The coloring book project celebrates 29 local artists after receiving over 70 coloring book page submissions!
Cortez, CO – The winners of the Historic Cortez Coloring Book have been announced. The Cortez Coloring Book is a project in partnership with the City of Cortez, the LOR Foundation, Cortez Retail Enhancement Association, and the City of Cortez Public Arts Advisory Committee and Historic Preservation Board.
Earlier this year the City put out a call for local artists to submit coloring book pages to honor historic places, spaces, and events in Cortez. Over 70 coloring book page submissions were received from 29 local artists and students including 8 submissions for the cover page. The youngest artist represented was six years old.
A panel of judges chose 32 qualifying submissions for the printed coloring book. A digital version of the book will include at least one submission from every artist, including artists not chosen for the physical version. The judges included representatives from the LOR Foundation, Mesa Verde Country, Cortez Cultural Center, Montezuma Heritage Museum, the City of Cortez Community & Economic Development Department, The City of Cortez Historic Preservation Board, and the City of Cortez Public Arts Advisory Committee.
Artists selected to have their submissions included in the physical coloring book include: Abby J. Fox, Aida McDowell, Alia Trice, Anne Englert, Ashley Nolan, Blake Pirslin, Cynthia Switzer, Jim Siscoe, Kathleen Giebler, Natalie Whitmer, Olive Gray, Ronin Wise, Sandra Beirne, and Sophia Borchers. Aida McDowell’s submission was selected for the cover page. Artist who received an honorable mention and will be featured with a half-page artwork in the coloring book are Deb Silverman, Joel Gamache, Kate Rowan, Piper Green, Ryan Spittler, Susan Keck, and Teagan Schlagel. Additional submissions from Annalise Cunningham, Carson Achter, Cecilia Cunningham, Darbee Iverson, Erik Quiroz, Jessica Lykins, Rafe Obrien, and Tommy Tunnell will be featured in the digital version of the coloring book. T.J. Zark, of HelloZark, is providing graphic design services for the final publication.
The finished coloring book will be available for sale at the Montezuma Heritage Museum and Cortez Cultural Center. The anticipated release date of the printed version of the book will be the middle of May, 2024. A free, downloadable version will also be available on the City of Cortez website in early May. The City of Cortez would like to thank all the artists who submitted artwork for the competition. “This has been a really fun project to work on. We wanted this coloring book to celebrate not only the history of Cortez, but the talent of our local artists. The idea behind the coloring book was to bring history to life, to the present day,” Helen West, Community & Economic Development Specialist said.
All coloring book submissions will be featured in an artist showcase at the Cortez Cultural Center, 25 N. Market St., from May 2 – 4, 2024. The public is invited to attend a reception for the artists on Friday, May 3rd from 4:30 – 6 p.m. with a formal recognition of the artists beginning at 5:30 p.m.
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