History 1968-1970 From the Cuchara Hermosa Historical Scrapbooks
Cuchara-Hermosa Art Show Slates Colorful Program

(Shown Pictured in the Pueblo Chieftain, August 2, 1968)
ART FESTIVAL- Bill Williams, Cuchara, is busy preparing a wood-burning stove exhibit for the annual Cuchara-Hermosa Art Festival that will be held Sunday at the Cuchara Community Building. The festival is one of the top highlights of the year in the Cuchara area.

"We try to have something that everyone can genuinely like at the art festival, from oil paintings by professionals to the work of the hobbies," is the way Bill Williams characterizes the annual Cuchara Art Festival.

Williams is the director of the art exhibit for the fourth annual festival, to be held Saturday and Sunday in the summer resort of Cuchara.

"We welcome any original work from the exhibitors," Williams continues, "and much of it is folk art. Wind wood, china painting, quilts, flower arrangements in antiques, as well as the oil paintings may show up."

One local woman plants primitives in the style of Grandma Moses, concentrating on the Cuchara Valley as she remembers it 40 years ago.

The festival is the money-raising project of Cuchara-Hermosa, which helps to beautify and maintain the area around the 200 cabins. Many artists are in residence throughout the summer and contribute their talents.

Some of the artists are former students of Clayton Staples, a professional artist who made his year-around home in the valley.

Weather-worn wood will serve as the background for the art portion of the festival, housed in the Cuchara Community Building located 30 miles southwest of Walsenburg.

Cuchara may be reached by traveling U.S. 160 west of Walsenburg and then south on Colo. 111. The hours of the show will be 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 1 to 9 p.m. Sunday.

Come to Cuchara
Any member of the Cuchara community may exhibit their art and anyone sponsored by a member of Cuchara-Hermoa may enter the show. 25 per cent of the sales price will go to the organization. Prices range from less than $5 to, and one time, $1,000.

Also included during the festival are displays of pantry items, bazaar goods and Christmas decorations. One delight has been a Christmas tree decoration fashioned from goose eggs with four opening elegantly trimmed.

Williams, who is an art instructor at San Joaquin Delta Junior College in California, is working on a wood cut of his mother's wood-burning stove she used as a bride in 1920. The prints he will make will be in three colors, for the black stove, chrome trim, and red brick chimney.

Exhibits For Sale
"Most of our exhibitors buy one another's things," notes Williams. They are especially proud of one local exhibitor who first displayed her art work at an early festival. Pleased with the results, she went on to enter other exhibitions, winning awards and then becoming a commercial artist.

Mrs. Jack Hull of Oklahoma City, who works with wind-twisted wood, calls the festival the "climax of the summer enjoyments of the beauty in the valley."
Cuchara Hermosa Historian's Report, August 1970

We have lost two of our beloved members this year. Vicki Johnson passes away while in Arizona, before Christmas, and Pearl Davis at her home in Dodge City, KS. Our membership will miss them greatly.

The sixth year of Cuchara Hermosa was a successful one under the capable leadership of President Wilma Hull. The first meeting, a luncheon with 50 members and guests was on June 23, where plans were laid for the summer.



July 4th the first all day Bazaar cleared a tidy $279.13, which was increased to $300. by the young people who held their FLEA MARKET along with the Bazaar.

July 21. Luncheon meeting had an all time high of 62 members and guests, who enjoyed a double program, Bill Williams "Origin & Development of Graphic Art," illustrated by his students work, and Japanese Ikabana demonstration by Muriel Mackeigan of Charlotte, N.C.

July 31 to Aug 2, the Sixth Annual Art Festival, which for the first time was devoted entirely to original works of Arts and Crafts. The Demonstration of silversmithing, china painting, spinning and Weaving and pastel paintings attracted large crowds.

August 8 Donald Jameson, Wanda's son gave a very interesting talk at the Pot Luck Supper, on the "Balance of Plants and Animals on the Prairie."

At the final meeting, which was a coffee at the Recreation Hall, was election of officers. Hilda Moseman elected President for the Cuchara Hermosa.

Ethel Graham Taylor, Historian

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