Gallery Sketches: Four Shows in Denver for the Weekend of October 24-26

Colors may have faded in the mountains, but the local art scene is full of stunning visuals, including the otherworldly imagery of Paul Gillis at Rule, a group show exploring the cutting edge of realism at 1261, and fresh offerings from the local co-op Core and the artist-run Valkarie Gallery.

See also: Charles and Collin Parson: Continuance

Paul Gillis, Otherwhere/Otherwhen Rule Gallery October 24 through December 6 Opening reception: 6 to 9 p.m. Friday, October 24

Rule will smack you in the face with Otherwhere/Otherwhen, a show of well-arranged paintings from Paul Gillis that are peopled by strange creatures, Babel towers, and robotic and ghostly figures. Gillis's surreal world is a weird one, but a place you won't want to miss.

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Contemporary Realism Gallery 1261 October 24 through November 29 Opening reception: 5 to 8 p.m. Friday, October 24

Fans of modern representational painting will have a field day at this show by a group of 1261 artists headlined by Daniel Sprick (whose work is also on view in a one-man show at the Denver Art Museum through November 2) and curated by painter Quang Ho. "It's about mastery and surprise," says Ho. "Every painting is a performance of sort, and it is a joy just to perform at the peak of my ability." See more work online.

Gina Smith Caswell, The Botanic Series  Katie Hoffman, The House that Jack Built Meg Voigt Meersman, Buzzed, Broken and Blue In the Annex: Stuart Codington Andrews, Meditations at 60 Core New Art Space Through November 9 Opening reception: 6 to 9 p.m. Friday, October 24

Variety is what you'll get this weekend at Core, where Gina Caswell plants a whole garden of floral paintings, Katie Hoffman introduces a suite inspired by the nursery rhyme "The House That Jack Built," Meg Meersman introduces canvases that mix up stained glass with paint and, in the annex, Stuart Andrews offers a pastiche of regional work on the occasion of turning sixty.

 

Karrie York, Danyl Cook and Dwight Davidson Valkarie Gallery Through November16 Opening reception: 5 to 9 p.m. Friday, October 24

Across town, Valkarie celebrates its first anniversary in Belmar with a colorful mixed bag from gallery residents Karrie York and Danyl Cook, and guest sculptor Dwight Davidson. Expect deftly rendered pictures from nature and the animal world -- and more.

Want more? See the Westword art event listings to learn more about current gallery and art museum exhibitions and openings in the metro area.

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