Five Things for Art Lovers to Do and See This Weekend in Denver

It might be quiet in D-Town galleries this weekend, but it’s far from dead. You can meet an international art star, say goodbye to an all-Colorado mega-show or spend a Monday night volleying words and tennis balls with an artist. And there’s more. See below.

Meet the Artist: Peeta
Downtown Artery, 254 Linden Street, Fort Collins
Thursday, August 16, 5 to 7 p.m.
Old Firehouse Alley, running adjacent to the Elizabeth Hotel in Old Town Fort Collins, is about to go through a shake-up in the downtown district up north with forward-thinking art: The Denver-based virtual-reality/projection-mapping experts of Alt Ethos are partnering with the City of Fort Collins, local arts organizations and international mural artist Peeta to create an interactive mural in the alley. Peeta, aka Manuel Di Rita, known for his mind-boggling faux-sculptural murals, will be in Fort Collins for a couple of weeks doing his part for the outdoor installation; once he’s done, Alt Ethos will add movement-triggered projection-mapping for a two-fisted mural that’s interesting to look at whether it’s day or night. The city is throwing a meet-and-greet reception with Peeta on Thursday — a not-to-miss event if you’re into mural culture and a great way to prep for Denver’s Crush Walls in September.

Jon Geiger, Valley Boy
RedLine, 2350 Arapahoe Street
August 17 through September 9
Opening Reception: Friday, August 17, 6:30 to 9 p.m.
It’s a big weekend for Black Cube, the independently curated, Denver-based nomadic museum, with two shows opening — Valley Boy, a solo exhibition by Black Cube alumnus Jon P. Geiger, on Friday, and a group installation pop-up, Drive-In: House of Cars, on Saturday. Geiger, whose neon billboard “ROAM” previously toured the region beginning two years ago for stints at five locations under the auspices of Black Cube, returns to the fold for a solo exhibition of work inspired by the landscape, both physical and psychological, of the San Luis Valley, where he was raised (he now lives in Detroit), as well as by the spirit of “ROAM.” Go on the road with Geiger at the August 17 reception at RedLine, where he'll also deliver an art talk at 6:30 p.m.

Martha Hughes, Pools & Gardens
Mr. Pool, Inc., 2347 South Street, Boulder
August 18 through November 3
Opening Reception: Saturday, August 18, 6 to 8 p.m.
Rule Gallery artist Martha Hughes plays with a swimming pool metaphor that’s only proper in her new show, considering the venue: Mr. Pool, the four-decade-old pool and spa business owned by Boulder friend of the arts Terry Seidel. Pools & Gardens is a mixture of hard-edge poolscapes, playing with geometry in shades of bright blue and green, and cheerful oil-pastel floral drawings, all hanging side by side in summery harmony. Think of it as a cool dip in a colorful pool.

Pink Progression Poetry Reading and Closing Reception
Center for Visual Art, MSU Denver, 965 Santa Fe Drive
Saturday, August 18, 1 to 4 p.m.
Pink Progression, a huge, morphing, traveling exhibition organized by participating artist Anna Kaye, has reached the end of the road, at least for now: The empowering show, inspired by pink pussy hats and the solidarity set in motion by the international women’s marches of the past two years, wraps up at CVA, its third and final venue, on August 18, but not without some farewell hoopla. As an addition to the kaleidoscope of artworks addressing gender- and feminism-related issues, the project had a poetry wing, and the show will conclude with a poetry reading by ten Colorado women.

Artist Talk and Tennis Tournament with Stephanie Kantor
Monday, August 20, 5 to 8 p.m.
Gildar Gallery, 82 South Broadway
Gates Tennis Center, 3300 East Bayaud Avenue
Spectators free, $15 players at ticketbud.com
Also set to close soon, an exhibit by ceramic artist Stephanie Kantor remains on view at Gildar Gallery through August 24. But before it’s gone, Kantor, whose works in the show were sparked by the artist’s father’s tennis trophies and the tenuous link between sports and art, will give a gallery talk with an unorthodox culmination. Participants are invited to meet at the gallery for conversation before traveling to the Gates Tennis Center for a mixed-racquet-sports tournament (tennis for experts or pickleball for the inexperienced) interspersed with more conversation. Balls will be provided for players; all you’ll need is a racquet. Tournament winners will receive art prizes from Kantor. Email [email protected] for more information.

Interested in having your event appear in this calendar? Send the details to [email protected]. For more events this weekend, see our 21 Best Things to Do in Denver.