Arts & Entertainment

The Medusa Collective opened in January 2022 and has been mounting stunning exhibitions that showcase local artists ever since. Created by artists Amanda Wolf and Gina Ilczyszyn, Medusa is more than a gallery; it also has nine private studios for artists to rent, as well as an area dedicated to workshops. The next workshop will take place in May with visionary artist Emily Kell, who will lead a class on creating talismans. Opening nights for Medusa exhibitions, which sometimes include live music and fire performers, are always memorable.

7140 Hooker Street, Westminster

themedusacollective.com

Anyone who’s been paying attention knows that Cal Duran, an Indigenous, queer, Two Spirit artist inspired by the lore and spirituality of many cultures, has seemingly possessed the superpower to do everything, everywhere, all at once over the past year or two. Wherever big displays were needed for Día de los Muertos celebrations, Duran was there, providing monumental altars, ojos de Dios, calaveras and calacas built from clay, tissue paper and found materials, sometimes at more than one venue in a single day, like a shiva with multiple arms.

artbycal.com

Denver sculptor Ira Sherman has had a long, lucrative career with his iconic kinetic, wearable sculptures, which have been collected by the Smithsonian Museum of American Art in Washington, D.C., and the National Ornamental Museum in Memphis, among others. In 2022, he produced his first exhibition in three years at Bitfactory Gallery with Ira Sherman: Revenge, Protection, Redemption, in which he displayed new, mind-blowing creations that each took six months to complete. These wearable prostheses respond mechanically to the wearer and provide commentary on humans’ relationships with intimacy and emotions. From sci-fi chastity belts to a contraption that can lift couples in the air, Sherman’s work is as fascinating as it’s ever been.

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Scott Hildebrandt didn’t know that when he made a miniature village as a Christmas gift back in 2008, it was the beginning of a flourishing artistic career. With a background in electrical engineering, Hildebrandt makes miniature displays that can light up and sometimes move. His diorama worlds are usually set in vintage vessels such as boomboxes or Game Boys, evoking nostalgia and eliciting smiles — so it’s no wonder that when Meow Wolf began enlisting Denver artists before it opened in 2021, Hildebrandt was asked to create an installation. After filling a hallway there with 200 dioramas, Hildebrandt now focuses on filling commissions, which have shot up — because unlike his art, Mister Christmas’s reputation is far from small-scale.

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The concept of the divine feminine is seen throughout the paintings of Emily Kell, a Boulder-based artist who has made a name for herself worldwide with her visionary works. Inspired by her tarot practice, mythology and archetypal figures from mysticism, Kell creates portraits of feminine figures, often with a background of swirling stars. She’s also a poet, and created an alphabet she calls “moon scratch,” which is instantly recognizable in her oeuvre. While most visionary art is centered on ecstatic psychedelic states, Kell’s work is more about introspection and transitive moments. Her art was published in the 2018 book Women of Visionary Art, though her greatest accomplishment is likely the meaningful inspiration she passes on through her paintings.

emilykell.com

A leader in the psychedelic visionary arts movement, Android Jones creates work that illustrates the heights of a DMT trip, which has made him a trailblazer in digital art, virtual reality and NFTs. His internationally recognized work has been projected on the Empire State Building, the Sydney Opera House in Australia, and the Ghats in Varanasi, India, and he was a visual artist for the 2015 Fare Thee Well Tour with the remaining members of the Grateful Dead. But he’s also active in his home state, exhibiting a solo show at Threyda gallery last year. In January, Jones’s Lyons studio was destroyed in a fire, but he raised more than his asking price of $250,000 in a GoFundMe to replace the expensive tools used to create his art, as well as countless art books and priceless sketches. Starting fresh is difficult, but we have no doubt this seasoned artist will stay on top.

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While Threyda is normally accessed only by appointment, it opens its doors to the public on First Fridays and during exhibition openings. And when those dates come, be sure to go, because a night at this gallery is one to remember. Threyda curates only the most mind-melting artworks by visionary artists, including Android Jones, Morgan Mandala, Stephen Kruse, Seth McMahon and more. Whether you’re gazing at a perfectly symmetrical pattern meticulously rendered in oil paints or a digital work dripping with fractals, each piece found in Threyda’s rotating gallery is meant to be a catalyst for the type of transcendental experience you normally reach through psychedelics. Bonus: Opening nights and First Fridays often include live music, live painting and plenty of beverages.

878 Santa Fe Drive

720-523-3683

threyda.com

After fifteen years, RedLine is still going strong in its mission of fostering the next generation of Denver artists. Each year, its resident artists not only create magnificent works, but they engage with the surrounding community through RedLine’s array of programs, including Youth Art Mentoring, which pairs students with professional artists who work with them on a year-long project centered on social justice issues. And the artists often tend to continue giving back after their residencies; alumni include Denver art community leaders like muralist Thomas “Detour” Evans, collage artist Mario Zoots, and Anthony Garcia, who created Birdseed Collective, a nonprofit that implements arts-based community outreach programs.

Artist residencies lift up creative people by allowing them the time and freedom to make quality work. The terms may vary, but for established creators in the visual arts who maintain practices that focus on our relationship to the natural world, Land Line at the Denver Botanic Gardens is a lifeline, with an honorarium and nearly unlimited access to the DBG’s public spaces, collections and research materials. Artists who specialize in botanical illustration also have the opportunity to work with the School of Botanical Art & Illustration alongside the Gardens’ research and conservation team.

Denver is chock-full of arts organizations that have become a solid foundation for the future of the city’s art scene, and PlatteForum is dedicated to serving youth through its ArtLab program. Students, often coming from Title I schools, are given the opportunity to study in a year-long internship under the guidance of professional artists in PlatteForum’s residency program, which attracts creators from around the world. About thirty students are selected each year, and 95 percent graduate from high school and attend college. The program also provides its interns with mental health services, RTD passes, rideshares and a food pantry.

A denizen of Denver’s underground nightlife, Shadows Gather has been sneaking into clubs since before she was legally allowed in. And she continues to revel in the club scene, taking spur-of-the-moment Instax photographs of the raucous moments, faces and T&A of the queer and punk communities. She’s gained a big following on Instagram for her snapshots of rebellion that echo the stylings of influential New York photographer Nan Goldin. Her pics have also gotten her flagged on social media, however, given their subject matter, which ranges from a person sniffing poppers to someone doing a bump of blow off a blade. Each picture pulls you in and nudges you to unleash your own badass inner club kid.

Gallery 6 had quite the year in 2022, moving from its East Sixth Avenue venue on the edge of Cherry Creek to the heart of the Art District on Santa Fe, where it’s had a hearty reception since reopening in May. The space is far larger than the gallery’s previous digs, providing ample room for photography from the likes of Denver art-scene veterans Tony Eitzel, Dave Stephens, Kevin Schwalbe and Scott Wilson. Wilson is a co-owner of the gallery, and his stunning “Anger Management,” a photo that captures the ferocious beauty of a wild Mustang kicking up dust, nabbed him the Open Photographer of the Year honors at the 2022 Sony World Photography Awards.

918 West 8th Avenue

303-408-3486

denversartdistrict.org/gallery-6

Founded by director and curator Hugh Grant in 1996 and opened to the public twenty years ago, the Kirkland Museum isn’t just dedicated to its namesake, artist Vance Kirkland, but also to artworks by Colorado artists from multiple major movements, many of whom were contemporaries of Kirkland’s. Everything here flows together seamlessly, given that the museum’s layout is similar to a living space or series of salons. Here you’ll find highly creative sculpture, paintings, drawings, ceramics, fiber art, furniture and more. The entire collection, which also includes international works of decorative art, is worth a visit any time, but the current exhibition, Vance Kirkland’s Cosmos, which includes a never-before-seen collection from the influential artist, is a must-see before it closes on May 28.

What would you do after spending 999 days riding around the world on a bicycle? Jacob Lemanski took a hit of acid and decided to show the world his art: enormous, psychedelic ant farms. A former engineer, Lemanski used his savings to create Ant Life, a private event space that doubles as a gallery for his beloved ant farms as well as his other art, which includes luminescent light spaces, tapestries he calls “space screens,” clothing, beanbags and more. Lemanski has kept the spot booked and busy, hosting everything from wedding receptions to psychedelic mushroom events. He hopes to make Ant Life an established brand, and given that Colorado has legalized several psychedelics, he could well be on his way.

2150 Market Street

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In response to the lack of opportunities for trans and queer artists, Below the Concrete formed last year to showcase work from that community through DIY house shows whose location is revealed only to those who email or message the collective on social media. The group has now grown so much that it offers satellite shows from its members, emphasizing the success of Below the Concrete’s mission to connect like-minded artists. And the works shown in its exhibitions serve as evidence of how DIY still incentivizes fine art, with compelling creations in myriad mediums, including fashion, sculpture, poetry, dance, painting and more.

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Ready for takeoff? Wings Over the Rockies is full of cool artifacts, both historic and futuristic, that celebrate space and provide an ideal escape for technocrats and other geeks. But those who like to stay more grounded will find plenty of amusement opportunities here, too, including a great gift shop and an introductory video by none other than Harrison Ford.

7711 East Academy Boulevard

303-360-5360

wingsmuseum.org/

Most of the time you go to the Denver Art Museum to explore its widespread, awesome collection of art spanning centuries of creation. Other times, though, you could just be stopping in to purchase a present from the gift shop, because the DAM’s store is perfect for perusing when you aren’t sure what to get someone. There’s something for everyone here, including puzzles, books, posters, jewelry, sculptures, pins, mugs, shape-shifting toys, clothing, housewares and more. Need to buy something for someone who seemingly has everything? This is your one-stop shop for kids and adults alike.

Denver is rich in Latino history and owes much of its cultural fabric to that community, so what better way to get to know your city than to visit a museum that celebrates Latin American art? Whether it’s a First Friday in the Art District on Santa Fe or just a casual Saturday afternoon, the Museo is the place to see and learn about phenomenal Latin American art, from ancient to folk to contemporary. The nonprofit gallery mounts up to five exhibitions a year; its current display, Colombia: The Corn, the River and the Grave, open through August 19, explores how Colombian traditions are clashing with current conflicts around its natural resources.

Whether you’re going to a concert or just hiking around its majestic landscape, a visit to Red Rocks Park and Amphitheatre is an absolute must for tourists visiting Denver. And while you’re at it, here’s another must: visiting the Colorado Music Hall of Fame museum, located inside the Red Rocks Trading Post. There you’ll see ephemera from each Hall of Fame class since the organization’s beginnings in 2011, as well as exhibitions on Colorado musical institutions, including the famed Caribou Ranch studio and musicians such as John Denver, Judy Collins, Dan Fogelberg, Dianne Reeves and more. Be sure to also check out the Red Rocks Performers Hall of Fame in the Visitor Center at the top of the amphitheater for another awe-inspiring glimpse into the venue’s storied past.

17900 Trading Post Road, Morrison

303-672-1273

cmhof.org”>cmhof.org

We can’t say enough good things about the Museum of Contemporary Art, which revived the Northside’s historic Holiday Theater last year by signing a long-term lease to host productions there. And the museum has shown even more local love this year, celebrating RedLine Contemporary Art Center’s fifteenth anniversary with a blockbuster exhibition showcasing works from its alumni resident artists. It isn’t often you see an institution like this giving so much space and love to local artists, but the MCA is always quick to recognize Denver talent while also providing inspiration from international and national contemporary artists.

Take a walk around RiNo to see the street art that the Mile High City has become known for. You can always take the Denver Graffiti Tour (a two-hour paid, guided tour on weekends) to get to know the area, but a stroll down the alleys and streets works, too. From murals by national talents like Shepard Fairey to works by local legends such as Detour, Casey Kawaguchi, Anthony Garcia, Pat Milbery and more, the neighborhood is a rotating art museum in its own right. RiNo Art District has even mapped out the murals on its website so you can stay updated on what’s happening in the neighborhood and plan your trip.