The joy of reading and sharing with others in a book club is that, no matter how specifically an author describes scenes and characters, each reader’s imagination renders them in different ways, allowing the experience of a story to be quite varied and personal for each individual. For 10 years, a group of women bonded by their love of reading and their full-time professions as painters and sculptors have been sharing observations during their monthly book club in Denver. It was only recently however that these women had the idea to conjure up their interpretations of a story and bring it to life using their talents as visual artists and then to curate an exhibit of the artworks. The group chose one of their favorite reads, the New York Times Best Seller, A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles. The exhibit will feature depictions of selected characters and settings in the novel which tells the story of Count Alexander Rostov who, in 1922 is deemed an unrepentant aristocrat by a Bolshevik tribunal, and is sentenced to house arrest in the Metropol, a grand hotel across the street from the Kremlin.

Niza Knoll Gallery at 915 Santa Fe Drive will host the exhibit from September 28 - November 8 with an Artist Reception on Sunday, September 29 from 11-3 during the Art of Brunch Art Walk on Denver’s popular Art District on Santa Fe. Visitors are invited to enjoy brunch bites while viewing works at each of the participating galleries. The book club members and exhibiting artists include Nancy Enyart, Lora Freeman, Niza Knoll, Ann Lacy, Sally Lewis, Pat Lickly, Aliki McCain, Kristy Melodia, Ellen Reynolds, and Georgianne Rollman. Hand-built clay, paintings, fabric art, and other mediums will be on display to surprise and delight readers of the novel and inspire others to add it to their reading list. Work will also be available to view and purchase during regular gallery hours, Wednesday-Friday 1-5, Saturdays, 1-4, First and Third Fridays, 4-8 pm and during other special events.

The publisher, Penguin Random House, summarizes the story as follows: “Rostov, an indomitable man of erudition and wit, has never worked a day in his life, and must now live in an attic room while some of the most tumultuous decades in Russian history are unfolding outside the hotel’s doors. Unexpectedly, his reduced circumstances provide him a doorway into a much larger world of emotional discovery.” And a positive review from tech giant and book lover Bill Gates: “Fun, clever, and surprisingly upbeat . . . A Gentleman in Moscow is an amazing story because it manages to be a little bit of everything. There’s fantastical romance, politics, espionage, parenthood and poetry. The book is technically historical fiction, but you would be just as accurate calling it a thriller or a love story.”

The story, unbeknownst to the artists at the time of planning this exhibit, is also being adapted into a mini-series starring Kenneth Branagh.

In 2009 Niza Knoll Gallery opened in Denver’s Art District on Santa Fe at 915 Santa Fe drive. The gallery specializes in intriguing conceptual exhibits, hosts first and third Friday events, monthly salons, private concerts and guest speakers. Past exhibits have included unusual artist pairings, outsider art, collaborative work, thought-provoking thematic exhibits of artists using non-traditional media. Through a partnership with Kingman Winery the gallery space serves as a tasting room for their fine Colorado wines and is proud to offer their wine for sale during art walks and other special events. The Mix Co-op in the back of the gallery featuring eight artists is also open for visitors during regular hours. Visit www.nizaknollgallery.com for more information.