Infrared Photographic Artist, Sherri Mabe, expertly captures invisible light to create ethereal qualities and convey her strong connection to the American West.

RULE Gallery is pleased to introduce A Body at the Center, the first major solo presentation of Hong Hong's monumental paintings in the Western United States. The artist will attend a public reception on Friday, March 22, from 6 to 8 pm. The exhibition will be on view through May 18, 2024. Note that new gallery hours are Wednesday through Saturday, 11am-5pm, and by appointment.

Each summer and fall, artist Hong Hong travels to faraway and distinct locations within the United States to create site-responsive, large-scale works made from paper. In this nomadic practice, methods of Chinese paper-making coalesce with painting and monastic rituals. The resulting environmental experimentations chart interstitial relationships between landscape, time, and the body through cartographic, symbolic, and material languages. When the weather is adverse, Hong produces works directly on the floor of her studio. Each combines intergenerational visual story-telling, collaborative texts, and image-making to document states of interiority and subjectivity.

The exhibition at RULE features pieces created over the last five years in New York, Texas, Michigan, Massachusetts, and North Carolina. Through shifts across surface and materiality, they each map a specific place on a particular day during a different season. Poured in consecutive layers and dried beneath the sun, the paper pulp's supple surface remains vulnerable to its environment, giving shape to evolving changes within its surroundings and becoming a collaborative record with nature. A Body at the Center considers the self as a field of activity and an unfolding event. The installation was guided by measurements taken directly from Hong's own body as a reference point. Specifically, the gap between the floating sheet and the gallery wall is equivalent to the distance between Hong's navel and heart. It also examines the body's relationship to exterior as well as interior spaces through installation methods that allude to partitions, gates, floors, pools, and windows.

The keystone of this exhibition is a text-based work. Hidden in shadow, this piece is visible to the viewer but is not legible or comprehensible. The text is an accumulation of Hong's prose, which she wrote as she traveled. This text weaves together Hong's writing with excerpts from text messages, essays, books, and poems. Sections of the text are used as the titles of the projects included in this show.

In its third iteration, Gallerist Niza Knoll enlists her book club to visually interpret a popular read. The group, initially connected through their professions as artists, will combine their talents for a book-themed exhibition featuring the National Bestselling novel “The Music of Bees.” The show will be on view from April 5 to May 19, 2024, at 915 Santa Fe Drive during regular gallery hours Thursday through Sunday, 1 to 4 p.m. with hours adjusted for the following special events: First Friday Art Walks: April 5 & May 3, 5 to 9 p.m. Artist Reception: Friday, April 19, 5 to 8 p.m. Sundays on Santa Fe: April 28, Noon to 3 p.m. Third Friday Collectors Night: May 17, 5 to 8 p.m.

For art exhibitions, the group chooses books based on the story and if they find it visually compelling enough to inspire creative works. Visitors to the past shows were delighted to see the books “A Gentleman in Moscow” and “Where the Crawdads Sing,” come to life. Several of the artists have fashioned eight large paper mâché bees that hang from the ceiling, with others working in mediums such as paint, clay and fiber. The participating artists include Karen Gregory, Niza Knoll, Ann E Lacy, Sally Lewis, Pat Lickly, Aliki McCain, Kristy Melodia, Georgianne Rollman, Ellen Reynolds, and Paula Romero Schmitt. The dustjacket summary of “The Music of Bees” reads: “Three lonely strangers in a rural Oregon town, each working through grief and life's curveballs, are brought together by happenstance on a local honeybee farm where they find surprising friendship, healing--and maybe even a second chance--just when they least expect it.”

Artist Georgianne Rollman explains, “I found this quirky little book to be heartwarming and surprisingly inspiring to illustrate. It's not as visual as some of the other books we've read because it's mostly about emotions. The three protagonists are all working through various kinds of loss and grief, and they're brought together by bees. Their friendship blossoms (like the apple orchards in the book) through a David-and-Goliath-type story involving a large pesticide company. For me, ‘The Music of Bees’ is about courage and the power of friendship. Niza Knoll Gallery is located at 915 Santa Fe Drive in Denver’s popular Art District on Santa Fe and specializes in intriguing conceptual exhibits featuring work by local and regional artists. They participate in the districtwide First Friday, Third Friday, and Sundays on Santa Fe events in addition to hosting private concerts, and guest speakers associated with the exhibitions. The Mix Co-op in the back of the gallery features eight local artists and is open during regular hours Thursday–Sunday, 1-4 pm. Visit www.nizaknollgallery.com to view and purchase works online and for the most up-to-date calendar of events.

Access Gallery is excited to present two solo exhibitions featuring artists with unique individual styles that converge in subject matter: fantasy and dragons. Artists Angel and Nicole Vanston are long-standing artists with Access Gallery whose distinct artistic practices will be on display from April 5 - May 25 in celebration of the Year of the Dragon. Crimson Dragon Language features works by Angel who began working with Access Gallery in 2011. Angel primarily works with ink, colored pencil, and marker on paper and the exhibition features eight dragon languages he has created using a unique system of characters and translation. Angel’s sketches and drawings will be on display, as well as elaborate scrolls exhibiting stories that Angel has written and illustrated. The stories are written in Angel’s dragon languages which audiences are invited to interpret using his translation guides!

Dragon and Dinosaur Utopia features works by Nicole Vanston who is one of Access Gallery’s most well-established artists. She began working with the gallery in 2009 and never looked back. Nicole is known for her signature subject matter – dragons, dragon worlds, and dinosaurs – which she depicts through paintings, fiber art, and walking sticks. Nicole takes inspiration from books, movies, life experiences, and her imagination. Her biggest influence is her Nana who was a painter and left her sketchbooks and original pieces of art. Dragon and Dinosaur Utopia will showcase Nicole’s devotion to her subject matter including paintings of dragons and dinosaurs visiting landmarks across the globe.

Artists on Santa Fe’s May exhibition features a series of new oil paintings by Lisa Calzavara entitled “Possibilities”. In search of a way to process intense grief and loss, Calzavara turned inward, imagining places that would bring her peace, then translating the visions onto canvas. The result is a series of soothing abstract landscapes meant to convey hope and promise. Work by other member artists including paintings, ceramics, jewelry, mixed media and sculpture will also be on display. The public is invited to view and shop artwork from May 1 through June 2, 2024, at 747 Santa Fe Drive during regular gallery hours and during the following special events:

First Friday Art Walk: May 3, 6-9 p.m.

Artist Reception: Friday, May 17, 6-9 p.m.

Sundays on Santa Fe Art Walk: May 26, 12-4 p.m.

Calzavara began by “meditating” on positive feelings of joy, hope, love, or happiness, from which she created small sketches of comforting places like sunset-filled skies or rivers of fast-flowing water She found that this process allowed her to stay in the moment, and was a much-needed distraction from her pain. Color studies of vibrant hues or contrasting elements began to emerge with energetic vibrancy, as she moved on to paint larger versions on canvas, all while keeping the positive thoughts resonating within her. “I hope that anyone seeing these landscapes will perceive the uplifting intentions within the shapes and structures,” She says, “This brought me purpose, happiness and confidence to continue as each painting has become a beautiful world full of possibilities where anything can happen.”

Join us on Friday, May 3rd at Another Gallery for the highly anticipated return of artist Keith Oelschlager and the opening night of his latest collection, "Reel Impressions". Oelschlager's work draws deep inspiration from the luminous era of American illustration, embodying timeless elegance and narrative depth. Echoing masters like Norman Rockwell and NC Wyeth, Oelschlager strives to capture moments that transport viewers to fantastical realms, infusing each brushstroke with intention. Drawing from techniques of photo-realism and the illustrative quality of comic books, he merges reality with imagination, aiming to make even the most fantastical elements believable. Guided by a love for cinema and influenced by greats like Drew Struzan, Oelschlager aims to craft immersive experiences that honor the transformative power of storytelling.

RSVP for Opening Night on Friday May 3rd, 2024: https://keithoelschlagersreelimpressio.splashthat.com/

"Reel Impressions" will run from Friday, May 3rd through Friday, July 5th, 2024. Another Gallery Hours: Tuesday: 12:00 PM - 6:00 PM Wednesday: 12:00 PM - 6:00 PM Thursday: 12:00 PM - 6:00 PM

You can also join us to see the show during First Fridays and Third Fridays from 5:30 - 8:00 PM.

Mark Risius is a creative writer, musician, improv comedian, and of course, an artist. His creative desire for unique and distinctive aesthetics is evident in every aspect of his works from his choice and style of color blending to the crafting of handmade frames. This is especially evident in the Woven Collection which are made from several larger paintings and are cut into strips and arranged into various designs. Mark works out of his home studio in Boulder Colorado.

D’art Gallery, located at 900 Santa Fe Drive, hosts a National Juried Exhibition “360 Degrees-Looking at the Last Year” The exhibition runs from Thursday, May 9th, 2024, through Sunday, June 2nd, 2024, with an Artists' Reception on Friday, May 10th from 5-9 pm.

The 360 Degrees exhibition asked artists, as a viewfinder, to survey the last year and show, as well as tell, what spoke to their heart. What made a lasting impression? What brought joy, made them sad, giddy, introspective, open, or confused? Was it a memory, event, place, accomplishment, or nature and wonderment? Revelations often bring incremental or rapid resets in thinking and doing. The artists were asked to show how those impressions flowed and manifested into the creation of their artwork. There are Cash awards for Best of Show and three Honorable Mention categories.

Events Opening Reception: Friday, May 10th, 5-9 pm

Sundays on Santa Fe: Sunday, May 26th, 11-4 pm

Last Look: Sunday, May 26th, 11-4 pm

Cliff Lawson’s Colorado Veteran’s Project is a captivating photographic tribute to more than sixty Colorado servicemen and women, whose portraits will feature in a special exhibition in Denver’s Art District on Santa Fe, during the National Veterans Creative Arts Festival, this May.

The decorated Vietnam gunship pilot-turned-professional-photographer, now in his eighties, began his inspirational series in 2017, after attending the funerals of military friends, where photographic records of the departed were often no more than faded polaroid memories. Cliff set about applying his experience as an awarded photographer to provide Colorado veterans and their families with high quality portraiture to truly honor them by. To date, the Parker-based veteran, who was a pilot United Airlines following his military career, has captured more than 60 Colorado veterans, often adorned with service medals or accompanied by memories or military insignia from their time in service.

Like many of his storied subjects, the former gunship pilot remains tight-lipped about his period in the warzone, though he did reveal that he has been photographed as part of the series, on the insistence of family and friends. The Colorado Veterans Project Exhibition will be on display at Gallery 6 in Denver’s Art District on Santa Fe from Wednesday May 15th to Saturday May 18th, 2024. Gallery 6 was named Denver’s Best Photography Gallery by Westword Magazine in 2023. A number of Cliff’s portrait subjects, including Mike Silva, veteran pilot of Vietnam and Iraq, as well as a long-serving former news helicopter pilot, will attend a private showing at the gallery on Friday May 17th from 6-8pm.

The Colorado Veterans Project Exhibition is timed to feature during the National Veterans Creative Arts Festival, co-presented by the Department of Veterans Affairs and the American Legion Auxiliary which will see 120 veterans visit Denver to participate in a week-long series of workshops, artist performances and Art District tours.

From Darkness to Light is an exhibition by artists Pamela Gilmore Hake and Patricia Rucker. Both artists have different approaches for addressing the concept of darkness to light. They work with this age-old concept in a contemporary manner.

Pamela Hake has been drawn to mark making in most of her recent abstract works. Her latest body of work continues with the concept of random marks incorporated with a love for the elements of the Earth. She puts an abstract spin on rocks emerging, trees growing, plants bursting into bloom, and waves breaking. All of which come from the depths of the Earth to seek life-giving light. Her loose approach with acrylic paint and ink on canvas creates an exciting visual glimpse of how she sees the constant movement of her environment.

For Patricia Rucker, AMD (Age-related Macular Degeneration) continues to be a journey both as a struggle and a gift. Light is a high-key value, darkness a comfort and a challenge. Her work reflects her personal journey to and from the extreme. The nuances that are visible to her inner and outer eye are recorded in Rucker’s work.

NKollectiv Gallery presents “Apis Opis”, their Second Annual Invitational Exhibition featuring artists who work in Encaustic, a technique that involves applying a molten beeswax medium, usually mixed with resin and pigments, to wood or other surfaces. It is a highly tactile process for the artist that results in vivid colors, a luminous surface, and a delicious 3-D effect. Named for the common genus of honeybee in North America (Apis), the show will highlight work by three NKollectiv members and other Colorado artists who specialize in this technique. “Apis Opus” will open with a public reception on May 17, 6-9 p.m. at 960 Santa Fe Drive and be on view through June 9, 2024.

Originally used in ancient times to weatherproof ships, the encaustic wax medium was later mixed with pigments and other materials and used to create prints, paintings, or 3D finishes. The process involves applying multiple layers of the medium, to wood or other surfaces. In-between each layer, heat is used to fuse the newest layer to those beneath. Tools can also be used to shape the wax as it cools. Encaustic artworks are delightfully unique and a treat for the senses.

Participating artists include NKollectiv owner, Nicole Korbe and members: Kelly Austin-Rolo and Michele Messenger along with returning guest artists Angela Larson, Ashton Lacy Jones, Gigia Kolouch, Kathy Fisher, Lois Lupica, Melody Epperson, Shannon Mello, and Victoria Eubanks. Also participating in this year’s exhibition are guest artists Alane Holsteen, Anne Clark, Beth Wadsworth, Jennifer Wilson, Linda Armacost, and Mary Lynn Baird. Artwork displayed in the gallery includes two-dimensional paintings on wood or paper in addition to sculptural pieces and handmade books.

NKollectiv (pronounced N Collective), located at 960 Santa Fe Drive in Denver, is a curated space for local Colorado artists to display and sell their work, grow their practice, and interact with collectors. Visitors are invited to view and purchase work during gallery hours or by appointment. Regular gallery hours are Wednesdays and Thursdays, Noon-5; Fridays, Noon–8 pm (9 p.m. on event nights); Saturdays and Sundays 11–4. A selected portfolio of works is available for purchase online at nkollectiv.com along with more information about specific artists and events. Follow them on Instagram and Facebook @nkollectiv.

Spend two days learning (or refreshing your painting memory) all about encaustic painting — how to manipulate wax, proper fusing, building layers, incising, pigments, stencils and so much more. Michele's class is always fun and energetic and very, very hands-on. You will make a handful of 6x6-inch masterpieces and go away wanting more.

Class price includes all supplies, just make sure to wear grubby clothes or an apron. For beginners through intermediate. Class is 9am-4pm Friday and Saturday May 24-25.

Creativity is what makes us human—our hearts are filled with the desire to create, to leave our mark, to communicate. Niza Knoll Gallery is collaborating again with curator Damon McLeese in the second iteration of an art show celebrating the most experienced among us—in life, and in creativity. Each of the artists invited to the show is at least 80 years old. Some have been producing art all their lives, others picked up their craft after careers in other fields. What they all have in common is the experience they bring to their artistic journey and their active participation well into their later years. “80-Something” runs from May 24 to June 23, 2024, at 915 Santa Fe Drive. Works will be available to view and purchase online at www.nizaknollgallery.com and the public is invited to view the show in person during regular gallery hours, Thursday–Sunday 1-4 p.m., and to the following special events: Artist Reception: Sunday, May 26, 1-4 p.m and First Friday Art Walk: June 7, 5-9 p.m.

As Executive Director of Access Gallery and long-time gallery neighbor, McLeese’s interest in creative aging is an offshoot of the work he has done around inviting a more diverse population to the creativity discussion. He believes we live in an ageist society and art can be a catalyst to change how we think, feel and act toward others based on age. The exhibiting artists were asked to present work created in the last 5 years. Macy Dorf, Peter Durst, Niza Knoll and Leona Lazar are showcasing hand-built ceramic sculptures, Annalee Schorr will feature her mixed-media geometric patterns while Joyce Coco and Essie Perlmutter will have colorful paintings on display.

Working with personal symbolism, Joyce Coco’s gift for layering color onto the canvas always delights the eye and intrigues the mind. Growing up in Texas, Joyce was ever observant of the references and relationships, the environment, and the experiences around her. Her desire to find a solution through art is evident in her work, some of it possibly haunting, and some of it full of joy—all expressed through color and light. She has had many fruitful years of painting since she graduated from the Fine Arts program at the University of Denver. She has been a member of Spark Gallery since the 1980s and is proud to have had her work exhibited throughout Colorado and the US.

Macy Dorf creates both sculpture and functional pieces out of clay. The large sculptural pieces in this show represent his journey around the idea of negative space and how it can be expanded upon. He has been making pottery for his entire career, having graduated from Southern Illinois University in 1967 with a Master of Fine Arts degree in ceramics. After a year teaching in Chicago he moved to Colorado, starting Two Potters Studio in Littleton with Larry Wright. In 1973 he spent time in France studying ceramics, later moving back to work out of Durango then Denver. He now owns and operates Artists on Santa Fe which houses artist studios and a gallery. He was a pioneer in establishing Denver’s Santa Fe drive as a creative hub.

Peter Durst is a ceramist and sculptor. He likes work that involves dynamic tension, as if counterbalancing forces were at work to sustain things in a precarious equilibrium; how things stay together and how they fall apart, and how time works its way to expose cracks, fissures, and strata. After receiving a B.A. and a law degree he switched gears to study ceramics at Anderson Ranch in Snowmass. Durst has been a potter, ceramist, and sculptor for over 50 years having exhibited his work nationally in galleries, art centers, museums, private collections and public spaces. Since 1990, he has maintained Durst Studio, Gallery and Sculpture Garden where he makes and shows his and others’ work. Since 2001 he has taught classes through the Art Students League of Denver. He is now a part-time resident of the big island of Hawaii where he has a studio and teaches a class at the Donkey Mill Art Center in Holualoa.

Leona Lazar designed her career path to follow her love of art and community outreach. She is currently a full-time sculptor her hand-built clay pieces build on themes through which she can tell stories that convey emotions and our common humanity. She studied art at the University of Wisconsin and did master’s work in Interrelated Arts for Children at Webster College, leading to teaching in public schools as an art consultant and producing participatory exhibits for kids in museums. In the mid-90s, she was the Director of a grassroots, multi-cultural museum and in 2000, became the Executive Director of the Art Students League of Denver, holding the position for twelve years.

Annalee Schorr’s work is usually optical and kinetic—and sometimes political—her art always centers on pattern, geometry and grids. Though the true creativity of her art lies in the concept, it is also imbued with movement and charged with emotion. Schorr was born in Pueblo, Colo., in 1940. When she moved to England with her husband and two children in 1967, her world broadened, and she immersed herself in art and history. Her intentions to pursue a career in environmental activism upon her return to the U.S. were taken over by serendipity and an art class she took on a whim. She began painting 20 hours every week, and despite having no formal art training, landed her first solo exhibit at Denver’s Brena Gallery in 1978. Since then, Annalee has maintained a steady art career, and in her free time, travels the world.

Denver native Essie Perlmutter was educated in Denver Public Schools, then married young and raised 4 children. At age 46 she matriculated to Loretto Heights University where she received a B.A and did some post-graduate work. Over the years she has experimented with various art mediums, including oil and acrylic paints, gouache, and charcoal. She also incorporated needle arts and later, at age 65, studied pastile clay sculpture. Her present paintings are stylized renditions of love, loss, freedom, and activism relevant for today. “I am an observer and an activist; grateful and astonished at age 89 to exhibit.” She says, “I have been in many local shows and am privileged to have shown in New York and in one-women shows in Denver and Aspen. I am proud, to say my work is in many private collections." Working at the intersection of art, ability, and creativity, Damon McLeese is a speaker, consultant, coach, mentor, and community artist. He has been the Executive Director of the nonprofit Access Gallery for 25 years, bridging the gap between creativity and community in corporate settings, classrooms, and within individual artists.

Niza Knoll Gallery is located at 915 Santa Fe Drive in Denver’s popular Art District on Santa Fe and specializes in intriguing conceptual exhibits featuring work by local and regional artists. They participate in the districtwide First Friday, Third Friday, and Sundays on Santa Fe events in addition to hosting private concerts, and guest speakers associated with the exhibitions. The Mix Co-op in the back of the gallery features eight local artists and is open during regular hours Thursday–Sunday, 1-4 pm. Visit www.nizaknollgallery.com to view and purchase works online and for the most up-to-date calendar of events.

Discover the remarkable talent and creativity of MSU Denver's faculty and staff in CVA's biennial exhibition Collective Nouns. Immerse yourself in a diverse collection of artworks that showcase the unique perspectives and artistic endeavors of our community. From captivating installations to thought-provoking digital media, this exhibition offers a glimpse into the rich tapestry of creativity that thrives within our university.

Collective Nouns will be on view May 24 - July 20, 2024.