Dennis Rains Along With Shorty and Alice Garcia to Appear
Walsenburg- Walsenburg’s Museum of Friends, (MOF) southern Colorado’s newest museum of contemporary art, will celebrate the first anniversary of its opening on Oct. 19 with live country and mariachi music performed by popular local musicians Dennis Rains and Short and Alice Garcia. The celebration will take the form of an open house from noon with Rains performing from noon until 2 pm and the Garcias from 2:30 to 5:00 pm. Refreshments will be served
MOF, located at 109 East 6th St. in Walsenburg was opened last October by artists Brendt Berger and Maria Cocchiarelli Berger as a home for their 500 piece collection of contemporary art and to introduce Southeastern Colorado to the enjoyment and educational value of art.
Rains, who lives in near Walsenburg frequently appears at local events such as
Art in the Park, and Francisco Fort Days in La Veta. Husband and wife Shorty and Alice Garcia are part of Los Tremendos, a mariachi band that most recently appeared during Walsenburg’s Plaza de los Leones festival.
“Music is an art form and we wanted to provide an opportunity for popular local musicians to perform in an art setting.” said Brendt Berger.
“We believe we have a lot to celebrate,” commented Maria Berger.” We have accomplished a great deal during our first year. Not only were we able to mount our combined art collection for the community’s enjoyment, but we have initiated several important outreach programs and have been able to bring in some very interesting art
exhibits to the museum.”
She noted that a K-12 school tour program has been developed that matches the curriculum guidelines of Walsenburg school district which allows students to visit the museum to see and create art that relates to their classroom instruction. In June the first tour program took place with 26 children participating. Ms. Berger has also visited the Spanish Peaks Library to assist with its “Catch The Reading Bug” program.
The museum has also developed a program to present a series of art exhibits at Huerfano County Court House.
The art on exhibit at the museum brings together two separate collections by the Bergers. Both collections constitute gifts to the individual founders by their artist friends.
