Art Sampler

"I’ve lived everywhere from the Middle East to Europe to Canada, and what’s special about Denver is they have no attitude problem,” says Habitat Gallery director Georgia Amar. “They have a sense of self that’s very stable. They’re well-educated, and they’re participants in creating their own culture.” With such a resounding endorsement from an international artist, it makes sense that the preview event for Denver Arts Week is called Fear No Art First Friday. After all, while in New York they may shun you for wearing the wrong color turtleneck, at a mile high you have nothing to fear. And this First Friday is truly special, with events in all corners of Denver, from Santa Fe Drive to Tennyson Street and Cherry Creek to Belmar. With an overwhelming number of galleries participating in Arts Week lectures, classes and exhibits, it’s impossible to highlight everything. But a couple of tonight’s openers stand out:

Photographer Katy Tartakoff is hosting Fear No Art/Fear No People, an intimate look into the ways three special-needs adults express themselves through po-etry, papier-mâché bowls, jewelry and shawls, at her studio at 3457 Ringsby Court Taxi 2, #105. “Our goal is to invite people into a world that they’re often afraid of because they don’t know that much about it,” says Tartakoff.

Back at Habitat, 828 Santa Fe Drive, Blake Flynn’s Strange Beautyis a rather straightforward look at surrealistic concepts. “His work is high realism with a surrealis-tic message,” says Amar.

All events are free. For more information, go to www.denver.org/artsweek/default.htm.
Nov. 7-22, 2008