Awards and Honors

 
 

Jennifer Sellers was awarded The 2013 Mountain Fair Poster and T-Shirt Award for “Mountain Fair Ute” — the broadest exposure for any piece entered into the show, and representative of not only the spirit of the community, but of the light that dwells within it.


In "Mountain Fair Ute" Jennifer portrays a variety of seemingly divergent symbols uniting them into a powerful and complex theme of harmony and grace. During her research for this project, Jennifer discovered that the Ute hold a sacred dance each spring. This dance is called the Sun Dance and holds a deep ceremonial meaning to the Ute People, and this dance ultimately proved her inspiration for the piece.


Jennifer carefully selected colors found in traditional Ute jewelry and beadwork to create her painting, "Mountain Fair Ute". Weaving these exuberant colors within an array of Native American symbols, Jennifer sought to encapsulate Chief Seattle's sentiment: "Mankind has not woven the web of life. We are but one thread within it."


As a result, the painting is resplendent with meaning and color. Abundant bright, sunbeams radiate out from a central dream catcher. Each "sun circle" (a Mandala of sorts) represents the individual's connection to the world around her, and her interconnection to it. The dream catcher itself also represents the unity and solidarity of the Ute Tribes. Interspersed, are feathers, representing the very breath of life itself. And central to the painting, the Great Bear, poised before majestic Mt. Sopris (located in the heart of what the Ute People called the "Shining Mountains"), embodies the strength and character of the Ute Tribes.


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Jennifer also was recognized for her work in the Meeker Classic Sheepdog Championship Art Contest where she took the Children's Choice Award for “Mutton Buster” (2013).

 

Carbondale Mountain Fair