Ventero Open Press Fine Art

Long Over Due

2010-07-20T10:54:00.002-06:00

We are long over due for an update. We have been staying busy here at Ventero. We have gotten our Open Mic Nights back up and running with great success. Also we have celebrated being open for 3 years! This year we were able to have a booth at the Taos Solar Music Fest and get some exposure in the Taos area.

We are happy to have a couple new faces helping out at Ventero this summer. One of them is Maria Flemming, who is an art student up at Metro State College in Denver. The other is Matt Capell, who is a recent graduate from Adams State College. Matt will be helping out with the print shop and comes to us with a background in lithography.

We have several other events and projects coming up, so make sure to follow us on Facebook to keep up with what is going on here.

Open Mic Night is BACK!!

2010-03-09T10:59:00.002-07:00

March 20th will be the first Open Mic Night of 2010!! The fun will start at 7 p.m. here at Ventero. So come and share some poetry, music, monologues or just let out a rant. Open Mic Night is one of the ways that we raise money to help with our mission of keeping the arts alive in the San Luis Valley.

Update

2010-02-19T09:25:00.002-07:00

Just realized that we have not posted anything on here for a long time. We have been surviving the winter, luckily it hasn't been too cold (crossing fingers not to jinx it). We have continued to have our Friday workshops with some local students. If you are in town, stop by, have a cup of coffee and see what we have been up to.

~Jeremy

Happy Holidays From Ventero

2009-12-18T11:21:00.000-07:00

The staff at Ventero wants to wish everyone a happy and safe holidays. We will be closed December 24, 25, 26 for Christmas. We will also be closed December 31, Jan. 1, and Jan. 2 for New Year's. Hoping for a great 2010!!!

Winter Hours

2009-12-03T09:50:00.002-07:00

We have decided that as of Monday December 7th we will be changing to our winter hours.

Winter Hours
Monday-Thursday 8:00am to 1:00pm
Friday 8:30am to 4:00pm
Saturday 9:00 to 4:00pm

Chirstmas Gift Set

2009-12-03T09:40:00.003-07:00

We are now offering Raven's Gift Sets for the holidays. The gift set includes 1 t-shirt, 1 12oz bag of coffee and a travel mug, all for $35 dollars. Makes for great gifts or stocking stuffers. Come on in and place an order. Last day to order will be December 16th to make sure it is here by Christmas.

End of the year

2009-10-28T14:14:00.002-06:00

With the end of the year fast approaching, it is always a good time to find a good tax write off for your 2009 taxes. The great thing about donating to Ventero Open Press is that you are able to a great tax credit since we are located in an Enterprise Zone. Donors can receive a 25% Colorado State Income Tax Credit for donations over $100. Corporate donors may save an additional 54% on Federal Income Taxes and 5% on Colorado State Income Tax. So why not get a tax credit and give to a great cause? If you have any questions, feel to contact us or ask your tax professional about the San Luis Valley Enterprise Zone.

Open Mic Night!

2009-10-05T11:15:00.004-06:00

Open Mic Night will be October 17th this month. Come share poetry, music, monologues, or anything else. Also this month we will be doing raffle of Raven's Brew merchandise. Since we were profiled on their website, they sent us some swag to raffle off during Open Mic Night. We have a couple of t-shirts, couple of bags of coffee (whole bean), some travel mugs and the grand prize will be a Randy Pijoan poster of his "El Chapultepec" piece. Hopefully we will see you there.

P.S. Melissa Chavez Romahn (one of our volunteers) who is a massage therapist has offered a couple of gift certificates to also be raffled off.

(sorry about the photo, was having lighting issues)

American Roads

2009-10-02T09:54:00.003-06:00

Anne Jenkins once again is giving Ventero Open Press some good publicity. After she spent some time in the San Luis Valley painting and printing, she has done an article for "American Roads". The article is all about her time in the Valley and at Ventero.

http://www.americanroads.net/Art-Trails.htm

City of My Soul

2009-09-30T12:48:00.002-06:00

A little while ago we had artist Anne Jenkins at Ventero working on monoprints. She is an artist that is from Georgia and was out here for a residency program. She has recently published a book of her paintings of the New Orleans area. Her and her husband lived there and were forced to evacuate during Hurricane Katrina.

Check out her book at http://www.blurb.com/bookstore/detail/849564

The fountain is in!!

2009-09-24T11:51:00.004-06:00

We got the fountain in the park and filled it up with water.......and it works!! We would like to thank everyone who has helped us with putting the park together so far. We still have several additions to the park that we will continue to work on.

Open Mic Night

2009-09-16T14:56:00.000-06:00

Just a reminder that Open Mic Night will be this Saturday September 19th at 7pm. Come and share poetry, music, monologues, or just let out a rant. Hope to see you there

Update On The Park

2009-09-16T14:40:00.004-06:00

We have started work on adding the fountain for Liberty Park. We picked up the fountain this week from Albuquerque, NM. We put in a concrete pad for the base of the fountain and should have the fountain installed once the concrete is dried.

Part of the fountain

Building the form for the concrete with the help of LDS missionaries

Putting the finishing touches on the concrete

Colorado Fall Home Show

2009-09-04T09:45:00.001-06:00

Colorado Garden Show, Inc. (CGS) will present the Colorado Fall Home Show September 19-20, 2009 at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver . This show will feature more than 300 companies and will focus on home renovation, remodeling, and sustainable living. In addition to the exhibitors, there will be two demonstration theaters with sessions focusing on sustainability, energy efficiency, interior design, remodeling and cooking.

Similar to the annual Colorado Garden & Home Show, a percentage of the proceeds generated at the Colorado Fall Home Show will further extend grants and scholarships for Colorado ’s horticulture industry. CGSI has awarded a record breaking amount of more than $500,000 in horticulture grant projects and scholarships for 2008-2009 including grants to more than 40 organiztaions including Ventero Open Press Fine Art and seven substantial scholarships including a four-year, full-ride scholarship. Since the 1970’s, CGS has awarded more than $3 million for horticulture projects and scholarships throughout the state.

Show Hours and Admission

Show hours: Saturday 10 a.m. - 8 p.m.; Sunday 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.

· General Admission $12

· Senior Ticket (at the door) $10

· Children 12 and under Free

For more information, please visit www.gardeningcolorado.com/fall/coupon

Open Mic Night

2009-08-19T12:26:00.002-06:00

Hey everyone, just a reminder that Open Mic Night is this Saturday, August 22nd at 7 PM. Hope to see you there!!

Ventero Featured on Raven's Brew Website

2009-08-03T10:02:00.002-06:00

Ventero Open Press has been featured on the website of our coffee supplier, Raven's Brew.

http://www.ravensbrew.com/NewFiles/detail/Ventero.html

August Open Mic Date Change

2009-07-27T10:41:00.003-06:00

We wanted to everyone know that we will be changing the date of August's Open Mic from August 15th to August 22nd. We will be at the Keep The Rio Grande Grand art show in South Fork. Two of our students will have their work on display up here. Make sure to join us up there on August 15th. To learn more about the show visit, http://www.riograndelandtrust.org/keep_the_rio_grande_grand.htm

Here are some interviews with Jesus Sanchez, Karolyn Walker, and Randy Pijoan

Jesus Sanchez: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VDAQEiHnX3c

Karolyn Walker: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4uEtJdjpThI

Randy Pijoan: Part 1 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B6WTOO6HOJs
Part 2 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qa_K7Jw6fO8

National Small Print Showing Coming to Town

2009-07-22T09:46:00.004-06:00

Ventero will be hosting the National Small Print Show (NSPS) starting this weekend (July 25-26). The NSPS is held every year in Creede, CO and then travels to several locations, one of them being Ventero. We will be having an opening reception Saturday and Sunday at Ventero and the show will be on display for several weeks. The work of America's top 30 print makers will be on display. If you are in the area, make sure to stop by and check it out.

Sant Ana Events

2009-07-14T10:34:00.003-06:00

During the weekend of July 25-26 San Luis will be having their annual Santa Ana celebration. It is a celebration for the patron saint of the town. There will be a parade on both Saturday and Sunday at 10am and other events going on through out the town. Ventero will be open both days from 9am to 4pm. One of our students, Jesus Sanchez, has been organizing a car show that will take place on July 26th. Ventero is proud to be one of the sponsors for the event.

Ventero will also be hosting the National Small Print Show. The show took place up in Creede, CO and the works will now be traveling to 3 places, one being Ventero Open Press. There will be 60 pieces being shown at Ventero starting the weekend of Santa Ana. The prints come from some of the top print makers in the country. Be sure to stop by and check out the work.

Open Mic Night

2009-07-13T11:53:00.002-06:00

Ventero will be hosting their monthly Open Mic Night on Saturday July 18th at 7pm. Come and share some poetry, music, monologues or just out a rant. Ventero will also be having a silent auction. You will have a chance to get original pieces of artwork. Hope to see you there.

Update from the Press

2009-07-07T11:46:00.002-06:00

Summer is in full swing here at Ventero. Our next Open Mic Night will be July 18th at 7pm. Be sure to be there because will be doing another silent auction. You will be able to get original pieces and you will be helping out Ventero Open Press.

During Santa Anna we will be open both Saturday and Sunday. Santa Anna will be July 25-26 and is a festival for the patron saint of San Luis. Take a day trip down here and see all the activities.

For an update on Liberty Park, the sod has taken really well. It got it's first cutting yesterday and looks great. There will be picnic tables in place for Santa Anna. Thanks to every one who helped with bringing the dirt and sod. Also a big thank you to Jeremy Elliott who has been nurturing the park and making sure the sod took.

Open Mic Night

2009-06-19T13:57:00.000-06:00

Just wanted to remind everyone that Ventero will be have their monthly Open Mic Night on June 20th. The fun will start at 7p.m. here at Ventero. Come and share some poetry, music, monologues, or just get up and let out a rant. Hope to see everyone there.

~Jeremy

Dirt and Sod

2009-06-08T09:15:00.002-06:00

After a couple of years of paper work and a couple of road blocks we have been able to start the first steps of the Main Street Montage Project. We brought in a load dirt to start Liberty Park, which will be between Ventero and the Costilla County Commissioners building. It is the site of the old Liberty Theater that use to be here in San Luis. After we spread the dirt around we brought in some sod. Thanks to everyone who helped with the dirt and sod. We will having to be bring in some more sod to finish off the park. If you would like to help, email Jeremy at venteroop@yahoo.com

~Jeremy

"The Garden" Screening

2009-05-22T15:25:00.002-06:00

We would like to thank everyone who came out for our screening of the documentary "The Garden". We would also like to thank Devon Pena for setting it up. We had a great crowd and we lucky enough to have Tezozomoc there to answer questions after the film. Tezozomoc was one of the members of the South Central Farm and played a major role with trying to keep the urban garden at the 41st and Alameda location in South Central Los Angeles.

We are working on continuing the Ventero Film Series this summer. Please keep an eye out for upcoming events. If you have a film that you would like to have shown please call us at 719-672-0557 or email us at venteroop@yahoo.com.

~Jeremy

Movie Night @ Ventero

2009-05-18T09:06:00.002-06:00

First of all, we would like to thank every one who came out Saturday night for Open Mic Night. We had a great crowd and a lot of good entertainers.

Thursday May 21st, Ventero Open Press will be hosting a screening of the Oscar nominated documentary, "The Garden". It tells the story of a community garden and urban farm located in Los Angeles, CA. "The Garden" details the plight of the farmers who organized and worked on the farm only to see it sold to a private contractor and threatened with demolition.

What: A screening of "The Graden"
When: Thursday May 21st 8pm
Where: 316 Main Street San Luis, CO 81152

~Jeremy

Saturday, Saturday, Saturday....

2009-05-15T09:27:00.001-06:00

Don't forget that Open Mic Night is Saturday May 16th. Things will get going around 7pm. So come on down to San Luis and have some fun.

~Jeremy

And The Winner Is.......

2009-05-08T10:38:00.002-06:00

Recently we submitted artwork from students at Centennial to the Southern Peaks League Art Show. We are happy to report that several students picked up first place awards. Jesus Sanchez came in first and second for his two block prints. Karolyn Walker came in first place for one of her watercolor paintings. Johnny Chavez came in first place for a wood carving of a lizard.

We have also submitted Jesus and Karolyn's work to the Rep. John Salazar Congressional Regional Art show. We should be hearing about the results in a couple of weeks.

~Jeremy

Don't forget....

2009-05-04T10:37:00.001-06:00

Happy May everyone. Just want to remind everyone that our Open Mic Night is coming up on May 16th. We had a great turn out last month and we hope to see all of you there again.

~Jeremy

From the Valley's Edge

2009-04-27T14:51:00.004-06:00

We would like to thank everyone who came out for our show opening at Edge Gallery in Denver. We had about 150 come through the gallery Friday night. If you did not have a chance to stop by, the show will be up until mid-May.

~Jeremy

THANK YOU

2009-04-21T08:45:00.002-06:00

We would like to thank everyone who came out for our 2nd anniversary on Saturday. It was a great night with several different types of music and poetry. Crowds were almost going out the door. Our silent auction was very successful; if you missed out on it, don't worry we will be doing another one sometime this summer.

If you are in or going to be in the Denver area Friday (4/24) come by Edge Gallery and check out our show.

~Jeremy

What has been going on?

2009-04-14T15:53:00.002-06:00

Our apologizes for not updating the blog recently. It has been a busy time here at Ventero. The last two weekends we have been putting together pieces for our show up at Edge Gallery in Denver, CO. The show opens on April 24th and runs until mid May.

On April 13th we had PALS in again for another printing session. We worked with them on doing some relief prints. They brought down 7 students and we were able to get some good results with their prints.

Don't forget that April 18th is our 2 year anniversary. Activities will be going on all day starting around noon and will finish with our Open Mic Night. We will be having several musicians playing through out the day and night. Hope to see you there!

-Jeremy

OMN

2009-03-26T09:50:00.001-06:00

Everyone who helped Ventero make open mic night a successful fundraiser deserves a big round of applause. Same goes for all of our kick butt performers too.
Maddie (in photo) graced us with an entertaining passage from the back of her lunch package (trust me, it was hilarious). Rhonda played a beautiful new song called "If I were a Bird". Bill graced us with his exceptional talent on the banjo. And Nate, our beloved MC, read some really thoughtful poetry he had recently written. A big thank you to Melissa for manning the coffee shop and being such a trouper. We are very happy with how open mic night seems to be taking on a life of its own. For those of you who enjoyed having the Haunted Windchimes, we'd like to have them back next month so maybe if we could all facebook them we could collectively hound them into coming. The next open mic night will be April 18th.
~Vicky

R.A.I.N. Art Student

2009-03-23T09:11:00.002-06:00

Karolyn Walker

Here is Karolyn Walker's first art assignments under Randy's supervision. She is one of our RAIN art students and will continue to receive free art lessons with the possibility of an art scholarship in her future.

More and more it is becoming apparent that the arts are truly beneficial, not only as valid areas of study in their own right, but also because they tend to improve academic performance in general. Those who teach the visual arts see how the children respond, how their motivation stimulates productivity, and how their involvement in the creative process causes them to blossom and become even more productive. But what's so encouraging for arts advocates is that the arts are finally being acknowledged by authorities as beneficial.

A report in Soundpost (vol. 17, 1990, p. 21) states that "students who take arts courses tend to have higher scores on the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) than those who do not." It continues by saying, "the more arts courses a student takes, generally speaking, the higher his or her SAT scores." That the arts actually tend to improve students' verbal and numerical skills can be seen only as a bonus by those who already value the arts for more aesthetic reasons.

Furthermore, problem-solving skills, which are essential in today's world, are readily available through stimulating and art assignments - assignments that require the children to produce numbers of novel ideas and then to make a series of choices to complete them. Such exercises require a number of important cognitive skills.

Contained in the list below are some of the most commonly accepted benefits that visual arts education provides for children:

Heightens self-esteem
Develops problem-solving skills
Allows for expression and creativity
Improves visual discrimination skills
Develops self-discipline and responsibility
Increases motivation to learn
Provides fulfillment through productivity
Creates cultural and historical awareness
Develops ability to make aesthetic judgments
Tends to improve academic performance

PALS Part Deux

2009-03-18T21:13:00.002-06:00

We enjoyed our time with the kids from PALS today during their monthly monoprint workshop. They learned how to mix the color orange and did their first still life paintings. We are finding out who the true artists are. Each child had their chance to create an original monoprint from start to finish. After all the press work was done Randy thought the group how to draw cartoons with a line by line -follow along technique. We look forward to their next visit! Check out the pics on Picasa.

Thank you to Michelle LeBlanc and Tim Dillett and team for all their hard work and dedication.

Art Supply Donation

2009-03-17T22:53:00.008-06:00

Karolyn Walker, a member of the Mariachi San Luis and a student of Helen Vessels, has been selected to be a R.A.I.N. art supply recipient. She is a very gifted student who has had a rough go in recent times. After a long discussion with Helen and some interviews and art coaching on Randy's part we all agreed that Karolyn was well deserving of this boost. We are hopeful that this inspiration will lead to qualification for a complete art scholarship at Adams State College the future.

Jesus Sanchez "Master Printermaker Extradinaire"

2009-03-13T15:31:00.004-06:00

Jesus is one of our favorite students here at Ventero. He is a student at Centennial School and participates in our R.A.I.N. program. We've been teaching him reductive block prints.

How a Reduction Block Works

2009-03-11T16:01:00.000-06:00

Reduction block prints get their name because you reduce or cut away your block for each new color. What you do is carve a little and print all your prints in the lightest/darkest color (depending on your paper color), then carve some more and print all your prints in the next lightest/darkest color, carve some more and print in a darker/lighter color yet, and so on. One thing to realize right at the beginning is that you can't go back and print more of the first color after you start carving for the second color! You will always be making a limited edition. If the second stage of your carving is the most beautiful stamp you've ever carved, and you go on to a third stage, tough luck! Print lots of copies right at the beginning -- more than you think you want, because you'll probably ruin a few in later stages.

Before I start my reduction print I need to already have a design in mind.
I chose to do a flower...the nice thing about choosing a flower is that its natural so there's nothing right or wrong about it. It'll still look nice even if I take a little creative freedom. At least that's my theory...
I'm going to print on black paper so I need to cut out everything that I want to remain black. Once I've done that I need to print my darkest color first (since I'm printing on black paper).

I've chosen to do these prints in three colors (red, orange and yellow). At this point I need to print my reds...here is an example of what that looks like.

This is my orange layer, after cutting away all the surface area that I wanted to remain red...

Next, the final yellow layer, after cutting away the surface area that I wanted to remain orange.

Happy printing,

Vicky

Mark Your Calendar's

2009-03-11T08:51:00.002-06:00

Just wanted to remind everyone of a couple of important dates coming up. First one is March 21st, which is Open Mic Night. The second is March 28th, The Alamosa Art Walk. Ventero will have work displayed at Hospice del Valle. Hope to see you all at the different events.

Jeremy

New and Old Faces

2009-03-06T10:18:00.003-07:00

It was great to see new and old faces at our last Open Mic Night. Rhonda played some new songs for the crowd. One of the new faces was Bill who is the husband of our Friday volunteer Jean. Bill was nice enough to bring a great sound system for us to use. Hope to see you all on March 21st for our next OMN.

Jeremy

Open Mic Night

2009-02-18T15:57:00.006-07:00

Open Mic Night

"San Luis Soap Box"

Sponsored by Ventero Open Press Fine Art

Hosted by Randy Pijoan

7 PM
Saturday, February 21st

Come share your talents! Musicians, writers, poets, playwrights and artists! This monthly event is open to the public, so bring your friends! Call us at the gallery for more information

OPEN MIC NIGHT RETURNS!

The Third Saturday of Every Month

Located at
316 Main St. San Luis, CO

(719) 672-0557
Just 15 miles south of Fort Garland

P.A.L.S. come to Ventero!

2009-02-16T12:15:00.006-07:00

We are proud to announce our new community outreach program:

R.A.I.N. is an all new, all encompassing community outreach program reaching a vast range of activities and programs. Whether it's printing with a group of children from the local Head Start program or just an artist who's looking for a space to curate/create an art exhibit. It's a way for Ventero Open Press to reach out to our community as well as collaborate with other organizations.

While we are currently in collaboration with the Adams State College and Centennial High School art program, we are actively seeking grant funding to help with the development of R.A.I.N. Once adequate funding is achieved we'll be able to host more printing workshops for more kids from groups like P.A.L.S. (Positive Activities Lift of Spirits) a La Puente off shoot for dis advantaged kids .

Tim Dillett and Michelle LeBlanc brought their P.A.L.S., to participate in a mono-print workshop. Hosted by Ventero Open Press, funded by R.A.I.N. and taught by Randy Pijoan.

Please follow the link below to see more pics:
P.A.L.S. Photo Gallery

OPN Excitment is'a Brewing!

2009-02-07T09:45:00.007-07:00

We had such a fun time listening to Rhonda Mouser at the Brew Pub last night. She played an excellent set to a full house! There was such an outpouring of support, so many of her friends from all over the valley were in attendance. And we are happy to announce that she has signed on for our next Open Mic Night!

CD's of her live performance are available at Ventero.

OMN

2009-01-30T11:46:00.003-07:00

Open Mic Night

Returning to Ventero Open Press
Saturday, February 21st
7:00pm

We will be returning to our normal schedule of hosting Open Mic Night the third Saturday of the month.
Providing a place for everyone to come and share their talents, whether it be poetry, monologues or music.
We encourage all performance artists to attend and help make this open mic a smash hit.

All proceeds help support our mission statement.
“Ventero Open Press is a non-profit 501(c)(3)charitable organization emphasizing fine art; dedicated to giving back to the next generation by providing education, scholarships, art supplies and exhibition opportunities for both emerging and established artists.”

WEBSITE: www.ventero.org
BLOG: www.venteroopenpress.blogspot.com
EMAIL: www.venteroopenpress@gmail.com
PHONE: (719) 672-0557

7th Annual Downtown Alamosa ArtWalk

2009-01-29T11:38:00.002-07:00

Ventero Open Press joins

7th Annual Downtown Alamosa ArtWalk

A celebration of San Luis Valley art, poetry, music, and performance.

Saturday, March 28, 10 AM - 5 PM

Visual arts, music, artist demonstrations, and spoken word will be presented in over 20 locations. Art displays and demos include painting, pottery, fiber arts, sculpture, and more. Many artists are on hand throughout the day to talk about their work.

Ventero artists shown:
Lynn Kircher, Laura Campbell, Charles Ewing, Bill Baron, Gene Schilling, Huberto Maestas, Steve Waldrip, Randy Pijoan, Albert Hopkins, Jeremy Elliott, and Louise Minks.

Printers in the house

2009-01-22T13:33:00.005-07:00

We have been blessed with the company of Rita Roberts today. Her and Randy are working on monoprints today.

Happy New Year

2009-01-07T18:04:00.009-07:00

We hope that all of your holiday festivities were joyful and merry.

A quick note about what we're up to at Ventero this month...

-We are currently working on grant proposals that will help expand our youth printing program. So that we can host more workshops for children in the San Luis Valley at no cost to them.
-We are scheduling one on one workshops with local artists, please call for more info.
-We are accepting essays from students in need of specific art supplies.
-We are formulating a volunteer incentive program for all new volunteers, call for details. If you would like to donate your time please contact us at Ventero at (719) 672-0557. We would love to have you on our team.

Open Mic Night Winter Hiatus

2008-12-17T13:27:00.003-07:00

We will be taking a break from third Saturday Open Mic Night for the winter season and will return to our regular schedule next spring. Stay tuned for new posts about our upcoming OMN.
Thank you to all participating entertainers. You helped make this a big success. All poets and musicians are invited to leave links to their own blogs and websites in the comments of this blog.

Ventero Preschool Workshop

2008-12-17T13:13:00.002-07:00

Monday December 15th, Ventero Open Press hosted a preschool printing workshop.
A group of 13 children from the San Luis Head Start Program came to Ventero for a primary monoprint workshop, taught by Randy Pijoan. With the help of parents and volunteers each student enjoyed creating and printing their very own prints here on our presses. Please visit our Photo Album at Picasa to view pictures from the workshop.

If you are an art teacher in the area and would like your students to enjoy a similar workshop please contact us to make arrangements.

Soho Photo Gallery

2008-12-12T15:42:00.003-07:00

We are proud to announce that Laura Campbell has recently submitted a portfolio of 11 images for review at Soho Photo Gallery in Tribeca. Many of which were printed here at Ventero Open Press.

"The portfolio I submitted to Soho Photo Gallery in New York City was accepted and I was invited to become a member of the gallery. I'm looking forward to being a part of the gallery and visiting NYC." Says Laura.

New Winter Schedule

2008-12-06T10:36:00.005-07:00

Dear Ventero Artists and supporters,

Happy Holidays to you all! Thank you all for your support over the past year and half! This letter is to update you on our winter hours here at Ventero Open Press.

Last years operation taught us a lot about our winter’s business and a decision was made to cut back our hours just for the months of December, January, February and March. I was hesitant to do any radical changes, so the following schedule was made to help us anticipate the changes in our weak economy.

We will continue to be open six days a week and yet keep our services and scheduling flexible based on workshops and artist’s rental reservations.

Thanks,
Randy Pijoan

The New Winter Schedule is as follows

Monday through Thursday
7:30 - 12:30

Friday and Saturday
9:00 - 4:00

Greeting Card Workshop

2008-11-18T16:38:00.002-07:00

Greeting Card Workshop

Relief/block printing

Saturday December 6, 2008

@ Ventero Open Press

10am – 4:30pm

$40 Lab Fee per student

Taught by Randy Pijoan

Each student will be able to create a set of 6 greeting cards and envelopes

A fun and creative gift idea for the holidays
Great fun for couples

To sign up please call us at (719) 672-0557 or email us at venteroopenpress@gmail.com

Ventero's Online Gallery

2008-11-15T13:59:00.003-07:00

For the past couple weeks we have been diligently working on our new online gallery...
And now its up and running!
www.VenteroGallery.org
A big thank you to Jeremy Elliott and Laura Campbell for all their hard work, as well as keeping me motivated and in good spirits.
Now collectors can view and purchase art work via our website and Google Checkout.
All the while supporting our featured artists and our cause.
Each week our online inventory will continue to grow as we add more digital images to the site.
If you are an artist who is represented at Ventero and have images of the artwork you presently show, please contact us for image specifications. If you are an artist that would like to be represented by Ventero, please contact us at venteroopenpress@gmail.com for more info.

Open Mic Night Once Again!

2008-11-10T16:51:00.005-07:00

Just wanted to invite everyone to the "San Luis Soap Box"! Held the third Saturday of each month, rain or shine! This months will be held on November 15th at 7:00pm. Bring your instruments, poetry and rants. Nate Kistler, Randy Pijoan and Katey Sleeveless will be some of the many performers of the evening. All ages are welcome, so bring your family!

Libby Hart (November 4, 1952 - November 1, 2008)

2008-11-05T13:49:00.012-07:00

Elizabeth Marie Hart

November 4, 1952 - November 1, 2008

Elizabeth Marie Hart, age 55, passed peacefully on Saturday Nov 1, in Taos, New Mexico after a 9 month battle with cancer. Born Nov 4, 1952 in Chicago, she is predeceased by her parents Wayne J. Hart and Ann Hart of Lake Forest, IL. Libby devoted her life to the expression of beauty pursued in her career as a fine art painter. After graduating from Ripon College in WI, she moved to Vail, CO in the mid 70's. She studied at the Denver Art Students League and The Art Institute of Chicago. In 2000 she moved to Costilla, NM and opened her own studio. She is represented by Vail International Gallery (www.vailgallery.com) and her works can be viewed on her website at www.libbyhart.com. Over the years she has won many awards in the Southwest, recently she won the Best of 'Taos Invites Taos' 2008 for Representational Painting and Drawing. She is survived by 5 siblings; Charles Hart of Grafton, WI; Chris Hart of Suwanee, GA; Amy Hart of Destin, FL; Bill Hart of Gurnee, IL and Dede Murphy of Lake Bluff, IL.

Libby’s Memorial Service
will be held in San Luis, Colorado at La Capilla de Todos los Santos (the chapel of the stations of the cross shrine), at 3:00 pm on Saturday, November 22nd.

The reception celebrating Libby’s life will be held at Ventero Open Press Fine Art - non profit, following the Memorial service.

Ventero Open Press is located at 316 Main Street in San Luis, Colorado.

Participants are asked to bring paintings to fill Ventero's gallery with the beauty and genius of Libby Hart's life’s work, so that we can all share our stories. Any photos of Libby will work just as well.

For memorial service info, contact: Rivera-Hanlon 575-758-3841.
In lieu of flowers donate to The Art Students League of Denver, 200 Grant St. Denver, CO 80203.

Her family would like to thank all her friends and fellow artists for their support, especially Nancy Delpero and Gorus of Taos, NM. Nancy and her husband work the homeless in Northern, New Mexico and ask that guests bring extra winter clothing to be donated in Libby's memory.
Also Visit: www.welovelibby.com for more details.

Jack O'Lantern Contest winner!

2008-11-02T15:35:00.000-07:00

Here's the winner of our Jack-O-Lantern contest!
France LaVoie was the carver of the this perfect pumpkin, donated to Ventero by Mary Johnston of Alamosa. We invited our patrons to vote for their favorite pumpkin. "I like the hair!" was a popular comment.
Thanks to everyone who participated in the voting and the carving, you all helped make Halloween at Ventero a festive one. Thanks!

Jack O' Lantern Contest

2008-10-29T10:00:00.002-06:00

Halloween is approaching...and in the spirit of the season we'd like to invite everyone to participate in our Jack O' Lantern contest. All ages can participate and all pumpkins will be judged by our patrons on Halloween. The prize will be 2 coffeehouse punchcards and 1 press rental coupon. All carved pumpkins need to be at the press by Friday morning. Call 719-672-0557 for more details. See you at the press!

The Haunted Windchimes and Katey Sleeveless

2008-10-19T14:46:00.006-06:00

To everyone who couldn't make to to last nights "San Luis Soap Box", you really missed out!

Kate Byrd brought along her friends, The Haunted Windchimes. They were simply amazing!
During their show CD's were sold and the band was generous enough to donate a portion of each sale to our cause! Thanks to everyone who came out to help with the fundraiser.
Thank you, Thank you!!

(Check The Haunted Windchimes out on myspace by following the title link)

Rhonda came and charmed us with a new back up singer and she sounded great, as always.

Nate, Randy and Matthew Crowley read poetry accompanied by Inaiah of The Haunted Windchimes.

We plan to go out with a bang at the end of the season. We'll keep you informed in upcoming posts.

Octobers "San Luis Soap Box"

2008-10-19T14:06:00.001-06:00

A big thank you goes to Eric Shiveley for bringing his sound system to last nights open mic night. He helped make it a huge success. He's known around the valley for his excellent film work. Just recently, he finished a music video for Katey Sleeveless, watch it at the bottom of the screen. He is also planning on producing a music video for Rhonda, and we can't wait to see it.
Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!!!

Myspace Anyone?

2008-10-16T23:32:00.003-06:00

For those of you that love to have your own space on myspace, check out ours and maybe we can be friends!
That is, if you want to... :)

http://www.myspace.com/venteroopenpress

Open Press Coupon

2008-10-16T14:16:00.001-06:00

PRINT THIS COUPON AND REDEEM AT VENTERO OPEN PRESS.
It entitles you to one free day of press rental with founder R. Pijoan. www.randypijoan.com
Call for more info and to schedule your day of printing in the oldest town in colorful Colorado.
*Excludes materials.

316 Main St.
San Luis, CO
81152

719-672-0557
www.ventero.org

Join our team!

2008-10-15T15:10:00.003-06:00

Would you or any one you know like to be part of the Ventero team? Be like Joe here and volunteer a day or two a week. Learn to make a kick butt cappuccino or teach us how to make an even better one. We are always looking for more volunteers and if you're 55+ you may qualify for employment through Seniors Inc or Rocky Mountain SER. You'll learn to run a coffeehouse, how to sell art in our gallery and maybe earn a little commission while your at it. For those of you who are interested in having a great time while supporting a good cause please call us at the press at (719) 672-0557 and ask for Randy or Vicky.

Open Mic Night

2008-10-13T10:19:00.005-06:00

"Do you have a poem you've been dying to read out loud? A song you'd love to sing? Or a story you'd love to share? Well... do I have the place for you! It's this gallery/coffeehouse/press on Main St. in that tiny town on the way to Taos? I wish I could remember its name. Is it Ventura, Venteros, Venetio...Ah Ventero Open Press. They host an open mic night the third Saturday of every month. And, it's so much fun, you never now what's going to happen. This guy Nate Kistler hosts it (he's a poet). Sometimes Rhonda Mouser comes and plays music (there's some video at the bottom of this blog) and Katey Sleeveless has been known to play a couple tunes of her own. And that's just the tip of the iceberg. This months open mic night is Saturday the 18th. So come and join the fun!"

Katey Sleeveless

2008-10-08T15:34:00.004-06:00

Watch Kate's video on Youtube or just scroll to the bottom of the screen.

Pictures at Picasa

2008-10-07T11:39:00.004-06:00

We will be posting all new photos on Picasa. Check them out!

Welcome!

2008-10-06T15:33:00.003-06:00

We, at Ventero are embarking into the blog world. Are hope is to have a space where people can interact with us and a space where we can post images of all our events! If anyone has any tips please leave a comment.