Sun Point Panorama by Buffalo Kaplinski

Rims to Ruins 2015, an art exhibition and sale of small works, will be held on Saturday, November 7, 2015, at 6:00 p.m. at the Kent Denver School in Cherry Hills, Colorado.

This year marks an important step in broadening the scope of the show. Rather than being limited to Mesa Verde and its environs, artists can paint anywhere within the four states that comprise the Four Corners region. The show promises to be a stunning display of Southwestern art! Approximately twenty-five artists will be represented at the event, including many nationally renowned western painters and sculptors.

Entrance to the art exhibition, sale, and reception is $50 per person. Thirty dollars of the price is tax deductible. If you are interested in more information, would like to make a reservation to this important fundraiser, or would like to make a donation to support Mesa Verde National Park, please call: Margie Deane Gray at 303-321-3120 or email at info@mesaverdefoundation.org.

Contact Margie no later than October 29, 2015, to reserve your place at the event. You can also register on the Mesa Verde Foundation Facebook page or on their website at www.mesaverdefoundation.org. Your participation helps preserve the park for future generations. We look forward to seeing you there!

Musician and vocalist Marilyn Kroeker is serving as Mesa Verde National Park's final 2015 Artist in Residence from September 28 through October 11, 2015. Marilyn and her band Sweetwater Station will give a free public performance on Wednesday, October 7 at 5:30 p.m. in the Far View Lodge lounge, upstairs from the Metate Room, in Mesa Verde National Park.

Marilyn is spending her residency exploring the park and making music with her bandmates Chris Rasmussen, Raymond Rose, and Paul Berkowitz. All members compose for the band, and Marilyn has recorded four CDs to date. "We certainly hope our local fans will visit us in this setting. We expect to have some new material from the residency ready. Just knowing we are going is an inspiration," said Marilyn. "We look forward to reflecting our experience musically."

Sweetwater Station has been together for two years. They are distinctive primarily for their female vocal duo. The vocalists are accompanied by solid bass and lead mandolin. They play regularly throughout the region, and have performed on the main stage at Mancos, Dolores, and Cortez festivals this year as well as The Tavern on Elm Street and the Sunflower Theater.

This is the second time Marilyn has been chosen as a Mesa Verde Artist in Residence. In October 2009 she was awarded a residency for her watercolor work. In addition to her musical pursuits, Marilyn is a potter and the proprietor of Raven House Gallery in Mancos, CO.

Mesa Verde National Park's Artist in Residence program offers professional writers, composers, and visual and performing artists the opportunity to pursue their particular art form while being surrounded by the inspiring ancient architecture of the Ancestral Pueblo people and the sweeping natural landscape of the park. This year's Artists in Residence were selected from 45 applicants by a jury consisting of a Mesa Verde National Park ranger and three professional artists. Other 2015 Artists in Residence include photographer Jerry Fleury, musician/composer David Arkenstone, plein air artist Milt Beens, and saddle maker Lisa Skyhorse. Applications will soon be accepted for 2016 residencies. Learn more at www.nps.gov/meve/getinvolved/artists_in_residence.htm

The Four Corners Lecture Series continues around the region in October and wraps up in November. This year's theme is "It's About Time," with several of the lectures focusing on the 25th anniversary of the passage of Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA). The passage of NAGPRA served as a catalyst for a change in relations between the Native American nations, archeologists, museums, and federal agencies.

Monday, October 5, 6:00 p.m., Center of Southwest Studies 120 at Fort Lewis College; Eric Perramond will speak about "Reconciling Water Rights, Law, Justice, and Ecology in the 21st Century."

Tuesday, October 6, 7:00 p.m., Sunflower Theatre in Cortez; Chuck LaRue and Laurie Webster will discuss "Ancient Woodworking, Animal Use, and Hunting Practices in Southeastern Utah: New Insights from the Study of Early Perishable Collections?" (Hosted by Hisatsinom Chapter/CAS)

Saturday, October 10, 2:00 p.m., Edge of the Cedars Museum, Blanding; Don Simonis will speak about "Repatriation and Reburial after 25 years of NAGPRA in the Southwest." (This talk was originally scheduled for Oct. 24; note the date change.)

Tuesday, October 13, 7:00 p.m., Anasazi Heritage Center; Dan Simplicio will discuss "A Zuni Perspective on NAGPRA." (Hosted by Southwest Colorado Canyons Alliance.)

Wednesday, October 21, 6:00 p.m., Center of Southwest Studies 120 at Fort Lewis College; Curley Youpee will address "A Tribal Perspective: Time is the Longest Distance between Two Places."

Thursday, October 22, 7:00 p.m., Center of Southwest Studies 120 at Fort Lewis College; Joe Watkins will share "NAGPRA at 25: A Personal and Profession History of the Quest for Repatriation."

Tuesday, November 3, 7:00 p.m., Sunflower Theatre in Cortez; Sheila Goff and Ernest House, Jr. will speak on "NAGPRA at 25: Colorado's Implementation Present and Future." (Hosted by Hisatsinom Chapter/CAS)

We hope you'll join us for all of these free programs! The full lecture series schedule can be found here. This lecture series is generously sponsored by Mesa Verde Foundation, Mesa Verde Museum Association, and Mesa Verde National Park, as well as the Anasazi Heritage Center, ARAMARK Parks and Destinations, Bureau of Land Management, Cortez Cultural Center, Crow Canyon Archaeological Center, Edge of the Cedars State Park Museum, Fort Lewis College Office of the President, Department of Anthropology, and Center of Southwest Studies, Hisatsinom Chapter of the Colorado Archaeological Society, KSJD Dryland Community Radio and the Sunflower Theatre, and the Southwest Colorado Canyons Alliance.