Carol Schneider is the new President of Pagosa Springs Arts Council as well as an accomplished jewelry designer. For Carol, inspiration for her jewelry is everywhere she looks. “Working with unusual materials in my jewelry has unleashed my creativity and challenged my design skills,” says Schneider. In her most recent work, Schneider has used miniature Acoma pottery, turned wood medallions (made by local artist Will Dunbar), ammonite fossils, and Anasazi pottery shards.  The pottery shards were used in a series of jewelry pieces titled Honoring the Ancients. Two of these necklaces were accepted into the Four Corners Commission Juried Exhibit in Durango. Schneider created the Honoring the Ancients series to commemorate the artistry of Anasazi potters. Each piece she created is truly one of a kind. The pottery shards in this series, which are over 1,000 years old, were given to her as a gift from private land in Arizona. In honor of these ancient artists, I am incorporating their work into mine to continue the life and enjoyment of these tiny pieces of art,” Schneider stated.

Continued...

Schneider’s beaded jewelry incorporates a variety of techniques, including her favored peyote stitch beading. Her work also reflects her love of the West. In “Sedona,” another piece that was accepted into the juried exhibit in Durango, Schneider demonstrates her bead embroidery skills and fuses the colors of the West with a subject matter typically seen throughout the deserts of the West.

It’s no wonder Schneider’s work has been so influenced by the West and Native American culture. Schneider is originally from Arvada, Colorado, and fondly remembers her many travels throughout the West as a child. Her career in education led her to spending 13 years living and working on three Native American reservations: the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota, the Spirit Lake Nation in North Dakota, and most recently the Navajo Reservation in Arizona, where she was a school superintendent at Rock Point Community School. In August 2009, Schneider moved back to her home state to live and pursue a career in art. She joined Artisans of the Southwest Gallery and Wine Room and became a board member of the Pagosa Springs Arts Council within the first month of her arrival. She became the PSAC Board President in January 2010.

Schneider has ambitious plans for PSAC. “I have enormous shoes to fill,” says Schneider. “Our past President, Linda Echterhoff, did a phenomenal job reinvigorating the arts council and bringing in new events and programs. While continuing and building upon what Linda and others started, my main focuses will be increasing our individual and business members and building relationships with our member artists. Like everyone else, the arts council is suffering in these economic times. Many people believe that the arts are expendable—a luxury—they cannot afford right now. However, research shows a strong correlation between the arts and the development of intelligence, problem solving skills, and moral character. I believe the arts are not expendable, they are essential. The talent that exists in this tiny town of ours is truly astounding. PSAC can play and should play a huge role in promoting and developing this talent. We cannot do it, though, without the support of others through membership and donations. Our very survival depends on increased membership and donations so that the arts council can do justice to the talented artists in this community and provide its educational programs, especially for our community’s youth. I urge everyone to support PSAC with whatever they can afford.”

“I am absolutely thrilled to be living in Pagosa Springs and being a member—and now leader—of such a talented community of artists,” Schneider says. “It’s a dream come true to be able to pursue my talents as an artist in such a great environment where there is no loss for inspiration in the sheer beauty of our surroundings.”

Visit her website, The Artist Within: www.TheArtistWithin.biz