A Brief History of the Pikes Peak Pastel Society on its 14th Anniversary

PPPS officially began at a board meeting held on May 9, 2000 with the discussion of drafting the by-laws and incorporating the association. In reality, the impetus for our society began a little before that with a show at the Colorado Springs Airport in 1999. Everyone in that show had been participating in a weekly workshop led by Mariya Zvonkovich. It was through Mariya’s mentorship and encouragement that several of us began seriously working in pastels.

Judy Steininger served as our first president and really got us organized as a society. Original PPPS members included: Pegi Ballenger, Dan Beck, Diane Brewner, Eve Espinosa Buchanan, Patricia Buck-Messinger, Fran Dodd, Howard Dutzi, Jean Houghton, Emily Klein, Lou de Puthod, Regina Spriggs, Judy Steininger, Chuck Wilson, and Mariya Zvonkovich. Since that time, our membership has grown to about 35 members.

We have had at least two exhibitions per year since our inception. Some of our challenges have included finding venues for our exhibits and workshops. We really appreciate the Cottonwood Center for the Arts in Colorado Springs, the Business of Arts center in Manitou Springs, the Sangre de Cristo Arts Center, and the High Vista Gallery in Pueblo for allowing us to exhibit in their galleries. Without them, we would have not had a way to share our art with others.

The Pikes Peak Pastel Society is a member of the International Association of Pastel Societies (IAPS).