Neighborhood Gone Wild

As one of the city's oldest neighborhoods, Lower East Highland possesses a personality as fluid as the Platte River it sits above. Once the province of Italian immigrants, then Latino families, the area is now as known for its hipster hangouts and high-priced eateries as for its Queen Anne cottages and trusty taquerías.

Northwest Denver Photographers, at the North Star Restaurant & Brewery, 3200 Tejon Street, suggests what might happen if nature — rather than urban developers — has the final say in the future of Highland. Change, decay, distance and the passage of time are themes of this understated exhibition of black-and-white photographs, all shot by artists who live in the area. In Dave Engle's silvery prints, we see not the polish of storefronts and sidewalks, but rather overgrown alleyways and broken buildings. Wily weeds and vines dominate the landscape in a series of soft-focus photographs by Reed Weimer. Works by Mark Sink and Shaun Gothwaite, including a stark meditation on Lakeside Amusement Park, round out this thoughtful show.

Northwest Denver Photographers is a must-stop for those who love the neighborhood — and those just discovering it. The show runs through June 11; call 303-945-7605.
April 29-June 11