Shed Creative Inhibitions at Laura Krudener’s New Gallery, ATC DEN

In her practice, Denver artist Laura Krudener lets colors spatter and dance across exuberant canvases in a kind of compositional choreography. Her other concern, the digital lifestyle platform Among the Colors, aims to do the same for people, by helping them navigate the perfect surface for their own locked-up creativity. At her new studio/gallery, ATC DEN, Krudener invites gallery-goers to come inside and throw off their creative inhibitions.

“There’s more than one way to be creative,” says Krudener. “I want to help people find ways to access that in a way that’s right for them.” To do that, ATC DEN, which Krudener describes as “an alternative community space and gallery for the people of Denver,” is first and foremost an airy and bright curatorial platform, with new shows opening every two months, featuring both local and national names. But she also envisions it as a place to hang out, turning gallery-going into an interactive experience.

To that end, she’s created a lounge area with art-book and vinyl-record libraries to use and peruse. In the summer, the gallery’s roll-up glass entry opens onto an al fresco patio area that invites chatter and art talk. And at receptions, she will offer “new or maker ways to crack the ice and engage the public,” from the henna station and tarot table she’ll have on hand at ATC DEN’s July 7 grand opening to artist talks or demos and other multi-disciplinary distractions.

As a multi-purpose venue, ATC DEN will also host workshops, wellness discussions, maker markets, fashion events and demonstrations, as well as private gatherings as an event space for hire. And Krudener hopes to share the space for events with nonprofits like Girls Inc. and hip entrepreneurial info-sharing platforms like TEDxMileHigh.

“For our first community event with Girls Inc., we’ll have 35 middle-school girls here for a lecture on women and entrepreneurship,” she notes. “We want to lend a voice to local artists and groups, and give them a place to be heard and seen.”

ATC DEN officially opens with It’s All a Dream, an exhibit of Krudener’s work. Attend the reception from 6 to 9 p.m., Friday, July 7, at 3420 Larimer Street in RiNo. Along with the aforementioned henna and tarot stops, the evening will include music by DJ Musa, food by Mercantile, drinks by Proper Pour and a sidewalk chalk mural area for kids of all ages; you may even want to amble down two doors and pick up a doughnut for your budding artist at Hotbox Roaster. Admission is free, but reservations are required at [email protected].

For a more intensive introduction, the Art Students League of Denver is including ATC DEN as part of its Artist Studio Tour series from 1 to 2:30 p.m., Saturday, July 8. Tickets are $5 to $10; register at the ASLD website.

Learn more about Laura Krudener and ATC DEN at the website, and on Facebook and Instagram.