In a world where creativity is often siloed into neat categories — musician, visual artist, performer — curator and artist Dan Drossman is challenging that notion.
“A lot of people say, ‘I’m not an artist; I’m a rapper’ or ‘I’m a dancer’ or whatever,” he says. "I don't agree with that mindset. I think the lines are much more blurred. Creativity is there in all art forms; you just have a different medium or way of expressing it. I like that idea of blurring the lines of that to show creativity is creativity."
That philosophy is central to Drossman's upcoming show, Side-Show, a Visible Planets Pop-up Exhibition, April 12–13 at 3739 Wynkoop Street in RiNo. The two-day event will feature paintings and mixed media works by Drossman, Colorado-based artist Brayden Espinosa and rappers Deca and Quelle Chris.
Set in his friend's vacant residential home rather than a white-walled gallery, Side-Show marks the first of what Drossman hopes will be a series of pop-ups in unexpected places. “I’ve always enjoyed doing shows in alternative, weird, different spaces,” he says. “It’s fun to look at a space and figure out what can go in there. It forces you to think differently as a curator.”
The temporary exhibition activates four rooms of the house, with art displayed according to aesthetic flow rather than strict thematic curation. "There is a common thread, but there are going to be different styles and artists next to one another," he says. “Since it's in an unconventional space, I focused more on what looks cool in the different rooms of the house rather than thinking about what section things need to be in or whether it's spaced right."
While the work on the walls will vary in style, one thing remains consistent: the artists’ intuitive, deeply personal approaches. Espinosa, a Western Colorado University graduate, creates energetic paintings that channel movement and light. Quelle Chris, a genre-defying musician and self-taught visual artist, brings his punk-poetry sensibilities to bold, layered mixed media. And Deca, originally from Denver and now based in NYC, offers a colorful blend of retro psychedelia and modern abstraction in his illustrations.
Drossman’s own pieces explore memory and identity through collage, incorporating fragments of past works into new compositions. “Each piece I make includes a part of the previous one,” he says. “It’s like a visual timeline, a way of connecting who I was with who I am now.”
That idea of connection — between people, mediums and experiences — also underpins the Visible Planets project from which Side-Show branches. Drossman launched Visible Planets in collaboration with rapper Homeboy Sandman back in 2023 after a serendipitous encounter with the artist’s track “Calm Tornado."
"I was creating some work for a solo exhibition and had 'Calm Tornado' on repeat," Drossman recalls. "When I finished the piece, I said, 'That would be a great title,"Calm Tornado,” for this piece.' I ended up finding his email and asking him, ‘Is it okay if I use this title for this art?’ and he loved it. We became friends, and I proposed this idea to him because I knew there were some rappers that also made visual art. He loved the idea and was able to bring in a bunch of people."
Originally planned as a simple art show, the project has evolved over the last two years into a multi-day event combining concerts and visual exhibitions featuring rapper-artists from across the country. With Visible Planets on hiatus until 2026, Drossman saw Side-Show as a low-key but meaningful way to keep the event's creative spirit alive.
“I became really close with Deca and Quelle Chris, and I thought it would be cool to do a side thing of Visible Planets,” he says. “This is going to be more intimate and casual than the big Visual Planets show we've got planned for next year.”
That laid-back vibe extends to the event itself. Guests can browse artwork, sip drinks, eat snacks and hang out in the backyard, where games like cornhole and ping pong will be available. While the musicians won’t be there in person, their art offers an offstage glimpse into their minds.
Importantly, all profits from art sales will go directly to the artists. “Most places take 30 to 50 percent,” Drossman notes. “But I want to give all of it to the artist. Being an artist myself, I think it’s just the right thing to do.”
This weekend’s pop-up won’t be the last. Drossman is already planning future shows in similarly unconventional spaces—and he’s not limiting himself to musicians. “I’d love to do a Visible Planets-style show with comedians who make visual art,” he says. “I’m really excited about showing artists that I really admire but forcing them to use a completely different medium than they’re used to."
As for his own work, Drossman’s next solo show opens May 16 at Denver’s Bitfactory Gallery, where he’ll expand on his timeline-inspired collage approach with some of his largest pieces yet. But this weekend, Side-Show offers something refreshingly unpolished: a space where creativity is allowed to be messy, hybrid and human.
"This is an important space for these guys to show something that they don't normally show," Drossman says. "It's going to be a fun event and lead to other events in alternative spaces with different concepts behind art shows. I’ve got some more shows coming, but folks will just have to stay tuned and see where the next one is."
Side-Show, a Visible Planets Pop-up Exhibition, 4 to 9 p.m. Saturday, April 12, and noon to 4 p.m. Sunday, April 13, at 3739 Wynkoop Street. Admission is free.
“A lot of people say, ‘I’m not an artist; I’m a rapper’ or ‘I’m a dancer’ or whatever,” he says. "I don't agree with that mindset. I think the lines are much more blurred. Creativity is there in all art forms; you just have a different medium or way of expressing it. I like that idea of blurring the lines of that to show creativity is creativity."
That philosophy is central to Drossman's upcoming show, Side-Show, a Visible Planets Pop-up Exhibition, April 12–13 at 3739 Wynkoop Street in RiNo. The two-day event will feature paintings and mixed media works by Drossman, Colorado-based artist Brayden Espinosa and rappers Deca and Quelle Chris.
Set in his friend's vacant residential home rather than a white-walled gallery, Side-Show marks the first of what Drossman hopes will be a series of pop-ups in unexpected places. “I’ve always enjoyed doing shows in alternative, weird, different spaces,” he says. “It’s fun to look at a space and figure out what can go in there. It forces you to think differently as a curator.”
The temporary exhibition activates four rooms of the house, with art displayed according to aesthetic flow rather than strict thematic curation. "There is a common thread, but there are going to be different styles and artists next to one another," he says. “Since it's in an unconventional space, I focused more on what looks cool in the different rooms of the house rather than thinking about what section things need to be in or whether it's spaced right."
While the work on the walls will vary in style, one thing remains consistent: the artists’ intuitive, deeply personal approaches. Espinosa, a Western Colorado University graduate, creates energetic paintings that channel movement and light. Quelle Chris, a genre-defying musician and self-taught visual artist, brings his punk-poetry sensibilities to bold, layered mixed media. And Deca, originally from Denver and now based in NYC, offers a colorful blend of retro psychedelia and modern abstraction in his illustrations.
Drossman’s own pieces explore memory and identity through collage, incorporating fragments of past works into new compositions. “Each piece I make includes a part of the previous one,” he says. “It’s like a visual timeline, a way of connecting who I was with who I am now.”
That idea of connection — between people, mediums and experiences — also underpins the Visible Planets project from which Side-Show branches. Drossman launched Visible Planets in collaboration with rapper Homeboy Sandman back in 2023 after a serendipitous encounter with the artist’s track “Calm Tornado."
"It's going to be a fun event and lead to other events in alternative spaces with different concepts behind art shows," says curator and artist Dan Drossman.
Courtesy of Quelle Chris
Originally planned as a simple art show, the project has evolved over the last two years into a multi-day event combining concerts and visual exhibitions featuring rapper-artists from across the country. With Visible Planets on hiatus until 2026, Drossman saw Side-Show as a low-key but meaningful way to keep the event's creative spirit alive.
“I became really close with Deca and Quelle Chris, and I thought it would be cool to do a side thing of Visible Planets,” he says. “This is going to be more intimate and casual than the big Visual Planets show we've got planned for next year.”
That laid-back vibe extends to the event itself. Guests can browse artwork, sip drinks, eat snacks and hang out in the backyard, where games like cornhole and ping pong will be available. While the musicians won’t be there in person, their art offers an offstage glimpse into their minds.
Importantly, all profits from art sales will go directly to the artists. “Most places take 30 to 50 percent,” Drossman notes. “But I want to give all of it to the artist. Being an artist myself, I think it’s just the right thing to do.”
Curator and artist Dan Drossman describes the event as "more intimate and casual than the big Visual Planets show we've got planned for next year.”
Courtesy of Dan Drossman
This weekend’s pop-up won’t be the last. Drossman is already planning future shows in similarly unconventional spaces—and he’s not limiting himself to musicians. “I’d love to do a Visible Planets-style show with comedians who make visual art,” he says. “I’m really excited about showing artists that I really admire but forcing them to use a completely different medium than they’re used to."
As for his own work, Drossman’s next solo show opens May 16 at Denver’s Bitfactory Gallery, where he’ll expand on his timeline-inspired collage approach with some of his largest pieces yet. But this weekend, Side-Show offers something refreshingly unpolished: a space where creativity is allowed to be messy, hybrid and human.
"This is an important space for these guys to show something that they don't normally show," Drossman says. "It's going to be a fun event and lead to other events in alternative spaces with different concepts behind art shows. I’ve got some more shows coming, but folks will just have to stay tuned and see where the next one is."
Side-Show, a Visible Planets Pop-up Exhibition, 4 to 9 p.m. Saturday, April 12, and noon to 4 p.m. Sunday, April 13, at 3739 Wynkoop Street. Admission is free.
