“Not long ago
the high mountains were mantled with glaciers
stowing that feed carefully through the summers
for a measured meal
today the brittle snouts of ice left behind
tuck themselves quietly below Lone Eagle
and various protective peaks,
patron saints to the fading, frozen shadows
droplets plinking like the ticking of a clock
into the lakes below
wet bars to the growing metropolises that
sneak from the cookie jar
In defiance of the river’s most commanding officer – gravity
trundling her waters, groaning
across the divide.
-Noelle Phares
Our cover this month is entitled “Wet Bar” by Noelle Phares. The poem above accompanies the piece. We asked her to explain the inspiration behind this particular painting.
“My current exhibition entitled “Tracking Time” is centered around the impacts that human action and modern conditions have had on the Colorado River. This painting hints at the structure of the Denver Art Museum as a stand-in for the Denver area metropolis. Much of the water that provides for the Western Slope is water that would otherwise make it into the Colorado River. It’s stored in reservoirs such as Lake Granby, depicted in “Wet Bar,” and later transported across the Continental Divide. Climate change has certainly limited the amount of water that makes it to the Rocky Mountains in the form of rain and snow, and how much of it is stored in snow-pack – an important storage mechanism in this water system.”
A beautiful sentiment, yet stark reminder that climate change is real and we all have an important role in the current and future state of our natural environment. Noelle’s latest exhibition is currently showing at the Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art through September 2, 2024.
Your neighbors,
Shaleen and Sam DeStefano