April 6 talk to benefit Veterans Memorial Park

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By James Van Liere

Special to The PREVIEW

On the evening of April 6, Jim Van Liere will talk about working with Christo and his wife, Jean Claude, on the Running Fence Art Project in northern California. The program will take place at the PLPOA Clubhouse, 230 Port Ave., with the doors opening at 6:30 p.m. and the program starting at 7 p.m.

Van Liere, who was the field engineer for the project, will show a 55-minute documentary film about this most unusual art project. The presentation is a benefit to raise funds for the Veterans Memorial Park of Archuleta County.

In addition to the talk and the movie, the latest drawings and information will be available showing the overall layout of the park and the first phase of construction, hopefully to start this spring.

Van Liere will also be displaying the drawings used in the fence’s construction, a sample of the fabric, a typical anchor and other paraphernalia. There will be a question-and-answer period after the show, and refreshments will be available. All donations will be greatly appreciated and will be directly applied to the construction of the Veterans Memorial Park project.

For those not familiar with Christo, he is an artist who is mostly known for his “wrapping” art projects, such as the coast of Australia and the Reichstag in Germany. In February of 2005, Christo did “The Gates” in Central Park in New York City. His one other project in Colorado is the Valley or Rifle Gap Curtain in 1972, with his current Colorado endeavor being the “Over the River” project between Salida and Canyon City.

If you have never heard of Christo and his artwork, then this is an excellent opportunity to learn more about him. If you have heard about Christo, then this is your chance to learn more about how his projects are developed and funded. This is a great way to help the Veterans Memorial Park and enjoy a very informative evening.