Museum of Friends
We are all in this together.
Since Tuesday March 17th the Museum of Friends has been temporarily closed to the public. We are sending you this beautiful reminder designed by Kyla Umemoto that the MoF community is alive and well and working on ways to engage with our community during the COVID19 Shutdown. The annual EARTH Exhibition will happen, just when is the question? All of the artists in the show are busily working at home as all of us trying to remain safe, not spread the virus and keep active.
We will keep you informed as our plans continue to evolve. We also would like you to know how incredible our community is – as we learn new technologies to help keep us together, focused and working collaboratively as one. We have met with many partners, colleagues, supporters via Zoom, telephone and email to discuss how we are, how we are getting along throughout this challenging time, and importantly how will the cultural, hospitality and tourism sector continue to provide services during the shut-down? One way is to collaborate with others to learn new available technologies capable to deliver programs while we continue to be safe and protect our clientele.
An example of this is that we are working with the Fox Theatre’s Mike Peters and Evan Ksander to interface with an incredible project created by our volunteer Valarie Abney. Over a year ago Valarie who lives in Huerfano and in Denver was moved by the experience of viewing the works in MoF’s Permanent Collection. She singlehandedly organized the taping of Brendt Berger and Maria Cocchiarelli’s stories of their friends’ art works. With Evan’s help she edited over 160 recordings of the stories of individual paintings, sculptures, prints and photographs. Now with the challenge of the COVID19 closure we have begun to interface the recordings with images photographed of the actual works. The kickoff was yesterday April 18th. Mike, Evan, Brendt and Maria met with cameras, lists, masks and gloves to move this project along. As soon as it is completed, we will send an email blast out to you, and hope that by learning how to provide the experience of an actual tour without being physically in the space we will learn new skills that strengthen our community’s reach of the arts and culture.
On another positive note, both Brendt and I have been receiving images and videos of our artists/friends who are responding to the COVID19 pandemic. It is our hope with their collaboration we will be able to electronically share these powerful and timely works as our skill-set increases. “It ain’t too late to teach an old dog new tricks!”
Please keep positive, keep laughing while working at home staying healthy and safe and we will get through this. We are all in this together.
With much gratitude and hope,
Maria Cocchiarelli and Brendt Berger
Contact Information:
Museum of Friends
109 E 6th St
Walsenburg, CO 81089
719-738-2858
