Julia March Crocetto, the new Mesa County Libraries 970West Artist in Residence, blends printmaking, painting, and stitching to create intricate and unique interpretations of the Western landscape.
Crocetto will host a variety of workshops for adults and teens during her 970West residency and also will host weekly studio hours where the public can drop in and visit with her about her artwork. Her residency at the Mesa County Libraries 970West Studio, 502 Ouray Ave., begins Jan. 14 and lasts through April 22, 2019.
Research and process are at the root of Crocetto’s artistic practice. After studying architecture, she became more interested in the possibilities of fibers, painting, and sculpture. Topography, wilderness, and other influences of the Greater West have become infused in her work, developed over many years of living and working in national parks and across the West. Using the language of traditional quiltmaking and contemporary resources such as LandSat imagery, she investigates water and land use and her own recollections of the West.
Her first solo exhibition was in 1993. In 2004, she was invited to participate in the Holland/Alaska Cultural Exchange in the Netherlands. Since 1985, she has taught workshops in Kansas, Alaska, Arizona, and Colorado. She currently teaches art at Colorado Mesa University. Crocetto received her BFA from the University of New Mexico, summa cum laude, and her MFA from the Oregon College of Art and Craft.
“My inquiries revolve around the exploration of place, expressed with mark-making through printmaking techniques, painting, and stitching,” Crocetto said. “My work is influenced by living in the Greater West in the era of the Anthropocene, bearing witness to our fraught relationships with wilderness and wildness. Through wrapping, collecting, and mapping, I attempt to create tangible connections with place, embracing the perceived futility of harnessing the intangible, allowing the absurd to take a role in my work.”
“I am curious about the overlap of systems, points of friction, adaptation, and cooperation, and seek the poetic conversations that can be found there. My practice leverages process and alchemy to imbue the work with the complexity I encounter. The resulting artifacts – which have been painted, stitched, folded, buried, neglected, rusted, and/or dyed – may be seen as maps, journals, quilts, or objects of contemplation; image and object become intertwined,” Crocetto said.
Here are the workshops Crocetto has scheduled during her residency:
●Crocetto will host open studio hours from 2-4 p.m. each Tuesday from Jan. 14 through April 22 at the 970West Studio, 502 Ouray Ave. across from the Central Library.
● Rust Printing
(Open to families and all ages)
6:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 24, at the Central Library, 443 N. 6th St., Grand Junction
Join this informal workshop to learn how to make rust prints on cloth and explore possibilities for using rust printing in your hobbies or creative expression. Feel free to bring small objects for rusting or discussion. Materials will be provided.
●Eco-Printing with Leaves
(Open to adults; advance registration is required by calling 970-243-4442 or visiting the online Events Calendar)
6 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 21, at the Central Library, 443 N. 6th St., Grand Junction
Have you ever picked up leaves to admire and collect, but then wondered what to do with them? “Eco-printing” gives the collector an opportunity to record the ephemeral beauty of leaves and other plant matter onto cloth using simple supplies and techniques. In this surface design sampler, we will create botanical prints with eco-printing, direct printing, and stamping. Take home a silk scarf and samples on cotton that you can incorporate into your own creative endeavors. Materials will be provided.
●Block Printing
(Teens only, please)
4 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 28, at the Fruita Branch, 324 N. Coulson St.
Teens will learn to block-print by carving and printing a unique design onto fabric. Materials will be provided.
●Creative Mapping
(Open to adults; advance registration is required by calling 970-243-4442 or visiting the online Events Calendar)
6 p.m. Tuesday, March 12, at the Central Library, 443 N. 6th St., Grand Junction
Mapping is often associated with explorers and a careful tracing of what is known about a place. In this workshop, Crocetto will reveal some of her creative process: Creative mapping provides an opportunity to chart unknown territory. Using watercolor paint and waterproof ink, we will utilize creative mapping to connect to place, recollections, and desires. Bring journal entries, poems, stories, and maps for reference material. These materials will not be physically incorporated into our maps, but will inspire layers of creativity. Ideas will be discussed for ways to enjoy your newly-created “map.” Materials provided; feel free to bring your own supplies.
●Creative Mending with Embroidery (Fruita Branch)
(Open to adults; no registration required)
3 p.m. Tuesday, April 2, at the Fruita Branch, 324 N. Coulson St.
Time-honored techniques of mending and decorative stitching from various cultures can be incorporated to create attractive, durable repairs for clothing. After a short slide program, learn some stitches and methods to create patches with creative flair. If desired, bring a pair of jeans or shirt in need of repair.
●Creative Mending with Embroidery (Central Library)
(Open to adults; no registration required)
6 p.m. Tuesday, April 9, at the Central Library, 443 N. 6th St., Grand Junction
Time-honored techniques of mending and decorative stitching from various cultures can be incorporated to create attractive, durable repairs for clothing. After a short slide program, learn some stitches and methods to create patches with creative flair. If desired, bring a pair of jeans or shirt in need of repair.
ABOUT THE 970WEST ARTIST IN RESIDENCE PROGRAM
The Mesa County Libraries 970West Artist in Residence (AIR) program highlights and celebrates artistic creation in Mesa County. Three artists are chosen to participate in the program each year; artists in residence are awarded use of the AIR studio in the 970West Studio building at 502 Ouray Ave. for the duration of their residency. Applications for 970West Artist in Residence are accepted annually beginning in late August.
Two other artists selected for 970West residencies in 2019 are: Devan Penniman, a printmaker and founder of the Fruita Zine Party (May 6-Aug. 12), and Paula Marchiondra, a fused glass artist (Aug. 26-Dec. 2).
The 970West Artist in Residence program is generously supported by the Mesa County Libraries Foundation.