Visual Arts

A long time ago in a galaxy not so far away, Star Wars fan D.C. Barns decided to enter a contest that had as its grand prize a chance to be in the next installment of the Star Wars saga, Episode VII. And this week, Barns learned that in the…

Michael Paglia has been writing about the art scene in Denver and Front Range for twenty years, following the latest shows, trends and news at museums and galleries. See his latest review, of ID Series, at the Sandra Phillips Gallery, on the Show and Tell blog…

Codes are the focus of four artists who are showing work at the Sandra Phillips Gallery right now in ID Series. The featured artist is Sue Simon, who is brand-new to Phillips but has been showing in Denver since the 1990s. During that time, she has continuously explored ways to…

Today and tomorrow, artists working at the intersection of social justice and the art world will gather at Anderson Ranch outside Aspen to discuss their projects as a part of Making the Change They Want to See. The artists are as varied as Steve McQueen, director of 12 Years a…

When History Colorado planned its Denver A to Z exhibit, which features everything from the Barrel Man to zombies (don’t ask), it had a true historic artifact for the letter E: an electric car, the Fritchle, which was manufactured in Denver in the early 1900s and featured in the old…

Counterculture apparel staple FashioNation announced last week that it was leaving its location at 613 East 13th Avenue after almost thirty years — but co-owner Paul Italiano promised that the store would be resurrected in a new spot. He was vague about the details, because the lease agreement was not…

Carolina Fontoura Alzaga has come a long way since Denver. The artist, who’s now based in Los Angeles, goes by FACARO in the art world, where she’s gained international acclaim. And one of her chandeliers made of bicycle parts was just featured in several episodes of the popular vampire series,…

For In Technicolor, her new exhibit at Walker Fine Art, Boulder artist Angela Beloian created a body of retro ’60s and ’70s paintings and screen prints based on “sketches” done using an iPhone. The works refer to minimalism, abstract surrealism and psychedelic art using just a couple of formal moves…

You can find art all over town — not just on gallery walls. In this series, we’ll be looking at some of the local artists who serve up their work in coffeehouses and other non-gallery businesses around town. “I’m an artist, writer, actress, business owner,” says jack-of-all-(artsy)-trades Elena Davis, who’s…

“As we watch our Queen City of the Plains explode with new people, new businesses and a new cultural identity we aren’t familiar with,” writes Bree Davies in her recent love letter to Denver, “I feel a shared level of discomfort at the way our visual history is being erased….In…

Celebrate the great outdoors this weekend with a festival of sculptural works in a park, as well as a show of pieces by people who paint outdoors. And then there’s a transcendent exhibit that will transport viewers to a different plane. If you’re looking for art that will take you…

For decades Antique Row on South Broadway has been a one-stop shopping experience for people looking to fill their homes with one-of-a-kind furniture and vintage goods. This Saturday, August 9, the Antique Row Merchant’s Association is hosting a big block party to show off its eclectic vendors, which have expanded…

Drive-ins were once a major part of the movie theater landscape, but most of them have closed over the past few decades as indoor multiplexes have taken over. In the Denver area, only one remains: the 88 Drive-In Theatre in Commerce City. Business there, it seems, has never been better…

Burns Park fills the triangle of hillside defined by Colorado Boulevard to the west, Alameda Avenue to the south and Leetsdale Drive, which runs diagonally from northwest to southeast. The park is notable for being home to a suite of mostly minimalist sculptures, some of which have been on the…

Last month, Michael Paglia reviewed Unbound: Sculpture in the Field, an over-the-top outdoor exhibit for which the prairie land south of the Arvada Center has been turned into an informal sculpture garden. This week, Paglia takes a look at another of the shows in the Unbound series. For Unbound: Five…

Last month I reviewed Unbound: Sculpture in the Field, an over-the-top outdoor exhibit for which the prairie land south of the Arvada Center has been turned into an informal sculpture garden. Using newly cast concrete pads, exhibition manager Collin Parson and assistant curator Kristin Bueb oversaw the placement of sculptures…

Joseph Coniff (in parentheses) is only the second presentation to open at the Rule Gallery since the untimely death of Robin Rule late last year. It was important to Rule that the gallery continue, so three longtime associates — Valerie Santerli, Rachel Beitz and Hilary Morris — are carrying on…

I was born in Denver in 1980. These days, I wear my Colorado nativeness like some entitled badge of honor — and I’ve noticed others do, too. I was at a public gathering last week and when a native took the mic to speak, they made sure to mention that…

Feline-o-philes of all ages purr with joy whenever the Amazing Acro-Cats slink into town because, you know — cats playing guitars and riding skateboards and stuff. Animal trainer Samantha Martin has parked her cat bus in front of the Bug Theatre for a run of performances inside, continuing Thursdays through…

UPDATE: FashioNation has a new home. The nearly 30-year-old business will debut its new location on South Broadway on October 10. Owners Pam and Paul Italiano spent several weeks moving the furnishing and decor of the old store into the new space, which formerly housed Packrat Antiques, even removing a…

No institution has played a more important role in Colorado’s art history than the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center. Among its collections is one dedicated to modern and contemporary pieces created by Colorado artists. It’s a nice collection — not on the level of the Kirkland Museum’s, mind you –…