The First Friday Art Walk: a gallery-hopping party
Published: Mar 29, 2009
For art lovers, Denver's First Friday Art Walk may be the best party in town. Once evening a month, in July's heat or January's snow, galleries open their doors to those curious about what's special and new in the world of art — and to others who come mostly for wine, cheese and good times.
The Art District on Santa Fe, 40 galleries along six blocks between Fifth and 10th avenues, has become the epicenter of this monthly revelry. Crowds hop from gallery to gallery along the narrow streets; musicians play jazz in courtyards; people watch people. It's a great opportunity to mingle with other art lovers, gallery owners and artists proud to talk about their work.
A few hardy partiers use the Art Walk as an excuse to dress up in colorful costumes. But the main focus is always art. What kind of art? Nature photography and bronzes with patterned patinas, Tiffanyesque stained glass and psychedelic landscapes and fantastic figurines of strange-looking gods poised on pedestals.
There's just about every sort of visual art you could imagine — and much that you couldn't. Some work seems imitative, but a few pieces are very impressive. Recently, one gallery featured CT Nelson's amazing paintings: a blending the Cubist and the Surreal that dazzled viewers.
Galleries change shows and artists frequently It's sort of like Forrest Gump's box of chocolates: on any given Friday, you never know what you're going get.
Parking in this funky, old neighborhood can be difficult, so plan to arrive early or to park a half dozen blocks away. You can find spaces in the very few nearby lots, but you'll have to pay whatever the going rate happens to be.
- by David Zindell, Denver Reporter for HelloMetro
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