Michael Garman gallery to close, end production

Colorado Springs will lose an institution in November when the Michael Garman Gallery and Michael Garman Productions go out of business.

Garman turned his aptitude for sculpture into a mass-production business that made him as much a businessman as an artist, and his Magic Town diorama in Old Colorado City grew into a local tourist attraction.

Garman's health has been bad, store manager Jennifer Rohlfs said.

"He's ready to enjoy the last few years of his life without the stress of the company," she said. "We're not happy about it, but it's something that can't be avoided."

Michael Garman Productions announced the closing to its retailers in July. Rohlfs said that the company would continue producing sculptures through Nov. 1, then sell off the remaining stock into next year.