It has been far, far too long since I've last blogged.  But it has been a wild and crazy summer to say the least.  Okay, maybe not exactly wild...or crazy.  But certainly BUSY. 

Now that I have a few minutes to spare, a cup of coffee (or what my friends like to describe as a viscous substance resembling tar), and a giant chocolate chip cookie, I can finally write on one of the many cool things taking place at the CSOTC recently.  I'll try to keep it short since a) I don't want to bore you the reader and b) I have some fantasy football research to get done this evening. 

This past weekend, Mama Sherry and I got the chance to cruise up I-25 and roll to Denver.  There we spent a few hours pretending to be advanced and hip, checking out the Art Fun(d) showing at the Art Institute of Colorado.  The John Jellico Gallery featured small canvas works by the school's students, local artists, and most importantly for Sherry and me, they also had on display a number of pieces created by our own OTC athletes and staff. 

Over 100 canvases were displayed, with the artists names kept hidden.  Each canvas was on sale to the public for $50.  12 specially selected works were put up for a silent auction with bids starting at $50.  All proceeds went to scholarships for the Institute.  Two of the twelve works belonged to OTC athletes - pentathlete Will Brady and freestyle wrestler Dan Felix.   The other athlete works of ar fared well, gaining praise and selling to excited art collectors and connoisseurs (or maybe they were athlete stalkers or proud family members, either way, the money went to good use).

And it was a good time.  The people watching couldn't be better.  I love seeing socialites eating cheese, sipping wine, and arguing about the technical mastery and emotional gravity of a piece of art that looks like someone spilled mustard, beer, and ketchup on canvas.

Although I certainly appreciate art and sometimes think I have a hipster sensibility, in truth, I really understand very little about art theory or why post-modern art is so appealing.  Sherry seemed to feel the same.  And we felt no shame in cracking jokes about some of the items we thought were better suited hanging on the refrigerators of parents (of course we weren't talking about the artwork of our athletes).

But there were a number of canvases that we truly appreciated and enjoyed - even bidding on a few to support our athletes, the local arts community and start a bit of our own art gallery to enlighten the décor of the OTC.   

It was definitely cool to see how talented and creative our athletes were in comparison to the art students - at least they compared well in my biased, artistically ignorant mind.  Who knows, maybe we'll even host our own our art show sometime in the fall.