A Sense of Place: Site-Specific Food, Wine... and Art

Looking out over the terraced vineyards above Paonia, Colorado, the view from Garvin Mesa is stunning. It frames a sense of place and a "terroir" that relates directly to the succulent local fruit, produce and yes...even the art that is created there.

Paonia is a little jewel on the Western Slope and the center of a booming Slow Foods movement. Recently, we returned to the Fresh & Wyld Farm House Inn, attended the 2nd Annual Food Farm Film and Wine Festival and enjoyed the best of the day's local harvests at dinners and brunch (check out Saturday's menu - unbelievable). In between, we toured Desert Weyr, a Black Welsh Mountain Sheep farm and several wineries. We enjoyed fine wines from Stone Cottage Cellars, Terror Creek as well as Azura Cellars.


High on the Mesa, Azura is also the home of Azura Studios, where contemporary sculpture and fine art complement a beautiful winery with views of the valley below. Seeing Ty Gillespie's kinetic sculpture twirling in the cool morning breeze. reminded me of the bold colors and always changing appearance of my own Network Tapestry™.

There are many similarities between the newly popular Slow Food movement and the old world art of felt making. Number 1: Revere the materials you have at hand. Number 2: our best raw materials come fresh and from Nature. For wine and food, it's the soil; the nutrients that are unique to their origin and the water and temperature change that bring out the best in the terroir.

For me, it's the beautiful wool that grows thick in the sunshine on the backs of a variety of sheep. And Number 3: it's all about time. Most of the pleasure in working with wool comes with a lengthy hands-on experience. Just as a cook takes just-picked produce and prepares it simply or roasts it slowly to coax out all the flavors, my felt making takes more time than any economist would give it. But the end result is a deeply colorful complex structure, that lasts and lasts.

I wouldn't have my art any other way - the joy of working with Nature in new ways that delight the senses. Slow Food. Slow Art. It all makes sense to me!


PJ Bergin Contemporary Mixed Media Fiber Artist

Vote for your favorite mixed media artist!

CURATE THIS! 2010 is the second installment of the CURATE THIS! exhibition series created by
BECA: Bridge for Emerging Contemporary Art. The annual global art + design event and arts + cultural exchange is taking place now through December 31.

Through the introduction and exhibition of works of new art + new design and related projects by pARTicipating artists, architects, designers, duos, groups and collectives around the world, The BECA Foundation aims to facilitate an experimental, cross-pollination of new ideas for creative innovation in diverse locations around the world.

As one of 115 artists from around the world, I'm pleased that my Network Tapestry™ "Two Plus Seven" is included among contemporary works in fiber, mixed media and other art forms. Scroll through the pages of these exciting works to see my piece
or visit my Gallery pages for a closer look at all of my work.

VOTE NEXT WEEK ONLY! Much more exciting and satisfying than the upcoming mid-term primary elections!

From August 15 - 17, 2010 art + design lovers from around the world will cast their vote for their favorite CURATE THIS! 2010 Artists, Architects + Designers. An International Public Vote Award of $2,500 will be awarded to the one artist, designer, duo, group or collective who receives the highest number of public votes on their submitted works. The TOP 15 vote receiving artists, architects and designers will be featured in the 2010 edition of the publication 'CURATE THIS!'.

For 3 days only, cast your vote for your favorite piece of art. You know what you like! Have fun viewing the creativity of many artists and inspire us to do even more in the future.

I hope you enjoying reading about this new way to bring art to art lovers and become a part of Curate This 2010!


PJ Bergin Contemporary Mixed Media Fiber Artist