It’s not every day you find paintings and Subarus sharing a stage, but Michael Gadlin’s art seems right at home at Frisian Motors Auto Gallery in RiNo. The juxtaposition is striking: sleek cars gleam under bright showroom lights, while Gadlin’s vibrant canvases — raw and unframed — invite viewers into a world deeply connected to his past.
"This was Dad's stamping ground before it was developed into anything," Gadlin reflects. Long before the neighborhood was gentrified by developers, it was home to gritty warehouses and scrapyards where his father made a living collecting discarded materials. Gadlin frequently accompanied him on these material-sourcing excursions, which left an indelible mark on the artist.
"There is some serendipity about where I now find my studio, but I didn't meet my dad 'til I was fifteen," Gadlin says. "My dad had four other children. One of his sons died in the 1980s and he was already here in Denver, but then came to find me. He said it was a sign and wanted to connect, so I got to know him after that. He was a self-made man who didn't want to work for anyone; I kind of have that in me. I'd run with him sometimes to see what his work was like and ended up getting to know all these cool places, and as an artist, I was like, 'Oh, my God, this is the real Denver.'"
The memories of his father’s hard-fought hustle and the raw materials of urban life echo throughout Gadlin’s latest exhibition, Among the Debris, I Find Myself, now on view at Frisian Motors. The show features abstract works that incorporate imagery of tires and other symbols of the “urban, street art scrappiness” that he associates with his father’s trade.
"The full circle moment is that my studio — and I didn't put two and two together until I signed the contract ten years ago — is right next to my dad's main plant," Gadlin says. "I'm in the same damn neighborhood that my dad hustled in to make his living. It's so funny how that works. It just comes right back around, so that's why you'll see a lot of things, like tires, become a thing in my work. Because of my dad."
Gadlin describes the series at Frisian Motors as “visual journal entries” that reflect not only his personal history but also the pressures of juggling his artistic life with a demanding career. After graduating East High School, he got his bachelor's from the Pratt Institute in New York, and was the youngest artist ever to receive Cherry Creek Art Festival: Best of Show honors. The former host of Arts District, an award-winning show on Rocky Mountain PBS, Gadlin became the executive director of PlatteForum, a nonprofit dedicated to advancing contemporary arts in Colorado, in 2021.
“I had a good, almost-three-year stint there, but it left me very little time to create,” he explains. “Because my time was limited, this body of work gave me an opportunity to put a raw canvas up and not overthink what I should be painting. Stylistically and content-wise, because I didn't have a lot of time, my responsibility in the studio was to not limit myself and focus on making a mark. I kept consistent on not judging or editing the work. I wasn’t worried about whether it would sell or fit into any expectations. I wanted to be completely unfiltered and push the boundaries of my work.”
The resulting pieces are layered and dynamic, hanging unframed like tapestries to emphasize their raw energy. Gadlin sourced the majority of the painting materials from reclaimed paint stores, echoing his father's practice of finding value in discarded goods, and none were ever intended to be presented publicly, let alone sold commercially, as they are now in the gallery space.
Tire motifs and textured, abstract forms nod to the scrapyards he would visit with his father, while the vibrant palette and loose, gestural marks signal a forward-looking perspective. Curator Susan Aplin Pogue worked closely with Gadlin to install the show, emphasizing collaboration and creative freedom.
“We threw the canvases out across the floor and just started playing with how they worked together,” Gadlin recalls. “Susan’s eye and openness really made the process feel natural; it was a true joint effort.”
That spirit of collaboration aligns perfectly with the vision of Frisian Motors Auto Gallery, where art and commerce coexist to create an elevated car-buying experience. Owner Kier Riemersma opened the space in October as a cultural space that brings together local creativity and a curated selection of Subaru vehicles. The unique concept stems from Riemersma's background in real estate development in Abu Dhabi, where he would take clients to a museum filled with fine art before asking them to commit to purchasing luxury properties.
“I realized that art and commerce have a really strong connection and thought, ‘Well, can't I do something similar to that with that same philosophy?’ So that's kind of what we're doing," Riemersma says. “The basic business thesis is that this is a marketing channel that will draw buyers towards the cars. I saw it doing it with real estate in a very unique situation, so I can't say it's like tried and true, but I do believe it's a pretty viable thesis and we'll find out if I'm right in the next year or two."
The gallery’s past exhibitions have featured such artists as Jenna A. Cruff and Emily Roynesdal, with pop-up markets bringing even more creative energy to the space. The March to April show will spotlight the work of Delton Demarest and Chad M. Julius, and the Frisian team says it's open to "all types of arts activations, from sculptures and paintings to plays."
Riemersma’s philosophy, which he calls “cultural marketing,” aims to offer artists a platform while enhancing the customer experience. “What I'm shooting for is a highly successful car dealership that is also the gallery in Denver that artists want to be at," Riemersma says. “The buyers will follow if artists want to be here."
Frisian Motors will host a First Friday reception for Among the Debris, I Find Myself on February 7, featuring a DJ, food truck and opportunities to meet the artist. For Gadlin, the event is not just a celebration of his work but of the spirit of accessibility that spaces like Frisian Motors foster.
“I’ve been a professional artist for decades, and I always look for ways to reach new audiences,” Gadlin says. “I can check my ego enough to show basically anywhere. You never know who’s going to see your work and who might connect with it. I’m not too good to show in a car gallery, because it’s not about the space — it’s about the opportunity to share your voice. As my mentors Darrell [Anderson] and Bob [Ragland] would always tell me, the opportunity to hang is always better than your work being in storage."
Among the Debris, I Find Myself is on view from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. through Friday, February 28, at Frisian Motors Auto Gallery, 3440 Walnut Street. The First Friday Artist Reception on February 7 will run from 5 to 9 p.m. Learn more at frisian-motors.com.
"This was Dad's stamping ground before it was developed into anything," Gadlin reflects. Long before the neighborhood was gentrified by developers, it was home to gritty warehouses and scrapyards where his father made a living collecting discarded materials. Gadlin frequently accompanied him on these material-sourcing excursions, which left an indelible mark on the artist.
"There is some serendipity about where I now find my studio, but I didn't meet my dad 'til I was fifteen," Gadlin says. "My dad had four other children. One of his sons died in the 1980s and he was already here in Denver, but then came to find me. He said it was a sign and wanted to connect, so I got to know him after that. He was a self-made man who didn't want to work for anyone; I kind of have that in me. I'd run with him sometimes to see what his work was like and ended up getting to know all these cool places, and as an artist, I was like, 'Oh, my God, this is the real Denver.'"
The memories of his father’s hard-fought hustle and the raw materials of urban life echo throughout Gadlin’s latest exhibition, Among the Debris, I Find Myself, now on view at Frisian Motors. The show features abstract works that incorporate imagery of tires and other symbols of the “urban, street art scrappiness” that he associates with his father’s trade.
"The full circle moment is that my studio — and I didn't put two and two together until I signed the contract ten years ago — is right next to my dad's main plant," Gadlin says. "I'm in the same damn neighborhood that my dad hustled in to make his living. It's so funny how that works. It just comes right back around, so that's why you'll see a lot of things, like tires, become a thing in my work. Because of my dad."
Gadlin describes the series at Frisian Motors as “visual journal entries” that reflect not only his personal history but also the pressures of juggling his artistic life with a demanding career. After graduating East High School, he got his bachelor's from the Pratt Institute in New York, and was the youngest artist ever to receive Cherry Creek Art Festival: Best of Show honors. The former host of Arts District, an award-winning show on Rocky Mountain PBS, Gadlin became the executive director of PlatteForum, a nonprofit dedicated to advancing contemporary arts in Colorado, in 2021.
“I had a good, almost-three-year stint there, but it left me very little time to create,” he explains. “Because my time was limited, this body of work gave me an opportunity to put a raw canvas up and not overthink what I should be painting. Stylistically and content-wise, because I didn't have a lot of time, my responsibility in the studio was to not limit myself and focus on making a mark. I kept consistent on not judging or editing the work. I wasn’t worried about whether it would sell or fit into any expectations. I wanted to be completely unfiltered and push the boundaries of my work.”
The resulting pieces are layered and dynamic, hanging unframed like tapestries to emphasize their raw energy. Gadlin sourced the majority of the painting materials from reclaimed paint stores, echoing his father's practice of finding value in discarded goods, and none were ever intended to be presented publicly, let alone sold commercially, as they are now in the gallery space.
Tire motifs and textured, abstract forms nod to the scrapyards he would visit with his father, while the vibrant palette and loose, gestural marks signal a forward-looking perspective. Curator Susan Aplin Pogue worked closely with Gadlin to install the show, emphasizing collaboration and creative freedom.
“We threw the canvases out across the floor and just started playing with how they worked together,” Gadlin recalls. “Susan’s eye and openness really made the process feel natural; it was a true joint effort.”
That spirit of collaboration aligns perfectly with the vision of Frisian Motors Auto Gallery, where art and commerce coexist to create an elevated car-buying experience. Owner Kier Riemersma opened the space in October as a cultural space that brings together local creativity and a curated selection of Subaru vehicles. The unique concept stems from Riemersma's background in real estate development in Abu Dhabi, where he would take clients to a museum filled with fine art before asking them to commit to purchasing luxury properties.
“I realized that art and commerce have a really strong connection and thought, ‘Well, can't I do something similar to that with that same philosophy?’ So that's kind of what we're doing," Riemersma says. “The basic business thesis is that this is a marketing channel that will draw buyers towards the cars. I saw it doing it with real estate in a very unique situation, so I can't say it's like tried and true, but I do believe it's a pretty viable thesis and we'll find out if I'm right in the next year or two."
Frisian Motors Auto Gallery has established itself as a one-of-a-kind cultural hotspot in Denver's RiNo district by fusing art and automobiles.
Courtesy of Toni Tresca
Riemersma’s philosophy, which he calls “cultural marketing,” aims to offer artists a platform while enhancing the customer experience. “What I'm shooting for is a highly successful car dealership that is also the gallery in Denver that artists want to be at," Riemersma says. “The buyers will follow if artists want to be here."
Frisian Motors will host a First Friday reception for Among the Debris, I Find Myself on February 7, featuring a DJ, food truck and opportunities to meet the artist. For Gadlin, the event is not just a celebration of his work but of the spirit of accessibility that spaces like Frisian Motors foster.
“I’ve been a professional artist for decades, and I always look for ways to reach new audiences,” Gadlin says. “I can check my ego enough to show basically anywhere. You never know who’s going to see your work and who might connect with it. I’m not too good to show in a car gallery, because it’s not about the space — it’s about the opportunity to share your voice. As my mentors Darrell [Anderson] and Bob [Ragland] would always tell me, the opportunity to hang is always better than your work being in storage."
Among the Debris, I Find Myself is on view from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. through Friday, February 28, at Frisian Motors Auto Gallery, 3440 Walnut Street. The First Friday Artist Reception on February 7 will run from 5 to 9 p.m. Learn more at frisian-motors.com.
