Six artists reexamine the image of the cowboy in a group exhibition at the Colorado Photographic Arts Center. One of the artists, Constance Jaeggi, will talk about her images during a free Zoom session on Saturday.
We’ve also got two ways to celebrate summer on the Western Slope this weekend, plus Denver’s only marathon makes its way around town.
May 14-20
Virtual artist talk. In one photo the horses are turning around in a tight hook shape, the women riders sitting side-saddle in Victorian-style dresses. In another, the women are standing on solid ground, the baby blue and red lace of their dresses popping against the dusty backdrop.
Photographer Constance Jaeggi has spent years traveling the West, photographing the women of escaramuza, an all-female equestrian sport originating in Mexico. The sport evolved from the historically male-only charrería, combining quick, synchronized choreography inspired by female fighters of the Mexican Revolution in the early 20th century.
Jaeggi’s series, “Escaramurza, the Poetics of Home,” is a mix of portraits of the riders in their elaborate fashion, with poems by Angelina Sáenz and Texas Poet Laureate Ire’ne Lara Silva, based on interviews Jaeggi conducted with the riders.
An excerpt from the series is currently on display at the Colorado Photographic Arts Center, part of a six-artist group show centered on the image of the American cowboy.
On Saturday, Jaeggi and Sáenz will host a virtual conversation with Samantha Johnston, executive director and curator of the center, to talk about the series, and the women and traditions at its core. The talk is free and takes place on Zoom. A recording will be sent out afterward to all registered participants.
The exhibition at the Colorado Photographic Arts Center will be on display until June 20.
Free; noon, May 16; Virtual
Other events to consider
- Rifle Rendezvous Days. Garfield County’s summer kickoff event for 30 years and counting, with live music, car shows, an archery range and carnival rides. $45; May 14-17; Garfield County Fairgrounds, 1001 Railroad Ave., Rifle
- Grand Valley River Fest. Food, music, beer and family-friendly games on the river, all day in Grand Junction. Proceeds from the SUP yoga class, beer garden and rubber ducky scramble go toward local nonprofits. Free; 11 a.m.-4 p.m.; Las Colonias Park, Grand Junction
- Colfax Marathon. Denver’s only marathon sends runners past a lineup of local landmarks, threading through Empower Field at Mile High, around Sloan’s Lake, past Casa Bonita, and ending with a party in City Park. It might be too late to train into 26.2 miles, but a variety of distances are offered all weekend, including a 5-person marathon relay you still have time to register for. Various prices; May 17; City Park, 2001 Colorado Blvd., Denver
Note: This is a curated list by the reporter to give readers a sense of arts and culture events happening across Colorado that they may not have otherwise known about. This is not meant to be an exhaustive account of things to do.