Niwot’s First Fine Art Show Dazzles

BY GENEVIEVE JACOBI

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Fourteen artists working in a variety of mediums, including glass, painting, photography, and sculpture, were all represented at the Fine Art Show at Niwot’s Sculpture Park on Sept. 16 and 17.

The artists came from all over Colorado and as far as Texas. Wine and gourmet delicacies were served while classically trained professional musicians performed.

The event was the brainchild of Tim Zandee, a photographer whose work was featured in one of the tented booths. Zandee approached the Niwot Business Association with his idea for an art show six months ago.

Photo by Genevieve Jacobi

Alex Bert (left) and Nicholas Jacobi, both 4 year-old preschoolers

at Niwot's Neighborhood Learning Center, pose with the life-like sculptures of Marianne Caroselli.

Her pieces shown here are titled "Once Upon a Time" and "Happiily Ever After".

NBA President Tony Santelli said, “We gave him the venue, he brought in the creativity.” The NBA supported the show by applying for $1,200 in LID funds for marketing, advertising, and organizational and logistics work.

Zandee hand-selected the other artists in the show. He wanted to avoid some of the pitfalls of art shows which he said are scenes that “get too big, are costly for the artists because of entrance fees and are repetitive” in terms of the kind of artwork shown. “The quaint environment of Niwot encourages people to talk with the artists,” said Zandee.

Artist Stefan Geissbühler uses acrylic paints applied with a spackle knife that  results in colorful abstract works. Geissbühler emigrated from Switzerland as a young adult, and has been working as a professional artist for the last 18 years. “The main goal of my art is that people have fun with it, feel the energy and that it gives them some life,” he said. “I like people to come up with their own ideas about what my art represents, to use their imagination.”

Another artist exhibiting at the Niwot Fine Art Show was Sandy P. Graves from Steamboat Springs. As a mother of two young children, Graves limits the number of shows she attends, but shows her work in galleries around the country. “I love to meet people and the feedback I get from going to these shows,” she said.

Graves’ cast bronze limited edition pieces are created through a complicated process involving five different craftsmen. The resulting animal sculptures have a light and airy feeling, the sense of having shed the heaviness of the original material, be it horses balancing on splayed, elongated legs or the curvaceous outlines of interlocking fish.

Marianne and Scy Caroselli are a mother-daughter sculpture duo who exhibited at the Fine Art Show. “My mother is a nationally acclaimed sculptress whose work is found in monuments and many collections,” said Scy. “Each year, my mother donates a life-size sculpture to the Cancer League of Colorado for auction and all of the money stays in Colorado for cancer research.”

The food available for purchase was prepared by Bradford Heap Catering, the newest food business by the chef-restaurant owner of the restaurants Colterra Food and Wine, and Salt.

The Boulder Symphony Brass Chamber group played for passers-by. The Boulder Symphony, which morphed from Niwot’s own Timberline Orchestra this past year, will be performing the first concert of the season at its new home base at First Presbyterian Church in Boulder on Oct. 14.