Художница Мейси Сигати представила работу о журавлях, вдохновленную рождением сына

Festival of Cranes Artist Macey Sigaty talks inspiration and family traditions For Colorado-based artist Macey Sigaty, inspiration is often found in the fleeting moments most people overlook — the shimmer of morning dew, a passing shadow or the quiet elegance of a sandhill crane lifting into the sky. Those everyday moments have become the foundation of her work, which spans photography, illustration, collage, printmaking and mixed media. This year, they also inspired her entry into the Friends of Bosque del Apache Festival of the Cranes art contest. "I think the through line with all of the different mediums I work in is paying attention to these small, ordinary moments," Sigaty said. "They're often gone as quickly as they arrive, but they're beautiful." Sigaty, 33, lives in Monte Vista, Colo., where she has become an active member of the local arts community through The Church Project Community Art Center. Although she has spent her entire life creating art, she said it wasn't until recently that she truly began identifying herself as a professional artist. "I've always made art, but it wasn't until I started teaching workshops, taking commissions and helping run programs at the art center that I finally thought, 'I am an artist,’;" she said. Sigaty grew up in a family of artists. Her grandfather, Gary Geivett, was a professional pen-and-ink artist, while her father, Doug Geivett, worked as a goldsmith. After earning an Associate of Applied Science degree in photography from Red Rocks Community College, Sigaty began exhibiting her photography in 2015 through Denver's Spectra Art Space before moving to Florida. There, surrounded by her grandfather's artwork and encouraged by fellow artists at the Leesburg Center for the Arts, she began selling photography, handcrafted jewelry and other artwork at local art markets. Today, much of her creative life revolves around The Church Project Community Art Center in Monte Vista, a nonprofit community arts space housed inside a former Baptist church. What began with weekly open studio sessions has grown into 16 community art programs, offering workshops and creative opportunities for residents of the small San Luis Valley town. "It's incredible to be able to teach," Sigaty said. "When you show someone a technique you've learned, they always create something completely different with it. Watching that happen is so inspiring." Her piece,“Crane Season”, will be featured on Festival of Cranes posters and promotional material. The piece was inspired by the drive home from the hospital after the birth of her son in November 2023. "It was crane season," she recalled. "As we were driving home, there were cranes standing in the fields. It was just so striking." The sunrise that morning was an unusually vivid red, a color she incorporated into the painting. "That was my son's first sunrise on the planet," she said. "It felt almost surreal." The artwork also reflects Sigaty's lifelong connection to sandhill cranes. While living in Leesburg, Florida, she spent two years watching non-migratory sandhill cranes wander freely through her grandparents' neighborhood. "They just ruled the whole place," she said. "Even the alligators stayed out of their way." After moving to Colorado, she discovered the annual migration that brings thousands of cranes to the San Luis Valley before continuing south to New Mexico's Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge. "I love knowing that the cranes we see here are the same ones that eventually make their way to Bosque del Apache," she said. "It's this beautiful connection between our communities." Beyond creating artwork, Sigaty continues to build community through creativity. She recently launched a mothers' art group at The Church Project after securing grant funding for the program. The initiative provides childcare during workshops so mothers have uninterrupted time to create. "I'm really excited about giving moms space to make art," she said. "Sometimes all you need is someone to watch your child for a little while so you can reconnect with your creativity."