Creative, Inspiring: Margaret Rinkevich Is Exactly Where She Should Be
By Kathryn Sparacino
Photos by Melissa Plantz
Margaret Rinkevich sits in front of one of her paintings, her dog Leo winding around her legs. Bold, vibrant colors splash the large canvas on the wall behind her. Framing a nearby window are two tall tribal statues: a female figure from the Tiv peoples of Nigeria, the other a male figure from the Lobi of Burkina Faso. The contrast between the contemporary art on the walls of Rinkevich Gallery in Mountain Village, likely painted by Rinkevich this year, and the carved wooden statues, dating back to the early 20th century, is striking.
Rinkevich opened her gallery in 2018 and says she chose Mountain Village over the Telluride valley in part because she likes the light better. Sitting beside the huge south-facing window, it’s easy to see why; there is a clarity of light that brings a brilliance to Rinkevich’s space, her contemporary art and collection of tribal sculptures.
Abstract expressionism is a style of art that emerged in America after World War II when much of Western Europe, which had been the epicenter of centuries of art, lay in rubble. It was seen as rebellious and idiosyncratic, which mirrors Rinkevich’s own path that carried her to where she is now: a highly successful artist and gallerist.
“I started late, didn’t have an MFA and had no representation from a gallery,” Rinkevich says, explaining her deviation from the conventional route taken by so many artists, which usually includes a master of fine art degree. She has led an unconventional life and embarked on an unconventional journey to get to where she is. And from where she sits, surrounded by not just her own stunning canvases and collages, but also by the striking tribal sculptures, it appears it’s exactly where she should be.
Rinkevich is not lacking in experience in the art world. She holds a B.A. in art history from the University of Arizona, has worked at galleries in Santa Fe and trained museum docents in San Francisco. She also participated in archaeological excavations in Italy and later taught European art history at Northern Arizona University.
According to Rinkevich, her creative process and inspiration are deceptively simple. She says she loves “not knowing what is going to happen,” when she picks up a pencil and sketches in black and white, working entirely in the moment. She allows her body to loosen up over the course of the next eight or so hours, gradually adding color as the work unfolds until she feels satisfied with the results. “I could tinker with them all day,” she says. “Painting never really ends; art is an ongoing process. No rules, just pencil, paintbrush and palette knife.” Rinkevich says she typically reserves off season and Tuesdays, the only day her dog-friendly gallery is closed, to paint in her studio.
In addition to her art and gallery, Rinkevich is active in the Town of Mountain Village’s Business Development Advisory Committee and is also a member of its Public Art Commission. Rinkevich says she is inspired to support this aspect of Mountain Village because thriving communities and public art go hand in hand. Her involvement has made Rinkevich Gallery a cornerstone of Mountain Village, with this unconventional artist at its heart.