Gallery Sketches: Five New Shows and Art Events in Denver July 10-12

High summer brings variety to local galleries, where new exhibits range from a Biennial-inspired group show to an all-out bash remembering Frida Kahlo with art, film and music. Follow the muse to these five events.

Nothing Belongs To Us
Rule Gallery
July 10 through August 15
Opening reception: 6 to 9 p.m. Friday, July 10
Rule aligns with the Biennial of the Americas with Nothing Belongs to Us, a five-artist show that addresses the Biennial theme of Now! with a slate of in-the-moment works curated by Hayley Richardson of the Dikeou Collection. See how artists Jessica Angel, Chris Bagley, Caleb Hahne, Michael Theodore and Jenny Vogel juggle the contemporary with unavoidable inspirations from the past.
Natural Lines: New Works by Strange Dirt
Fancy Tiger
July 10 through August 30
Opening reception: 6 to 9 p.m. Friday, July 10
The Denver artist who calls herself Strange Dirt (other than that, she only divulges her first name, Marsha) transforms botanical ink drawings into woven textile works for Natural Lines, creating a body of work that looks completely at home at the hip boutique Fancy Tiger. “My motivation is to create work so different and beautiful that it stops life for you,” Strange Dirt explains, adding that “designing on fabric allows my art to be used in versatile ways that paper simply couldn't achieve.” Take a step into her beautiful, handmade world.

Tank Open House
Tank Studios
2 to 6 p.m. Saturday, July 11
Tank Studios in the Overland neighborhood off South Broadway began three years ago when eight artists banded together to carve an exemplary hive of studios out of a blank warehouse space. Now expanded to 6,000 feet of interconnected, open-door studios housing 23 artists, Tank is a showplace and a worthy template for artist colonies of the future. The artists of Tank invite the public to chat about the space and see art-in-the-making during a Saturday open house.
Evening Ceremonies: New Works by Caleb Hahne
Super Ordinary
Opening reception: 6 to 10 p.m. Saturday, July 11
Young phenom Caleb Hahne debuts a solo show of crossover works Saturday at Super Ordinary, the boutique/gallery tucked inside the RiNo marketplace known as the Source. In a kind of backwards technique, Hahne blends digital collage, found paper and objects, graphite, ballpoint pen, oil paint and acetone along with other mixed medias to transform collaged images into drawings.
Viva la Vida! A Celebration of Frida's Life
Chicano Humanities and Arts Council
6 to 9 p.m. Saturday, July 11
CHAC gallery honors an icon of Mexican contemporary art with Viva la Vida! A Celebration of Frida's Life, a Frida Kahlo-inspired group exhibit that reinterprets the artist’s familiar visage and work. Come to see the artwork, but stay for a party: The extended reception includes a screening of the film Frida and traditional music by Adolfo Romero and Victoria Gómez Betancourt, along with refreshments, a cash bar and a raffle that could win you a basket of Frida-themed delights.

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

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