Present Tense: Inside Denver’s Sober Art Scene

Something is shifting in how young people want to show up for the world. Generation Z, broadly defined as being born in the 1997 to 2012 range, has been widely reported as the most sober-curious generation on record. They’re going to the bars less. They’re seeking out spaces not rooted in escapism, but rather presence through pure expression. In Denver, one monthly art show has become the place where that shift is most visible.

Aquí Art Show launched in November 2024 with ten artists, forty attendees, a DJ, some food, and no plan to keep going. Eighteen months later, it’s a monthly event series, a community, a volunteer operation with expansion plans, and for a lot of people who walk through the door, something they didn’t know they needed until they found it. Aquí Art Show is a sober creative community that hosts monthly events and weekly art classes. Founder Miguel Rivera gives justice to the idea that community can be built around sobriety, with the sole mission of being present through artistic expression. The Spanish word “Aquí” translates to “here” in English. In other words, the name is a testament to being here at this very moment.

The premise is exactly what it sounds like: a sober art show with no alcohol on site. Aquí Art Shows are free to attend, and give artists an opportunity to showcase their work. Every event has live music, local emerging artists, and enough energy that calling it an “art show” almost undermines it. “It’s not a normal art show, it’s a sober art show,” goes one of Aquí’s taglines. The distinction matters.

Why This Generation, Why Now

Ask Aquí’s founder, Miguel Rivera, why Gen Z is gravitating toward sobriety and he’ll give you three answers. The first is personal: getting sober out of necessity, realizing life is more manageable, more beautiful, when you allow yourself to see it that way. The second is he watches what happens in recovery spaces, where younger people arrive not because of a rock bottom, but because they’ve recalculated. They’ve decided the substances aren’t giving them what they want anymore, and something better is available. The third answer is bigger than both of those. “The world is changing to a point where it’s a lot harder to grow up ignoring the issues that are going on,” Rivera says. 

“The responsibility is getting handed over to this generation a lot more quickly,” Rivera says. “The safety that maybe earlier generations had, the structure, the reliability, it’s just not the same.”

The COVID-19 pandemic, he argues, removed the social infrastructure at the exact moment young people were supposed to be building it. The scaffolding was gone. What grew back in its place was a need for community and the need to be actually present with one another. “People don’t want to walk out and escape anymore,” Rivera says. “In order to change things, you need a clear mind.”

“You don’t see a lot of people under 29 going into bars anymore,” he says. “If you want a better world and a better life, wouldn’t you see that it’s done differently?” He’s not moralistic about it; it’s more of an honest observation, given the fact that people keep showing up and coming back to Aquí events.

What Aquí Actually Looks Like

Describing an Aquí event as an “art show” the way you’d describe a gallery opening would be misleading. The events are unapologetically loud and social — people finding corners to talk, artists explaining their work to strangers, and music plays throughout the night. The events are built to be interactive.

Artists can showcase any amount of work as they’d like for a single flat fee per event. There are limited barriers to participation, and that’s intentional. “Barriers are what keep people out from making art,” says Rivera. For local creatives who might not have gallery connections or access to traditional exhibition spaces, Aquí functions as an open door.

The shows have moved around Denver rather than only being at one venue. Although Void Studios at 1790 South Bannock Street has been a recurring home, the model is designed to travel. “Being stagnant is what slows us down,” Rivera says. “We flow and build by the community.”

When a local business or community member reaches out wanting to host, Aquí follows suit. That’s how the upcoming April 30 Sober Artist Block Party landed at Pueblo Vida in Five Points, a collaboration with a space that wanted to be part of it.

Aquí occupies an interesting position in Denver’s creative landscape. There are other organizations doing adjacent work, Colorado Artists in Recovery being the most established, but Aquí’s pitch is deliberately broader. It’s not exclusively a recovery space. It doesn’t require you to identify as an addict or alcoholic to belong there. The only ask is that you’re sober during the event.

“We don’t do this to convert anybody,” Rivera says. “That decision is very personal. But I do hope they can see there’s joy in coming into a space that’s sober, joy in making art sober, that there’s a different life waiting for them as soon as they choose it.”

That framing, sober as an option you might want rather than a rule imposed on you, is probably part of why Aquí draws people who aren’t in recovery at all. Young creatives who just prefer not to drink and people curious about what a social event feels like without the lubricant of alcohol attend.

“You don’t have to make art high,” Rivera says. “You don’t have to make art drunk. It doesn’t need to be part of your story.”

The art world has a long tradition of romanticizing substance abuse. Jackson Pollock is an easy example, but the list is endless. The idea that looseness, experimentation, and genuine feeling require some kind of chemical assistance is baked into how a lot of people think about making things. Aquí implicitly argues against the idea that somebody needs to be a “tortured artist.”

What’s Coming

Aquí will host an event every week in May and run what organizers call mini pop-ups over the summer — smaller events in collaboration with local businesses across Denver’s metropolitan area under the Aquí mission statement. The approach is less about Aquí as a standalone project but rather more as Aquí functioning as the connective tissue between the sober creative community and the people looking for it.

The operation started and continues to be volunteer-based. “If one person can do this, imagine what we can all do,” Rivera says.

The longer vision is a physical gallery space, a home base for regular classes, smaller recurring weekly pop-ups, and a permanent address. Aquí will continue doing large monthly shows at local venues with the hope of expanding to new cities.

This sober creative space was made for anyone looking for a different type of experience, whether they are in recovery, sober-curious, or just tired of the bar as the default social venue. The events are continuous and available for anyone to show up.

“My experience is not unique,” Rivera concludes. “My experience is the same as many others, but you don’t know that until you hear it from someone else. They say often that the opposite of addiction is connection, and I couldn’t agree more. When it comes to finding a solution for that, how deep do you want those connections to be?”

UPCOMING AQUÍ ART SHOW EVENTS

A Sober Artist’s Block Party
Thursday, April 30, 6:30 to 11:30 p.m.
Pueblo Vida, 2217 Welton Street
Taking it outside, Aquí’s block party brings together artists, vendors and creatives for a night of art, music and community. The event is free and open to everyone.

Coffee & Canvas
Saturday, May 9, 3 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Hooked on Colfax, 3213 East Colfax Avenue
Aquí brings a pop-up market to Colfax featuring local artists, vendors and a free all-afternoon painting workshop. No experience needed. More info here.

Proofless Paint
Friday, May 15, 7 to 9 p.m.
Good Practice, 2931 West 25th Avenue
In collaboration with Good Practice, Aquí is hosting a guided, alcohol-free painting experience for all skill levels. Whether you’re new to painting or returning to it, this class offers a space to make something of your own through a guided experience. Join Aquí for an evening of creativity in a welcoming, focused environment. All materials are included, and tickets are $45.

Slow Burn
Saturday, May 16, 7 to 10 p.m.
Preston and James, 3000 East Colfax Avenue
Slow Burn is a wearable art pop-up inviting local creatives to bring fashion, design and art into one intimate space. Admission is free.

Mic & Market
Saturday, May 23, 7 to 10 p.m.
Ollin Cafetzin, 9529 East Colfax Avenue
Join Aquí for a sober open mic and art market featuring local performers, artists, and vendors all set in Ollin Cafetzin, an indigenous-inspired community cafe that combines a coffee shop with an ethnic studies library.

Sunfade Social
Wednesday, May 29, 4 to 8 p.m. 
Sun Market, 2201 Lafayette Street
Going outdoors, Sunfade Social is a sober outdoor creative gathering focused on music, conversation, local artists and community.

Paper Cuts
Thursday, May 30, 6 to 10 p.m.
Mutiny Café, 3483 South Broadway
Paper Cuts is a sober zine and paper art market highlighting print and physical media with a focus on DIY. In this space, attendees will be able to learn about making their own print media projects come to life.

Aquí Art Show events are free and open to all. Follow @aquiartshow on Instagram for updates and venue confirmations.