Art D’Elke presents...

Urban Sidewalk Fantasies by Suzanne Mills Kramer

In the new exhibit, “Urban Sidewalk Fantasies”, presented by ArtD’Elke, artist Suzanne Mills Kramer uses oil paintings to explore the lines, shapes and textures of the city. Having recently moved from the suburbs she found herself noticing the details of her new urban environment, and became specifically drawn to the ever present manhole covers that dot the city streets. Her paintings are a flight from everyday life as she strips down this experience to elemental forms in space. Both ephemeral and atmospheric, the paintings create a kaleidoscope of color that suggests a mysterious alliance between nature and modern life.

The public is invited to view the exhibit and purchase works from this original and engaging show at Core New Art Space, 900 Santa Fe Drive in Denver from December 4 through 21, 2014. The space is open Thursdays and Saturdays 12-6, Fridays 12-9, and Sundays 1-4. Ms. Kramer will be present to welcome guests during the First Friday Art Walk on December, 5,from 6-9 pm and during the Artist Reception on Third Friday December 12 from 6-9 pm.

Martha, Catherine, Mildred, Gigi, Dolores and Debbie by Susan Elliott

An exhibition entitled “Not Just…Another Summer Show” combines the artwork of three talented Denver artists whose paintings balance one another in style, subject and color. Opening on June 24 and continuing through August 25 at LoDo’s Paris on the Platte, the show features Kathy Berenstein’s whimsical portraits, Susan Elliott’s rainbow of aprons pinned to a clothesline and Pat Finley’s free-flowing resin paintings. The artists’ works invite viewers to just sit down and enjoy vibrant colors and bold designs. No brainy analysis required.

Two Saturday afternoon artist receptions are schedule during the run of the show, one on July 19 and a second on August 23, both from 2 to 4 p.m. at Paris on the Platte, located at 1553 Platte Street in Denver.

The exhibition is produced by Art D’Elke, the collaboration of Elke McGuire and Denise Robert.

TT Time Trial by Ferenc Gyulafia

North Fork Valley Overture – May 6-Jun 19, 2014, Paris on the Platte, Denver CO

Denver Overture – May 9-Jun 30, 2014, Blue Sage Center for the Arts, Paonia CO

In a project designed to introduce two Colorado creative communities to each other, artwork from Denver artists is featured in an exhibition at the Blue Sage Center for the Arts in Paonia, and artwork from artists in the North Fork Valley towns of Hotchkiss, Paonia and Crawford is showing at Denver’s Paris on the Platte.

Earlier this year, two calls for entry invited the artists to submit work for the shows. The team of North Fork Valley artists Helen and Ty Gillespie and Jared and Nicole Davis juried work from members of the Blue Sage Center for the Arts. And, Denver artists Sandra Kaplan and Fred Lunger did the honors for Denver artists whose work was selected to show at the Blue Sage. Juried, wrapped, and transported from Paonia to Denver and vice versa, the artwork became the momentum for a creative exchange in shows that opened in Denver on May 6 and in Paonia on May 9. Receptions are scheduled at each venue: May 17 and June 14, both 2 to 4 p.m. in Denver, and May 30, from 5 to 7 p.m. in Paonia.

The project was conceived a year ago, when Blue Sage Director Annette Pretorius contacted Art D’Elke to inquire about showing art from Denver artists in the gallery in Paonia. Once it was agreed to make the shows reciprocal, the planning quickly began by talking to artists, identifying jurors and setting dates. And, even before the shows opened, Annette said: “This is so much fun, let’s do it again.”

“We had a lot of fun traveling back and forth to the North Fork Valley,” says Art D’Elke’s Elke McGuire. “We became enchanted with the area’s amazing natural beauty and culture of galleries, artist studios, festivals, wineries, farms, ranches and farm-to-table cuisine.”

The Blue Sage Center for the Arts, at 226-228 Grand Avenue, is housed in two historic buildings in Paonia – the Curtis Building and the adjacent First National Bank Building. The center serves about 10,000 residents of the North Fork Valley annually through classes, events, venue rentals, arts outreach into local schools and exhibitions in the recently remodeled gallery spaces.

Paris on the Platte is a LoDo institution, supporting local artists with rotating shows in its coffeehouse, bar and music venue, welcoming the creative community for almost 30 years at 1553 Platte Street.

The reciprocal exhibitions are produced collaboratively by Blue Sage Center for the Arts and Elke McGuire and Denise Robert of Art D’Elke.

Field of Lavender in Saint-Remy by Rebekah Robinson

Intimate landscape paintings by Rebekah Robinson are featured in a salute to spring at Paris on the Platte coffeehouse, bar and music venue at 1553 Platte Street in Denver’s LoDo neighborhood. Familiar European scenes like Versailles, the Louvre and the French countryside are portrayed with floral images and soft, sensuous shapes -- all welcome reminders that a long winter is finally flowing into spring.

Robinson’s one-woman show is complemented by several new works added to the continuing exhibit, Luminosity: Light & Bright, photography of Jeana Wolzen and Greg Thow and paintings by Milt Denny, which opened at Paris on the Platte in February and runs through May 6.

Artist receptions are scheduled for Saturday, April 5, and Saturday, May 3, both from 2 to 4 p.m.

Both exhibitions are produced by Art D’Elke, the collaboration of artist/art consultant Elke McGuire and strategic marketing specialist Denise Robert.

For more information, please contact Art D’Elke at 720-254-4049.

Denver-based Art D'Elke partners with North Fork Valley's Blue Sage Center for the Arts

In a cultural exchange between Denver and the North Fork Valley, two exhibitions bringing something new to diverse communities are planned for the Spring season. The exchange is designed to introduce the creative communities to each other, strengthen a bond among artists, and promote the ways the arts are connected in Colorado’s rural and urban communities.

“North Fork Valley Overture” is an exhibition of 2-dimensional works by artists in the Crawford-Hotchkiss-Paonia communities, a certified Creative District of Colorado. North Fork Valley artists Helen and Ty Gillepsie and Jared and Nicole Davis are the jurors who will select from among the entries submitted and the resulting exhibition will be presented in Denver at Paris on the Platte, 1553 Platte Street. It opens on Tuesday, May 6, and continues through Thursday, June 19. Receptions are scheduled for Saturday, May 17, and Saturday, June 14, both from 2 to 4 p.m.

Participating North Fork Valley artists must be members of the Blue Sage Center for the Arts in Paonia in order to submit their artwork. The deadline is Friday, March 28, at 5:00 p.m., online at www.BlueSage.org where artists will also find membership information. There is no entry fee.

“Denver Overture” is an exhibition of 2- and 3-dimensional works by Denver area artists which will be shown at Paonia’s Blue Sage Center for the Arts, 226-228 Grand Avenue, from Friday, May 9, through Friday, June 20, with a reception on Friday, May 30, from 5 to 7 p.m. Jurors for the “Denver Overture” exhibition are Denver artists Sandra Kaplan and Fred Lunger.

All Denver area artists are invited to submit their artwork on Saturday, May 3, from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m., at RedLine, 2350 Arapahoe Street in Denver. The entry fee is $30 for up to three submissions. Artwork that is selected will then be transported to Paonia; artwork that is not selected can be picked-up the same day between 1 and 3 p.m.

The exhibitions are produced by Art D’Elke in collaboration with Blue Sage Center for the Arts. For more information, please call 303-368-5208.

Welcome to the North Fork Valley by Denise Robert

Artists, winemakers, ranchers and farmers take center stage for a Cultural Tour of the North Fork Valley, May 28 through June 1, 2014. The 6 day/5 night itinerary offers opportunities to take hands-on workshops with local artists, go on private tours with area experts, and enjoy the food and wine of the region. Participants on the tour, which is limited to 12 guests, explore the culture, history and agriculture of this certified Creative District of Colorado, encompassing Paonia, Hotchkiss and Crawford.

With an introduction to the artists and creatives who call this valley home, guests learn to make felt wearable art, an encaustic painting, gemstone jewelry, a hand-dyed silk scarf and blown glass. The valley’s multi-faceted culture is revealed during a hike with a naturalist, a visit to the Black Canyon of the Gunnison with a geologist, and an evening with a Native American historian around a campfire under starlit skies. Exclusive experiences include farm-to-table cuisine, winery tours and tastings, a yoga class and a visit with a family who raise alpacas for their fleece. Last Friday Artwalk Night presents an opportunity to meet members of the artistic community at receptions in area galleries.

Priced at $935 per person, the tour includes activities, workshops, tours, admissions, most meals, souvenir gifts and simple, shared accommodations. Private accommodations are available for an additional cost. The tour is produced by Art D’Elke, the collaboration of artist Elke McGuire and travel specialist Denise Robert. A detailed itinerary and registration information are available by contacting Denise@DeniseRobert.com or calling 303-368-5208.

Fiery Lotuses by Jeana Wolzen

Anticipating the arrival of spring, the colorful artwork of painters and photographers puts the shine on “Luminosity: Light and Bright” at LoDo’s Paris on the Platte. Greg Thow’s Denver cityscapes and Jeana Wolzen’s photographic illusions share a passion for light, while the abstract works of Milt Denny contrast with the surreal portraits of Jordan Canjor, both celebrating the magic of vivid color.

Produced by Art D’Elke, “Luminosity: Light and Bright” runs from February 4 through March 31 with an artists’ reception scheduled for Saturday, February 8, from 2 to 4 p.m. The show is hosted by Paris on the Platte, a coffeehouse, bar and music venue that has been welcoming guests to its LoDo neighborhood at 1553 Platte Street for almost three decades.

Art D’Elke is the collaboration of artist/art consultant Elke McGuire and strategic marketing specialist Denise Robert. For more information, please call 303-368-5208.

Blue Tree by Sandra Kaplan

Denver artist Sandra Kaplan invites students to join her for a plein air workshop in the certified Colorado Creative District encompassing Paonia, Hotchkiss and Crawford known as the North Fork Valley. With a non-traditional plein air teaching style that encourages participants to bring themselves to the image, find a sense of nurture and make an emotional connection to the place, Kaplan offers one-on-one instruction and daily critiques throughout the 6-day workshop.

The North Fork Valley, home to artists and creatives who are uniquely Colorado, along with winemakers, ranchers and farmers, presents opportunities for painting at a secluded retreat, the West Elk mountains, Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Monument, ranches, wineries, vineyards and a working farm.

Enrollment is limited to 12 students and tuition of $865 per person ($915 after February 1) includes workshop instruction and critiques with Sandra Kaplan, 13 meals, professional fees, tours, admissions, taxes and shared accommodations.

The workshop is produced by Art D’Elke LLC, the collaboration of strategic marketing specialist Denise Robert and artist/consultant Elke McGuire. For a detailed itinerary and registration information, please contact Denise@DeniseRobert.com or call 303-368-5208.

Tadashi Hayakawa and Kaiser Permanente Facililties Manager Jane Lewis with "Ikiru"

Art D’Elke represented Tadashi Hayakawa in the sale of his abstract painting entitled “Ikiru” (the Japanese word for ‘To Live’) to Kaiser Permanente for its new multi-specialty center opening in December 2013 in Lone Tree, Colorado.

The painting, one of the largest commissioned works ever undertaken by Mr. Hayakawa, includes five panels measuring a total of 21 feet in width and 6 feet high. It is installed in a specially designed niche with a long bench area where patients can pause to view the painting and reflect on its lyrical spirit.

“My artwork is an expression of my awe toward the power of spirit, my excitement toward the force of nature, my astonishment and admiration at the strength and desire of all living things to survive,” explains Mr. Hayakawa, who donated a portion of his fee back to Kaiser Permanente.

Mr. Hayakawa left his home and family in Japan at the age of 19 to study art at Los Angeles City College and the Otis Art Institute where he received an M.F.A. degree. He gained much of his popularity in LA and began traveling the world to showcase his art but then, through a string of coincidences, landed in Denver where he teaches and paints – often at a gallery’s invitation to paint live in the space – and connect with other artists. He continues to be linked to the LA art scene, often exhibiting at galleries there, and his work can be found in collections all over the world. He teaches at the PACE Center in Parker.

Aspen Glow, Dallas Divide by Evan Anderman

Five of Denver’s leading artists open their portfolios to offer works attractively priced at $300 or less in a show of “Little Treasures: Affordable Art from Prominent Artists” at Paris on the Platte.

Continuing through December 31, the exhibition features the photography of Evan Anderman, abstract works from Stefan Geissbuhler, abstract paintings from Tadashi Hayakawa, collage and color studies from Sandra Kaplan, and abstract and landscape paintings from Lisa Purdy.

Two artists receptions are scheduled, one on Thursday, November 14, and the second on Thursday, December 19, both from 5 to 7 p.m.

Located at 1553 Platte Street, Paris on the Platte is a LoDo institution, welcoming guests to its coffeehouse, bar and music venue since 1986.

“Little Treasures” is produced by Art D’Elke, the collaboration of artist/art consultant Elke McGuire and marketing specialist Denise Robert. For more information, please visit ww.ArtDElke.com or call 303-368-5208.