Articulate City

Most of us know the brains and the beauty (you can decide which is which) behind Articulate City, Julie and Jeanie Sutter. But how well do we actually know them? What is it that these ladies spend their time doing when they’re not planning some of the most awesome, hip arts events? So, if you think you will know Julie and Jeanie, test yourself by reading what they have to say about themselves–maybe you’ll learn something about them you didn’t know. And if you don’t know them, take a minute to read about them. You won’t regret it. These art-lovers are anything but boring, even in writing.

The art we ♥:
Julie: I love all types of art – that’s perhaps obvious – and I really love the ideas and the people behind the art.

Jeanie: I love all the art too, but I have a special place for live acoustic music. My favorite art piece in the house right now was made by Fort Collins local artist Kirsten Savage and its caption is “be your own festival”. I’m also a little obsessed with Bryan Collins who is local as well. I like Banksy too, but he isn’t local. (“or IS he?” – Julie)

 √ Visual Arts  √ Theatre  √ Live Music  √ Dance  √ Literary Arts  √ Cinema  √ Other (too many to list)

Listening:
Julie: I’m on the board of directors for SpokesBUZZ Fort Collins and I haven’t taken the SpokesBUZZ Vol. II CD out of my car CD player for a month. For real – so many great musicians in Fort Collins! I also listened to a lot of Foster the People, Gotye, M83 and Friendly Fires in 2011. I think I’m going through a phase. The same one I went through in 1985 or so.               

Jeanie: Currently in heavy rotation on my iPod are Joshua Radin, Joni Mitchell, Javier Colon, and of course, John Mayer. In the car, I tend toward pop music and car-concert friendly stuff. Wait… I have car concerts to just about every kind of music.                                           

Watching:
Julie: I have episodes of “House” and “Glee” in my Hulu queue at any given moment. I love the movies – I just don’t get to see enough of them. I grew up on John Hughes (see “going through a phase”, above) and Rob Reiner, so I’m a sucker for a romantic comedy with a splash of neuroticism or a twist of coming-of-age. I also really dig documentary films.

Jeanie: I follow in my older sister’s footsteps on this one, but I am also watching Modern Family, Parks and Recreation, 30 Rock, just finished up Arrested Development, and I like to try to see as many of the Oscar-nominated films as I can see in the year so I can decide if the Academy is screwing it up.

Reading:
Julie: Currently waiting for The Magician King to come out in paperback. I love reading, but I really hate reading hardback books. Maybe I need to switch to an e-book reader, but that just seems dangerous. Like I’d never stop reading, given that kind of immediacy. I’m also a fan of Chuck Klosterman, Alice Hoffman, Neil Gaiman, John Irving, Stephen King. I guess I have a dark side. Books are magic.

Jeanie: Unlike Julie, I like hardback books and as a side note, I don’t think I’ll ever understand people who read on Kindles or some other electronic device. I like the smell and feel of real books and they seem safer to read in the bathtub. Lately I’ve been reading a lot of magazines. Perhaps it should be a New Year’s Resolution to get back into books because I do love them. P.S.  I’m devastated that the magazine ReadyMade went under.

Dining:
Julie: If Star of India was located any closer to our house, I’d go broke. Also love Snooze (pancakes!) and I think Big Al’s has the best burger in town. Generally a fan of spicy, with ice cream for dessert.

Jeanie: Ice cream is my dessert, Julie. That and uncooked brownie batter….and cupcakes…and chocolate covered caramels.  I think I’m personally keeping many of the downtown restaurants open with my frequent support of them all. Right now I’m into the happy hours at Jax Fish House and the Canyon Chophouse. I’ve also spent my fair share of time at Café Vino and The Crown Pub.

Browsing:
Julie: Articulate City, natch. Also spend a lot of time with social media sites, for business and pleasure. If I find time to spend reading something other than status updates and tweets, I like www.theatlantic.com and www.fastcompany.com. But I guess those are actually more magazines than websites? It’s blurry.

Jeanie: a. Don’t say natch, Julie. b. You should let people know how much time you spend watching YouTube videos searching for cats that hang out with eagles, and for sloths. c. I’m into pinterest.com, perezhilton.com, and spend more time than I should reading facebook.com.

Working:
Julie: I am an advertising and marketing writer – I own my own company: Unconventional Ink. I work out of a collaborative workspace called Cohere, alongside other independent creative professionals. Love that.

Jeanie: I am a personal trainer for my own company, Mind Body Design. I spend time doing random other work things like dog sitting, being Avery the Downtown Squirrel, and spent time this summer at The Mishawaka Amphitheater working as a trough girl. I don’t think I’ll ever have that thing that some people call a career.

Giving:
Julie: Arts advocacy and creative and cultural causes make me really happy. In addition to Articulate City and SpokesBUZZ, I am also a board member at TCAMP and support Fort Collins Museum of Art, GNU Experience Gallery, Opiate Gallery, KRFC 88.9 FM and more. In general, I think giving to and getting involved in Fort Collins has contributed to my happiness here.

Jeanie: I’m currently giving money to The Fort Collins Food Bank, GNU Experience Gallery, TriMedia Film Festival, SpokesBUZZ, Opiate Gallery, KUNC, Environment Colorado, and pretty much any cause that gets me riled up. It really does make you feel better to give.

Avoiding:
Julie: the taste of wood. I chalk it up to clarinet reeds in junior high, but I shudder at the thought of Popsicle sticks, wooden coffee stirrers and some varieties of chopstick. Ugh. I also prefer people who have a sense of humor, particularly about themselves.

Jeanie: Julie that wood thing really is weird. I am currently avoiding closed-minded people, mega churches, and in the New Year, excess calories.

Fancying:

Julie: I really love being an aunt. I have a fairly obsessive relationship with the Tour de France, which takes me out of interacting in the real world for much of July. My philodendron, Phil, is the closest thing I have to a “pet” – he doesn’t mind my never really being home. I’d like to stay curious forever.

Jeanie: True on the aunt thing, predictable permacrush on John Mayer, Ryan Gosling, and Jake Gyllenhaal, current mini crush on Adam Scott of Parks and Rec, and seasonal crushes on most all of the NFL and men’s college basketball players and some coaches. I love my iPhone, I wish I had a dog, but I live with a sister that hates dogs, and I’m up for most any exciting adventure that gets presented to me, though I would avoid eating bugs.

Julie – note: it’s not dogs. It’s owners. Remember? Just like it’s not kids. It’s parents.