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‘Images of the Southwest,’ ‘Bikes in Art’ on display now at Arts Alive Gallery

Special to the Daily
Special to the Daily |

If you go

What: “Images of the Southwest,” a collection of paintings and jewelry by Janis Bunchman and Yvonne Kuennen, and “Bikes in Art,” bike-related art celebrating the upcoming USA Pro Challenge bike race

When: Second Saturday art walk opening reception is 4-7 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 8; both exhibits run through the end of the month, and Arts Alive is open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily

Where: Arts Alive Gallery, La Cima Mall, 500 S. Main St., Breckenridge

Cost: Admission is free

More information: Visit summitarts.org

Arts Alive Gallery in Breckenridge is hosting two art exhibits for the month of August. The first, “Images of the Southwest,” is a collection of paintings and jewelry by artists, authors, teachers and long-term Breckenridge residents Janis Bunchman and Yvonne Kuennen. The second, “Bikes in Art,” features bike-related art to celebrate the upcoming USA Pro Challenge bike race.

The Southwest has inspired Bunchman and Kuennen in different ways. Bunchman grew up in Albuquerque, New Mexico, before moving to Breckenridge. She attended the University of New Mexico, where she studied art education and elementary education and later received her master’s degree at Lesley College in integrated art studies. She worked alongside many Native American artists in her classes and teaching at Jemez Pueblo. The colors and shapes in the desert Southwest, along with the geometric designs of Indian pottery and adobe architecture, influence her Southwest landscape paintings.

Kuennen’s travels to Tucson, Arizona, and New Mexico in the ’70s influenced her jewelry designs. Turquoise, coral, lapis and silver are favorite stones and metals to design with, as they are with the Hopi, Navajo, Ute, Zuni and Acoma Native Americans. Kuennen’s degree from the University of Michigan in art education and her Master of Fine Arts degree in metalwork from Eastern Michigan helped launch a lifetime career in teaching and jewelry making. Her Southwest collection of jewelry is uniquely designed, showcasing necklaces, earrings and bracelets in her favorite stones and metal.



For more information on Bunchman or Kuennen, visit summitarts.org, click on “Artists” and view their profiles.


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