New arts organization Copper Colored Mountain Arts is wrapping up its first season of art classes and exhibits, dance classes, live performances, and poetry classes and readings. Co-founder and instructor Christina Burch, who opened CCMA with her husband artist and instructor Rob Davis this summer, is thoroughly enjoying the “bucolic” picturesque farm country setting of their current home base at the Tsogyelgar Dharma Center west of Ann Arbor. However, the long-term plan is to grow into a regional program that will spread itself out to more venues across southeast Michigan.

Making Tsogyelgar Dharma Center home base might be temporary; however, the Buddhist center has been “an inspiring place” to get Copper Colored Mountain Arts up and running, according to Burch. It is likely to remain a hub.

Watch a video about Copper Colored Mountain Arts:

Classes and events — including an upcoming appearance by poet Nathaniel Mackey — are held in a converted two-story barn on the property. Spaces are set up for art classes covering ceramics, glass bead work, mosaics, woodcarving, environmental arts, and painting and drawing. They have also hosted classes in poetry, music, dance, and more.

Upstairs is outfitted with a raised lounge area that doubles as a stage for performances and special events. The second floor has plenty of wall and floor space that accommodates art exhibits and dance and movement classes. In general, the space is versatile and able to accommodate a wide range of uses. In addition to having a lot going on indoors, having contemplative gardens, a coy fish pond, and outdoor sculpture to look at “gives this place a peaceful feeling that is conducive to art making,” Burch says.

Before founding Copper Colored Mountain Arts and celebrating their opening in July of this year, Burch and Davis lived in New York City, where Burch taught and worked at an art gallery and Davis worked as an art technician at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Their connection to Ann Arbor formed via their studies with Tsogyelgar Dharma Center’s co-founder Traktung Khepa Rinpoche.

“Traktung Rinpoche commissioned Rob to paint the mural in the shrine room of the Buddha center,” a brilliantly colored and detailed large scale mural depicting a series of Buddhist deities in the Thangka painting tradition, which provided Davis with a full-time job, Burch explains.

Watch a presentation by Rob Davis as part of last year's Art Walk:

The idea to start hosting classes and events at the Tsogyelgar Dharma Center “evolved organically,” after the couple moved to Ann Arbor, “because there were so many talented people to work with, we all knew each other, we were friends and came together,” Burch says.

“The Dharma Center has been very generous. A lot of people there are also involved here — they are teaching and taking Dharma Arts classes,” she says. On top of their core group, they have also been reaching out and establishing relationships with other artists, poets, teachers, and organizations, with hopes for plenty of opportunities to collaborate and partner in the future.

In the future; “It would be ideal to have a downtown space because we’d like to have residencies and more opportunities for artist studios and things like that,” Burch says. In the short-term future, they are working on partnering with different organizations and venues to expand programming. Looking ahead, she would like to do some kind of children’s programming next summer, hold Copper Colored Mountain Arts events at regional venues, and invite groups and artists to collaborate on programs at the Tsogyelgar Dharma Center.

In the meantime, they spent their first summer “testing out different types of events to see what people are interested in,” with encouraging results, Burch says. So far, so good. “The dance performances were well attended. It was amazing, we did two nights of poetry readings and had about 90 people come out.

“For other artists, poets, and musicians to be able to come out here be inspired, meet each other, and work on collaborations — it’s proven very generative in that way. People who might not have otherwise come together have been coming together,” she adds.

Before Copper Colored Mountain Arts closes down for the winter season, at the end of October, there is still time to catch a two-day poetry series and view artworks on display. They will resume programming and classes June through October 2011.

A two-day poetry reading event Oct. 15 and 16 will cap off the first installment of their fall “One Pause Poetry Series,” which was created by Director of Poetry Sarah Messer, an associate professor at the University of North Carolina - Wilmington. Poets Peter O’Leary and John Tipton will read and do book signings, on October 15, from 7 to 9 p.m. On October 16, renowned poet and keynote speaker Nathaniel Mackey will do a poetry reading and book signing, from 7 to 9 p.m. Nicola’s Books will supply copies of the authors’ books for signing.

Their current outdoor art exhibit “Art in the Garden” and indoor exhibit “Art in the Barn” will remain on display throughout the month of October. A number of artworks are on display around the property’s contemplative gardens and on the second floor of the barn. More artworks will be added before the month is up, including some examples of work students created in class.

You can visit Copper Colored Mountain Arts, 7101 W. Liberty St., on Saturdays, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., by appointment, or during the upcoming poetry series.