Making their Mark

Like millions of Americans, Michael Chavez took a break from work on January 20 to watch the presidential inauguration. The Foothills Art Center curator had already planned an exhibit to reflect what people were thinking about at the turn of an administration, but he was still overcome by the magnitude of the occasion. “It’s easily the most historical moment of our lifetime,” Chavez says. “We’re going from a very unpopular president to somebody that people are excited about. It doesn’t happen on this scale very often. What’s exciting is the level of pride people have in their country…. If we did this a year from now, it would be completely different.”

That’s because the exhibit American Print 2009: Influence Someone is a snapshot in time, a snapshot taken when many of the 43 selected artists from around the country were preoccupied with the issues of the Bush/Cheney era, and so the resulting prints address the economy, environment, immigration, war and presidential politics, and their effects on American life. “Printmakers especially are known for commenting on the issues of the day,” Chavez explains. “It’s a democratic art form because you can make multiple images of the same print. It’s much more accessible than, say, painting or sculpture. For that reason, it’s being used as a way of sending a message or making a statement.”

These accessible, affordable statements will be on sale at the exhibit’s opening celebration, tonight from 5:30 to 8 p.m., and through March 22 at Foothills Art Center, 809 15th Street in Golden. For information, call 303-279-3922 or go to www.foothillsartcenter.org.
Jan. 30-March 22, 2009