May 5, 2022 By Marianne Mogon, Correspondent
Tammy Flanagan has led an eventful life, traveling and seeing various landscapes and experiencing different cultures which she explained,
“I’m excited to share those experiences through my art,” she said. And Park County Creative Alliance is pleased to feature Flanagan as its artist of the month for April.
Flanagan was born in a small town in Kansas to a mother who grew up on a farm and had never been any further than Missouri. Her father, a first-generation immigrant, didn’t know a word of English when he arrived in this country via Ellis Island at the age of 19. He was able to attend college, where he obtained a degree in chemistry. His subsequent job required the family to move to the Middle East when Flanagan was six-years-old.
Flanagan was able to paint more earnestly and joined an art drop-in group in the area. She developed a particular fondness of painting the beautiful landscape: aspen, pine, old homesteads, stormy skies, and the mountains. “Living in South Park is visually amazing,” she said.
The Flanagans built a studio dedicated to her art, and she starting showing her art in the Salado in Fairplay from the day they opened.
She enjoys refreshing the artwork on display every few months.
“Owner Kristin Farr is a patron to our local artists and a personal champion (second only to my husband), encouraging me to do more and allowing me to share and sell my art with tourists and residents alike,” said Flanagan.
“The Town of Fairplay is filled with influences of our PCCA artists. For many years, the town hosted an annual Plein Air Art competition and fundraiser for the local food bank. I was fortunate to be accepted into the 2019 event and learned how amazing painting on site can be. I hope to participate in similar events in the future,” she concluded.
Flanagan and her art can be found on Park County Creative Alliance’s web site under Artist’s Creative Directory. Park County Creative Alliance is an organization uniting Park County through the arts while helping to support and promote local artists from all genres such as writers, musicians, painters, photographers and so much more. Learn more about PCCA by visiting the website parkcreates.org. Be sure and pick up an Art in Adventuring Map found in various locations throughout Park County and a little beyond. PCCA can also be found on Facebook.