Patti Cramer, iconic Denver artist and longtime Westword contributor, passes away

One of the most extraordinary things about Denver is the incredible community of artists who call this place home. Whether they grew up here or simply moved here as soon as they could, in Denver they found a wide-open canvas they could fill with their own dreams, their own visions,...

By Patricia Calhoun

October 6, 2010

[
        {
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Inline Content - Mobile Display Size",
          "component": "12017618",
          "insertPoint": "2",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "2"
        },{
          "name": "Editor Picks",
          "component": "17242653",
          "insertPoint": "4",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "1"
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "18838239",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "17261320",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "18838239",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Air - Leaderboard Tower - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "17261321",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        }
      ]

One of the most extraordinary things about Denver is the incredible community of artists who call this place home. Whether they grew up here or simply moved here as soon as they could, in Denver they found a wide-open canvas they could fill with their own dreams, their own visions, their own art. And now one of those artists is gone: Patti Cramer has passed away.

For decades, Cramer was not just an integral part of the scene here in Denver, but also an artist who showed in galleries across the country.

She was also part of the Westword family, working as an advertising rep through the early '80s, until she left to pursue art full-time. But she still did illustrations for the paper and contributed her whimsical "Overheard Conversations" off and on for two decades.

Cramer died last week after a short illness, but while she was here, she certainly painted the town. A small show of her paintings will be hanging at Dazzle, 930 Lincoln Street, next week; there will be a reception there in her honor from 4 to 7 p.m. next Tuesday, October 12.

You'll find more on her art and life in this week's Westword.

KEEP WESTWORD FREE... Since we started Westword, it has been defined as the free, independent voice of Denver, and we'd like to keep it that way. Your membership allows us to continue offering readers access to our incisive coverage of local news, food, and culture with no paywalls. You can support us by joining as a member for as little as $1.

Patricia Calhoun is editor-in-chief of Westword, the alt-weekly she co-founded in September 1977. She’s been inducted into the Colorado Press Association Hall of Fame, the Association of Alternative Newsmedia Hall of Fame and the Colorado Restaurant Association Hall of Fame. She’s also received dozens of local, state and national awards for writing, including first place for feature writing and first place for column writing with the Society of Professional Journalists. Patricia is a weekly commentator on Colorado Inside Out, PBS 12's public affairs roundtable, which has won two Emmys.

Contact: Patricia Calhoun

Follow:

Facebook: patricia.calhoun.927