Daily Life; Art and Architecture in the Mancos Valley Jennifer Kitchen Arts and Humanities_HU300-16 December 20, 2011 Art and architecture are a part of every human’s life. Whether we live in the city or the country we are surrounded by the beauty of art. It may be the art of nature we view each day that makes life grand but when we look around there is much more to view. We live in some sort of structure to shelter us and may not realize that even a simple house may be considered a great work by those who built it. Some structures are made to be art as well as functional parts of our lives. Take a look and you may see that the beauty of life is sculpted, painted, pieced together, explored and considered, and sometimes simply built by humankind to not only help us in our basic needs of shelter and comfort but also to help us live in beauty and recognition of something more. Part I: Mancos Public Library
Transcript
Daily Life; Art and Architecture in the Mancos Valley
Jennifer Kitchen
Arts and Humanities_HU300-16
December 20, 2011
Art and architecture are a part of every human’s life. Whether we live in the city or the
country we are surrounded by the beauty of art. It may be the art of nature we view each day
that makes life grand but when we look around there is much more to view. We live in some
sort of structure to shelter us and may not realize that even a simple house may be considered
a great work by those who built it. Some structures are made to be art as well as functional
parts of our lives. Take a look and you may see that the beauty of life is sculpted, painted,
pieced together, explored and considered, and sometimes simply built by humankind to not
only help us in our basic needs of shelter and comfort but also to help us live in beauty and
recognition of something more.
Part I: Mancos Public Library
The Mancos Public Library is a new structure in the town where I live. It was finished in
the summer of 2009. For being in a town where much of the real estate sticks to the old west
look the library is a very modern building in form. The exterior has aesthetic appeal with its
slopes and reflective glass. It fits very well into the valley it sits. It is pleasing to the eye and fits
in to the surrounding mountain valley without causing a disturbance in the flow from nature to
man-made structure. It has plenty of windows that let the natural light in. The environment of
the library is very welcoming, open and spacious.
The library was built because the town had a practical need; the old library was too
small to house the materials and services provided. The new building sits just a block from
where then old one was. When the town decided to build this new building they also thought
to update the functionality of this great service to the community. The Mancos Public Library
has solar power and produces most of the energy needed daily by the library; lighting,
computers, heating and cooling. This building serves the aesthetic well-being of the community
it which it was built. It is a place to learn and grow and it is the meeting place for many of the
towns businesses and organizations.
The Mancos Public Library "strives to be a comfortable and inclusive piece of the heart and soul of the Mancos Valley"
Mancos Valley: Metal Sculpture of Cowboy Roping Calf at Boyle Park
Part II: Calf Wrangler@ Boyle Park
This piece of art is very much an expression of the town of Mancos. Here cattle ranches
are abundant and this sculpture portrays what Mancos is about. Representational of a real
cowboy on his horse roping a calf this sculpture stands at the entrance to Boyle Park. The
Mancos Valley Chamber of Commerce states that Mancos is "where the old West meets the
new" and this sculpture speaks of that. This piece of work is rusted and has been standing for 6
years. The weathering of this metal sculpture adds to the aesthetic appeal. This town and its
people are rough and this sculpture portrays this in every aspect. Here it is not about the shiny
but about the real.
The media used to make this piece of art is metal. Not just any metal but recycled
metal is used by the artist. Here in Mancos many artists use scrap materials. Here it is about
using what is already available. The metal is cut into silhouettes and welded together to make
the image of this rough riding cowboy at his work dimensional. I know this artist personally and
he has stated that it was just a job that was available but he does show pride when someone
comments on his work. He has made many pieces of art for the entrances to the ranches
around the Mancos Valley. He may consider himself a mechanic but it is obvious that he is also
an artist.
In the town I have chosen to reside in we see there is new and old in abundance. In a
town that is barely over a hundred years old there is a compliment to every corner. Art sits on
every street from the old Opera House to the new Public Library. Walls are murals and
ceramics are in every window. Painted glass compliments the painted horses being ridden
down Grand Avenue. We have smooth, flowing lines and rough-cut, durable symbols all
around. This town is alive and kicking it cowboy style while young artists come with a fresh look
to settle down and open shop. The people are just as colorful as the work they do. They are
also in-tune with the rhythm the mountains sing. All we have to do is a take a look at the World
we walk in to see there is art in many of the objects that humans make.
References
Mancos Valley Chamber of Commerce (nd). Mancos Valley Chamber of Commerce Homepage.
Retrieved from http://www.mancosvalley.com/ .
Mancos Public Library (2011). Mancos Public Library homepage. Retrieved from
