Opening a new gallery is never an easy proposition, especially when the space in question is huge and comes with a reputation to uphold (past tenants have included the well-regarded Sandy Carson and van Straaten galleries). But artist and art consultant Mike McClung and his partner, Warren Campbell, already have a thumb in the pie, so to speak, and their new commercial venture, Michael Warren Contemporary, will not only spring out of the gate with a stable of more than thirty local and national artists, but will also have the consigned nest egg of van Straaten’s vast Riverhouse Editions print collection, which McClung describes as the work of a “printmakers’ who's-who,” available to buyers in-house. “It takes us from being the new kids on the block to having potentially one of the largest salable bodies of work in the city,” he adds.
Tonight, McClung and Campbell will debut the gallery space with Introductions, a large group show representing a wide cross-section of mediums and styles — in a space large enough to provide each one with his or her own wall or piece of the floor. “We know that we have sellable art,” McClung says, “and we’re choosing artists we personally love. There are definitely some familiar faces here, but there are new faces and energy, as well.”
Introductions opens with a reception from 6 to 9 p.m. and continues through June 14 at Michael Warren, 760 Santa Fe Drive; for more information, go to michaelwarrencontemporary.com or call 303-667-2447.
Thu., May 15, 6-9 p.m.; Tuesdays-Saturdays; Fri., May 23, 6-9 p.m.; Fri., June 6, 6-9 p.m. Starts: May 15. Continues through June 14, 2014
