GV Mag Arts Leadership Team official

I'm thrilled about adding an arts leadership team for selecting the featured artists in each issue of the new Grand Valley Magazine.

Kay Crane, Sara Alyn Oakley, Terry Shepherd, and Steve Traudt will coordinate efforts in selecting the featured artists, as well as emerging artists for each issue.

All four are respected artists, teachers, and gallery managers and have a very real sense of the who-is-who and doing-what in the arts in our greater community.

Kay Crane, artist and photographer, manages the Blue Pig Gallery in Palisade and teaches classes at the Art Center in Grand Junction. Kay was part of the original GV Magazine core team as photo editor, writer and photographer. Having had the honor and pleasure to work with her for several years, Kay was first on my list! Not only is she talented, but she is wonderful to work with and an amazing team player.

Sara Alyn Oakley, artist and teacher, owns the Oakley Gallery downtown Grand Junction. She also runs the Artists' Colony and is founder of the Grand Valley Art Students League. I got to know Sara through the Students League and was completely blown away by her talent, leadership, and commitment to the arts in our community.

Terry Shepherd, artist-in-residence at the Art Center in Grand Junction is all about clay. He also teaches and has the patience of a saint when it comes to helping budding art students. I feel that Terry is the quintessential representative of the clay arts in our community.

Steve Traudt, photographer and teacher, has a reputation not only for exquisite photography, but for his approachable style. Steve taught at Colorado Mesa University (when it was Mesa State College) for 18 years. I became familiar with Steve's work when we featured him in GV Magazine. And have since learned of his friendly disposition and love of teaching.

I am so excited about this team's collaboration for selecting the featured artists/photographers and emerging artists/photographers for each issue of the new GV Magazine. We will introduce them and their signature pieces in the relaunch issue of the magazine this November. It is such an honor to have them on the team in this capacity!