Colorado Springs Artist Profile: Neil Fenton

Speak No Evil

In my last post, I talked a little about the history of fine art in my hometown. What prompted the idea were recent web design clients who wanted to create websites to feature their art. I can say with absolute candor that these projects were an honor for me. It can't be helped: I hold a special reverence for artists which I will say a bit more about below.

Back to what inspired my writing this, both my recent website design projects are for artists whose work I greatly respect. I will talk about both, but for this blog post, I want to focus on the first person who came to me, Neil Fenton, a painter whose work was featured in various venues around Colorado Springs. To my (admittedly non-professional) eye his paintings are striking, compelling.

My own view is that much of the impact of Fenton's work lies in his use of light and shadow, which bolster the emotions conveyed by the expressions of the faces, and poses of the bodies therein depicted. I think his work is astonishing. But lest my praise be taken as being merely the reaction of an unsophisticated palate, this is not the first blog to acknowledge Fenton's talent. The "ModBo" blog, ("ModBo" stands for "Modern Bohemian") wrote nicely about Fenton's show featuring his portraiture.
 

I have always been envious of those with bona fide artistic talent. This is not to say that I myself am entirely devoid of all talent, artistically. I can paint and draw a little and my little creations aren't awful, and yet I am self-reflective and honest enough to see others have that true spark.

Frightening Yeti

My feeling on the matter is that genuine talent is something rare and special and bestowed upon a person. It is that notion of bestowal, and perhaps even our collective intuition which leads us to refer to people with this artistic touch as being "gifted."



If you are wanting (understandably) to see more of Neil's work, you can visit the SPQR just to the south of Acacia Park (17B East Bijou). There is a treasure trove of pieces, not only paintings, but photographs and other media down there. It is astonishing the level of talent with which our little community is blessed.

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— Sean A. Fitzgerald (@SeanAldenF) July 6, 2015

 
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Colorado Springs' Artistic Leanings

  by Sean Alden Fitzgerald

Colorado Springs is oft-referred to as being a "military town." I was myself born at the United States Air Force Academy Hospital and have numerous military-involved friends and acquaintances with whom I have always had and continue to have uneasy, dissonant conversations. My Common Good-orientation has always been at odds with the rugged individualist ideals of the military people I've known. I count many as friends despite that tension, and actually appreciate that points of view differing from my own often have to do with upbringing, cultural background and other factors which are happenstance as much as anything.

In macro terms, there is an analogous tension between the more traditional cultural roots from whence Colorado Springs originally sprang, and the military and religious organizations that have such sway in this town beginning at a point later than its inception as a community. It's worth noting that it was in fact the creation of the USAFA which constituted a tipping point for Colorado Springs in population terms. Overall, one cannot be faulted for thinking that the military culture that holds predominance in our town. And yet there are other currents that, nevertheless, do have influence as well. Maybe this diversity is, however ironically, one of the

Incongruously, the sociopolitical conservatism implicit in military culture exists side-by-side Colorado Springs' long-held artistic, cultural leanings. An established arts community has been in this area for the greater part of a century. In addition to the many individual artists which have lived or are living here, there is also the venerable institution of the Fine Arts Center which itself has a history worth recounting. General William Palmer, one of the iconic founders of the city was said to have referred to this newly established city as a "Little London," and had visions of a cultural oasis amidst hulking and untamed Rocky Mountains.

General William Palmer

Another appellation (there are four nicknames listed as Colorado Springs in Wikipedia) aside from "Little London, is "Newport in the Rockies," and much of the original city-planning in Colorado Springs was said to have been based explicitly upon that affluent Rhode Island city. Implicit in both the London and Newport analogs is a degree of emphasis on culture, refinement and artistic expression.

An emblem of these cultural aspirations is the historical support for fine arts. Early in the last century, movement of artists to the area, and their activities here were marked enough by 1920 to attract the attention of The New York Times. For example, the latter wrote the following concerning the Broadmoor Art Academy “An art school with competent instructors in a place remote from centres of art exhibitions and teaching has a more direct influence (on a community). People are always more interested in what they do than in what they see, and there is an admirable chance to develop a fresh and strong school of landscape painting in the Western part of the country.” (Click here for citation.)

Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center

As far as the Fine Arts Center that exists today, it sprang from this fertile artistic ground and was officially built during the Great Depression (1936), it was first established with land donated by prominent community members, particularly a number of prominent women: the land had been donated by Julie Penrose, Elizabeth Sage Hare was the first President of the Board of Trustees, and Alice Bemis Taylor donated an art collection to the museum.

The next installment of this blog will discuss many of the local artists, and venues for showing art, including both private galleries as well as those which are publicly funded.

 

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— Local Reach (@localreachmktg) May 14, 2015

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