A pretty good view from the front porch of the William Allen White Cabin. (click to enlarge)
Monday, July 29, 2013
I’m at Rocky Mountain National Park now as Artist-in-Residence until August 10 doing the night sky photos. I’m hoping the mountainous terrain and high altitude will produce a different look from the pictures I’ve been taking in the Southwest.
The park houses the artist in an historic cabin once lived in by William Allen White, a journalist and editor of the Emporia Gazette in Kansas. He and his family would spend summers in the cabin that was built here before the area became a national park. It’s really a spectacular structure, a big porch that looks out onto an equally spectacular view of the mountains. Two rocking chairs allow you to comfortably watch the view. When the clouds come in and swirl around the mountains it’s quite a show.
I arrived in late afternoon on Sunday and the warm light really highlighted the 1920’s style interior. They’ve kept White’s old roll top desk and chair with small wheels. Lots of wood furniture and built-in cupboards. The “Policies and Operations Manual” on a trunk used as a coffee table says the cabin does not have internet, cell phone signals or television- “These modern pieces of technology were not present in White’s cabin.” So it’s a nice escape from the fully connected world.
The main room of the cabin and the cabin with its view. (click to enlarge)
First I stopped at Beaver Meadows Visitor Center to check in with Jean Muenchrath, a ranger and artist-in-residence coordinator. She’s really enthusiastic about the program and all the artists that come here. She gave me the keys to the cabin and a lot of park information. She pointed out great scenic areas that might make good photos, I’ll check those out later today.
Earlier today Betsy Leverton stopped by to see if I had questions about the park and talk about the public presentation I will give on Wednesday night. She and her husband Roger will introduce me during the Evening Program at the Visitor Center. Then Juley Harvey from the Estes Park Trail Gazette came by to interview me for an article for the newspaper. She does stories on all the artists, I think there are 6 this summer.
Looks like a big storm moving in. Large windows let me work at the dining room table and look out at the view of the meadows and mountains and watch the weather come through.
