I found myself in this stunning box canyon with my wife, celebrating two decades of marriage, lured by the rich history and the timeless allure of old buildings. Ouray, Colorado, named after the esteemed Ute leader, Chief Ouray, certainly lived up to its reputation. The Victorian-era structures, born from the silver and gold rush of the 1870s, stand proudly as elegant reminders of a tougher, more ambitious era.
However, I soon realized that the town’s current vibe beats to a different, more monotonous tune. As we strolled from one gift shop to another, a disheartening pattern began to unfold. The same coffee mugs, the same pocket knives, the same bumper stickers—all mass-produced, all stamped with the town’s name, and I’d bet they all came from a factory far removed from the Colorado Rockies.
It seems the traveling salesman has swapped his sample case for a broadband connection, peddling the same generic souvenirs to every historic spot from coast to coast. As an artist, this uniformity feels like a creative dead end. I travel in search of inspiration, hoping to discover art that springs from local culture and ignites my own creativity. Instead, I found innovative ideas buried under a pile of future landfill waste, akin to a fleeting TikTok trend—quickly consumed and easily forgotten.
Yet, it was this very letdown that sharpened my perspective. With my interest in the shops’ offerings fading, I began to truly appreciate the buildings that housed them. My artist’s eye turned into that of a detective, revealing a much richer story within the architecture itself.
I started tracing the ghostly outlines of past technologies: a boarded-up coal chute on the side of a brick wall, a remnant from when heat was shoveled in by the ton. I was fascinated by the hidden challenge of updating these historic structures with modern amenities. How did they weave plumbing and electrical systems through these old bones? Some solutions were cleverly concealed, showcasing the skillful craftsmanship that went into preserving the past.
I’m the owner of Benham Design Concepts, a mixed media art studio where I design and build custom furniture and other works of art using wood, glass, stone, and various metals.
In this blog, I talk about the art I create, my journey, and the things I learn along the way.