The rumors that Plus Gallery was set to close have been flying around the art world during the last month at warp speed. But though it’s true to an extent, it’s just the beginning of the story.
Yes, Plus will be shuttering its downtown location at 2350 Lawrence Street at the end of this month. It’s not because it’s going out of business, however. This fall, Plus will reopen at 15th and Delgany streets, which is right across from the Museum of Contemporary Art/Denver and which formerly served as the Temporary Contemporary while MCA’s new David Adjaye-designed building was under construction.
Like MCA, Plus will also only be using this place temporarily and for the same reason -- to await the completion of construction of its new home. Plus will eventually wind up in a gallery to be constructed at 2501 Larimer Street, right behind the old Benjamin Moore paint factory.
Plus owners Ivar and Karen Zeile have hired cutting-edge neo-modernist Steve Chucovich of Architecture/Denver to conjure up the new structure, which will incorporate the old flue of the former paint factory -- let’s hope it’s been sufficiently aired out -- and add a light-colored multi-story rectilinear volume that seems to float above the historic red-brick wall. As with everything Chucovich does, it promises to be absolutely stunning.
Plus will mark the closing of it current address with a show on the last weekend of August coinciding with the Democratic National Convention that will feature some of the best pieces displayed at the gallery over the last season. -- Michael Paglia
