Jill Wilson moved to the Box Canyon of Telluride 8 years ago to become the Public Services Manager at the Wilkinson Public Library. Originally from the Hill Country of Texas, Jill never realized how much of a Mountain Girl she really was until she moved to Colorado.
In her free time, Jill enjoys playing the ukulele (shout out to The Ukuladies), reading, cooking for others, soaking in hot springs, and going on hikes with her best buddies Cecelia (baby daughter friend), Bowie Arrow (goofy white Golden) and Sam Burgess (goofy loving husband).
Jill Wilson is a 2020 Telluride Arts Small Grant recipient. In collaboration with artist, Abby Fox, Jill is creating a children’s book titled Telluride ABCs. The hardcover picture book will take the reader on a captivating journey through Telluride, one letter of the alphabet at a time. It will include a mix of local wildlife, historical figures, local landmarks, and natural phenomena that are all quintessential elements of Telluride, both past and present.
We asked Jill a few questions:
What are you watching?
For some weird reason, I’ve started watching cooking competition shows like The Great British Bake Off and Top Chef. It's a great way to turn off your brain at the end of a long day, but beware of watching them when you're hungry!
What are you reading?
I'm a little late to the game, but I am currently enjoying Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens. Fun fact: It was on the New York Times best seller list for 30 consecutive weeks and was the most check out book at the Wilkinson Public Library in 2019. Also, Cece and I just finished Pinocchio and are starting The Wizard of Oz next. So fun to return to the old classics once more.
What are you listening to?
ALL of the vinyl in our collection.
Any projects you're currently working on?
If there is one silver lining to all of this, it is that it has given me and my illustrator, Abby Fox, time to work on our upcoming book project, Telluride ABCs. Thanks to the incredible generosity of Telluride Arts, I am going to finally fulfill my dream of becoming an author! And it's not just for kids! This book will be a piece of art in and of itself with 26 original pieces of artwork done by the very talented Abby Fox. Our goal is to try and capture the true essence of what makes Telluride so special and we are working hard to do our little town justice. We are both so excited to present this book to all of you in 2021. Stay tuned for more updates!
What has changed for you? (besides the obvious)
Well, pretty much everything changed when our little Cecelia was born in our home down in Placerville in July of 2019. Our lives are pretty much solely focused on making sure she gets the richest experiences possible every day and it has been so much fun watching her grow and learn new things. I am so grateful to have her beaming smile and baby giggles to get me through this bizarre time we're living in right now.