Comedians Talk About Art Brings Laughs to Local Galleries

"But you don't like the abstract nature of this?" comedian Sammy Anzer asks his friends and fellow Denver comics Eeland Stribling and BK Sharad while debating an expressionist piece at the Clyfford Still Museum.

Sharad draws an analogy between comedy and abstract painting: "Imagine if I'm doing standup — I say some stuff, and then I'm like, 'You figure it out.'"

This gets a big laugh from Anzer, which bounces off the walls of the white, gleaming gallery.

Cracking your friends up probably isn't what most people think you're "supposed to do" at an art museum, but this is exactly the type of back-and-forth the Queens-raised Anzer is trying to provoke with his new online video series, Comedians Talk About Art. Showcasing the content created on trips to such Denver art spaces as the Clyfford Still Museum and the Ryan Joseph Gallery, the series aims to both entertain and inform, and it can be watched on Anzer's YouTube channel and social media pages.

The show follows Anzer and his friends as they explore, question and riff their way through the art world; featured guests have included Stribling and Sharad as well as other local comics-to-watch, among them David Gborie, Alec Flynn, Hannah Jones and Sam Tallent. All triggered by artistic contemplation, the conversations range from moisturizing your nipples to discussing methods of representation. But the jokesters also get some useful context from museum staff such as Clyfford Still educator Kenda Keenan, which results in a fairly even balance between irreverence and information.

Despite his unconventional approach, Anzer is motivated by a genuine passion for his subject. "I grew up thinking that art wasn't for me or for people like me," he explains. "I think [for] a lot of people, the idea is that art is for people in that ivory tower, and you must have a certain degree or make a certain amount of money. And I grew up and realized that I love art, and I don't want people to feel that way.

"So I wanted to show that art is for everyone," he continues. "I mean, that's what I'm asking the art world: Who is art for? ... Because if art is for everyone, then we must welcome all conversations about art, regardless of people's history or knowledge or experience or money. You should be able to go up to a painting and be like, 'Hey, that thing kind of reminds me of Batman!'"
Anzer sees his comedic peers as the perfect canaries on whom to test his theories in the cultural mineshaft — and hopefully knock down some walls.

"There's a certain imaginary barrier: 'Oh, I won't get it...that's not for people like me.' I want to change that, and I think the best way to do it is through comedians. Comedians are often kind of like jesters. It's kind of like we're seen as the dumbest people, so we can go, 'That painting reminds me of my own butt,'" he says with a chuckle. "And people are like, 'Well, if this guy's talking about his butt, looking at this painting, I could probably go over there and wonder something or hang out with my friends.'"

It's clear there's a rebellious, refreshing strain of pedagogy embedded in both the series and its creator. Anzer spent several years as a high school teacher before taking the leap into full-time professional funny business a year ago.

"I had an out to quit comedy...and recoil back into regular life and do more normal things," he recalls. "I had to ask my heart, 'Do I want to quit?' And the answer that came back to me was, 'No, I must do this.' Every fiber of my being wants to do comedy, to be creative, to enjoy this process, to explore myself and be true to myself and talk about things that are difficult."

Anzer has been performing as a comic for eight years, ever since his friends pressured him to enter a local comedy contest in New York (which he won). He relishes using his material to dive into tough conversations, with topics such as the pros and cons of being a Colorado transplant (he's been here for five years) and navigating mixed ethnicity. And it's been a successful journey, landing him gigs alongside D.L. Hughley, Rory Scovel, Amy Miller and Rojo Perez. In the process of traveling the country making his comedy bones, he's had a lot of opportunity to discover art museums and galleries, which planted the seed for the current series.

"When I go into a city, I hang out in the museum and think things, and then I perform at night," he says. "And I'm like 'Hey, if I could get paid to do that, it'd be pretty cool.' ... Just bring my friends to the art museum, bring a camera, hang out, joke, learn about art...that's a pretty cool life."

Anzer has plans to visit several more museums and cultural institutions around the state for the show, including the Dairy Arts Center in Boulder, Union Hall in Denver, and the Museum of Art in Fort Collins. He's also in talks to visit what is arguably the biggest player in the local scene, the Denver Art Museum.
"I'd love to do the Denver Art Museum, I'd love to," he says enthusiastically. "I'm a member — it's one of my favorite places to go." While waiting for more shoots to line up, he's begun a more stripped-down and contemplative side project to discuss art titled Museum Thoughts, which he creates by making his own videos at museums and then layering them with narration. The tone is dry but still funny, inspired by the classic SNL monologues of Jack Handey.

In addition to his episodic efforts, Anzer also maintains the working comedian's busy live schedule. He's about to embark on a short West Coast tour, but he'll be back in Denver on September 14 for the Firecracker Comedy Show at Hooked on Colfax. And you can bet he'll be making a lot more trips to the museum in the meantime, whether at home or on the road. He'd recommend that you do the same.

"It's like a calming, Zen, do-nothing experience," he says. "Just go there and let the art hit you, whatever comes up."

The Firecracker Comedy Show with Sammy Anzer is 7:30 p.m. Thursday, September 14, at Hooked on Colfax, 3213 East Colfax Avenue. Tickets are $10 here. Comedians Talk About Art can be watched @badboyanzer on Instagram, TikTok and You Tube.