Gallery Sketches: Three Denver Art Openings and Events October 16-18

This weekend in Denver, find art derived from life experiences at Hinterland and a body of work from an unexpected source at David B. Smith Gallery. And then there's this: Sally Centigrade will offer shelter — and limited-edition prints — to wandering mall zombies hitting downtown Denver for the Zombie Crawl. Which direction will you take?
Albicker + Baribeau: Manifested, The Value Of Making
Hinterland
October 16 through November 6
Opening reception: 6 to 11 p.m. Friday, October 16
Valerie Albicker and Helen Baribeau contemplate the meaning of life in their two-person show at Hinterland, which is no small task. But both artists imbue that challenge with down-to-earth qualities. In Albicker’s case, the work begins with found bricks, from which richly glazed forms sprout. “My work is inspired by observations from nature as I ride my bike to work, the sound of humming birds, flowers, underwater environments and other entrapments less desirable,” she says. “It is the unexpected nature of working with glaze and high temperatures that enables me to get out of the way to allow the pieces to create themselves." Baribeau, on the other hand, dissects the mundane in her Giant Garden Glove series.
Laura Ball: Keep
Dave Eggers in the Project Room
David B. Smith Gallery
October 16 through November 14
Opening reception: 7 to 9 p.m. Friday, October 16
At David B. Smith, Laura Ball conjures the fantastical environments of the Jungian psyche in ephemeral watercolor drawings. And from left field, author and McSweeney’s founder Dave Eggars shows off his artistic side with a series of paintings and prints in the Project Room. “I can’t disguise the fact that I enjoy making these pictures,” explains Eggers, who returned to art after a fifteen-year hiatus. “More so than when I was a student, the process is loose and uncomplicated. You may guess that some works seemed to have been created in a fever, and you would be right.”
Those Damn Zombies!!! 
Sally Centigrade Gallery, 1423 Larimer Street #80
Noon to 6 p.m. Saturday, October 17
Denver’s signature Zombie Crawl returns to the 16th Street Mall Saturday, and Sally Centigrade in Larimer Square is ready to pitch in some fun with an artistic, zombie-centric sideshow featuring the release of a signed print by artist Lora Zombie, along with some pre-crawl face and body painting by Sarah Elizabeth, live art by Mike Fudge, Raymundo Munoz and Karel Moyer, and bidding on for-trade works. Extra perk: The gallery will offer parking validation for marching zombies who hit the street before 4 p.m. Brains!!!

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