Pet Portraits By Maurice Becnel

Immortalize your furry friends with a pet portrait by Maurice Becnel. Clients admire Becnel's ability to capture the essence of a pet's personality in his work.

Says Becnel, "Painting animal portraits, for me, is more fun than it is work. I began painting them several years ago. The first one I did was for a friend on her birthday. Because it was a gift it never dawned on me that other people would commission me to do more. Word got out and before I knew it more and more of the emails I was receiving from my website were going to the dogs! And cats!"

Abend Gallery presents 33 artists whose work honors the life and lifestyles of the west with Old Traditions/New Frontiers

Abend Gallery presents 33 artists whose work represents and honors the life and lifestyles of the west with Old Traditions/New Frontiers opening on January 9. The exhibition acts as a survey of Western art, with a blend styles that pay homage to traditional western style and subject matter, as well as fresh new takes on what “western” means today.

Works by an outstanding lineup of painters from across the United States are featured, including Erin Berrett, Jennifer Bobola, Lorenzo Chavez, Michelle Condrat, Sean Conrad, Tim Deibler, Judith Dickinson, Michael Dowling, Terry Gardner, Lindsey Bittner Graham, David Grossmann, Stephanie Hartshorn, Charlie Hunter, David Kammerzell, Kim Mackey, Jeremy Manyik, Peggy McGivern, Arleta Pech, Sarah Phippen, Angie Renfro, Elizabeth Sandia, Dave Santillanes, Nathan Solano, Robert Spooner, Elsa Sroka, Clyde Steadman, JM Steele, R Gregory Summers, Michael Ome Untiedt, Erica Vhay, Lani Vlaanderen, Travis Walker, Tracy Wall and Mike Wise. 

An opening reception will be held on Friday, January 9 from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. Many artists will be in attendance.

rePOPulated: Contemporary Perspectives on Pop Art

Mass media, culture and production, as seen through the lens of Pop Art is the focus of the Arvada Center’s first exhibition series of 2015. Fun, bold and rebellious, the Pop movement was a major departure from the prior artistic endeavors of the mid-twentieth century. 

Curator Collin Parson had this to say about the series, “Looking at the list of participating artists I realized that this exhibition highlights a diverse cross-section of American culture. I think visitors will enjoy the range of work represented.” 

The exhibition opens with a free public reception on January 22 from 6-9 p.m. and runs through March 29, 2015.

Partner Profile: Pet Portraits by Maurice Becnel

Immortalize your furry friends with a pet portrait by Maurice Becnel. Clients admire Becnel's ability to capture the essence of a pet's personality in his work.

Says Becnel, "Painting animal portraits, for me, is more fun than it is work. I began painting them several years ago. The first one I did was for a friend on her birthday. Because it was a gift it never dawned on me that other people would commission me to do more. Word got out and before I knew it more and more of the emails I was receiving from my website were going to the dogs! And cats!"

Podcast: 14th Street Overlay

Last week, Denver Public Art and artists Walczak & Heiss unveiled Denver’s newest public artwork “14th Street Overlay.” This unique public art experience along 14th Street between Larimer and Colfax in downtown Denver was commissioned through Denver’s 1% Public Art Program and is part of the Better Denver Bond improvements. The artwork includes a variety of optical devices at 23 locations, with each sculpture providing a site-specific view of Denver’s past and present.

The artwork is part of the Ambassador Street vision that engages visitors and residents along 14th Street. Walczak & Heiss were interviewed on The Untitled Art Show. Check out the podcast for more details on this unique and interactive piece.

Denver Art Seen: Palms, Playas and Palaces

From our pal Jesse Hernandez of Jesse Hernandez Photography: My "Palms, Playas and Palaces" show has been extended one more month. If you missed it the first time or want to see it again, come out this Friday April 5th for First Friday on Santa Fe Drive! This exhibit showcases the ever beautiful Southern California in 20 x 30 framed prints. It is supposed to be 72 degrees out Friday, perfect weather for a stroll through 40 galleries on that night! Come out and support me with your attendance, smile and a tight hug!

The exhibit will be at The Denver School of Photography and will begin at 5:30 pm and go until 10:00.

Jesse Hernandez at First Friday Tonight

Looking for something to do tonight? Check out Jesse Hernandez's second gallery showing at  The Denver School of Photography between 6-9:30 pm.

"My subject for this show is my favorite to photograph, black and white architecture," says Hernandez. "Capturing the modern styles with the historic styles is capturing decades of artistic creations juxtaposed in textile, shape and time."

The Santa Fe Arts District is comprised of over 60 galleries and studios, restaurants and theaters, and all sorts of other cool and interesting spaces and draws hundreds of attendees every month along Santa Fe Drive.

The Male Form - Don Campbell Images Studio and Gallery

On Friday, June 15 the member galleries of Denver's Art District on Santa Fe will be celebrating Gay on Santa Fay. The event is a kick off for the Denver PrideFest weekend. 

As part of Gay on Santa Fay, DonCampbell Images Studio and Gallery is hosting 'The Male Form', an exhibit of fine art male nude photography, sculpture, and drawings. The photography and sculpture are the work of award winning artist Don Campbell and the male nude drawings are the work of deceased artist Will Laughlin.

Campbell's Photography has been exhibited in galleries throughout the country including the Leslie/ Lohman Art Museum in New York City, the Kinsey Art Museum at the University of Indiana, and the Los Angles Center for Digital Art. 

His sculptures have also been exhibited throughout the country including the New Art Center in New York City, the Teal Gallery in Breckenridge, CO, Visions Gallery in Dallas, TX, and Sculpture in the Park, Loveland, CO. Campbell has won numerous awards for his photography and sculpture and some of his photographs are in the permanent collections of art museums.

Don Campbell Images Studio and Gallery Presents: The Male Form

On Friday, June 15 the member galleries of Denver's Art District on Santa Fe will be celebrating Gay on Santa Fay. The event is a kick off for the Denver PrideFest weekend. 

As part of Gay on Santa Fay, DonCampbell Images Studio and Gallery is hosting 'The Male Form', an exhibit of fine art male nude photography, sculpture, and drawings. The photography and sculpture are the work of award winning artist Don Campbell and the male nude drawings are the work of deceased artist Will Laughlin.

Campbell's Photography has been exhibited in galleries throughout the country including the Leslie/ Lohman Art Museum in New York City, the Kinsey Art Museum at the University of Indiana, and the Los Angles Center for Digital Art. 

His sculptures have also been exhibited throughout the country including the New Art Center in New York City, the Teal Gallery in Breckenridge, CO, Visions Gallery in Dallas, TX, and Sculpture in the Park, Loveland, CO. Campbell has won numerous awards for his photography and sculpture and some of his photographs are in the permanent collections of art museums.

Things to do in Denver when you're gay: Arvada Center Summer Gallery Exhibitions

The nationally recognized Arvada Center will open its latest art gallery exhibition, FACES, PLACES & SPACES sponsored by Exempla Lutheran Medical Center with a public reception on Thursday, June 7 from 6-9 p.m. FACES, in the main gallery, goes beyond the traditional portrait show focusing only on the face, the quintessential expression of humanity. Through painting, photography and sculpture, PLACES, in the upper gallery, will highlight the juxtaposition of the interior, intimate and exterior, urban spaces created by humans. SPACES, in the theater gallery and in collaboration with Michele Mosko will feature large encaustic work by Earl Schofield and ethereal paintings by Lanny DeVuono, two artists who tackle open spaces.

New this summer is the introduction of “Smart Art”, exciting, interactive technology that will allow patrons to use their personal smart phones to connect with the artists in dynamic and interesting ways. Enhancing the existing “Guide by Cell” audio tour, the galleries will initiate “Augmented Reality” technology on select pieces representing every artist in the show. Visitors will have the option to download “Layar”, a free app, allowing them to use their smartphone to fill their screens with additional information about the art and artist, links to video, and other features. Using iPads provided for onsite use by the Arvada Center, a fun, new interactive photo app will give visitors the opportunity to create their own art to share in a digital space. This new technology will further enhance the gallery experience for long time art aficionados and novices alike.

"The Arvada Center is proud to be presenting a major exhibition featuring 36 of the region’s top artistic talents.” Remarked Collin Parson, Exhibition Manager, “From emerging to internationally known, these artists aim to explore the artistic dialogue that these genres have created in art and the continued evolution of their various representations. We are honored to be partnering with eight of the state’s top galleries to help secure these top-flight artists." The galleries represented are Walker Fine Art; David B. Smith Gallery; Michele Mosko Fine Art; Plus Gallery; Rule Gallery; Sandra Phillips Gallery; Shark’s Ink. and William Havu Gallery. Prominent artists featured in this invitational series will include Bill Amundson, Noah Kalina, Monique Crine, Jenny Morgan, Rick Dula, and Alan Chimacoff.

More information after the jump!

Wisdom and Creativity: Don Campbell Images Studio and Gallery hosts GLBT Elders art show

On May 4 and 5, Don Campbell Images Studio and Gallery will host an art exhibit showcasing the artwork of members of the GLBT community who have reached the distinguished age to be called elders.

The purpose of the Wisdom and Creativity exhibit is to focus attention on the contributions GLBT elders have made to the art community and to give GLBT elder artists an opportunity that they would not otherwise have to exhibit their work. The exhibit will be open to the public free of charge on Friday, May 4 from 6-10pm and Saturday, May 5 from 1-3pm.

Don Campbell Images Studio and Gallery is a gay owned and operated art gallery located in the Santa Fe Drive Arts District. Don Campbell and Tom Simpleman are co-owners. When the gallery is not hosting special exhibits, the work of sculptor and photographer Don Campbell is featured. Don Campbell Images Studio and Gallery is one of the few galleries in the country specializing in fine art male nude photography.

Denver Art Seen: Jesse Hernandez Photography

"The camera should be used for a recording of life, for rendering the very substance and quintessence of the thing itself, whether it be polished steel or palpitating flesh." ~ Edward Weston

Jesse Hernandez

Jesse Hernandez has been photographing events, people, and architecture for over 25 years.  His published works have appeared in the Denver Post, Rocky Mountain News, Out Front Colorado, The Aurora Sentinel and Westword.

 He offers a custom mix of traditional and modern styles to meet and exceed all needs for portfolio work, weddings and corporate images.  Jesse's passion for the art of photography is reflected in his work.

He is the staff photographer for Opera Colorado and his ongoing clients include Ignite Theater, The Denver Gay Men’s Chorus, Children’s Hospital, Subaru, The Denver Hospice, Gravity Defied Theatre, Girls Incorporated, Bakery le Sensual, The Imperial Court of the Rocky Mountain Empire, The Rocky Mountain Arts Association, and numerous musicians, artists, corporations and individuals throughout the United States.

For more information visit his website www.JesseHernandezPhotos.com.

Each week Denver Art Seen will showcase the work of a Denver-based artist or photographer. To be featured on Denver Art Seen, email drewdenver@gmail.com.

Things to do in Denver when you're gay: Automatica

This Wednesday, May 2 at Mercury Cafe, Gorinto and the NDiDA Collective present Automatica, a night of multimedia exhibition and performance showcase that produces works within the expanding realm of digital media. Automatica will feature installation works, followed by a series of performance pieces that will include live processed sound/video art, experimental voice ensemble, aesthetic noise, performance art, and creative movement.
 

Automatica is intended for mature audiences willing to explore innovative approaches in digital media and performance. The mix of instrumentation, projection, distortion, manipulation, extraction and collaboration will stimulate the mind and invigorate the senses.

Tickets will be $5 at the door. Events begin at 8 pm.

DADA's new Art Collectors Summit series debuts with focus on Mark Penner Howell

The Denver Art Dealers Association (DADA) and art collector Dana Cain, are launching a new type of art lecture series this month. The new monthly Art Collectors Summit series lets collectors talk about what draws them to a particular artist, why they collect the work, how it’s displayed in their homes, and how living with the artist’s work impacts their lives and their environment.

"Typically, galleries host an Artist's Talk," says Cain. "Or the gallery owner will talk about the artist's work, which can be enlightening. But I’m more interested in how the artwork impacts its audience. What makes someone buy a piece of art?  What flips the switch? And, how does living with lots of original art impact a collector’s life?”

The series launches Friday, January 21^st, 7pm at Space Gallery, with three collectors of Mark Penner Howell’s work. Penner Howell, who’s current Space Gallery show, “The New Normal” opened earlier this month, has won numerous local awards, including Westword Best of Denver’s 2010 “People’s Choice” for Best Solo Show.

The event coincides with the Art District on Santa Fe’s monthly “Third Friday Collectors Preview” night, and many other galleries will be open in the District. Admission is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served. For information, contact Space Gallery at 720-904-108.

'Ant Crucifix' Video to Begin Screening In 'Museum Of Censored Art' on Smithsonian's Doorstep

The Museum of Censored Art will open to the public on Thursday, January 13, 2011, on the Smithsonian's doorstep, announced art and free speech activists Mike Blasenstein and Michael Dax Iacovone today. The free speech advocates will open the Museum of Censored Art in a mobile office trailer outside the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery, where they will screen the film censored by the Smithsonian, "A Fire In My Belly" by the late gay artist David Wojnarowicz.

The work was part of the larger "Hide/Seek" exhibit of gay and lesbian portraiture currently at the National Portrait Gallery. However, the piece was removed Nov. 30 by Smithsonian Secretary G. Wayne Clough after anti-gay groups labeled it "anti-Christian." The same groups that succeeded in having the Wojnarowicz film censored originally wanted the entire "Hide/Seek" exhibit removed from the Gallery.

Historic Civic Center sculptures to undergo conservation efforts

The Denver Office of Cultural Affairs (DOCA) Public Art Program will begin conservation work on two of the City’s masterpieces of public art.  'Bronco Buster' (dedicated in 1920) and 'On the War Trail '(dedicated in 1922), by sculptor Alexander Phimister Proctor, were donated to the City of Denver in the early 1920’s during the City Beautiful period and when the Civic Center area was under development.  Work on the sculptures will begin this morning when a local radiography company will X-ray the hooves and leg area of the cantilevered Bronco Buster in order to assess the condition of the inner steel structure.  

 Civic Center Park will be closed in the area near the Bronco Buster sculpture from 8:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m.  A 150-foot radius around the sculpture will be roped off during the work, and then a conservator recommended by the Proctor Museum in Washington will make an assessment of the radiography and recommend treatment for both sculptures. Conservation work on both Proctor sculptures will begin later this spring.

 “These incredible artworks are almost a century old.  On the War Trail recently started showing signs of needing patina work and Bronco Buster is a cantilevered sculpture—we need to check to make sure the structure is sound.  All outdoor sculptures—including bronze—require regular conservation and maintenance efforts so they can be preserved for generations to come,” said Kendall Peterson, Public Art Program Manager.

*'Bronco Buster' image from WallyG's Flickr Photostream.

Things to do in Denver when you're gay: Fracture art show at Boxcar Gallery

Boxcar Gallery presents Fracture, October 28th to November 20th 2010. This exhibition features the work of Boxcar members Phil Spaulding and Ian Rumley. The opening reception will be Thursday October 28th from 6-9pm and First Friday November 5th from 6-10pm. Fracture will run through November 20th, 2010.

In his new series Fracture, Phil Spaulding continues to explore the relationship between the conscious and unconscious mind. His imagery collides creating visual fragments of his memories. These methodically rendered graphite images unite to form a juxtaposition of positive and negative space where imagery becomes the mode of his communication.

Painter Ian Rumley presents Kill em All, in which he uses an illustrative style chronicling the history of hatred and violence woven into the human experience. Ian’s use of created and appropriated symbolism generates an apocalyptic atmosphere of hopelessness and despair, offering no apologies and suggesting no solutions.

Fracture opens Thursday October 28th, 2010 from 6-9pm and First Friday November 5th from 6pm to 10pm.

Osman Akan’s sculpture Albedo begins installation Monday at Denver Botanic Gardens

Starting Monday, the Denver Office of Cultural Affairs (DOCA) Public Art Program will begin installation of a major exterior public art commission by Osman Akan for the Denver Botanic Gardens. Akan’s sculpture, titled Albedo, will be installed in the atrium area of the new parking garage across from the entrance to the Denver Botanic Gardens at 909 York Street.

A large crane will lift the 30-foot-high sculpture, constructed of stainless steel and dichroic glass, into place on Monday, September 13 starting after 9 a.m. York Street will remain open during the installation, but visitors to the Denver Botanic Gardens and the area should heed auto and pedestrian detours during the time of the crane work on Monday morning. The area will re-open to normal pedestrian and auto traffic by the end of the day on Monday, and the entire installation will take approximately one week to complete.

New York-based artist Osman Akan created this outdoor, site-specific project as a percent-for-art project for the Denver Botanic Gardens. Titled Albedo, Akan’s sculpture is designed to engage the cycles of the sun with the rhythm of its surfaces as seen from any angle of the viewer. From its concave and convex curves to the orientation of its structure, the artwork changes its appearance only by reflecting and refracting sunrays from its otherwise transparent and colorless surfaces. Utilizing natural light, Albedo will capture and extend the moment of its audience’s sense of place.

Things to do in Denver when you're gay: Janet Echelman's 1.26

The exhibition of Janet Echelman’s aerial sculpture 1.26, suspended from the roof of the seven-story Denver Art Museum above downtown street traffic, will be extended through August 11.

The City of Denver asked the artist to create a monumental yet temporary work exploring the theme of the interconnectedness of the 35 nations that make up the Western Hemisphere. Echelman drew inspiration from the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory’s announcement that the February 2010 Chile earthquake shortened the length of the earth’s day by 1.26 microseconds by slightly redistributing the earth’s mass. Exploring further, Echelman drew on a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) simulation of the earthquake’s ensuing tsunami, using the three-dimensional form of the tsunami’s amplitude rippling across the Pacific as the basis for her sculptural form.

iArt by Samuel Schimek at Mod Livin'

Over the last year artist/designer Samuel Schimek has utilized the benefits of iPhone photography to enhance the experience of his social media marketing endeavors. In developing this work he has found resurgence in appreciation for vintage photography techniques through mobile apps. Easy digital access and rapid, varied app creation is an interesting parallel to the flood of novelty film cameras in the 1960’s and 70’s. These now-vintage camera models produced “undesirable” results in photographs that are now part of the allure and signature of that era. This digital reproduction of vintage methods, another novel occurrence in our digital age, has lead Samuel to produce a collection of archival prints for exhibition and illustrate how he has utilized them for social media platforms. Opening night participants can enjoy a live social media photo booth, music from DJ White Girl Lust, tasty treats from Deluxe Burger, and the new photography pieces on display at Mod Livin’.