The Ten Most Amazing New Street Art Murals of Summer 2016

It’s been a hot summer — both in air temperature and aesthetics. Street artists continue to blow away all expectations as they enliven the Denver art scene, and these ten new murals prove it. As more mainstream organizations such as the Urban Arts Fund and the Downtown Denver Partnership pay…

Photos: Robots, Steampunks and Modern Tech at FutureFest

FutureFest, a new kind of mini-con and tech fair with a Burning Man vibe, brought drones, ‘bots, steampunk fashion and virtual reality to City Hall on July 23. Photographer Ken Hamblin brought back a taste of all the fun and games. Now see the full FutureFest slide show…

Photographer Andrew Koch Captures Contrasts in Downtown Denver

You can find art all over town — not just on gallery walls. In this series, we look at some of the local artists who serve up their work in coffeehouses and other non-gallery businesses around town. “Photography is just a hobby, really,” says Colorado native Andrew Koch, who turned…

Review: Reading Between the Lines at RedLine’s Drawing Never Dies

Drawing Never Dies, an interesting and somewhat provocative examination of contemporary drawings — at least that’s purportedly its subject — is nearing the end of its run at RedLine. The show was juried by Donald Fodness, a Denver artist, and Daisy McGowan, director of the Galleries of Contemporary Art at…

The Mayday Experiment: The Internet and Information Overload

Nothing has ever persuaded me more that our dialogue is broken than the current political quagmire. When I began the Mayday Experiment, one of my goals was to try to change the conversation and have in-person dialogues about sustainability, as opposed to arguing about the existence of climate change —…

Photos: Freaks and Inks at the Tattoo Masquerade

The inaugural Tattoo Masquerade brought tattoo artists from across the nation to Colorado for a body-art convention that went a step beyond by also presenting fine artists, holistic-health practitioners, burlesque dancers and side-show performers at the Colorado Convention Center from July 22 through 24. Here’s a look at the action…

Artists Behind Controversial “Bad Cop Versus Good Cop” Speak Out

The side of Cold Crush at 2700 Larimer Street carries a powerful new statement: the boxing-style propaganda mural called “Bad Cop Versus Good Cop.”  Cold Crush co-owners Musa Bailey, Eric Cunningham and Brian Mathenge have had a wide range of local and national artists to put their spin on the “phoenix wall”…

Jeffrey Harrison Shares His Vital Visions at Georgia Amar’s Gallery

Painter Jeffrey Harrison’s latest solo exhibition, Vital Visions: The Expressionistic Realism of Jeffrey Harrison, opened last Friday at Georgia Amar’s Habitat Gallery.  In the show, Harrison breaks through the boundaries of realism with pieces that take on traditional figurative subjects: portraits and the nude. A Colorado native, Harrison grew up in…

The Shows Must Go On! Sculptures, Circuses and Speaking Out

The local art scene is full of great exhibits and events right now. Here are Michael Paglia’s takes on a trio of ongoing shows in Denver and beyond. Audacious. Last summer, Rebecca Hart took the rudder of the Denver Art Museum’s Modern and Contemporary department, and Audacious: Contemporary Artists Speak…

Photos: The Colorado Black Arts Festival

The Colorado Black Arts Festival celebrated thirty years of shared culture and community solidarity over the weekend of July 8-10 in City Park, with a spread of original art, African imports, music, drumming and dance. Photographer Ken Hamblin caught all the good vibes at the fest in the following images…

The Mayday Experiment: The Joy of Hoarding

We all get stuck at times. We don’t always know why, but sometimes that task we know we should be doing lingers, becomes larger, then turns into an insurmountable problem. At those times we need to reach out for help — and I’ve always kind of sucked at that. As…

Reader: Should Denver Be Talking About Design? Or Gentrification?

The inaugural Denver Design Week runs through July 15; it’s billed as “a showcase for the region’s best architecture, interiors, art, brands and technology. Eight days of education, home and studio tours, demonstrations, presentations, conversations, inspiration, collaboration, and a launch party that might be the highlight of your summer.” Development…