Famous Artist Phil Bender will start his moving sale tomorrow

After creating art there for 22 years, Phil Bender has to move out of his space at the Grant Street Art Studios, since the building has been sold, as do all the other resident artists. So starting Saturday, June 7, and continuing every Saturday through June, Bender and four other...

By Mauricio Rocha

June 6, 2014

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After creating art there for 22 years, Phil Bender has to move out of his space at the Grant Street Art Studios, since the building has been sold, as do all the other resident artists. So starting Saturday, June 7, and continuing every Saturday through June, Bender and four other artists will be at their studios, selling off the contents.

Bender's work was recently featured in the Scrounge exhibit in the Republic Plaza lobby.. Bender, a founder of Pirate and winner of the Mayor's Award for the Arts, makes his artwork from found and repurposed materials. As a result, he has collected an eclectic mix of objects over the years, many of which will be up for sale. In addition to old books and magazines, Bender will be selling a canoe, pool table, desk, wicker chair, leather couch and other, smaller pieces. "All prices are negotiable, of course," says Bender.

Once the sale is over at the end of the month, Bender will relocate his art studio to his home. "You can call me an obsessive compulsive collector or whatever, but there is something for everyone at this sale," adds Bender.

Don't look for more details on Facebook; Bender doesn't even own a computer. "Someone started a fake Phill a few years ago," Bender says of a notorious prank. "If I find him, I'll wring his neck." Instead, you'll just need to show up between noon and 4 p.m. any Saturday in June, to see what you can find.

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Mauricio Octavio Rocha graduated from Metropolitan State University of Denver in 2014 with a bachelor's degree in English writing and a minor in cinema studies; He has been writing about fashion and style for Westword since 2012. Rocha also writes songs for his music and art project, VULGAR FEVER.

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