A section of Jerry Jaramillo's Northside mural, "Mother Earth." See a retrospective of his work at CHAC on First Friday.

Get ready, 2015, here we come: Start your new year of First Fridays with a look back at the career of a local cultural hero, a look forward at work by student artists, and an artistic view of the human brain. And more!

See also: Gallery Sketches: Four Shows to See in Denver on the First Friday in 2015

Jerry Jaramillo, Facebook

Jerry Jaramillo: Retrospective Chicano Humanities and Arts Council January 2 through 31 Opening reception: 5 to 9 p.m. Friday, January 2

CHAC will honor founding member Jerry Jaramillo (in the news recently, because of a missing mural in Sunnyside), with a solo show and, later in January, a Life Work Achievement Award. In addition to gracing Denver's Northside with beautiful ethnic murals,Jaramillo is known for his sculpture and paintings, flavored by Chicano folklore and Mexican traditions in art. Return to CHAC on January 16, when the gallery and cultural stronghold pays tribute to the artist with a fiesta and award presentation.

Continue reading for more Gallery Sketches.  

RMCAD Student artwork.

Off Campus: Rocky Mountain College of Art + Design Artists' Collaborative Hinterland Art Space January 2 through 30 Opening reception: 6 to 10 p.m. Friday, January 2

Hinterland opens its doors on First Friday to the RMCAD student club Artists' Collaborative, giving over space for a curated group show put together by RMCAD teacher John McEnroe and club president Dayana Ruiz. Says McEnroe in a statement about the show: "Artists' Collaborative is a strong group of young art students from RMCAD that are reaching out. As a collaborative they seek community input, which is why having an exhibition outside the confines of campus is so important. Off Campus will not be preaching to the art school choir, but part of a larger conversation. I congratulate Artists' Collaborative for making a statement of freedom. It is exciting to watch! This will be their first tangible moment of who they will become as artists." Be a part of the journey.

Grey Matter Kanon Collective January 2 through 31 Opening reception: 5 to 10 p.m. Friday, January 2

Next door to CHAC, Kanon opens the year with a brainy group member show dedicated to interpretations of that noodley mass inside our skulls. Art to think about. And just up the street, the Core and Spark co-ops will also be starting off fresh in 2015 with big group shows.

Want more? See the Westword art event listings to learn more about current gallery and art museum exhibitions and openings in the metro area.

To keep up with the Froyd's eye view of arts and culture in Denver, "like" my fan page on Facebook.