Art D’Elke presents...

Art D’Elke represented Nancy Kniese in Kaiser Permanente’s acquisition of “Free Spirit” for the permanent collection at its Arapahoe Medical Offices building in Centennial, Colorado.

"Free Spirit expresses my exuberance of joy and delight,” explains Nancy, “a feeling of freedom that is purely spontaneous and fun. When I feel like a free spirit, anything is possible. And, that's a great place to be. People have described my style as radiating femine energy, sweetness and grace. I like that description."

Emerging on Denver’s art scene, Nancy has been a protégé of Tadashi Hayakawa. In fact, she received her very first canvas from him and loved abstract painting from that day forward.

Nancy’s recent one woman show at Artwork Network, entitled “Agony & Ecstasy,” chronicled the story of her struggle with debilitation illness and her journey of self discovery and healing through art. Nancy’s “Free Spirit,” having found a home in Kaiser’s health care facility completes the circle.

Paris on the Platte, 1553 Platte Street, in Denver’s LoDo neighborhood, opens its fall exhibition season with a mix-media show of “Magic, Masks and Mugs.” More than a dozen Haitian artists conjure up powerful religious influences in their sequined and beaded voodoo flags, paintings of abstracted human forms and colorful images of daily life, along with graceful designs that have been hand-crafted into metal. Denver artists Phil Eastwood, who sculpts masks from leather, and Courtney Ahn, who embellishes photos of rock stars and other celebrities with paint, poetry and lyrics, round out the folk art show.

Proceeds from sales of the Haitian artwork benefit Art to Educate Haiti which supports non-profit organizations working to improve access to education in Haiti. Melissa Basta, a Fort Collins resident and former Peace Corps volunteer in Haiti, heads the Art for Haiti campaign. 

Opening on September 2 and continuing through November 3, the show is produced by Art D’Elke. An Opening Reception is scheduled for Thursday, September 12, and there will be a second reception on Thursday, October 24, both are set for 5 to 7 p.m. Ms. Basta and the Denver artists are expected to attend. 

 

Artist Sandra Kaplan conducts a plein air workshop in the North Fork Valley with painting locations at a secluded retreat, historic sites, North Rim of the Black Canyon of the Gunnison, farms and vineyards, with an itinerary that includes private visits to artists’ studios, dinner at a buffalo ranch and a winery tour & tasting in the Emerging Creative District encompassing Paonia, Hotchkiss, Crawford and Cedaredge. Workshop headquarters are at the private Colwell Cedars Retreat.

The North Fork Valley is named in recognition of the North Fork of the Gunnison River, which runs through the valley from the mountains northeast of Paonia, through Hotchkiss and the ‘dobie’ deserts until it meets the main body of the larger Gunnison River, between Hotchkiss and Delta.

The workshop is limited to 12 student participants; in addition there are two guides and special guests at private events. Tuition of $879 per person includes instruction and critique with Sandra Kaplan, plus 13 meals, all professional fees, tours, admissions, taxes, tips, souvenir gifts and shared accommodations for the 6 day/5 night workshop. Gratuities are optional. Transportation during the workshop is by carpool, traveling over easy-to-drive paved, gravel and dirt roads.

The workshop is produced by Art D’Elke. Please call 303-368-5208 for a complete itinerary and registration details.

Cats and dogs, though not necessarily together – or even getting along – inspire the art for this fun and furry exhibition at Paris on the Platte where there’s always a big bowl of water waiting for furry guests.

This Call for Entry is open to all artists in all 2-dimensional media, who submit artwork portraying cats and/or dogs. Juried by Rob Campbell of Paris on the Platte, artwork can be dropped off on Sunday, June 30, from 10 a.m. to noon, at 1553 Platte Street. The entry fee is $25 for up to three submissions. All artwork must be for sale, priced under $500, framed and ready to hang. The commission is 30%. Artwork that is not accepted can be picked up the same day, from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m.

The “Raining Cats & Dogs” exhibition runs from July 1 through August 31, with an opening reception on July 12, from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m., at Paris on the Platte, the LoDo coffee house, bar and music venue.

 

Timed to celebrate Denver’s Biennial of the Americas 2013, the “Best of Denver’s Art District on Santa Fe” celebrates the District’s artists, too. It includes a Call for Entry, an Exhibition, Awards Party and People’s Choice Awards, all designed to showcase Santa Fe Drive as a unique art and cultural district.

Artists are invited to submit work to be selected for a “Best of” exhibition to be held at the Niza Knoll Gallery, 915 Santa Fe Drive, in Denver, from July 16 through August. 10.

All artists in all mediums who have exhibited artwork in the District anytime during 2012 and until June 30, 2013 are eligible. Submitted artwork does not necessarily need to have been featured in an exhibition; it is the artists’ participation in the District that qualifies them.

Submissions may be made no later than June 30 to YouJudgeIt.org/BestofSantaFe where complete details are outlined. The entry fee is $30 for up to three pieces per entry and multiple entries are welcome. All submissions must be for sale.

Jurors are Beth Armijo, Principal of Armijo Design Group, an interior design firm; Mark A. Outman, Associate Principal of Fentress Architects, the firm that designed the new Denver Justice Center; and Daliah Singer, associate editor of 5280 Magazine, who writes about art and contributes to all segments of the publication. The jurors will judge artwork based on uniqueness, quality, overall execution and knowledge of medium. Emotional connection and the artist’s ability to clearly communicate will also be considered.

Approximately 40 pieces will be selected for the exhibition. Each juror will award a “Best of Show” and, during the run of the exhibition, gallery visitors may vote for their favorites in the People’s Choice Awards.

 

Images from some of their favorite summer vacations are the subjects of Victoria Eubanks’ encaustic paintings, Heidi Keyes’ acrylic paintings and Trish McGinity’s photographs in “My Summer Vacation” exhibition at Paris on the Platte, LoDo’s coffeehouse, bar and music venue, located at 1553 Platte Street, in Denver.

Continuing through June 30, “My Summer Vacation” features beach scenes, iconic sights of European capitals, charming streetscapes and the ornate architectural features of buildings in foreign lands.

Two artists’ receptions are scheduled during the run of the show, one on Friday, May 10, and the second on Friday, June 28, both 5 to 7 p.m.

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

 

Celebrating Great Outdoors Colorado’s 20 year commitment to conservation of Colorado’s open space, an exhibition of nature photography by John Fielder, has been extended through April 27 at Fielder’s gallery at 833 Santa Fe Drive in Denver.

“Great Outdoors Colorado” features 23 images, taken by Fielder, representing some of the city and county open spaces, wildlife habitats, state parks and wildlife areas, trails, community parks, ball fields and playgrounds, along with significant wildlife habitats of working ranches, that benefit from the preservation and protection efforts of GOCO, which gets its funding from Colorado lottery net proceeds.

“Though not the pure wilderness imagery that most people know me for, the GOCO photographs are certainly scenic, if not sublime, in the light of rising and setting suns,” says Fielder. “This portfolio is remarkably unique, as no one has previously photographed these places en masse. I am very proud of this work.”

A founder of GOCO who was appointed by Gov. Roy Romer to the GOCO Board where he served two 4-year terms, Fielder undertook the 20th anniversary photography project in 2010. He drove 35,000 miles throughout Colorado, visiting every one of the 64 counties and almost every town. The resulting guide book, “Guide to Colorado’s Great Outdoors: Lottery-Funded Parks, Trails, Wildlife Areas & Open Spaces,” and picture book, “Colorado’s Great Outdoors: Celebrating 20 Years of Lottery-Funded Lands,” were published in 2012 and are complemented by a series of slide show presentations scheduled during 2013.

 

Photographs printed on unique surfaces like aluminum and canvas are two of the unconventional methods used by photographers Nathan Mahaffey and Malia Shields whose work is featured in “Outside the Box.” Opening at Paris on the Platte, 1553 Platte Street in Denver’s LoDo neighborhood, on February 27 and continuing through April 28, the show is part of Month of Photography Denver in celebration of fine art photography.

Emerging artist Nathan Mahaffey photographs nature and uses his computer skills to instill a surreal quality into his images which are then printed on canvas. And, Malia Shields’ photographic images, reproduced on sheets of aluminum and other materials, feature soft lines and bold colors that are sensual, feminine and contemporary.

Paris on the Platte hosts two artists’ receptions open to the public during the run of the show, one on Friday, March 8, and another on Friday, April 26, both from 5 to 7 p.m., when guests can meet the artists and learn about their distinctive approaches to presenting photography.

For more information about Month of Photography Denver and events being offered at participating museums, galleries and schools, please visit http://mop2013.blogspot.com/.

The exhibition is presented by Art D’Elke, the collaboration of artist/art consultant Elke McGuire and strategic marketing specialist Denise Robert.

 

Three Colorado artists bring their reverence for the beauty of nature to an exhibition of paintings and ceramics called “Inspired by Nature,” at Paris on the Platte, 1553 Platte Street in Denver. Opening on Friday, January 11, 2013, with a reception from 5 to 7 p.m., the show continues at the LoDo coffee house, bar and music venue through February 24. Featured is the work of Milissa Hicks, Mark Lopez and Lisa Dianne Martin.

Lisa Dianne Martin, having grown up in the rural Western Slope town of Fruita, spent a lot of time observing farm and domestic animals. An emerging artist, who earned her BFA with an emphasis in Ceramics from the University of Denver, Martin is attracted to animals for the subjects of her work. “I enjoy painting animals so I can read books and learn about them while working on the painting,” she says. “It’s a fun way to discover something that I am passionate about and share it through painting.”

Mark Lopez, also a graduate of DU, is a painter whose work reflects a deep love for Rocky Mountain adventures. His modern dreamscapes have a touch of surrealism that explores the unity between nature, dreams and the human form. “My artwork draws on moments which transcend reality,” he says, “whether spiritually, emotionally or physically.”

Milissa Hicks, who has a Masters Degree in Art Therapy, strikes a balance between clinical work and creating her own art. Her work emphases the designs that can evolve from the art therapy technique called ‘scribbles.’ “I really enjoy making these images in a relaxed, natural and open way,” she says “and I rely on my gut to tell me when the colors and shapes feel right.”

Inspired by Nature” is produced by Art D’Elke, the collaboration of artist/art consultant Elke McGuire and marketing specialist Denise Robert.

 

Colorado artists are invited to air their opinions at a Focus Group meeting on Sunday afternoon, January 6. Conducted by an independent organization in behalf of the Colorado Chapter of the Women’s Caucus for Art, the Focus Group is designed to survey Colorado artists and discover the benefits they most want in a membership organization.

Coordinating local exhibitions, showing art nationally, marketing art, networking with artists, taking workshops, building a website, photographing art and writing an artist’s statement are just some of the subjects being considered for the Colorado Chapter’s 2013 programming agenda. By expanding its menu of worthwhile benefits and services, the Chapter hopes to attract new members, offer leadership development and be a valuable resource for Colorado artists.

A casual, confidential discussion about the kinds of support artists need most, the Focus Group is scheduled for Sunday January 6, 2013, from 2:30 to 4:30, at Bemis Public Library, 6014 Datura Street (near Gallup Park and the Littleton Historical Museum) in Littleton. There will be door prizes and refreshments, too.

The Colorado Chapter, based in Denver, is one of over 30 local chapters of the national Women’s Caucus for Art. Founded in 1972, it is dedicated to creating community through art, education and social activism. The national organization conducts an annual conference and offers exhibition opportunities in national shows, a database of opportunities for artists, access to health insurance, discounts on magazine and art supplies, and more. For more information, please visit www.NationalWCA.org.

The Focus Group is conducted by Art D’Elke, the collaboration of artist/art consultant Elke McGurie and marketing specialist Denise Robert. For more information, please visit www.ArtD’Elke or call 303-368-5208.