Home is where the art is

Birmingham magazine, April 2018

Intimidated by collecting art? You’re not alone–but there’s no need to fret. Learn how–and why–to make art part of your everyday life.

Wilderness dance

Glenwood Springs Post Independent, Aug. 24, 2017

Congressional members hear from constituents in a variety of ways: Letters. Phone calls. Emails. But Deborah Colley wants to do something different. As the government considers the use and preservation of federal lands, she hopes to bring the land to them.

That’s the aim of “Letter to Congress: A Wild Sanity,” a film and performance for which Colley served as artistic director.

Art is about more than aesthetics, and it could affect a city’s life

AL.com, May 13, 2016

“Jack Schaeffer saw a new vision when he stepped into Red Mountain Park.

“Schaeffer was taken by the 1,500-acre park. At just 5 percent complete, it’s already home to 14 miles of bike and hike trails, outdoor adventures such as zip lines and a ropes course, and land management goats. As Schaeffer toured the property with Executive Director David Dionne, he learned of the area’s role in World War II, when ore from its mines became artillery, airplanes and more.

“Why aren’t more people here? Schaeffer wondered. How can I draw attention to this park?

“Art was the answer.”

Art Speaks

Birmingham magazine, September 2013

“Birmingham of the 1950s and early ’60s truly was black and white.

“Neighborhoods, schools, lunch counters and water fountains were segregated. The Lyric Theatre saw integrated audiences, but black people were relegated to balcony seating. And at the Birmingham Museum of Art, blacks were allowed through the institution’s doors once a week on Negro Day.

“That division was abolished in June 1963, when Birmingham removed segregation ordinances. And in the 50 years since, BMA and other institutions have wrestled with questions of how to be more inclusive with regard to who walks through their doors and what they see once inside.”