Young guests enjoy hot cider and music at In The Meantime Gallery

Arts @ The Feed & Grain kicked off the New Year with artists Monica Deming and Alex Alvis, whose work revolves around memory and time gone by. Some pleasant surprises came up when our musicians discovered the gallery acoustics provided possibilities as a recording studio.

This exhibit went hand-in-hand with the ongoing Memories Project, an effort focused on documenting and preserving the rich history of The Feed & Grain. Currently data, photos, ephemera and artifacts are on display at In The Meantime Gallery.

Painter and illustrator Monica Deming is a longtime Northern Colorado resident and arts professor at Colorado State University. Deming showcased work that “deals with the transience of memory and how fallible our memories are. According to the artist, everything she creates is an attempt to relive information “to share it hoping to gain insight on what is real.”

Guests enjoy Monica Deming's Paintings on 2nd Friday

Alex Alvis, has lived in Colorado most of her life. Alvis's unique bronze sculptures focus on horses, their spirit and nature, and their beauty. While always an artist, Alvis has only worked as a professional sculptor in the last five years.

“After seeing Monica’s beautiful paintings that referenced farm land and history, I knew they would be an ideal fit for the historic Feed & Grain,” Curator Megan Tracy said. Tracy asked Alex to join in the show shortly after. “I was looking for a sculptor who created contemporary farm animals to complement Monica's work.” The artwork helps complete the story about the Feed and Grain, conceptually through art.

A few changes were made in the gallery to include music. In 2013, we were able to host musicians on the porch of the Feed & Grain. We needed a creative solution to host musicians in the 800-square-foot space due to the freezing temperatures, so the north room was converted into a music venue. Sting bass player Todd Silas accompanied Singer/Songwriter Franklin Taggart during the event. The duo enjoyed the venue immensely; and low and behold the acoustics in this room were so perfect that they are considering holding a recording session in the space. “We will just have to time it around the train!” Franklin Taggart said.

Musician Franklin Taggart and Todd Silas in In The Meantime Gallery

Even though it was a cold night, we were very busy. Guests warmed up with hot cider and cookies. The music could be heard in every room. We are looking forward to a successful and creative 2014!