Earlier this week, twenty handpicked local artists, each representing a different Denver restaurant or bar, gathered at the McNichols Building, where they'd been invited to participate in the touring "Red Bull Curates: The Canvas Cooler Project," a contest that could take two of them all the way to Art Basel Miami in December. The challenge? To transform a canvas-wrapped Red Bull cooler into a piece of art in a day's time.

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Tonight from 8 to 11 p.m., the finished pieces will be displayed to the public at a free 21+ reception at McNichols, where a panel of judges will choose two artists to join a select group from across the nation to exhibit work at the SCOPE Miami showcase during Art Basel. Following are images of the artists at work. Continue reading for more Red Bull Canvas Cooler Project photos. Visit Red Bull Curates: The Canvas Cooler Project online for details of the competition.

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