45 years of Extraordinary Treasure Hunting in Creede, Colorado
It had rained all the way from Dallas on the day Jennifer Inge rode her motorcycle into Creede, Colorado. She was instantly in love with the raw, rugged mountains and wild spirit of the tiny silver mining town, intoxicated by the scent of aspen and bristlecone pine.
Thinking, "What a great place to live, ride horses…" but fearing that a business could never survive in such a remote place, she first opened Rare Things in her hometown in 1972. But the tug was too strong, so Inge followed her heart to the Rockies. Rare Things Gallery of Treasures was reborn in 1974. These days, excitement is in the air as she prepares to celebrate 45 years of extraordinary treasure hunting in Creede.
The gallery showcases Inge's impressive gemstone and horsehair jewelry, as well as the art of many other talented creatives. A sunlit showroom glimmers with an array of studio jewelry along with paintings, sculpture, photography, architectural antiques, and decorative arts.
Exquisitely carved pearls, ancient coins, and rare stones finely set in silver and gold share space with bat skeletons, fossil ammonite sinks, exotic skulls, geodes, and antlers. It's worth the climb up the bristlecone stairs to the Treasure Loft to explore for shabby chic decor. Melodic wind chimes, soft pillow swings, and gurgling fountains invite you to linger on the enchanting back deck.
There are curiosities, collectibles, and oddities— surprises at every turn.
It's only natural that Rare Things Gallery of Treasures grew into a legendary business. It is the curated result of a lifetime of keen discovery. It now attracts visitors to Creede from around the globe. Recent patrons include Johnny Depp and Jason Momoa.
Behind the scenes of the gallery, there is a whirlwind of other activity.
Inge still explores Mineral County and the San Juan Mountains by horseback, following elk trails above palisades and wandering through remote canyons. It's a fascinating place. Wind, water, and volcanic activity have created otherworldly formations.
With every ride, she brings back a wealth of inspiration and a pack-horse loaded with treasure. Wave of lava flow, texture of wood, silhouette of bristlecone in full moon, streaks of red in skies or cliff face— all swirl in her mind's eye, guiding her hands to tell a story with gemstones, found objects and precious metals, exotic leathers and horsehair.
This treasure trove is squirreled away in her basement studio. It's no ordinary basement. It is a mystical grotto of rhyolite stone walls, gnarly bristlecone posts, stucco, red fir beams, and a massive monk staircase hewn from a single Ponderosa pine.
Cached in retired printers' trays are thousands of unusual gemstones and mineral specimens. Many of these are no longer mined: Sonoran Sunset, Bumblebee "Jasper", Bisbee and Manassa turquoise, Sweet Home rhodochrosite…
Each stone is so unique "It's sometimes hard to know where to start. I work like I'm making a puzzle, matching up textures, shapes, colors, history… I play a shell game of move them here, move them there— all of a sudden there's just this physical sensation, energetic sensation that they've been waiting for 30 million years to be side-by-side."
A masterful craftsman in several media, Jenny loves to retreat from the meticulous demands of jewelry making to her backstreet workshop. It was once the County Jail. Now, it's a creative laboratory.
From the half-acre inventory of iron, weathered wood, rocks and found objects, she and assistants build sculptures, lamps, and furniture. Recently, she trailed down the Rio Grande to Taos, setting up another studio for winter jewelry and design work, pretending to be semi-retired.
Though Jenny's first artistic passion is metal-smithing, she is most known for her fine horsehair braiding. The Inge Horsehair Jewelry Collection is unique in the world. Childhood braiding and macramé, along with college studies in anthropology, lead her to decipher antique patterns and invent new ones. Her work has shown in galleries and museum shops across the country, and memorializes the cherished equine friends of horse lovers.
And she finds time for her community. Inge has played a leadership role in developing the Chamber, town park, Community Center, fairgrounds, rodeo, Creede Sculpture Show and numerous other events. In 2001, she founded the Creede Rock and Mineral Show that now attracts hundreds of visitors. Many of them plan their vacation a year in advance to attend.
Jenny is insatiably, joyously curious, but after decades of gathering, the rich array of materials is both exciting and overwhelming. "In ten lifetimes I could never actually complete all the designs and projects I've imagined."
And she longs for more time with her horses...
Inge speaks wistfully of how Rare Things Gallery of Treasures has grown. "It has come to mean so much to so many, and it's a cool store- a destination in its own right. I am so proud of it, still love it all so much, but it needs to be in younger hands, to become something new. And I am ready to become something new again, as well".
If you've been to Rare Things before, you should come back to see what's new. If you haven't, you are missing out. There is no better time than the 45th anniversary celebration this June.
Rare Things Gallery of Treasures will host artist openings at the gallery June 26th-29th, and sponsor the Creede ChuteOut Rodeo Wednesday the 26th. There's a dance with the Rifters at the Elks Hall on Saturday the 29th. And for the finale, Jenny invites you to her home on the 30th for a champagne brunch.
"Stone-Inge" is at the top of Main Street on the right. Enjoy the glorious garden and magical little yard below the cliffs. Check out the Boulder Room. Tour the Subterranean Studio. Then raise a toast to 45 years of the extraordinary spirit of Rare Things.
The Shorter Version: About the Gallery
The story behind this eclectic gallery located in the small mountain town of Creede, Colorado
Travel back to the 1972 fringe of Dallas, to Olla Padrida (old airplane hangars turned artists' haven) where Jennifer Inge has opened Rare Things, a tiny 8'x 12' shop with a little work bench and one small showcase. She is making custom jewelry and crafts as customers look on and selling jewelry faster than she can work. Two years and a 1000 miles later, this very young entrepreneur followed a calling to the western mountains, landed in Creede, and established Rare Things Gallery. Against all odds and 35 years later, the Gallery has become a destination business and a cornerstone for Creede. What was once a small storefront and studio combination is now one of the finest retail galleries in the Southwest…a treasure trove of jewelry, antiques, decorative arts, photography, paintings, stained glass, pottery, woodwork, furniture, rocks, minerals, and wonderments of nature.
Imagine living a life of passionate collecting, designing and building in the magical mountains of Mineral County. Jenny believes "though Creede seems an impossible place to grow a business, I feel a direct line to the Creative Source here - I could not lead a richer life." Best known for the Inge Horsehair Jewelry Collection, Jennifer is also a skilled metal worker, multi-media artist and savvy business proprietor.
The mystique and lure of Rare Things make the trek to Creede worthwhile. As customers observe almost daily, Jenny has an amazing eye. You will often "See it First" at Rare Things even years before it hits the general market. Intriguing displays of unusual jewelry and collectibles invite lingering for hours. Energetic and knowledgeable personal shopping assistants bring life to the stories behind this global collection. A visit to the Gallery is always an adventure in treasure hunting!
THEN NOW
Gallery = 300 sf Gallery = 3000+ sf
Jenny ran all sales transactions out of a cigar box and kept inventory figures in her head Sales, inventory and bookkeeping computerized
No employees 4 full time and up to 10 part time employees during peak season
Six week selling season Year-round selling season
Local Global @ www.rarethingsgallery.com
Rotary phones and local calls made by dialing last 4 digits Wireless, cell phones and internet
House - 500 sq ft miner's shack 2800 sq ft "Stone-Inge" living sculpture
Jenny 23 years old You do the math
10 Artists represented 100+ Artists represented
Silver $4.71/Troy oz Silver no where close to $4.71/Troy oz
Rare Things Gallery Staff
Nanci Beazley has been managing Rare Things Gallery with tireless and positive enthusiasm since 1996. After all these years, she still considers her move to Creede from Waco, Texas, to manage the gallery to be one of her most life enhancing experiences. Believing that "change is the very most natural thing…life is mostly attitude and timing" sure comes in handy for keeping pace with the jackrabbit darting of Trailboss' creative fervor. Artfully balancing commitments to family and business, Nanci is the queen of computer operations, inventory management, shipping and staff supervision. Dedicated to advancing business through team building, she keeps Rare Things a joyful place to work.
About our current staff: "What a Team! How fortunate I am to leave my sacred space of treasures in such caring and capable hands. Knowing that the gallery "runs itself," frees me up to design and create in the working retreat of my basement studio, get on a horse once in awhile and 'treasure hunt' for weeks when buying for the gallery each spring. With all my heart, Thank You Ladies!" - Head Trail Boss, Jennifer Inge