 "Photo: Photo by Ariel Lattimore")
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Most people who have lived in Colorado Springs like to think they have a pretty good idea of what the town has to offer. One new project hopes to open up a fresh perspective on “home.”
A Walk to Pikes Peak, sponsored by UCCS’s Gallery of Contemporary Art and the Art History program, is exactly what it sounds like. Students will take three days to walk from campus to the top of the mountain, learning on the way.
Visiting artist Harrell Fletcher created the idea for the event, and he will be along for the hike. Fletcher wanted to explore the idea of seeing other people’s view of art, and this event is set up to encourage a wide range of viewpoints.
The main idea behind the activity is to allow people to express their own stories and knowledge about the landscape by having each participant share a short lecture at some point during the walk.
In this way, the “Walking, Art, and Place” class, offered through both the geography department and VAPA, has expanded on Fletcher’s original idea.
“One of the things that we’ve done in the class is we’ve talked about how notions of place can be shifted by walking through something,” explained Eric Steen, visual art professor and the event coordinator.
“Normally we drive somewhere, or we have this goal that we’re trying to attain, so we miss a lot of details along the way.
“But if we slow down, we walk through something, and we really begin to explore in it; that way, we’ll have new understandings of what makes us feel attached to where we live or where we go.”
Students hope to gain a lot from this project. Stacy Sprewer, a sophomore double majoring in visual art and communication, said, “I’ve learned that walking is a great way to learn to appreciate a place.
“I hope the Walk to Pikes Peak will allow me to experience the city of Colorado Springs more in-depth so that I can appreciate my hometown much more.”
Felix J. Lopez, a political science senior, agreed. “While on this journey, I am hoping to gain a better respect for what surrounds me,” he said.
“It seems that in life, we are so focused and busy with the many things we have going on that we often forget to slow down and appreciate the little things we have been afforded.”
More info:
uccs.edu/goca/TALK/A-Walk-to-Pikes-Peak.html
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