Artist Event & Exhibition Roundup: August 2023
August promises to be an art lover's dream as we showcase the incredible talents of 6 exceptional Colorado artists.
From abstract pieces to thought-provoking installations and video showcases, each artist brings their distinct vision and creative flair to the forefront.
Whether you’re a seasoned enthusiast or a newcomer to Denver’s rich contemporary art scene, prepare to celebrate the boundless expressions of creativity our city has to offer!
Here are our 6 top Denver art exhibitions and events this August, featuring RedLine Resident Artists, Resident Alumni, and Reach Artists.
Sandra Fettingis - Breckenridge Distillery Collectors Art Series #3
Image courtesy of Breckenridge Distillery
What: Mural and label design for Breckenridge Distillery’s current limited edition whisky. Available at their tasting room in Breckenridge, CO
Where: Breckenridge Distillery – Tasting Room 137 S Main St, Breckenridge, CO, 80424
When: August 2023
About the project: The Breckenridge Distillery is the “World’s Highest Distillery.” Resident Alumni Sandra collaborated with the distillery on a mural and label design for their current limited edition whisky available at their tasting room in Breckenridge, CO. A portion of the proceeds go to RedLine!
About the artist: Sandra Fettingis is a muralist and installation artist focused on creating work for the public realm through geometric patterning. Born and raised in Chicago, Sandra studied at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, CA, earned a BA from Columbia College Chicago, and currently resides in Denver, CO. She has created more than 80 large-scale artworks for public and private collections across the nation.
Contact: sfettingis@gmail.com
Artist site: https://www.sfettingis.com
Instagram: @sandrafettingis
Laura Conway - Venus in Ferns Solo Show
What: Solo video showcase
Where: Dairy Arts Center – 2590 Walnut St, Boulder, CO 80302
When: August 18 at 4:00 pm
About the exhibition: Venus in Ferns, a new film created by Laura Conway for the 2023 RedLine Resident Artist Showcase, is an official selection for the Mimesis Documentary Film Festival. In a series of musical numbers and ballet dances, the audience is taught how to water our hotbed and how to be a proper lady, calling to question society’s current obsession with self-improvement. How will future generations read the self-texts of our era? What absurd ideologies do we tout as self-betterment?
About the artist: Laura Conway is a Denver-based interdisciplinary artist. She started making art in the Denver DIY scenes, booking underground music shows, hosting art galleries in her punk house, and embarking on “film tours.” Currently, she creates politically grounded works that span genre and medium, using surrealism and a sense of play to contemplate life in late-stage capitalism.
Contact: lauraisconway@gmail.com
Artist website: https://www.lauraconway.org
Instagram: meatmandy_productions
Kenzie Sitterud - From, Dawn Solo Show
What: Solo exhibition
Where: Leon Art Gallery – 1112 E 17th Ave, Denver, CO 80218
When: August 5 - September 16, 2023
Opening Reception: Saturday, August 5, 7-11pm
About the exhibition: An exhibition of new work by Kenzie Sitterud. A key critical component of Sitterud’s work is an uncompromising, yet playful interrogation of gender identity, navigating within the established structures and pervasive tropes of traditional American culture. Employing color palettes that telegraph gender binary associations, Sitterud assigns them to diametrically opposed objects, illuminating the often arbitrary and irrational constraints that popular culture enshrines within our generally accepted expressions of gender.
About the artist: Sitterud is a multimedia artist who works primarily in large-scale installations, commercial art, and public art environments. Sitterud's installations are designed to create the same dysphoric environment experienced by the queer community who exist in a society that is not designed for and is not inclusive of them. This body of work contains The Bathroom, The Kitchen Table, The Wardrobe, The Powder Room and The Bedroom.
Contact: sitterud.m@gmail.com
Artist website: https://www.kenziemckenzie.com
Instagram: kenziesitterud
Melody Epperson - Reflections and Refractions Collaborative Show
“Exploring My Inner Darkness” Melody Epperson 2023 Cold Wax Oil
What: An Installation and Painting Collaboration with Annette Coleman and RedLine Reach artist Melody Epperson
Where: D’Art Gallery – East 900 Santa Fe Dr, Denver, CO
When: August 31 - September 23, 2023
Opening Reception: Friday, September 8, 5-9pm
About the exhibition: Reflections and Refractions honors our search for truth no matter how beautifully messy it might be. It documents the place where faith traditions, philosophies and other truths point to an inner light. It also captures that magical moment when light reflects off a river or lake or distorts an image as you gaze into puddles on the street. This collaboration between painter Melody Epperson and installation artist Annette Coleman strives to illustrate the abstract concept of the physical manifestation of our inner world.
About the artist: Melody Epperson's artwork focuses on her experience as a woman, both in society and within her own skin. In this series, Melody moves from a tragic loss of a family member to a place where she can investigate the mythology surrounding family. The series may seem to deviate from her previous work, but it ties directly to it, because both deal with the concept of connection. Trees form intricate networks to support the grove and so too do families. Especially in times of tragedy.
Contact: melodyepperson@me.com
Artist site: www.melodyepperson.com
Instagram: @melody.epperson
Tony Ortega - Desert Rider, Dreaming in Motion Group Exhibition
Image courtesy of the artist
What: Group Exhibition
Where: Denver Art Museum – 100 W 14th Ave Pkwy, Denver, CO 80204
When: July 6 - Sept 24, 2023
About the exhibition: Bajito y suavecito, or “low and slow,” describes a lowrider—both a customized vehicle and a way of life. These cars reflect their owner’s style and identity. They also evoke a history of community empowerment and are symbolic of Chicana/o identity. It’s about pride in the ride. To create a lowrider, older cars are redesigned by lowering the chassis, reupholstering the interior, and repainting the exterior. Drivers cruise streets slowly in their lowered vehicles, allowing onlookers to appreciate the rolling work of art.
About the artist: Tony Ortega is a Denver-based visual artist and educator. His work has been exhibited in over 30 solo shows and featured in exhibitions at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Denver, CO, Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art, Colorado Spring Fine Art Center, Harwood Museum, Taos NM, RedLine Contemporary Art Center, Denver and the National Hispanic Cultural Center, Albuquerque, NM. His work is in the collections of the Denver Art Museum, the Los Angeles County Museum, the Blanton Art Museum, Austin, TX, and the Museo Estudio Diego Rivera, Mexico City.
Contact: tortegaartist@cs.com
Artist site: http://www.tonyortega.net
Instagram: tortegaartist
Laurie Lynnxe Murphy - Entwined Solo Show
What: Solo Exhibition
Where: BMoCA – 1750 13th Street, Boulder, CO
When: August 10 – September 4, 2023
Opening Reception: Thursday, August 10, 6:00-7:30pm
About the exhibition: Entwined is an extension of RedLine Resident Alumni Laurie Lynnxe Murphy’s ongoing investigation into the behavior and environment of bindweed, known in Latin as convolvulvus arvensis. Convolvere translates as “to roll together” or “to entwine.” Murphy’s installation examines the ways in which bindweed intertwines capitalism, colonization, monoculture, and human health.
About the artist: Lauri Lynnxe Murphy is a multidisciplinary artist, curator, and writer based in Denver, Colorado. Her research-driven practice utilizes grown and/or foraged organic material, and is focused largely on climate change, extinction, and invasive species. She developed a strong relationship with nature and foraging from an early age during summers spent on a horse ranch in Wyoming. Self-identified as a neurodivergent polymath, her inquiries have also led her to operate within urban underground scenes in multiple collectives, where she has participated in punk bands, experimental theater, and DIY zines.
Contact: lynnxe@gmail.com
Artist site: https://www.lynnxe.com/
Instagram: instagram.com/laurilynnxe