I had no idea what to expect when Keith refused a coffee interview but instead insisted we meet late-night on a Sunday at a small Cap-Hill bar. Two men at the bar insisted that one was Keith, and the other was a close friend, but when my laptop came out they were highly confused but kept trying to push a shot in front of me nearly bursting at the seams trying hard not to laugh. I had been duped, or so I thought until I turned around to go outside and someone approached me who broke all stereotype of what I though a graffiti artist looked like. Mid 30’s, scruffy and smiling Keith held out his hand and pointed outside. The two men at the bar called after us as we sat down in a circle of about 10 people. He brought friends, and some of them didn’t look too pleased to see me or my laptop. As we started to talk the tension from his protective circle lessened and we started from the beginning.

Keith noticed graffiti for the first time while living in Manhattan at nine years old while riding the subway with his dad. After being moved to Connecticut because of an incident involving a strip club, the length of time Keith spent on the trains getting in and out of NYC increased and so would his exposure to graffiti. ‘The culture was unavoidable’ he said as he immersed himself in skateboarding, music, and art ‘it was hard not to pick up (a can.)’ It wasn’t long until Keith was under bridges meeting older artists who helped him out along the way like EMIT. ‘It was the cliff-notes lesson in painting, I’d finish a piece, he’d come up asking if I was done, and show me how to cut my lines clean.’

Inevitablly he joined up with crews, and very soon after started getting into trouble with the law. He explained to me that there are entire divisions of thte NYPD that are dedicated to preventing graffiti. The stories he was telling about getting locked up in the city made my skin crawl, and somehow find gratitude for how clean the jails in Colorado are. He told me while painting a wall with gaze, blood, cycle, ember, and yes2 an unmarked officer snuck up behind him and said ‘move and I’ll fucking kill you’ right before pulling the hammer on his 9. Keith Jive and all of his companions (except yes2 who had gotten away) spent the next five days in jail sitting on the floor watching crazed PCP addicts trying to cut the golden teeth out of the other detainees.

In 2002 Keith got a phone call from EMIT who was ‘so sick of the east coast’ and they both quit their jobs, loaded up a car and headed west shortly after leaving a final mark by throwing up on the front steps of the Warhol Museum. They ended up in Colorado and have been making marks on our scene ever since. I got lucky enough to spend an afternoon this past fall painting a wall with Keith and Obses, both Obses and I standing in awe to the flow and precise motion that Jive paints with. Keith stays very humble about his place in the Denver art scene and just writes it off as his way of life, when posed with the question ‘why do you keep painting?’ He laughs it off and says ‘this is the only thing I’ve been doing longer than jerking off! It’s been 22 years it’s just a part of me!’

                          

Friday night was an important night for fans of punk rock and its history. Denver’s Museum of Contemporary Art played host to the opening of Bruce Conner and the Primal Scene of Punk Rock, a photographic descent into the raw, gritty history of punk and its subsequent influence on art and music. Attendees got to see a variety of photos, fliers, and video footage that truly showcased the rebelliousness of the punk rock culture. One that taught music and art history from a different perspective.

From the very first moment you stepped through the door to the museum, everyone from hipsters to punks to regular joes off the street, fans of punk and those who knew nothing about it were able to hang out, drink a few brews, and get a taste of what life was like for the dirty, outcast misfits of the 70’s and 80’s. Heavily influenced by the disdain for suburban life and conformity, the punk culture took visual and performance art to a whole new level.

Live shows, as well as the scene as a whole, were typically aggressive and sometimes violent in nature. The mindset of punk rockers during this time (and really, throughout time) was wholeheartedly against society standards, which clearly came through in the photographs and art that were created. Bruce Conner, possibly one of the most equivocal San Francisco Beats from the 1950’s, spent much of his career photographing bands like Devo, The Cramps and the Dead Kennedys during their live gigs to convey the dark aesthetic that essentially was punk rock.

As I walked around the museum looking at the photos, watching the footage, and reading excerpts printed on the walls, I took in the vibe of other patrons. It was an interesting experience to see their reactions to some of the pieces. Some reacted with familiarity and nostalgia as if perhaps they had once been apart of punk rock’s glory days. Others looked confused. I remember seeing one older guy who was watching live footage of a show who couldn’t stop smiling. I kind of hoped he would bust out his air guitar since it looked like that could have happened at any moment. Sadly, he did not. The mix of people was kind of surprising but I guess that’s to be expected when it comes to art.

The best part of the exhibit for me was the room where they were playing video footage. I think this was where I spent the majority of my time. Fliers were tacked up on one wall haphazardly and centered around medium sized TV screens, all of which allowed patrons to view a different show or performance. Music was playing over the loudspeakers above which hung from what I could only guess was a model sculpture of a vulture… or some other type of vindictive looking foul. On another wall were framed pictures, which included a cluster of song lyrics, fliers, and cassette tapes of various punk bands. Right dead in the middle of the room was a transparent screen where The Cramps footage was projected. I still wish that dude would have shown us all his mad air guitar skills…

In addition to Conner’s work, there were also textual pieces by Miranda July, a filmmaker, writer and performance artist with deep roots in the punk rock and Riot Grrl scenes of Olympia, Washington. There were photos by Juan Capistran, a Latino immigrant who utilized aspects of the punk culture to explore and expose the impact of U.S. Immigration laws on Latinos in the Los Angeles area, and an installation entitled Guarded that displayed weapons and seemingly harmless items that are prohibited by the TSA during air travel, by Adam Ames and Andrew Bordwin, better known as Type A. I’m not sure if the installation corresponded with the Bruce Conner exhibit, however, the more I think about it… in a strange way, I can see a link between the two.

Yeah, I’ve been around “punks” all my life, but was never really exposed to the scene’s roots or its correlation with art. However, after diving in a little deeper when I left the museum and conversing with my fellow art and music lovers, I can clearly see just how influential the punk rock culture was on artistic expression in all its forms. From the flier art and magazine covers, specifically those of Search & Destroy, the zine that Bruce Conner shot for, to the photos of musicians and their audiences during shows, punk rock undoubtedly left its mark.

If you weren’t able to catch Bruce Conner and the Primal Scene of Punk Rock on its opening night, don’t worry. The exhibit will be at the Museum of Contemporary Art until June 24th and you will also have the chance to check out some cool lectures and performances along the way. For more information on the Bruce Conner exhibit as well as dates and times of lectures and shows, check out www.mcadenver.org.

Oh! One more thing… if you have seen the exhibit, we’d love to hear your thoughts. Did you think the photos and pieces displayed truly represented the punk rock scene? Would you have done something different? Get the discussion started in the comments section NOW!

Photo Cred: Phil Morris & Rachael Moyte

                          

The Colorado based unicorn tribe is currently raising the funds to create a mobile masterpiece: a 20 foot dancing rainbow for this years Burning Man and Apogaea festivals. The face of the rainbow will be covered in computer controlled LEDs, programmed to react to music. There will be an 8 X 20 foot dance platform on top and an aerial rig for performance art off the back. Masking the facade of the vehicle will be glowing fabric clouds and original murals depicting the “UniKama Sutra.”

Rainbow schematic illustrating the dance platform and aerial rig. Clouds and unicorns not shown.

Before you learn more about the project, let me tell you a little story about some Fucking Unicorns.  Our camp began its evolution in 2001 when our founding mother first stepped foot on the playa.  Years later, a simple image of two unicorns doing it doggy-style gave birth to our name, identity, and a full blown obsession with horny ponies.  They represent everything that we love about Burning Man… the beautiful, the playful, the magical, and the surreal.  In 2008, the Fucking Unicorns were placed on the Esplanade, the main drag of the mile wide city.  We were 30 members strong and had developed the infrastructure to comfortably support ourselves, including custom welded shade structures, domes, and yurts.  We introduced the “silent disco,” a dance floor with wireless headphones, each receiving musical transmissions allowing the dancer to block out external stimuli and get lost in the rhythm.

The 2008 Fucking Unicorn Camp on the Black Rock City Esplanade. Gus the bus in the background.

Our most prominent year on the playa came to a tragic end.  On the way home from Burning Man 2008, the Fucking Unicorns were hit by a 26 wheel semi-truck outside of Park City, Utah. At ten o’clock at night “Gus the Short Bus” was slammed by 50 tons of metal cruising at 60 miles an hour.  We skidded, rolled, and slide across the highway.  As awful as it sounds, take a minute to picture the scene of the accident.  Twelve bikes flew off the roof rack.  Ten storage tubs of costumes burst apart.  Fifteen hula hoops were scattered across the road.  Fur, lace, and glow sticks showered light and color upon piles of debris.  Our bikes, costumes, shade structure, 12 foot trampoline, a life-size springy unicorn, and Gus were all destroyed.

The outside of Gus the Bus post-accident

Three years later, our camp is rising from the ashes of what was the scariest moment of our lives.  In the end, we had our share of serious injuries, medical bills, and litigious headaches; but we all made it out alive.  Many took some or all of the last years off from the burn.  It was hard to lose so much, so traumatically, and so suddenly.  We were forced to re-prioritize our lives.  It wasn’t until last year, in 2011, that our camp felt complete again.  We finally gained the steam and motivation to finish rebuilding what was lost.  More importantly, we rebuilt our family.  We are ready to contribute something substantial to that collaborative experience in the desert, something that will add even more craziness and beauty to the cacophony of sights and sounds that make up the playa.  We know that the Fucking Unicorn Rainbow will be one of the most memorable mutant vehicles of 2012 and will continue to add visual and performance art to regional festivals and events for many years to come.  The default world can be a dark and scary place.  We hope that by creating our vehicle, we will also be creating myriads of opportunities to perform, inspire, and add even more life and color to the world.  The Fucking Unicorns are back and we are more magical than ever.  Thank you for your support!

To find out more about the Fucking Unicorn Rainbow Art Car and to donate go to:  http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1554537122/the-f-king-unicorn-art-car

                          

The opening was held at Two Rivers Coffee in Arvada. It’s a tiny, cute little coffee house with some of the most well dressed baristas I’ve ever seen. It’s relatively small but the atmosphere was calm and totally appropriate for the occasion. It also helped that there was a big, yellow short bus parked in front of the shop with a “RIDE” sign instead of a “STOP” sign attached to the side, which you might have guessed, belonged to Mr. Gavagan. I knew I was in for something interesting.

With elongated canvases decked out in abstract shapes and colors on one wall and landscapes of places like Wyoming on another, the versatility of Brian’s work was showcased well. There were also smaller prints and sketches for sale strewn about the shop’s coffee tables. Onlookers ranged from straight laced looking parents to some of the Denver BMX scene’s best riders. No matter where you look, it seems you can find art lovers from all walks of life.

One piece in particular caught my attention. It was a pencil drawing of a bunch of t-shirt designs that Brian had created over the years all thrown together in this chaotic not-mess. There was so much going on in the piece that I was really glad to have snapped a picture of it to look at later. I could have studied it for hours and in all honesty, had I had some extra cash on me I probably would have bought it.

In addition to having some pretty sweet artistic skills, I had a chance to chat with Brian and get an idea of who he is and what inspires him to create such cool works. Being a pro rider, BMX has clearly been a huge influence on his life. When asked how BMX has impacted him as an artist, he stated, “I think that being ‘fearless’ and just going for it on a blank canvas is a similar feeling to doing a big air or trick on my BMX bike. Looking at a big, blank canvas or knowing I need to produce work for an upcoming show can be daunting and I’ve learned to just move through that and get it done. Working with color really helps, actually. I like to let the colors speak to me, and my emotions. In the winter I typically feel content with one or two colors like black, silver or gold… now that Spring is approaching I feel drawn to bright colors.”

As a fledgling artist myself, I can totally relate. It seems that art has a way of scaring the shit out of those who find themselves attracted to it, but also helps serious artists really take advantage of their talents.

I’m super stoked to have had the opportunity to check out some of Brian Gavagan’s work and discover a new local artist. If you have a chance, stop by Two Rivers Coffee during the month of March and see some of Brian’s paintings in person. Oh, and for all of you partiers who happen to frequent Pete’s Kitchen after a long night of bar hopping in the Capitol Hill area, check out the mural on the west wall of the building. That’s Brian’s too.

                          

Thursday, Feb. 23 kicked off the celebratory weekend with a release party of a Denver off the Wagon and Wynkoop Brewery collaboration – Wagon Ryed. A dry, rye stout with caraway seeds. Brewed at the Wynkoop with Andy Brown, Head Brewer, several members of the Wagon staff and using a recipe from home brewer and Wagon founder, PJ Hoberman, there was a room full of people awaiting the first tapping. And worth the wait it was. A perfect smooth stout with just a hint of anise from the caraway. (Full disclosure: I helped with the brew so all my biases are fully intact.) There was pool played, shuffleboards shuffled, Justin Lloyd, proprietor of Star Bar, was on hand mixing up some beer cocktails and of course, many beers and much merriment was had by all.
As often happens, the “Let’s head to Star Bar!” rally cry was heard around midnight and we celebrated well into the morning, looking forward to keeping it going all weekend.

“The crew from Denver Off the Wagon is as magnanimous as they are besotted. When they first invited to the Wagon Ryed party, I though they were going to cap my ass in order to get me out of the way. Turns out, they just wanted to celebrate the culture of celebrating. The party was a perfect microcosm for what they do, which is to knit together various elements of the city and then toast them with carefully crafted beer or spirits. Huzzah!”
-Jonathan Shikes

Friday, Feb 24 was Beer Delivery Day! Meeting at the Wynkoop, we loaded up their horse-drawn beer wagon with kegs of Wagon Ryed and made like old timey milk delivery people. Except the milk was beer and the delivery people were booze specialists. Stopping at each bar for a keg drop off and a quick beverage, the wagon and the crawl made quite the spectacle as we made it through the streets of Denver. Stops along the way included: Breckenridge Brewery, Falling Rock, Wazee Supper Club, FreshCraft, Eculid Hall and ending, where else, at Star Bar. Closing down Star Bar has become a Wagon crew pastime, and we did not disappoint this evening either.

Saturday morning started off slow for the birthday crew, while the majority of us were limping out hangovers to various brunch spots for much needed hair-of-the-dog-that-kicked-all-our-asses, Hoberman was off to the radio! He along with, Jonathan Shikes Westword’s resident beer blogger, Dave Butler from Fermentedly Challagned and David Young, beer blogger from The Coloradoan joined host Gary Valliere on his American Craft Beer Radio show. This was Valliere’s for his first blogger-centric show. The guys all did a great job, touching on the Northern Colorado & Denver beer scenes, beer festivals not to miss, and the state of blogging in a region in love with beer. Highlight for me was goading Hoberman into saying “vagina hops” on the program. Amazing what people will do for a bar tab.

“Our three-day birthday party was an absolute blast. I hope that everyone had as much fun as I did. Or less fun. Probably less fun, because it’s Tuesday and I’m still exhausted. So I hope everyone had an appropriate amount of fun that will carry them over until our next party, in 3 weeks.” PJ Hoberman

Saving the best for last, Saturday night was the official Birthday Bacchanalia. Hosted at Star Bar (are you getting the theme here), it was a shit show of wonderful beer goodness. A mini Great American Beer Fest in my favorite bar. A beer lovers wet dream. A veritable beer boner, if you will. And I will.

The headliners were definitely the Star Bar proprietary creations. Two sour collaborations, the Star Folie with New Belgium and the Star Sour #1 with AC Golden.

And two barrel aged. A Leopold Bothers Whiskey Barrel Aged Belgian Yeti with Great Divide and a Leopold Bothers Apple Whiskey Barrel Aged G’Knight from Oskar Blues. Holy crap. The apple whiskey aged G’Knight went from beer boner to beer orgasm in seconds. Others on tap rounded out a multiple orgasmic night for a beer lover. • Wagon Ryed – Wynkoop, Nomad – Great Divide, Maharaja – Avery, Deviant Dale’s – Oskar Blues, Belgian Smidy – Oskar Blues, Saboteur 09 / Saboteur 12 – Odell, Footprint – Odell, Surette – Crooked Stave, Angel’s Share – The Lost Abbey, and Noble Rot – Dogfish Head. Fuck. Yes.

Star Bar was packed to the gills with celebratory spirit, lovely ladies and bearded beer lovers from all over our amazing state. Not only as a congratulatory node to Denver off the Wagon, but I would like to think a tribute to the people, the place and booze that make the Wagon possible. It was nice to end the night where the Wagon started.

For more Denver Off the Wagon Shenanigans, follow some of these merry dranksters:
DOTW – @denverwagon
PJ – @hookedonwinter
Jonathan – @colobeerman
Lee - @Hoptopia
Shellie – @shellieshel
Dave - @ChipperDave

                          

You don’t know it yet, but you’re about to attend the best Denver event this year.  Now to really understand the grandeur of this event, I need to tell you about a group of unicorns that live right here in Colorado.

The Fucking Unicorns are a theme camp at the Burning Man festival.  We are teachers, nurses, business men, lawyers, artists, computer programmers, performers, parents, and friends.  We hold degrees in everything from mathematics to art history, but we are not your average 30 somethings.  Our identities also rest in a collective desire to add more life and color to the world. We are those people that you see walking down the street wearing just a little more pink, a lot more faux fur, and a few more sparkles than most.  We are those interesting neighbors with intriguing objects always coming in and out of their backyards.  We are the only adults at a kid’s movie and the only kids at the office. We are your best friends with whip cream and a cherry on top.  And we take having fun seriously!

In the weeks after this year’s burn, someone from our camp posted a picture of an old truck on our Facebook group with the comment “Art Car?”.

For those who don’t know, Burning Man is an annual art festival held in the Black Rock desert in Nevada.  For one week each year, 50,000 burners converge to build their temporary city, coined ‘Black Rock City’.  One of the staples of BRC is its lack of cars.  BRC is a city of bikes and foot transportation, but for all that it lacks in cars, it makes up with mutant vehicles and art cars.

Imagine golf carts transformed into driving cupcakes, or an eighteen wheeler that has had a yacht mounted over the length of it, or even a double decker articulated bus converted into a giant driving pirate ship.  Some are less vehicles and more mobile art.  A giant driving butterfly with a 50 foot wingspan, or a giant multi-headed octopus that shoots flame out of its tentacles.

Well, that single Facebook post with the words “Art Car?” triggered a series of events that has lead us to today.  Our camp is throwing a fundraiser this Friday, February 10th to raise money to build an art car.  The vehicle will be a 20 foot diameter driving rainbow.  The face of the rainbow will be covered in computer controlled LEDs, programmed to react to whatever music is being played either on or around the vehicle.  There will be an 8 foot by 20 foot dance platform on top, and an aerial rig for our camp’s many aerialists to perform from.  The art car will also have murals of various sizes featuring the Unicorn Kama Sutra (original artwork by Grace Ramsey).

Doors open this Friday at 8pm at the Oriental Theatre.  The first 100 people through the door will receive an authentic, hand-made unicorn horn.  At 8:30, the party begins with a variety show.  Expect to see some of the area’s most talented performers juggling, doing aerial hoop, stilt burlesque, acro-balancing, belly dancing, and much much more.  As the party progresses into the evening, the dance floor will open up and DJ’s Earth, Milk, Miraja of Future Simple Project, and Ishe will take over.  Both ground and aerial performances will continue into the evening.  And above all, you are guaranteed to be surrounded by some of the most exciting, fun, unique, sexy, and interesting people you’ve ever met.

Please RSVP at their Facebook Event Page

Buy your pre-sale tickets here

                          

Shopdibs.com hosted its launch party and trunk show at El Charrito Bar Downtown Denver. Toward the back of the restaurant, four boutiques set up their popular handmade items from local artists. Denver Independent Boutiques is a collaboration of handmade stores in Denver featuring local artists with a flare of various styles.

Meghan Throckmorton (owner of Rakun) and Ellis Ann (owner of Thread Community) started this network of boutiques in November so shoppers can have a map of these unique stores and an easy way to find local shops. “This site is a great way for shoppers to know what they’re getting into and find the right stores for their style and price,” said Meghan.                                                    

“DIBS is a great tool for designers to find an appropriate market for their work.” Wherever artists are looking to sell their work, DIBS has a variety of shops with different styles and personalities. Artists don’t have to look too far to find a retail store to hold their creations.

At this launch party and trunk show, I met an artist named Raphael Kroshay, the owner and artist of Newdiggs Crochet Fashion here in Denver. He creates custom crochet items like backpacks, hats, scarves, and he even rocked pants that he crocheted himself. Raphael has been crocheting for 21 years, “It’s not just a hobby, it’s a career,” he said, “It’s doing what you love. Every project is a new personality.”

DIBS is also a great resource for the boutiques; the collaboration is really helpful for promotion purposes and to get ideas on retail best practices from other similar stores. “This event has been amazing,” said Ellis Ann, “It’s nice to know that all local stores are working together instead of against each other.”

“It’s also important to support local businesses and local artists,” said Meghan, “if you support local, more money is going back into the local economy.”

Thanks DIBS for giving me the opportunity to attend this launch party and trunk show! I will definitely be wearing the handmade skirt I purchased… As a matter of fact, I’m actually wearing it right now.

Check out the www.shopdibs.com for a complete list of participating Denver boutiques.

                          

Jason Greenhalgh (Q-Project) and Paul Smith (Spinback) first met in 1987 in Oxford, England. They were brought together through a mutual love of hip-hop and school girls. Greenhalgh was the first into the studio, with “Freestyle Fanatic” launching his career in 1991. However it was the establishment of the Legend imprint and specifically Greenhalgh’s “Champion Sound”, which really took their profile above and beyond the slew of anonymous white labels that were dominating the music at the time.

In 1994, the pair started recording together under the name Funky Technicians, with “Got to Believe”. The duo continue releasing tracks on Legend and others labels for another three years until the end of 1997, when Greenhalgh and Smith established the CIA label and changed their name to Total Science. The pair started a revival of old-school sounds/arrangements and dominated Drum n Bass throughout the late 90s and early 2000s with releases on well-known labels such as 31 Records, True Playaz,
Reinforced and Soul:r.

In 2003, they toured the US, Australia, New Zealand, Europe and Brazil and then focused CIA on showcasing then-up-and-coming artists Beta 2, Zero Tolerance, Friction, Mathematics and Baron. With a new found musical focus, Total Science upped the output quality and re-launched their dormant hip-hop/soul imprint – Skin Deep. Not caring for binding oneself to one particular musical form, they released tracks on Creative Source, Defunked and Metalheadz while pushing a string of lucrative 12″s on their own labels: Advanced & C.I.A, of which ‘No 1.Sound’ on C.I.A and ‘Defcon 69′ on Metalheadz achieved anthem status.

From there, C.I.A and Advanced witnessed the release of an array of tracks from talented producers such as Juju’s ‘Mojohand/Nomad’, Calibre & Zero Tolerance’s ‘Diamonds and Pearls’ and State of Mind’s ‘State of Mind Experience:Chapter ½. Meanwhile Q-Project’s ‘Ask Not’ and Total Science’s ‘Greatest Thing’ blew up on the UK dance charts. Later in 2005, Q-Project signed several tunes to Creative Source, Liquid V and Bingo. Q-project also was signed to world-renown label, Hospital Records. The buzz surrounding Total Science once again put them in serious demand from promoters worldwide, obtaining them a long list of gigs all over England and Europe, New Zealand and the U.S. ’Mars Needs Total Science’, the much anticipated third album, was released mid 2006 and saw instant success with album single ‘Never Had a Dream’ reaching Number 1 in the UK Dance charts. Additionally,

Q-Project finished his critically acclaimed debut solo LP “Renaissance Man” which was released on Hospital Records in late autumn of that year. Fast forward to today and Total Science is still receiving major airplay and top reviews from music industry and fans alike. I cannot wait for this show!

Facebook http://www.facebook.com/totalscience
Soundcloud http://soundcloud.com/total-science
Mixcloud http://www.mixcloud.com/TotalScience
Myspace http://www.myspace.com/totalscience

Recon DnB is a Denver-based collective of DJs/producers well-known for their passion for forward-thinking music. For close to a decade, Recon has had their collective fingers on the pulse of Drum n’ Bass. Whether Recon is playing a show or bringing out international talent, the fans know they are getting the best that the world of Drum n’ Bass has to offer. You can find Recon members playing a variety of venues all over Denver but one mainstay of the Recon family is Here Comes the Bass Thursdays at Sutra. They play every 1st and 3rd Thursday of the month, it’s a free show, and it is ALWAYS a good time.

                          

Square

Unseen Denver supports Arts Street with Uni, Square & bunny M

This night will be a unique opportunity, as our guests will partake in the street art experience as these three artists make a rare, above-ground appearance for the purpose of bringing attention to a very important cause.  The purpose of this event is to bring the growing street art discipline to people in Denver, who may not have as much exposure to the style as they would if they lived in cities like San Francisco or New York City. We would like to leverage these artists’ collective talent to raise money for Arts Street; a Metro Denver nonprofit that, for the last 11 years, has been developing and implementing highly diversified career-based, educational programs that incorporate real-world learning, artistic expression and creative thinking.

The scale of the outdoor mural will be significant. Denver’s bunny M will install a large scale poster, in sections, that she has prepared beforehand. This event will mark the installation of one of Denver’s largest wheat paste mural projects.

There will be entertainment, beer and other refreshments. Donations are encouraged. We will be raffling off one original piece from each of the night’s featured artists. All proceeds will benefit Arts Street. This event will take place starting at 6:00pm at Uncubed | 2762 Walnut St. Denver CO 80205.

3 artists activate Uncubed

Uni
Uni, who is the creator of Uni Studios, has always been interested in art, which he attributes to a visual arts background.  Uni’s father is a realist bronze sculptor and abstract painter who encouraged visual art. His style is unique and many of the subjects of Uni’s studio work are authors including Kurt Vonnegut and Jack Kerouac.

Square
Square has been a working Denver artist for a number of years and his paintings have been on display in galleries and on First Fridays. Square’s street art style is a break from much of the work you may have seen in galleries on Santa Fe. He is inspired by the city and inspired by the freedom and creative expression he feels as a result of the anonymity of the streets.

bunny M
bunny M is one of Denver’s most prolific street artists. Her dreamy, free-flowing style is unique among street artists. bunny M is a Denver native and her work can be found both here and scattered around the streets and boroughs of New York City. “There are many beautiful walls here,” bunny speaks of Denver,  “many alleyways full of character; I always have the sentiment of sharing something that is very close to my heart with a place that has afforded me so many wonderful experiences throughout my life thus far.”

bunny M

Teaching Denver’s children their value through Arts Education

Arts Street
Arts Street is an 11 year-old non-profit youth program in Denver that creates opportunities for the young people of Colorado. The opportunities provided are designed to foster the inspiration and education of these youth to become tomorrow’s professionals and support the workforce needs. This is achieved by developing and implementing highly diversified career-based, educational programs that incorporate real-world learning, artistic expression and creative thinking.

Uncubed
Uncubed is Denver’s Tech/Creative Co-Working Hub with 6000sq ft of space for coworking, meet-ups, small training events and conferences.

Please RSVP on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=155882781168062

                          

A native of Colorado, Square was born in Boulder and grew up in the ‘burbs just north of Denver. As the years passed, he found that his innate creativity was outgrowing the confines of a quiet, suburban life, so Square moved to Denver, where he could truly explore his previously stifled creative side. After college, he tried to fit his artwork into the gallery scene, but never felt happy with what he was doing – producing work that he thought galleries wanted to see and pieces that would sell in those spaces.

“All this led to was disappointment and frustration for me because I never finished a piece that felt real or true to who I was. The talent and the ability to paint was never an issue for me, but it was the ability to express what was inside that caused the most problems because I was consciously or unconsciously being influenced by what other people thought and by what I figured galleries wanted.”

All of that changed when Square took on his moniker and started painting at a street level. For the first time, he felt free to completely express himself however he felt. The anonymity that the city streets and alleys gave him made him unafraid to paint in a way that actually satisfied his creative needs. As he describes it,

“There is also something very liberating about putting the time and effort into making a piece and then giving it away to the street where it could be torn down or painted over within a day or it could stay up for a year but no matter what it will eventually be destroyed.”

The phrase “giving it away to the street” really struck a chord with me. Yeah, it’s schmaltzy, but I like the idea of street art being a gift to everyone and no one. Square needs to express himself, so the creation of his street art is his way of fulfilling his needs. By putting art in the street, one can only hope someone sees it before it’s taken down, but there are no guarantees. Once it’s on the street, the city decides the fate of a street artist’s work.

Square finds cities, in general, to be inspiring. Of course, living in Denver has its unique ups and downs. Denver is relatively young in its existence as a big city, a characteristic that can be both a blessing and a curse. On the one hand, artists like Square can create street art that has a relatively good chance of standing out, in addition to being some of the first artists in Denver to help change perceptions of street art. On the other hand, the community at large has yet to develop a real understanding of street art as something different from the gang tags that share the same alleyways. “The city in general has adopted a universal stance that if something is on a wall and not inside a gallery then it’s not art,” says Square. “The desire to change what everyone in this city thinks about [art] is something that inspires me in a huge way along with the basic desire for revenge against those who think they can dictate what is and isn’t art.”

Because of Denver’s burgeoning street art culture, not every street is a “safe zone.” Different streets and alleys in Denver give different types of inspiration and some are simply forbidden fruit. “I always have to make sure that it is not on an area that has spots that have been painted over by the city several times. I’ve found what I thought were perfect spots before and put a piece up and the next day it was torn down. This has proven to be the biggest challenge with doing street art.”

Yes, the idea of street art is that it’s temporary and that it could be taken down at any time, but you have to remember that these artists aren’t mass producing some print. These are one of a kind pieces that are being pasted up on a wall for your viewing pleasure. Once they’re gone, they’re gone and there’s no getting that exact piece back again. This is why street artists spend as much time as they do scouting alleyways and streets for the perfect “gallery.”

Square says his two favorite streets are Colfax and Broadway. However, must love Broadway from afar and admire it for its potential since most of the pieces that are posted on Broadway get painted over or torn down. Colfax has been much more accepting of street art, so it has become a kind of walking museum where you might find a beautiful mural right around the next corner. However, Square does have a bone to pick with one area in particular, and I have to agree with him. “The Santa Fe Arts District tries to pretend that it is a place for street art but hardly any of the galleries are really interested in that and if they don’t approve then your painting will be eradicated.”

While street art is typically a “lone wolf” type of gig, there is one artist in particular that Square pairs with some frequency. Several of his striking pieces (including a few amazing commissioned murals) have been done with another rising Denver street artist, bunny M. “I met bunny M about 10 years ago and we’ve been contributing to one another’s lives as artists ever since. I believe our styles are different enough that we can collaborate on something and not have any kind of competition, but our styles work together in a way that allows for a harmony and sense of unity that would not be present if it were just two artists working together on a mural and completely doing their own thing.”

When you see their work together, there’s no denying that the two artists’ styles are very different. But somehow, they work together in a way that creates a piece of art that is obviously one concept executed by two very different artists which is no easy feat.

As for what he ultimately wants to achieve with his art, Square says that right now he just needs to paint, and street art lets him do it in a way that’s much more prolific than a gallery artist could ever achieve. Also, as a street artist he’s not bound by gallery politics when he wants his work to be seen. And he does.
“Seen by people who love it and people who hate it and those who are indifferent because I think the more that street art is seen in this city the more people will understand what is possible.”

So is there a “hands across America” type of idealistic wish that Square has for street art in Denver?

“I would love for there to come a point when those who are in charge no longer think that a dumpster or a wall or an electrical box looks better with a bunch of white or beige or grey blobs painted on it then it would with any kind of art.” -Square