Group Show pays homage to 3 King Tavern
Bitfactory Gallery September 17 - October 7, 2021
The landscape of Denver’s South Broadway scene has changed dramatically over the years but 2020 brought the closure of one location close to the heart of gallery owner and curator Bill Thomason. 3 Kings Tavern endured for 14 years as a bar, rock venue, and home-away-from-home for creatives of every ilk. In tribute, Bitfactory Gallery is proud to present “3 Kings” a group exhibition that reunites three old friends Vincent Cheap, Jason Cope and Josh Finley who befriended one another —and Thomason—at the venue over their mutual pursuits of visual art and music. The show brings together an eclectic mix of paintings, found object art, mixed-media and “re-arted” toys that will be on view from September 17 - October 7, 2021 851 Santa Fe Drive. The public is invited to an opening reception on September 17 from 6-9 pm, First Friday Art Walk October 1st from 6-10 pm and Tuesdays through Saturdays 11 am to 4 pm for the run of the show. Work can also be viewed and purchased online at www.bitfactory.net.
“I wanted to do an exhibition that paid homage to our South Broadway haunts and the friends we made there, including former co-owner Jim Norris (Reverend Jim). 3 Kings was one of two bars we drank and played at on South Broadway for years. I met Vinny, Jason, and Josh there. Vinny was a bartender, Jason worked the door, Josh was frequently there at the bar sketching in his book. I was also there a lot hanging out at the table by the front door or playing music on stage. In fact all of us are musicians and we all played there.” – Bill Thomason
Joshua Finley's "Re-arted" thrift store series began in 2016 and was born from scavenging for printed thrift store treasures that he then he humorously "re-arted" using a macabre style. This 5th edition of the series includes iconic pop-culture toys that are manipulated using torches, glue guns and carving tools then hand painted. From dinosaurs to creepy dolls, this “re-arted” toy store has it all!
Jason Cope primarily use mixed media techniques, combining everyday discarded materials such as cardboard, commercial packaging, clothing, and printed media. Isolating a fragment of what would be part of a larger landscape, he creates simple nature scenes conveying certain metaphors and narratives touching on the day-to-day, loneliness, and the desire to be content.
Vincent Cheap (super-secret code name) is a Colorado based painter/multimedia artist/musician who is inspired by punk rock music and Colorado's mostly underground scene. He has developed a raw and abstract documentary/diary style of painting the world around him. He created and cofounded Denver art establishments such as Cabal Gallery and Fast Geek Boutique and curated art exhibitions at many venues, most notably, Phoenix Gallery at 3 kings Tavern and The Oriental Theater.
“It was not only my place of employment, it was also where I was inspired and was free to create almost anything that came to my mind. There was loud music, and an immense creative energy that was shared amongst nearly all that walked through the doors.” – Vincent Cheap
Bitfactory Gallery, located at 851 Santa Fe Drive in the heart of Denver’s Art District on Santa Fe, exhibits work by the best emerging and up-and-coming local, national and international visual artists. It strives to showcase art that may not be a good fit for other galleries. Additionally, they host one major or renowned artist a year, bringing new and exciting work to Denver. The Bitfactory building also houses artist studios with the vision of providing a helpful, friendly atmosphere for artists to work solo or collaborate with others. Gallery hours are Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m., and by appointment. For additional information please contact Bill Thomason at info@bitfactory.net or (303) 862-9367 or visit www.bitfactory.net The gallery has an extensive social media presence and can also be found on Ello, FB, IG, Pinterest, Tumblr @bitfactorygallery and on Twitter at @bitfactoryg