Fort Collins, CO June 2024

THE MEN’S ISSUE

SPOTLIGHT: COLLECTIVE SOUL’S TRIUMPHANT RETURN WITH NEW MUSIC AND TOUR

The Men's Issue

As we embrace the vibrant month of June, Fort Collins City Lifestyle is thrilled to present our special Men’s Issue. This edition is dedicated to celebrating the remarkable men in our community who make Fort Collins a better place to live, work, and thrive.

Our Men’s Issue goes beyond the traditional notions of manhood, diving into the diverse and dynamic roles men play in their families, workplaces, and the broader community. From trailblazers in busi ness and local heroes to dedicated fathers and passionate volunteers, this edition highlights the stories that inspire us all.

As always, Fort Collins City Lifestyle is committed to bringing you the best of our community. We hope this Men’s Issue not only entertains and informs but also inspires the men of Fort Collins to continue making a positive impact in their lives and the lives of those around them.

Thank you for your continued support and readership. We look forward to celebrating the extraordinary men of Fort Collins with you. JASON

June 2024

PUBLISHERS

Jahna Eichel | jahna.eichel@citylifestyle.com

Jason Eichel | jason.eichel@citylifestyle.com

EDITORIAL COORDINATOR

Macey VanDenMeerendonk | macey.v@citylifestyle.com

PUBLISHER ASSISTANT

Morgan Henderson | morgan.henderson@citylifestyle.com

MARKET SUPPORT ASSISTANT

Matthew Hart | matthew@thecreativeagencyco.com

ACCOUNT MANAGER

Michael Naumburg | michael@thecreativeagencyco.com

PHOTO EDITOR

Henry Magarotto | henry@thecreativeagencyco.com

STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Tony Deyo | tony@thecreativeagencyco.com

STAFF WRITER

Allie Bellows | allie@thecreativeagencyco.com

SOCIAL MEDIA COORDINATOR

The Creative Agency | hello@thecreativeagencyco.com

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Allie Bellows, Macey VanDenMeerendonk

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

Lee Clower, Henry Magarotto

Corporate Team

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Steven Schowengerdt

CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER Matthew Perry

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF HR Janeane Thompson

AD DESIGNER Andrew Sapad

LAYOUT DESIGNER Rhiannon Coffman

inside the issue

Summer Rock Reverie

Influential Men of 2024

city scene

1 - 3: Xanadu Med Spa and Cyclebar Fort Collins and Loveland teamed up for the first ever Revitalize & Ride event on April 26 and 27. This event featured the opportunity to get in on a ride at the Cyclebar and take advantage of amazing deals on Botox from Xanadu Med Spa. The event brought together clientele from both businesses for a collaborative opportunity to introduce services to new clients!

JUNE 2024

Running for Hope! 5k

Lace up and stride for a cause! Hope Lives! The Lydia Dody Breast Cancer Support Center is hosting the Running for Hope! 5K in Loveland, CO on June 15. Embrace our neighbors facing breast cancer on a picturesque 3.10-mile route, enjoy vendors, and cheer for top runners. Mark your calendars today and meet Hope Lives! at the starting line!

Mummy Mountain

Palisade Mountain

McHenry's Peak

Mount Meeker

Longs Peak

Estes Park

Horsetooth Mountain

Terra Tomah Mountain

Timothy Nimmo's Legacy

Laporte-based artist, Timothy Nimmo, who passed on April 21, 2024, will be featured one last time at the 33rd Annual Governor's Art Show. Nimmo's sculptures are influenced by his love for animals and nature. Four of his sculptures will be showcased at this year's show, and his legacy on the Fort Collins artistic community will be remembered forever.

LIST

We have such amazing, innovative business leaders in our community who are proud to serve you, our residents, with class and quality. We’ve compiled some of our top company picks for the services that might be on your mind this month in an effort to make your lives a little easier.

Country Club

Fort Collins Country Club fortcollinscc.com | 970.482.1336

Ptarmigan Country Club ptarmigancc.com | 970.226.8555

South Broadway Country Club southbroadwaycc.com | 970.631.8642

Southridge Golf Course fcgov.com | 970.416.2828

Collindale Golf Course fcgov.com | 970.221.6651

Barber Shops / Men's Salons

The Foundry Barbers thefoundrybarbers.com | 970.672.8780

Two Bit Barbershop twobitbarbershop.com | 970.795.2248

Lucky 27 Barbershop lucky27barbershop.com | 970.690.5133

Want to suggest a monthly pick?

Floyd's 99 Barbershop floydsbarbershop.com | 970.224.9791

Lemay Barbers lemaybarbers.com | 970.484.1378

SUMMER ROCK REVERIE

ARTICLE BY ALLIE BELLOWS | PHOTOGRAPHY BY LEE CLOWER

With unmistakable guitar riffs, moody vocals, and a reverberating bass line, no conversation about this summer’s concert lineup is complete without including the iconic band, Collective Soul. Lead guitarist and co-founder of the band, Dean Roland sat down with us to talk about Collective Soul’s progression from the '90s to the present, expectations for this summer’s tour, and how Elvis’ spirit imbues their latest album.

Bursting onto the music scene in 1993, Dean Roland, his brother Ed, and childhood friend Will Turpin created one of the biggest hits of the decade, “Shine,” and Collective Soul firmly established itself as a defining sound of the decade. Churning out hit after hit, the band resonated with audiences with their now classic songs. 30 years later, Collective Soul has remained a dynamic force on the music scene, most recently with

Johnny Rabb, Will Turpin, Ed Roland, Dean Roland, Jesse Triplett

Collective Soul's latest album, tour, and the spirit of the king himself

their double album, Here To Eternity, released last month, and the bold, rock-forward first single “Mother’s Love.”

“We’ve been playing this song live for a little while now. It’s a good old-fashioned rough rock song with some honest, positive lyrics,” says Roland of the natural first single off of Here to Eternity

The band decided to make this latest album a little differently. Packing up and heading to Palm Springs, the band left the traditional recording studio behind and recorded in a home previously owned by the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll.

CONTINUED >

“Elvis owned Graceland and he owned this house in Palm Springs. This was more of his getaway sanctuary. He spent his last multiple birthdays there. He would spend holidays there.  He recorded two gospel records in the living room where we recorded our record. It’s been sitting there for years, still the same appliances. It was kind of a trip. We had fun doing that. It was inspirational… one song came after another and we were on a creative roll. You get in and you’re like I don’t want to say intimidated, but you have such a reverence for it because he’s such a huge influence on us and our family. Our father was a massive Elvis fan,” explains Roland of the recording experience. With the creativity flowing, inspired by the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll, Here to Eternity became the band's much-talked-about double album. Roland recalls the double albums he grew up listening to like Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, Quadrophenia, and The White Album as inspirations for this musical feat. Full of rock anthems and melodic ballads Collective Soul is known for, the album is filled with musical surprises and departures, while always remaining true to who they are as a band.

Collective Soul is taking this new album and their 30 years of music on the road this summer.  Describing the setlist as “nostalgia and more,” as well as a “balancing act,” the Summer Camp with Trucks Tour will be rolling into Denver at Fiddler’s Green on July 10.

The tour is a reunion of sorts. Formerly all on the Atlantic record label, Collective Soul, Hootie and the Blowfish, and Edwin McCain will be touring the country, bringing fans highlights from their lengthy careers.

“We just get out there and have fun. Being in a place of gratitude and realiz[ing] it’s a very fortunate place to be able to do what you love for a living and share it and share our joy,” Roland said. “Hopefully it connects and people enjoy what we do.”

Nostalgia will play a big role in the future of Collective Soul. Aside from their tour, they also have a career-spanning

documentary coming out later this year. While always a band to ‘march forward,’ the documentary and the tour have allowed them to pause and reflect on their entire career – especially rare now in times when longevity is not typical of the entertainment industry.

“It’s a fleeting industry. Entertainment in general can be disposable. You might have a resurgence at some point in time, but it’s tricky to navigate a long-term career. We definitely knew we were given an opportunity and the good fortune to be able to have the chance to have this career,” says Roland.

Standing the test of time with authenticity, pure passion, and love for what they do, Collective Soul has remained a force to be reckoned with and will continue to do so-- striking a chord with audiences everywhere they go.

SAVORING THE SPIRIT OF THE FIGHTING 69TH

Candlelight’s exclusive Irish whiskey that’s influenced by American History

ARTICLE BY ALLIE BELLOWS

Raise your glass and toast to history in a bottle of the Fighting 69th whiskey, made exclusively for and sold at Northern Colorado’s very own Candlelight Dinner Theatre. Only during Father’s Day weekend will this whiskey be available. This exclusive cask selection of Irish whiskey is a testament to the Irish influence and an Infantry division that changed the course of history forever.

So, who are the Fighting 69th? They were an infamous military regiment that is among the most celebrated in our country’s history. The regiment started as a militia, made up of Irish immigrants in New York City. A group of young Irish men learning military tactics with the ultimate goal of using these tactics to expel the British from their homeland. While history didn’t play out as they had hoped, the 69th Regiment solidified its place in history with its military contributions to the US.

The unit first gained a reputation in the American Civil War. Fighting for the Union cause, the group of volunteers became the unit generals knew they could count on for the toughest missions, or even those deemed hopeless. Their fighting spirit and willingness to do anything for the cause earned them the nickname “The Fighting 69th” from General Robert E. Lee himself. The moniker stuck and “The Fighting 69” began their march through history.

Fighting in many American wars, the 69th Regiment continued to make a name for themselves.

During World War I, Father Francis Patrick Duffy of the 69th, “The Fighting Chaplain” became the most highly decorated clergyman in US Army history. No longer exclusively members of Irish descent, Duffy declared every member of the 69th an honorary Irishman saying, “They are Irish by adoption, Irish by association, or Irish by conviction.”

The Regiment was officially recognized for their contributions since the Civil War by John F. Kennedy, in 1962, solidifying their place in both Irish and American history. The then president addressed the Irish Parliament saying, “They bore a proud heritage and a special courage given to those who had long fought for the cause of freedom. I’m referring, of course, to the Irish Brigade.” He presented The Fighting 69th’s flag as recognition of the Irish Regiment’s contribution to American history and an allegiance shared by both countries.

The Fighting 69th was the first military operation on the scene on September 11th, 2001, due in part to their proximity to Ground Zero with their headquarters in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan. In historic fashion, they rushed to

the scene as the events were unfolding, to help secure what would later become known as Ground Zero and aided in the rescue and recovery efforts of the attack. Known for fearlessness and dedication, it was no surprise they were among the first at the scene. As a part of not only American history but New York’s history, the infantry was determined to help their city in its darkest days.

The Brigade is a major part of the St. Patrick’s Day Parade in New York City and is arguably the biggest celebration of the Irish here in the United States.

Leading the way since 1851 in the parade is the 69th Infantry, with the mission of ensuring the safety and protection of all that march in and attend the parade. Before the event each year, the officers of the 69th gather and do a toast of Irish whiskey. This toast is to their heritage, the historic sacrifices of the men of the 69th and their families.

Retired Colonel James Tierney of the 69th had an idea while raising his glass to the historic regiment. He wanted an Irish whiskey that imbues the spirit of The Fighting 69th. With their motto “Gentle when stroked, fierce when provoked” as inspiration, he began approaching distilleries in Ireland about creating this special whiskey. In 2020, the 169th time the Regiment would be leading the St. Patrick’s Day parade in New York City, the officers raised their glasses with a new, fine Irish whiskey, created especially to commemorate and honor the regiment that has contributed so much to American history, the Fighting 69th whiskey.

The unique connection between Ireland and the US imbues this whiskey with its distinct character, enriched by subtle hints of American bourbon in every sip. More than just the spirit itself, the label of Fighting 69th whiskey carries deep historical significance. It lists the Civil War, World Wars, Iraq, and Afghanistan battles fought by the infantry, complemented by Celtic symbols that honor the valor of these soldiers.

With a special batch of the whiskey made just for Candlelight, the label also includes the Candlelight flame. Each bottle is numbered so you know the exact barrel it came from, as well as the year it was bottled in Ireland before being shipped to Colorado. One dollar from every bottle sold helps to support the non-profit Sixty-Ninth Infantry Regiment Historical Trust, honoring the lineage, honors, traditions, and heraldry of the military division.

Each batch of the whiskey is triple distilled in copper pot stills with pure Irish water. It then ages in bourbon casks for a minimum of three years, CONTINUED >

COCKTAIL RECIPES:

adding an American twist to this traditional Irish whiskey process. After the aging process, it is transferred to yet another barrel for the finishing process. The finishing touches come from a port barrel, giving the whiskey hints of cherry and rich scents of jammy fruit.

A gold medal winner in 2020 at the New York International Spirits Competition, The Fighting 69th whiskey lives up to its influence. With an initial flavor of seasoned oak, followed with an array of dried fruit essences that finishes with a citrus zest, this whiskey is excellent on its own, or in a cocktail.

In honor of Father’s Day, The Candlelight, and The Fighting 69th, we’re bringing you some unique cocktail recipes inspired by this special whiskey. Each cocktail is simple, with only a few ingredients but brings a complexity of flavor because of all of the nuances in the whiskey. Each ingredient plays a big role and enhances the robust flavor without masking or hiding it.

The oak flavor is brought out with a smoked simple syrup, which sticks true to being simple to make and gives Dad an excuse to use the Traeger. Mix together 2 cups of water and 2 cups of sugar, and place into a long, shallow dish. This kind of dish allows for more surface area to smoke the simple syrup, resulting in a sweet and smoky addition. Smoke at 180 degrees for 2 hours, using your favorite pellets. The flavor of the smoke will infuse the syrup and give the cocktail a hint of flavor that compliments the oak in the whiskey. Each cocktail is perfect for enjoying outside, pairs perfectly with anything off the grill, and is a great way to celebrate the men who hold the ever-important title of “Dad.”

69TH OLD FASHIONED

Ingredients:

• 2 ounces of the Fighting 69th whiskey

• ½ ounce of smoked simple syrup

• Dash of walnut bitters

Directions:

Muddle an orange and a real maraschino cherry in a mixing glass. Pour in the ingredients. Add ice and stir.  Strain over a large ice cube. Garnish with a twist of orange

CHAI MANHATTAN

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ ounces of The Fighting 69th whiskey

• ½ ounce sweet vermouth

• ½ ounce chai liquor

Directions:

Stir ingredients together with ice and strain into a martini glass. Garnish with a maraschino cherry.

Chai MANhattan 69th

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ ounces of The Fighting 69th whiskey

• ¾ ounces fresh lemon juice

• 4 ounces of club soda

• ½ ounces smoked simple syrup

Directions: Mix all ingredients with ice. Garnish with grilled lemons for an enhanced smoky flavor.

Influential Men of 2024

THE INSPIRATIONAL, INNOVATIVE, AND INFLUENTIAL MEN THAT ARE MAKING WAVES IN OUR COMMUNITY

PHOTOGRAPHY BY THE CREATIVE AGENCY

Steve and Wade from Breeze Thru Car Wash

Dave Clark  Owner and Executive Producer at Candlelight Dinner Playhouse

WHO OR WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR BIGGEST SOURCE OF INSPIRATION AND MOTIVATION IN YOUR JOURNEY?

My biggest source of inspiration and motivation through the years has been my wife and my family number one. But also, the people that I work with at The Candlelight. The patrons, they’ve probably been the biggest source of keeping me going because we provide an opportunity and a service, and they come and enjoy it. When they express their gratitude to me after their show it’s very fulfilling to

see that. So, that gives me the drive to continue on and to continue to improve what we’re doing at The Candlelight – which is what our goal is. We started candlelight about 17 years ago. It’s been a challenge at times, but a very joyful experience most of the time. We started small and we continue to improve, which is one of our ultimate goals. I’ve had a lot of support from people that have come to the show, and I’ve received a lot of feedback that people enjoyed coming and had a good experience. So, that’s been really fun for me.

CONTINUED >

Jeff Green

Financial Professional at Layman Lewis Financial Group

WHAT WERE SOME OF THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES YOU FACED IN YOUR CAREER OR PERSONAL ENDEAVORS, AND HOW DID YOU OVERCOME THEM?

Changing my career path later in life. It took courage, grit and faith to start something mostly new in my forties. I had several people in my life encouraging me and helping me see the transferrable skills I had already acquired and how they could be useful. I ultimately drew on the advice I’d always given my kids in athletics. If you want to play in the game, show the coach you can do it in practice and when you get a chance to play, take advantage of it. I took that attitude into my career, and it has paid off. It helps to be on a great team! But faith cannot be left out of the equation. I felt throughout the process I was not alone even when no one was around. It was a place to voice fears and failures and feel a sense of peace in the midst of it. I know it doesn’t always work out like it has for me but if it didn’t, I’d be talking about grace, and I’ve needed that too!

WHO OR WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR BIGGEST SOURCE OF INSPIRATION AND MOTIVATION IN YOUR JOURNEY?

My family is my biggest inspiration. Seeing all my kids taking on adulthood,

getting jobs, getting married, having their own kids, succeeding and failing - even my wife, getting a master’s degree in her 50’s and starting her career as a therapist. Doing life with all of them is the greatest journey.

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO OTHER MEN WHO ASPIRE TO BE LEADERS IN THEIR COMMUNITIES?

Be a person others can trust. It’s probably not the quickest way to be the leader but eventually, loyalty and faithfulness get recognized. I’ve always believed the long game is more important than the short game - except in golf - the short game is more important there...

Steve Phillips

WHO OR WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR BIGGEST SOURCE OF INSPIRATION AND MOTIVATION IN YOUR JOURNEY?

My biggest source of inspiration is my wife, and those in my sphere of influence. Each individual has helped me see different ways of looking at things and helped teach me multiple things in my life and professionally. Also, how to work hard for what I want to accomplish in life. My family is my motivation to strive to continue growing

Coordinator

and discovering ways to make the community we live in a better place for them and others.

IF THERE WAS ONE THING YOU WISH YOU KNEW BEFORE YOU STARTED, WHAT WOULD IT BE?

To know more of the impact you can have in your role at work, home, or in the community, even if it’s not something you personally view as a big deal, could very well be to someone else.

CONTINUED >

Marketing and Communications

at Breeze Thru Car Wash

Jon Banis  President of Japango

WHO OR WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR BIGGEST SOURCE OF INSPIRATION AND MOTIVATION IN YOUR JOURNEY?

I would say, first and foremost, our employees and staff. Our staff is our driving force for motivation. They’re the translators of what my wife, Erin, and I try to broadcast to the communities that we’re in and broadcast the brand we are and the level of service that we’ve provided for the last 20 years. They’re the ones who show up every day. They put in the hard work and represent our restaurant. They’re the ones that are the boots on the ground and

show what potential we can bring to a community like Fort Collins. So, they are what truly motivates us on a day-byday basis.

IF THERE WAS ONE THING YOU WISH YOU KNEW BEFORE YOU STARTED, WHAT WOULD IT BE?

Always trust in your process and the mission you set out to do. Any and all obstacles, people, and timing will get in the way of you accomplishing what you want if you let them. Having the perseverance to not let them keep you from achieving your goals and knowing that from the start, is what will get you there.

WHAT DO YOU CONSIDER TO BE YOUR MOST SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTION TO THE FORT COLLINS COMMUNITY, AND HOW DOES IT ALIGN WITH YOUR VISION FOR THE FUTURE?

My work in the past 10 years with Chase the Music, where I am founder and impresario. Chase the Music gives children battling critical conditions hope, strength, love and joy through the power of music. We commission composers and musicians to create and perform original music, just for these special kids. The shared experience is remarkable, and the music is timeless. In my high-tech career the goal was to be done. With Chase, I’ll work the rest of my life to help create musical gifts for children across the globe. Music is life!

Clark

Hodge

Founder of Chase the Music

WHO OR WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR BIGGEST SOURCE OF INSPIRATION AND MOTIVATION IN YOUR JOURNEY?

A five-year-old girl named Lauren that was battling leukemia. She was the first recipient of a Chase the Music gift. At the end of her premiere performance, she looked up and said “Clark, I’m never going to stop smiling. Afterwards we had a pizza party with the 50+ performers. She asked to go to each table and thank them. Such grace and beauty. To stay inspired - I only need to think about Lauren, and then think of all the others that would benefit from the gift of music.

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO OTHER MEN WHO ASPIRE TO BE LEADERS IN THEIR COMMUNITIES?

Life has many phases. Common across all are the themes of self, family, and community. At times you’ll focus and put energy into one more than the others. Accept that they are all important and maintain a healthy balance.

CONTINUED >

Mark Koepsell

Owner of Xanadu Med Spa

WHAT WERE SOME OF THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES YOU FACED IN YOUR CAREER OR PERSONAL ENDEAVORS, AND HOW DID YOU OVERCOME THEM?

I would articulate that I am still involved in one of the largest challenges of my career... and that is owning and operating a small business. For years I worked for somebody else, another institution. Of course I had my own challenges within my own position, but I never fully appreciated everything that it takes to keep a business afloat until I actually wore those shoes. I have had Xanadu Med Spa now for a little over nine years. The road is a little easier than it used to be, but it’s a never-ending challenge that one never gets to walk away from when you own the business. Staffing, customer care, cash flow, marketing, strategic innovation, and so much more goes into the process, and as a business owner you never, ever get to stop focusing on the goals and challenges in front of you. It takes ongoing education, the ability to think outside the given box, the support of peer networks, and a large amount of good old-fashioned grit to push through. And so, the challenge continues every single day – but I do love what I do!

WHO OR WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR BIGGEST SOURCE OF INSPIRATION AND MOTIVATION IN YOUR JOURNEY?

As a young child, I lost my father to cancer. This is a largely impactful experience in my life. I think of him often and just hope he would be proud of the man I have become and what I have accomplished. When I get frustrated and beat down, I wonder what he would do. I even flat out ask him for advice now and again. It’s his memory that provides me constant inspiration and motivation to be the best that I can be in all endeavors.

ARTICLE BY MACEY VANDENMEERENDONK

Blending Traditional Techniques

with Creative Expression

Chris Wheeler in his studio

A local artist, who has mastered the skills of shoji screens and scrolls, takes his craft to new heights. Morphing his skills and his interests in collage art has given Chris Wheeler, a chosen artist in the 33rd Annual Governor’s Art Show, creative freedom in ways other mediums never could. Wheeler sat down with us to share his artistic background that led him to being one of the only people in the US with the skills to restore works of art on paper and how finding his perfected art form has shaped his artistic expression.

WHAT WAS THE REALIZATION AND PROCESS LIKE FOR YOU WHEN YOU WERE MASTERING SHOJI SCREENS AND SCROLLS WHILE INCORPORATING YOUR INTEREST IN COLLAGE ART?

For as long as I could remember I always wanted to be an artist, however, I couldn't find a medium that spoke to me. While I was in the studio stretching my wife's paintings onto scrolls and screens, I was seeing ideas in her scraps and trimmings. With what was available around me, I started texturing paper with her watercolors, and eventually acrylics, to achieve the striations and color variations that I was looking for. Using the materials and wheat paste that is traditionally used for scrolls and screens, I started laying down my first set of collages. The effect was a symphony of geometrics, texture, and color that alluded to a modern mid-century aesthetic. It was finally the unique art form that I was looking for.

Wheeler and his wife, Nha Vuu, own two fine art studios – Pergamena Fine Art and Nha Vuu Studio and Design.

WHAT IS IT ABOUT THIS ART FORM THAT MADE YOU CONNECT TO IT?

I was not particularly drawn to the traditional mediums of drawing and painting. I felt that they were more reliant on technique and not in my belief that art is more about the idea. I felt limited in a sense that the traditional art forms were very two dimensional. I felt connected to this art form since I approach it as a combination of drawing, painting, and sculpting. The imagery comes from long-standing commitments to modernist conventions. The simplistic forms are an attempt to tap into the memories and ideas we all share. I’ve found my minimalist designs appeal to people on a primitive level.

HOW HAVE YOUR LIFE EXPERIENCES CONTRIBUTED TO YOUR OWN ART JOURNEY, AND TO THIS ANCIENT CRAFT YOU’VE MASTERED AND HAVE MADE YOUR OWN?

From early on as a college student at St Joseph's University in Philadelphia, I made frequent trips to the Philadelphia Museum. Shortly after, I was able to travel to Europe for months at a time. I spent most of my days in the art museums and galleries storing ideas and absorbing the creativity. At the age of 26, I had the opportunity to move to Seattle. I spent three years in the Northwest working various jobs and searching for my art form. I decided to move to Tainan, Taiwan to travel, teach ESL, and study art, specifically Chinese landscape painting and calligraphy.

“It was in the studio that I found an art form that truly appealed to my creative side.” - Chris Wheeler

Since Tainan was the old cultural center of Taiwan, there was a thriving art community that I became involved in. My wife was studying ink and brush and we realized that we would need someone to mount her paintings when we returned to the United States. I apprenticed under master Huang for five years in the traditional method of stretching shoji screens, scrolls, and works on paper. It was in the studio that I found an art form that truly appealed to my creative side. With this skill I was able to stretch and manipulate paper in ways very few people can.

WHAT DID THE SELECTION PROCESS LOOK LIKE FOR YOU WHEN CHOOSING WHICH PIECES YOU WANTED TO SHOWCASE IN THE COLORADO GOVERNOR’S ART SHOW?

Northern Colorado, unlike the density of the metro Denver area, consists more of wide vast space and a slower pace of living. I selected pieces that convey that sense of open space as well as views of the front range that I get to experience when I step outside of my front door. I moved to Fort Collins nine years ago for all those reasons and wanted to share that appreciation for this life that I have.`

Timeless Style

LUXURY WATCH BANDS BY STRAPPED FOR TIME

From formal events, everyday wear, and athletic styles, Strapped for Time has a watch band that will fit the occasion. The large variety of styles target unique, stylish, and luxury-seeking shoppers with their genuine exotic watch bands, the Hirsch Collection, and inclusive materials like their hypoallergenic and vegan leather bands. Strapped For Time’s luxury bands are the perfect style-elevating gift for the man in your life.

1/ Polished Genuine Crocodile Watch Band | Honey | $89.95

ARTICLE BY MACEY VANDENMEERENDONK | PHOTOGRAPHY BY THE CREATIVE AGENCY

1/ Genuine crocodile watch band, handmade in Italy, and lined with soft neutral colored Nubuck. 2/ Handmade genuine lizard watch band, made in Italy, and lined with soft neutral colored Nubuck. 3/ Subtly textured leather with contrast stitch, extremely flexible for maximum comfort and wear. 4/ Rally sport style perforated calfskin watch band with contrast stitch and soft leather lining. 5/ Genuine crocodile watch band, handmade in Italy, and lined with soft neutral colored Nubuck.

2/ Genuine Flat Lizard Watch Band | Black | $54.95

3/ Premium Classic Leather Watch Band | Clay | $59.95

4/ Perforated Leather Watch Band | Contrast Stitch | Black | $49.95

5/ Polished Genuine Crocodile Watch Band | Black | $89.95

6/ Subtly textured leather with contrast stitch, extremely flexible for maximum comfort and wear. 7/ Genuine crocodile

band,

in Italy, and lined with soft neutral colored Nubuck. 8/ Fully perforated strap, made with luxury vachetta leather for a beautiful finish. Soft, Nubuck leather lining and very flexible padding provide maximum comfort and style. 9/ High quality padded leather with alligator grain embossing.

watch

handmade

6/ Premium Classic Leather Watch Band | Dark Brown | $59.95

7/ Polished Genuine Crocodile Watch Band | Cognac | $89.95

8/ Perforated Leather Watch Band | Contrast Stitch | Tan | $49.95

9/ Padded Alligator Grain Leather Watch | Black | $47.95