Extra Innings

On to the multi-part space that runs across the back of the CVA. First off, the Susan Wick has to go. Wick, like Sink, is important socially, but not based on the quality of her work. Here I'd hang a John Hull painting, perhaps one of his studies of boxers. It would riff off the Daniel Sprick, playing up their commonalities and differences. Based on her relative obscurity, I'd also remove the Paola Ochoa pieces and put up a Mary Ehrin feather painting.

Connected by a corridor is a mid-sized gallery where the Brakhage film is being shown. Since films are all on a screening schedule in my imaginary show, this space would be open. On the back wall, I'd hang a grid of those color-chip post-minimalist paintings by Evan Colbert. To the right would be an abstract-expressionist still life by Steve Altman, hanging next to a retro-realist Jerry Kunkel. Across would be a Susan Goldstein photo of the West paired with one of David Sharpe's pinhole enlargements of the region's scenery. In the center, I'd put a Dave Seiler installation from his carnival series.

Toward the galleries that lead to the front would be a large opening created by sending the Steers to a screening. In its place I'd put one of Stefan Kleinschuster's monumental figure studies. Occupying an entire wall across from that are drawings by Rebecca DiDomenico, who is little known in Denver, so I would trade them for a wall's worth of Bill Stockman's enigmatic surrealistic drawings. (There. With this one change, I've upped the show's quality by 10 percent!)

In the next gallery, I'd scoot the James Balog tree photo over to make room for an Emilio Lobato collage, perhaps one of those he covered in pages from an old book. I'd also move the Carley Warren sculptures out away from the wall so I could hang a couple of Mark Brasuell's giant, abstract black-on-white drawings. On the other side, I'd replace the Jeanne Quinn installation with one by Tsehai Johnson, preferably a piece incorporating the dildo form to reference the censorship campaign she was subjected to last year.

Next to it, I would bump the Heidi McFall and put up one of Jeff Wenzel's sublime torn-and-painted paper abstractions. Between the Wenzel and the two Clark Richerts at the other end of this long wall, I'd place a pedestal to display one of Kim Dickey's fanciful lidded vessels. Then I could free up quite a bit of floor space by packing up her other three installations in the show. In place of the first two, I'd display a small Bryan Andrews installation and a similarly scaled work by Virginia Folkestad.

Taking out the third Dickey piece and the Barbara Takanaga near it opens up the entire window gallery. Takanaga's painting is perfectly done, but like so many others I would cast out, she's not had a presence in the community. This is space enough to shift Rebecca Vaughan's "Lure" over from the Carol Keller Project Space, opening up enough room at that gallery for four more artists. On the way out of the CVA, opposite the business end of the information desk, I'd display Lauri Lynnxe Murphy's teddy-bear coat.

Next on the agenda is the Gates Sculpture Triangle. Since I removed the McEnroe earlier, I'd replace it with a big Chuck Parson constructivist steel sculpture. I'd also scatter the Carolyn Braaksma benches around as they would be if they were permanently in the triangle, opening up a slot for an Emmett Culligan in steel and stone. The Parson and the Culligan would really cook if put together with the out-of-this-world Carl Reed that is already there. The park is big enough to take at least two more pieces: I propose a David Mazza linear steel sketch, and one of Jerry Wingren's orbs on skewers in wood and stone.

Concluding at the Carol Keller Project Space, which is now open floor space, I'd salute the Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design, just as Payton does, but instead of focusing on one faculty member (Rebecca Vaughan), I'd pick former students. In the middle there'd be a Justin Beard installation. On the wall to the left would be a set of those beautiful conceptual self-portraits in photographs by Jason Patz, to the right a group of cut-up self-portraits in oil by Jenny Morgan. Finishing off this fine group would be a pair of Colin Livingston's word placards that are part post-minimal and part neo-pop.

Well, that's it. It's been fun to second-guess Payton, but to be honest, I'm glad my job is to comment on art shows and not to take on the grueling and thankless task of putting them together, like she does.