Leave it to Jon Zimmer to add spiritual drama to the indigenous culture and western theme of the 29^th annual Once Upon a Time in the West art show that begins this month.

Potter, painter, illustrator and designer, Zimmer took an artistic leap this year, creating a story within a 14-foot totem pole.

Beginning with a cedar log, Zimmer carved the journey with a dragonfly on the bottom of the pole and working up to the eagle.

Throughout the creation, Zimmer was driven by the Native American tradition of giving – “Potlatch,” perhaps, he thought, to Cripple Creek.

After negotiations with the city to accept the donation, Zimmer was able to overcome the logistical hurdles to achieve his potlatch.

Last week, eight men from the city’s public works department successfully transported the piece from Zimmer’s garage to the maintenance barn. By June 12, the totem is expected to be on the upper level of the Cripple Creek Heritage Center, its permanent home.

The totem is the centerpiece and theme of the art show and is the symbol of Zimmer’s artistic and literary creativity.  The totem debuts during Zimmer’s annual Native American blessing that opens Once Upon a Time in the West June 19.

In a preview of the blessing, Zimmer quotes a “wise holy man,” who said. “The act of Potlatch reaffirms a person’s values, a family’s values, or a clan’s values – it can even reaffirm a nation’s values.”

Zimmer will read the paragraph as part of the blessing he has written to highlight the meaning of each totem, the buffalo, two wolves (as one), salamander, bear, raven and the butterfly in addition to the dragonfly and eagle.  One of the totems is titled “nobody” that reflects bad memories for Zimmer which he has not disclosed.  

Among the artists at the show is JR Gatlin, who happens to be on city council and established a connection with Zimmer.  Starting with a buffalo skull he buys from a meat processing plant in Greeley, Gatlin turns a skull into art.  Most of the design is accomplished with a quick eye and ingenuity.

One skull has a head covering crafted with nails.

“My sweetheart and I were walking in the alleys in Cripple Creek, started seeing all these rusty nails,” he said.  “So, I put a coat of nails on the skull.”

For the buffalo’s eyes, Gatlin gathered twigs from the ground, cut the “barb,” or sharp edges, from barbed wire and, after crafting the design, inserted the transformed twigs into the opening.

“I made it look like barbed wire,” he said.

For another skull, Gatlin cut strips of white leather for the face which he then accented with a jeweled necklace.

In his artistic journey, Gatlin started with whimsical designs before settling on the Western theme of today’s skulls. With all the varied materials he assembles for his art, Gatlin works in an atmosphere of “creative chaos,” he said.

In addition to Zimmer and Gatlin, the show includes oils by Rita Cirillo, jewelry by Vera Egbert and Michele Rozell, gourds by Kathy Walden, graphite and pencil drawings by Tim Penland and acrylic and oils by Frank Glass.

The opening reception begins at 2 p.m. June 19, followed by the Native American blessing at 5:15 at the Cripple Creek Heritage Center. The show runs from June 19 through July 5.