CREATIVITY IS CENTRAL TO THE GESTALT AT CAMPV, A GLAMPING OUTPOST NEAR NATURITA.
Art framing art at CampV. PHOTO COURTESY OF CAMPV
“PRAIRIE WIND CHAPEL,” a whimsical art installation crafted from steel, canvas, tractor seats and a windmill-powered 1880s pipe organ, first invited reflection at Burning Man. Now it sits in an old baseball field at CampV (campv.com), a year-old nexus for open-air experiential art. Nearby, colored flags flap in the breeze on top of the Pariah Express art car, another Burning Man relic, complete with ornate chandeliers threaded with fairy lights. Reimagining a 1940s mining camp called Vancorum in a forgotten corner of southwest Colorado, CampV also offers glamping with fully furnished canvas tents, decked-out Airstreams and restored miner cabins.
The cabins have gas-burning stoves and Wi-Fi, but no TVs. PHOTO COURTESY OF CAMPV
Co-founder Natalie Binder’s grandmother worked as company secretary of the Vanadium Corporation of America; her grandfather was a local entrepreneur. “If you lived here at that time, you were connected to uranium,” Binder says. “That’s where all the jobs were.” She hopes CampV will revitalize the rural area around Naturita.
To remodel the 14 original cabins that housed the uranium mill’s bosses and engineers, Binder tapped the expertise of CampV co-founders Jodie and Bruce Wright of One Architects in Telluride. Salvaged barnwood doors from the property find new life as interior doors, adding a rustic vibe, while modern furnishing like sheepskin rugs and leather ottomans elevate the interiors. Crosley record players and a stack of vintage LPs serve as the media of the moment.
As you wander CampV’s 120 acres, you’ll discover art everywhere. A yellow school bus is buried in a hillside (total mystery, that), and a massive crusher cone tipped on its side perfectly frames an abandoned open-air water tower where sound bath gong ceremonies are held. “The space allows for creative, spontaneous and deep conversation,” Binder says.
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