Art has always thrummed in the background of Max Settlage’s life.
His creativity has shifted forms and come full circle over the decades, from visual art to figure skating and back to visual art.
“People, Places, Things” is the Colorado Springs artist’s first solo exhibit. It opens Friday with a free reception at Cottonwood Center for the Arts during First Friday Downtown, a monthly event featuring new exhibits and opening receptions from 5-8 p.m. at galleries, shops and other venues throughout downtown.
“Art keeps me grounded,” Settlage said. “I see things differently because of it. I appreciate the things around me more. I find it very therapeutic. I’m able to disconnect and focus on a craft.”
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As a child he liked to draw, but his focus narrowed after attending a friend’s ice skating birthday party when he was 11. He was the only kid who couldn’t skate, though that soon changed after his mom got him lessons. He fell in love with the sport, entered the competitive world and moved from Phoenix to Colorado in 2010 to train in pairs figure skating. The elite skater went on to become the 2014 CS U.S. Classic bronze medalist, 2014 U.S. national junior champion, and a two-time U.S. national pewter medalist (fourth-place finisher) in 2015 and 2016.
“Figure skating for me is similar to art,” Settlage said. “I’ve always loved to perform. In a way it was an extension of art — getting to focus on the artistry of the movement.”
During his time on the ice he also got to weave in his visual art talents, becoming the unofficial resident artist for U.S. Figure Skating over the last few years. He did logo designs and caricatures of high-level figure skaters, as well as cover designs for the last three U.S. Figure Skating magazines.
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After retiring from skating in 2019, mainly due to the physical toll on his body, Settlage continues to coach at The Broadmoor World Arena and Sertich Ice Center. That same year, he took an acrylics class at Cottonwood with painter Ben Bires that reinvigorated his artistic interests. Last year, he committed to taking art more seriously and enrolled at Pikes Peak State College to pursue an associate’s degree in studio art.
Most of the 15 pieces in his new show are acrylics and ceramics, with a couple of mixed-media pieces. One painting depicts a crowd of people painted in violet shades, except one person who’s in color with a fishbowl for a head.
“I’m illustrative and abstract with my themes,” Settlage said. “I have a theme I’m going for, but I try to twist it a little bit. I want people to wonder if it means something deep or if it’s just fun.”
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For a collage piece that resembles a comic book cover, he cut up magazines and ads, created a city and drew a comic book hero he named The Rabbit.
“That’s one of the pieces that represents my art style,” he said. “I capture a lot of childhood whimsy in my pieces. I wanted it to be a lighthearted exhibit. I want people to feel a little happier after they leave.”