The local art scene is full of great exhibits and events right now. Here are Michael Paglia’s takes on a trio of ongoing shows in Denver and beyond. Audacious. Last summer, Rebecca Hart took the rudder of the Denver Art Museum’s Modern and Contemporary department, and Audacious: Contemporary Artists Speak…
The Historic Hynds Building in downtown Cheyenne sat vacant for decades. but in recent years the 1919 structure, now slated for a major renovation, has shown signs of life: The Wyoming nonprofit LightsOn! has been hosting concerts and artist residencies in its formerly empty spaces. Denver artists and 2016 Hynds…
The Colorado Black Arts Festival celebrated thirty years of shared culture and community solidarity over the weekend of July 8-10 in City Park, with a spread of original art, African imports, music, drumming and dance. Photographer Ken Hamblin caught all the good vibes at the fest in the following images…
First it was the Pot Pavilion. Then when pot got too hot, the Denver County Fair introduced the Kitten Pavilion. Now organizers of the sixth annual fair, which runs July 29 through July 31, are jumping on a brand-new fad: Pokémon Go. “We’re changing up the county-fair model as usual,”…
The Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center has made an outsized contribution to our state’s cultural life over the years, showcasing the most important artists associated with Colorado and mounting one impressive exhibition after another. This has been particularly true since the completion of the hypersensitive addition designed by David Owen…
We all get stuck at times. We don’t always know why, but sometimes that task we know we should be doing lingers, becomes larger, then turns into an insurmountable problem. At those times we need to reach out for help — and I’ve always kind of sucked at that. As…
Artist Rodney Wood is finally showing paintings in Denver, after decades and many ventures in the art world. His art career started “during the old hippie days,” Wood remembers, when the Colorado native went to Colorado State University for a few years and studied art and art history — but his…
The inaugural Denver Design Week runs through July 15; it’s billed as “a showcase for the region’s best architecture, interiors, art, brands and technology. Eight days of education, home and studio tours, demonstrations, presentations, conversations, inspiration, collaboration, and a launch party that might be the highlight of your summer.” Development…
This weekend local galleries and art museums take a look — and in one case, a listen — at what makes something art, rather than just an exercise. Brush up on your own analytical abilities by dropping in at Dateline Gallery, RedLine or the Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art. Details…
Katy Zimmerman is slightly obsessed with time travel. “This is what I’ve been doing for the past year — painting a lot of portals and time travel-themed work. It’s going to keep going until I’m sick of it,” says Zimmerman, with a laugh. The painter — who also works with…
For Tree Stories, their intelligent group show at Michael Warren Contemporary, gallery co-directors Michael McClung and Warren Campbell have put together what are essentially three interconnected solos. In their discrete spaces, Meredith Nemirov, Jeff Baldus and Gwen Laine all focus on trees — deconstructing them in paintings, sculptures and photos,…
With The Stoner’s Coloring Book, Jared Hoffman has created the first adult coloring book designed specifically with stoners in mind. Hoffman, a graduate of Cornell University now living in Brooklyn, worked with artists around the world to compiled over forty illustrations designed for “high-minded” individuals. Hoffman’s goal was not just to…
Patrick Marold: Residuum, an intriguing solo at Goodwin Fine Art, features abstract process pieces by one of Denver’s most accomplished conceptual artists. They have the refined elegance and quiet, contemplative character that have been key components of Patrick Marold’s work over the past decade — but they also reflect a…
In 2011, five talented Denver high-school grads dropped out of college after their freshman year and formed a theater troupe. Crossroads Theater, a 105-seat venue on Welton Street then managed by the City of Denver, was the first place to give the group a chance. The city was offering cheap…
This weekend in Denver galleries — and other unexpected places — you’ll a grab-bag of experiences, from giant bunnies to a temple to the joke, with interludes both meditative and peaceful in between. Peoplescapes and Intrude Republic Plaza Now, through August 17 Arts Brookfield brings a new group show, Peoplescapes,…
Paul Hamilton owns one of the country’s largest private collections of African art, which fills his three-story Five Points home: up the stairs, down in the basement, out in the garage. Over 800 artifacts are stashed into every crevice imaginable. Now artist and photographer Thomas Evans has brought Hamilton’s collection to…
I’ve long been amazed that artists in Denver’s alternative scene will go to such lengths to pull off shows that run for only a few weeks. But few have gone to as much trouble as Charles Livingston has with Altared States at Pirate, which is anchored by an over-the-top installation…
My family has always been politically divided. My parents used to joke about “cancelling out each other’s votes,” as my mom entered the voting booth a Democrat and my dad, a staunch Republican. I remember how much I loved being at my mom’s side in the voting booth, peeking out…
The fifth annual Denver Comic Con will invade the Colorado Convention Center over Father’s Day weekend, June 17 through June 19. What started as a humble hometown show (albeit one with big aspirations) wound up breaking attendance records year after year, taking off from just over 25,000 attendees in its…
This is shaping up to be the year of the woman — and not just because Hillary Clinton has clinched the Democratic nomination for president, although that is clearly a big deal. No, I’m talking about the art world, where an increased emphasis on the accomplishments of women artists is…
Arts festivals are the great cultural equalizers in Colorado: They often feature high-caliber pieces to engage more serious fans while still keeping the atmosphere low-key enough for those who feel intimidated by galleries and more esoteric options. Not an art enthusiast? Most of the festivals also feature great music and…
Man-crafted goods, from beard oil to hot sauce, were on display June 11 at Ink Lounge’s Mancraftival craft fair, where the beer flowed and folks played carnival games and enjoyed other chromosome-friendly pastimes. All photos by Aaron Thackeray. Now see the full Mancraftival slide show…
