Feats of Clay

The mission at Jonathan Kaplan’s Plinth Gallery is as simple and stylish as its purpose: to exhibit the sculptural vessel with an emphasis on the art form of ceramics. And to accomplish that, he’s shown works by ceramic artists from around the area and across the country. But he considers the gallery’s new show of works by African-American artist Kevin Snipes, which opens at Plinth today, to be a true coup for a Denver gallery, partly because of the accessible way that Snipes weaves issues of color and race into his works.

“Kevin’s ceramic work speaks eloquently about our culture,” Kaplan says. “His narrative drawings are about race, ethnicity, color — all those things that we find difficult to talk about. Yet when placed as a narrative on a vessel, the work transcends those artificial barriers. Kevin is a masterful ceramic artist and elegant draftsman, and he makes us look at issues of color and race in a humorous way.”

Color Blind, featuring twenty new vessels by Snipes, opens November 6 with a reception from 6 to 9 p.m.; the evening will include a program with local poets Ashara Ekundayo and Ayinde Russell, plus spins by DJ CaveM. Snipes will also host a community talkback at 3 p.m. on November 7 at the Blair-Caldwell African American Research Library. The show continues at Plinth, 3520 Brighton Boulevard, through November 30; go to www.plinthgallery.com or call 303-295-0717.
Nov. 6-30, 2009