I was fortunate in being asked to travel to Taos and join with a number of other poets to celebrate the life and work of the late Taos-based artist Bill Rane at the Rane Gallery, admirably run by his wife, Judith. The event, “Reflections on RANE,” took place on Saturday, September 22, in the Gallery itself. Each of the poets had picked a painting of Bill’s to write about—or from—or around! Anyway, the exchange of impressions was exhilarating, not least because the fine poets involved proved to be equally wonderful as people and artists.
The readers were (in order of performance):
Ellaraine Lockie
Tricia DuBois
Veronica Golos
Cheryl Loetscher
Moi
Linda Arnold (too shy to boast on the Web, evidently!)
Dora McQuaid
Karen Cordova (Web-elusive as well…)
Kathleen Cain
and
Andrea L. Watson
A couple of poets—Hallie Rane and Jim Ciletti—were unable to attend, but their poems (like the poems of those who did read) were framed and hung on the gallery walls beside the paintings that inspired them.
Many thanks to everyone involved for an entirely luminous experience!
Joseph Hutchison, Colorado Poet Laureate 2014-2019, has published 20 collections of poems and edited or co-edited three poetry anthologies. He currently directs two master’s-level programs for University College at the University of Denver: Professional Creative Writing and Arts & Culture Management. Joe lives with his wife, Melody Madonna, in the mountains southwest of Denver, Colorado, the city where he was born. 
