Denver visual artist Dan Drossman is thrilled to present Visible Planets, Renowned Rappers and their Visual Art, Two Days of Art and Hip-Hop, August 4th and 5th, 2023. This event came together from the mind of Drossman who, as a visual artist and fan of rap, selected some of his favorite rappers who create mind-bending, socially and politically aware, music. When they are not making music, they create incredible and unique fine art. With the help of rapper, Homeboy Sandman, Drossman produced this singular event to showcase their talents in both realms! Fans can visit with the artists and view their artwork at Bitfactory Gallery on Friday, August 4th during the First Friday Art Walk which brings its own vibrant, creative energy to Denver’s Art District on Santa Fe. On Saturday, August 5th, Herman’s Hideaway on South Broadway will host a stellar concert where fans can check out what they do on stage.
Visible Planets Group Exhibition
Jul 21, 2023 - Aug 10, 2023
Featuring the works of:
Aesop Rock, Deca, Quelle Chris, Kid Acne, and Isaac Sawyer
Opening Reception:
Friday, July 21, 2023, 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Free and open to the public.
Artist Reception | First Friday:
August 4, 2023, 6:00 pm - 10 pm
Free and open to the public.
Artists in Attendance: Deca, Quelle Chris, Kid Acne, and Isaac Sawyer
Visible Planets Hip-Hop Show:
Saturday, Aug 5, 2023, 8:00 pm–11:45 pm (Doors at 7:00 pm)
Featured Artists: Homeboy Sandman, Deca, Quelle Chris, Kid Acne, and Isaac Sawyer
Location: Herman's Hideaway, 1578 South Broadway Denver, CO 80210
General Admission $35 (Day of show $40)
18+ Show
Tickets are available at HermansHideway.com
Dan Drossman is an artist and the former Director/Curator of The Waiting Room Gallery. Aching to curate a show again, this event is a dream come true for him that came together through a little bit of serendipity, a few good connections, and a lot of generosity. It began when he reached out to Angel Del Villar II (aka Homeboy Sandman) about permission to use his song title for one of his paintings. They met up later while he was in Denver performing, and they became friends. Drossman approached Del Villar about his idea for this show and he offered to help get other rapper/artists on board. Gallerist and musician Bill Thomason helped connect him to the music venue, and his friend, former tennis student, and artist in her own right as a photographer in New York City, Ashley Garrett, agreed to finance the show. While seen as separate creative fields, Drossman has always felt fine art and music are closely linked—both as forms of language that creatives use to communicate. He is thrilled to unite the two genres and share this experience so that others can appreciate the connection.
Aesop Rock is participating only in the visual art portion of the event and will not be performing onstage. He received a BFA in painting from the School for the Arts at Boston University, but upon graduation focused more on his musical artistry. About 10 years he began to experiment with creating his drawings on an ipad using Procreate and has been keeping up with his visual art practice ever since, capturing the small, daily moments of his subject’s lives. Learn more about his music at aesoprock.com.
Deca is originally from Denver but is currently based out of NYC. He is mostly self-taught, creating comics and graffiti since a young age. After years of focusing solely on making music, he reignited his interest in visual art in 2011, using acrylic paint and ink as his medium. He states “I got back into it as a way of creating that didn't feel as heavy to me as my process of making music. It's a lot more meditative… it's my very small way of trying to aid in the healing of what I see as an extremely sick society. That's the main intention behind both my visual art and my music”. His work has been exhibited in galleries in NYC and Denver and he has designed most of his album covers. Learn more about his music at deca.bandcamp.com/music.
Quelle Chris is a self-taught visual artist inspired by his father’s paintings and brother’s graphic art. With an interest in drawing from a young age studied their artistry and creative process while developing a style of his own. He works mostly digitally with pen and graphics while dabbling in other genres. His work is about exploring—capturing moments and thoughts and running with them, making mistakes yet making them work. He has had a couple of gallery features in Chicago and New York but the majority of his public artworks exist in the music world—for himself and fellow rap artists—as animated visuals and videos, promotional pieces, and album cover artwork. Learn more about his music at quellechris.bandcamp.com.
Kid Acne is an artist, illustrator and hip-hop musician who resides in England. He has a background and education in Fine Art, combined with experience in commercial illustration, graffiti, street art and printmaking. While building his name as a hip-hop artist he has also shown artwork in a number of group and solo shows, and has painted murals in locations around the world, and his designs have been featured on numerous album covers. He feels his visual art is in a constant battle between decoration and authenticity. Learn more about his music at kidacne.com.
Isaac Sawyer, who is based in New York City, has been dedicated to building community through Hip-Hop music, visual art, and creativity for over 25 years. In addition to exhibiting his visual art in Brooklyn and Las Vegas, Sawyer has self-released albums and singles, toured Nevada, Arizona and Utah, and has opened for and been a featured performer for numerous mainstream and underground hip-hop artists. He recently moved into the realm of teaching artist, lending his expertise to the youth of New York through beat-making workshops. Learn more about his music at isawyermusic.com/home.