high school careers.”

The entire season will have a fresh feel as Andy Sherwood takes over as head coach, while Anna Mack steps into an assistant role.

Sherwood has been helping the Mustangs move toward more overall success in recent years and believes that last year is just a taste of what this team will be capable of for the next several seasons.

“It’s been a team effort to establish that consistency,” Sherwood said. “Henry got us to a point and something

The boys cross-country team takes a warmup lap on the Manitou track during practice on Aug. 15.

MANITOU SPRINGS CROSS-COUNTRY

Head coach: Andy Sherwood 2021 result: Boys finished 11th in state Key returners: Connor Cassidy, Cody Kelley, Lairden Rogge First competition: Sept. 2 at Cheyenne Mountain Stampede

to shoot for, but I really like how this team is coming together.”

The Manitou boys finished 11th as a team and Kelley is the top returner from last year’s state meet. He finished 27th, crossing the finish line in 17 minutes, 29.9 seconds.

Connor Cassidy and Lairden Rogge each finished in the top 150, but they know that their times have to drop significantly for the Mustangs to climb in those team rankings.

That’s the expectation that’s been set and the overall change in team culture has been a big help in raising those expectations from where they were a few years ago.

“We just have a different attitude about the whole thing,” Kelley said. “There wasn’t a big running community in the high school or middle school. Now that we see awesome success, the popularity is going up.”

Sherwood is really excited about the girls team. Like the boys a few years ago, the girls have had limited success, but the middle school’s feeder program has been on the rise and that effect will start to be felt with the high school team this year.

“The girls won the state championship meet at the middle school,” Sherwood said.

“We have two of those girls that were in the top seven. We expect Ellen Lowe to get close, if not make it, to the state meet as an individual.”

She’ll get her first high school taste of the state course when the Mustangs compete at the Cheyenne Mountain Stampede on Sept. 2.