| In Review: Denver Arts 2007 |
| Posted: December 31, 2007 | |||
After seeing one too many "best of movies/music/books 2007", I was reluctant to chime in on what was what in the Arts in Denver in 2007, but after some consideration, I thought a summary as opposed to a blunt best-of listing might be in order—with a few exceptions ;-), so here we go... Artist Talks:There were several excellent opportunities to hear artists speak their mind in Denver this year, most notable being the Logan Lectures sponsored by the DAM Contemporaries which brought some serious heavyweight talent to the city including Gottfried Helnwein, George Condo and Neo Rauch (the series continued from 2006 which also offered a full slate of internationally famous artists.) On the local front, two series offered a platform for Denver artists to speak about their work: Eric Matelski's excellent First Monday Art Talks were not just a chance to hear artists speak, but also presented DJs, Poets and Dancers to boot. And as the title says, The Lab at Belmar's "Mixed Taste: Tag Team Lectures on Unrelated Topics" followed a similar format to the FMATs, pairing artists with chefs, musicians and storytellers. I'm hoping that the Museo de las Americas continues with the "7Minutos" series which allowed 7 artist 7 minutes each to present their work and ideas (above right: picture of the artists). Patti Ortiz, the director of the Museo also co-sponsored (along with the Dikeou collection) a memorable talk with artist Lee Stoetzel. I'd also like to note Jimmy Sellars' Slide Show Potluck series which also offered a fun forum for artists to mingle.  Special Events:I'm not seeing Art Basel: Denver anytime soon, but the next best thing was Dana Cain's excellent Denver Modernism show which in addition to the requisite purveyors of fine furniture (P Design Gallery and Mod Livin') also brought out some of Denver's top galleries including Plus, Space and Sandy Carson. Charles Phoenix' flippant toast to mid-century modern through his slide show of vintage Americana was alone worth the trip. Denver Arts Week kicked off what will hopefully be a Denver tradition and a way to draw regional tourism into the city to explore what the various arts districts have to offer. I'm also assuming that the brain trust behind DAW will kick into gear as the Democratic National Convention descends on Denver summer 2008. The Denver institution Cherry Creek Arts Fest was again a perennial favorite with local artists Marie Vlasic, Bill Starke, Bill Amundson, Jimmy Sellars, Marie Gibbons and Jimmy Descant all getting a chance to mingle with the masses. While First Fridays on Santa Fe and the RiNo arts district aren't "special events" per se, they stand out as summertime favorites for getting out on a Friday evening. Exhibits: Here's a list of memorable gallery shows from 2007:
 In the "other news" category, I think a theme for the visual arts in the US in 2007 was the explosion of new construction, additions and expansions from a variety of institutions including the new Museum of Contemporary Art|Denver at 15th and Delganey designed by up-and-coming "Starchitect" David Adjaye, the announcement of Brad Cloepfil as the architect for the new Clyfford Still museum (adjacent to the DAM), the fine Colorado Springs FAC addition, and a national potpourri of construction including: Detroit Institute of the Arts, Grand Rapids Art Museum. Boston MCA, the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art Kansas City , NYC's New Museum, Philly's new Perelman building, Libeskind's "other" building, the list goes on...The constraints of time keep me from noting many other excellent shows and events, however I'm looking forward to an exciting 2008 and am especially looking forward to hearing from you, the readers of the DenverArts.org website and newsletter. Please keep sending me your event announcements and gallery listings so we can work together to make this organization an ongoing supporter of the burgeoning art scene here in Denver. Some personal goals I have for the organization include providing sponsorship and financial support for arts events, coordination of artist studio tours, workshops and gallery events and continued coverage of gallery exhibits and local arts news via the website. Please drop me an email (ken at denverarts.org) with any ideas or suggestions you have for helping DenverArts.org continue to support the visual arts in Denver. Health and happiness to you in 2008... --Ken--
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