Category: Denver, Colorado Local News

Fresh ink will be rolled, spread and left to dry on paper and fabric across the state as the biennial Mo’Print, short for Month of Printmaking, returns for the sixth time.

“It really is a way to educate the city about printmaking and honor the artists that do it,” said Deb Rosenbaum, printmaker and faculty at the Art Students League of Denver. “The schedule of events is mindblowing.”

Etching, engraving, lithography, screenprinting and other printmaking techniques will be showcased not just across the Denver metro area, but all throughout Colorado, in celebration of the state’s printmaking community.

With more than 25 exhibitions, 30 workshops and demonstrations, and 15 studio tours in Denver, Mo’Print is a great way to purchase affordable prints, take a lesson or two in the artform, and watch local artists complete printmaking processes in action.

Mo’Print is a 100% volunteer-organized event that brings programming with the purpose to inspire and provide access to the fine art of making original, hand-crafted prints.

The Art Students League of Denver is one of the organizations hosting a set of programming in the weeks ahead, including an exhibition called “Supporting Indigenous Sisters,” a print portfolio to create discussions on the levels of missing and murdered Indigenous women. They will also showcase Printmaking 101, an educational exhibit on the fundamentals of printmaking.

For those curious about learning the art form themselves, there will be free artist demonstrations on Saturday, April 6, showcasing printmaking techniques such as woodcut, etching and solar plate in their studios.

“They will be watching someone pulling the print, making the print and talking about the process,” Rosenbaum said. “It’s a good opportunity if you just want to learn more about prints, to just go and watch somebody make one.”

 

As you plan your visits, here are four main events and programming to look out

On view through March 24, the Arvada Center for the Arts and Humanities will host the 528.o Regional Juried Printmaking Exhibition featuring a massive showcase of 83 selected and juried works from artists living in a 528-mile radius of Denver.

As part of First Friday celebrations, Mo’Print will be hosting a fundraiser known as Black Ink on Friday, March 1, from 6 p.m. to midnight that will showcase affordable and collectible $10 black-work linocuts created by more than 60 of Denver’s artists.

Peruse through and meet a lineup of 78 artists showcasing works in etching, lithography, screen print, woodcut and more at the Denver Botanic Gardens on Saturday, March 9, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The free market-style event will offer large and small prints created by both students and established artists.

Then on both Saturday and Sunday, March 23-24, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Denverites can spend one or both days visiting various print shops and artist studios with a chance to meet artists and see them create in action. Click here for a map of all participating locations.

Here is a complete list of Denver-specific exhibitions, workshops and demonstrations for Mo’Print 2024.

 

2024 Printmaking Exhibitions

Listed in order of reception date

Pressing for Change 

Date: On view Jan. 5 to March 23

Location: Center for Visual Art

 

Solo en Papel: 30 Años de Grabados 

Date: On view Jan. 20 to April 7

Location: Buell Theatre Lobby

 

Bursting Botanicals 

Date: On view Feb. 15 to March 10

Location: D’Art Gallery

 

Prairie 

Date: On view Feb. 16 to March 10

Location: NKollectiv Gallery

 

Art Gym Printmaking Members Exhibit 

Date: On view Feb. 22 to March 17

Location: Art Gym Gallery

 

Leap Year: DU Alumni Exhibition 

Date: On view Feb. 26 to March 24

Location: Davis Gallery, Shwayder Art Building

 

Proving Grounds 

Date: On view Feb. 29 to April 6

Location: Space Gallery

 

Feral Fantastic 

Date: On view March 1-30

Location: Alto Gallery

Carved Impressions

Date: On view March 1-30

Location: Access Gallery

 

Common Ground

Date: On view March 1-30

Location: Polished Earth Gallery

 

Alternative printmaking 

Date: On view March 1-31

Location: Niza Knoll Gallery

 

2004 Called 

Date: On view March 1 to April 30

Location: Pablo’s Coffee on 13th and Pennsylvania

 

More Bunnies! 

Date: On view March 1 to April 26

Location: Tenn Street Coffee & Books

 

Home Away From Home

Date: On view March 2-31

Location: Bell Projects

 

Gregory Santos: “There’s Been A Murder!” 

Date: On view March 2-31

Location: Bell Projects

Conecuts from the Kwiatkowski Press

Date: On view March 3-30

Location: Pablo’s Coffee on 6th & Washington

 

Supporting Indigenous Sisters: An International Print Exchange 

Date: On view March 8 to April 12

Location: Art Students League of Denver

 

Power to the Print 

Date: On view March 8 to April 12

Location: BRDG Project Gallery

 

Printmaking 101: An Educational Exhibit 

Date: On view March 8 to April 12

Location: Art Students League of Denver

 

Hot off the Press 

Date: On view March 8 to May 31

Location: Lapis Gallery

 

Overwhelming Nature: Raymundo Munoz 

Date: On view March 9 to April 20

Location: Leon Gallery

Process Makes Perfect: Printmakers Explore the Natural World 

Date: On view March 9 to July 28

Location: Denver Botanic Gardens

 

Ephemera: Lo Que Queda

Date: On view March 11 to April 12

Location: O’Sullivan Art Gallery

 

Shape-Shifts

Date: On view March 14 to April 14

Location: Sync Gallery

 

Reawakening 

Date: On view March 15 to April 14

Location: NKollectiv Gallery

 

imPressed 

Date: On view March 21 to April 14

Location: Art Gym Gallery

 

Printed Page IV 

Date: On view March 28 to April 21

Location: Spark Gallery

 

2024 Workshops, Demos and Events 

Listed in order of programming date

 

Encaustic Monotype Demonstration 

Date: Saturday, March 2, 1-4 p.m.

Location: NKollectiv

Cost: Free

 

Exploring Monotype Printmaking 

Date: Sunday, March 3, 9:30 a.m.-3 p.m.

Location: Denver Botanic Gardens

Cost: $215 (non-member), $180 (member)

 

Artist Talk: Sue Oehme 

Date: Friday, March 8, 6-7:30 p.m.

Location: Art Students League of Denver

Cost: $5 (non-member), Free (member)

 

One Day, Letterpress Workshop 

Date: Saturday, March 9, 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m.

Location: MATTER

Cost: $220

 

Democratic Screenprinting Station 

Date: Saturday, March 9, 3 p.m.

Location: BRDG Project Gallery

Cost: Free

 

Printmaking with Sue Oehme 

Date: Saturday-Sunday, March 9-10, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.

Location: Art Students League of Denver

 

Linocut Printing Demonstration with Kim Rivera 

Date: Thursday, March 14, 5:30-7 p.m.

Location: Art Gym Denver

Cost: Free

 

Mokuhanga Printing Demonstration with Leon Loughridge 

Date: Friday, March 15, 1-5 p.m.

Location: Art Gym Denver

Cost: Free

 

Letterpress Workshop 

Date: Friday, March 15, 5 p.m.

Location: BRDG Project Gallery

Cost: Free

 

Tabletop Letterpress Demonstration with Victoria Adams-Kotsch 

Date: Friday, March 15, 6-8 p.m.

Location: Access Gallery

Cost: Free

 

Introduction to Linoleum Printmaking 

Date: Saturday, March 16, 9:30-3 p.m.

Location: Denver Botanic Gardens

Cost: $135 (non-member), $115 (member)

 

Printmaking: Intro to Etching 

Date: Tuesdays beginning March 19, 6-8 p.m.

Location: Denver Art Museum

Cost: $160 (non-member), $135 (member)

 

Stone Lithography Demonstration

Date: Wednesday, March 20, 5:30-8 p.m.

Location: Art Gym Denver

Cost: Free

Culture Club 

Date: Wednesday, March 20, 6-8 p.m.

Location: Center for Visual Art

Cost: $20 (non-member), $15 (member)

 

PopUp Screen-printing with CherryArts 

Date: Thursday, March 21, 12-3 p.m.

Location: Denver Art Gallery at Cherry Creek North

Cost: Free

 

Painting the Light: Silk Aquatint with Sue Oehme 

Date: Saturday-Sunday, March 23-24, 12:30-6:30 p.m.

Location: Art Gym Denver

Cost: $200

 

Zine Club: Zine Workshop 

Date: Saturday, March 23, 2-4 p.m.

Location: Denver Zine Library

 

Styrofoam Reduction Print 

Date: Saturday, March 24, 1:30-3 p.m.

Location: Sync Gallery

Cost: $10

 

Encaustic Monotypes and Mixed Media 

Date: Sunday, March 24, 9-4 p.m.

Location: Art Students League of Denver

Cost: $130 (non-member), $110 (member)

 

Lecture: Dr. Hope Saska 

Date: Wednesday, March 27, 6-7:30 p.m.

Location: Denver Botanic Gardens

Cost: $12 (non-member), $10 (member)

 

Plate Lithography Demonstration 

Date: Wednesday, March 27, 5:30-8 p.m.

Location: Art Gym Denver

Cost: Free

 

Printmaking with Recycled Materials 

Date: Friday, March 29, 9:30 a.m.-3 p.m.

Location: Denver Botanic Gardens

Cost: $135 (non-member), $115 (member)

 

“Home Away From Home” Print Demonstration 

Date: Saturday, March 30, 12-2 p.m.

Location: Bell Projects

Cost: Free

 

Encaustic Monotypes Demonstration

Date: Saturday, March 30, 12-4 p.m.

Location: Prism Arts Workshop

Cost: Free

 

Denver Small Press Fest 

Date: Saturday, March 30, 11 a.m.-4 p.m.

Location: Globeville Center

Cost: Free

 

Make Prints, Not Waste! Tetra Pak Carton Printing 

Date: Sunday, March 31, 12:30-7:30 p.m.

Location: Art Gym Denver

Cost: $100

 

Everything But the Press: Alternative Printmaking 

Date: Wednesday-Thursday, April 3-4, 9:30 a.m.-3 p.m.

Location: Denver Botanic Gardens

Cost: $225 (non-member), $195 (member)

 

Art Students League of Denver Print Fair and Artist Demonstrations 

Date: Saturday, April 6, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

Location: Art Students League of Denver

Cost: Free

 

Botanical Gelli Plate Printing 

Date: Friday, April 26, 9:30 a.m.-3 p.m.

Location: Denver Botanic Gardens

Cost: $165 (non-member), $145 (member)

 

Drypoint Intaglio Printmaking 

Date: Saturday, May 18, 9:30 a.m.-3 p.m.

Location: Denver Botanic Gardens

Cost: $135 (non-member), $115 (member)

 

Botanicals and Pollinators in Woodcut Printing 

Date: Friday-Saturday, June 21-22, 9:30 a.m.-3 p.m.

Location: Denver Botanic Gardens

Cost: $135 (non-member), $115 (member)

Tucked away inside a massive Central Park warehouse is the latest addition to United’s massive flight training center — the largest in the world. The facility already hosts around 80,000 trainings for its staff per year, and on Thursday, the airline opened up a new wing of the center.

The facility butts up against some Denver aviation history, originally built to be near Denver’s original Stapleton Airport. The site includes eight buildings with 46 flight simulators. The expanded facility comes as the airline sets its sights on expansion; United hired 2,300 pilots nationwide in 2023 and 300 pilots so far this year.

United CEO Scott Kirby attributed the growth to the airline’s approach during the pandemic.

While some industry experts predicted that the travel industry would never recover, Kirby said United set its sights on expansion in preparation for travel opening back up. While the airline was hit hard during the pandemic shutdown, that bet ultimately paid off, with the travel industry seeing massive demand in the past two years.

United greenlit the plans for the $145 million building in the summer of 2020.

“It was a once in history opportunity for us to leapfrog everyone else and move to a leadership position,” Kirby said at a ribbon cutting Thursday.

With the new center will come even more United jobs.

Already the state’s largest private employer, the airline expects the expanded center to create more than 370 new jobs in Denver. United also estimates it will spend more than $65 million on hotel rooms in the city for pilots visiting the facility for training. Overall, United plans to hire more than 1,000 people in Denver this year.

“We are very proud of the fact that there are more than 10,000 United employees right now who call Denver home,” said Mayor Mike Johnston on Thursday.

And training is not United’s only expansion in Denver. The airline announced last year that it was adding 35 flights, six routes, 12 gates and more than a thousand new jobs to Denver International Airport, making DIA one of United’s largest in the U.S. In August, the airline laid out plans to buy 113 acres of land in the city for training.

All that expansion comes alongside the Denver airport’s plans to add four new concourses and 100 more gates by 2045.

The Denver Public Library has been up to a few things over the past year, especially with their latest funding boost from the Strong Library Strong Denver tax increase.

DPL officials gave a presentation to the Business, Arts, Workforce, Climate & Aviation Services Council Committee on Wednesday and explained what the organization has done since the implementation of the funding source. They also gave an update on what other bond measures have covered and what we can expect from them in the upcoming year.

 

 

First things first: teen spaces!

During committee, City Librarian Michelle Jeske said in the past year DPL has completed several steps in their Strategic Roadmap, a 2021 plan that sought to increase access, renovate existing spaces, address inequalities in the system and simply make DPL a go-to place for all types of services.

One of those involved increasing services for teens, which they’ve done by creating specific spaces in various library branches like at the Blair-Caldwell African American Research Library, adding more teen programming and the addition of librarians that are focused on teens.

Some other steps on that roadmap have been adding more children’s material to bookmobiles and implementing free printing and copying at all library branches.

Now, what about the additional funding?

In 2022, voters approved ballot measure 2I, a property tax increase that would provide extra funding to DPL for operational needs, from building maintenance and improvements to hiring more staff, increasing hours and community services. DPL said the increased tax will boost funding by more than $32 million.

With that money, DPL officials said the biggest change has been extending hours at 17 branches,  with five branches now open seven days a week. DPL also hired 98 new staff members and increased pay for eligible staff members.

The funding has also reduced wait times on books and increased digital resources for card members, such as access to the New York Times.

Money was also used for branch improvements at the Westwood, Blair-Caldwell and Central library branches

The renovations on those branches were also paid for through bonds approved by Denverites.

The Elevate Bond, which passed in 2017, allowed Blair-Caldwell to be renovated for the first time since it opened in 2003. The branch reopened in August.

Currently, the Athmar Park and the Pauline Robinson Branch in Northeast Park Hill are closed for renovations funded by Elevate. DPL said both branches will be expanded to include new study rooms and meeting spaces. They’ll get updated infrastructure, technology systems, air ventilation, along with new furniture, carpeting and paint.

DPL said with both projects, they’ve been working with nearby recreation centers and schools to continue providing services to the neighborhood. Both are expected to finish around the end of the year.

The Elevate Bond will also pay for renovations at Ross Barnum, Schlessman Family and Ross-Broadway branches. All three are currently in design phases and, when all is said and done, they’ll be expanded to include more community space and children space.

Then there’s the RISE Bond funding, which passed in 2021. Currently, that money is going toward the renovation of the Hampden branch, which is in the design phase. It’s also going toward the construction of the new Lena Archuleta Branch in Westwood and a new branch in Globeville.

According to “Activate! Denver,” DPL’s 10-year plan regarding renovation needs and branch expansion, DPL acknowledged that there were gaps in branch services, particularly in Westwood and Globeville.

The Westwood neighborhood had a library branch. But, at about 900 square feet, it is the tiniest branch in the DPL’s system. The goal with the Lena Archuleta Branch was to build a bigger and better library more suited for neighborhood needs. The new branch will be about 6,000 square feet and feature a larger collection, more access to technology, as well as community meeting spaces.

DPL partnered with Lifespan Local, a Southwest Denver community service group, to open the new branch at the site of the old Redeemer Lutheran Church on the corner of W. Nevada Place and S. Irving Street.

The Globeville branch will live in a similar place. It will anchor the 4995 Washington Street project, an affordable housing development that will have at least 170 income restricted units. Currently, the project is on hold due to some financing issues.

And what about the Central Branch? DPL is hoping that will fully reopen in the fall of 2024.

So, what’s next for DPL? With the Strong Library Strong Denver funding, DPL said they’re going to continue improving digital access and network infrastructure, increase physical and digitals copies to lower wait times and continue ramping up their Plaza Program, which assists immigrants and refugees with acclimating to their new life in Denver and the states. The funding will also help renovate the Woodbury and Park Hill Branches and provide additional staff members to the Central Branch for when it reopens.

So, head to the library and take advantage of the free things they have to offer!

More than 400 workers have been busy building what will likely be one of the hottest — or at least most distinct — places to live in Denver, a rising building that’s been making I-70 travelers wonder: Is that building fine art or just broken?

One River North, the 16-story apartment building with a giant canyon filled with plants carved down the center, will open this spring on the outskirts of Elyria Swansea, in the River North Art District.

The project is a joint effort between the Max Collaborative, Uplands Real Estate Partners, Wynne Yasmer Real Estate and Zakhem Real Estate Group. MAD Architects and Davis Partnership Architects designed the building, and Saunders is overseeing construction.

If all goes as planned, people will start moving in this April, and construction on the project is wrapping up fast.

Plants are planted. Paint’s being brushed on the walls. Grout’s going between the tiles. And high-end appliances are already installed in many units.

The canyon’s walls are curved, with a look you might find in a dinosaur-themed amusement park, a stark contrast with the mirrored, rectangular exterior. The interiors and most of the exterior, in contrast, are largely minimalist in design.

The mirrored glass exterior has been a worry for some bird watchers, who hope the building doesn’t become a mass grave.

But there’s a plan for keeping the lights in the building from killing migrating birds, as other Downtown buildings have.

Madeline Haslett, who will be overseeing programming in the building as the residential community director of Kairoi Residential, says the development group has been talking about the potential bird trouble.

“One thing that we have talked about is figuring out kind of what that migration pattern looks like and then working with the community as a whole to ensure that lights are off at certain times to kind of help with that flow,” Haslett told Denverite.

Bird fears aside, more than 2,000 people have expressed interest in moving into One River North.

If you’re hoping to join the throng, you might be in luck. The apartments are already 11% full just over a month before people start moving in.

Apartments are listed from less than $2,000 for a one-bedroom and go up to roughly $16,000 a month for a penthouse, according to Lynsee Mann, a regional manager with Kairoi.

Many of the units include stunning views of the best and worst of the Denver landscape: the Rocky Mountains, Downtown Denver, the River North Art District, along with train yards, the smelly Purina plant and the distant Sun Corps plant that has paid millions in pollution violations.

If you fear that part of Denver’s industrial life is over, take a look from the trendy balcony and see just how much still exists.

Of course, that landscape could likely change in the years to come, as construction parking lots and yards filled with semi-trailers turn into new developments and the city continues to expand.

 

 

The team behind Hey Kiddo, a contemporary restaurant on Tennyson Street in Denver’s Berkeley neighborhood, is kindly requesting the return of its Michelin award. 

When French travel company Michelin brought its esteemed Michelin Guide to Colorado for the first time last September, Hey Kiddo was included despite not winning a Michelin Star or being named as a “Bib Gourmand” restaurant. Still, Michelin judges found Hey Kiddo, in addition to dozens of other restaurants and hotels, to be worth a mention in the guide for being unique and exciting. 

Nokkie Lipsey, a spokesperson for Id Est, the company that owns and operates Hey Kiddo, said the award, which is a white plaque with the words “The MICHELIN Guide” in the center, was stolen on Sunday. Its theft was only discovered on Tuesday since the restaurant was closed for President’s Day. 

The restaurant said they won’t hold any ill will towards the person responsible — they just want their award back. 

“We want to assure the person who took the award that no questions will be asked upon its return,” Lipsey told Denverite. “Instead, we would like to extend an invitation to join us for a drink, where we can celebrate its safe return together.”

Denver is paying $36,000 to Thomas Yannuzzi, who was arrested during a counter demonstration to a pro-Donald Trump rally in 2021. City Council approved the payment Monday.

The claim is the latest in a series of claims involving Denver police and protesters dating back to 2020 and 2021 alleging police misconduct.

According to Yannuzzi’s lawyer, Adam Frank, Denver Police searched rally goers and counter protesters showing up for a Stop the Steal rally in support of former President Trump and unfounded claims of election fraud.

“My client was walking with someone else who was wearing all black and was carrying a backpack and he was wearing black as well, and based on that they ordered him to stop and searched him without his consent, with absolutely no legal basis,” Frank said.

Yannuzzi was carrying brass knuckles, which are illegal to carry in Colorado. They were confiscated and Yannuzzi was put in jail. But Frank said Denver Police did not have a legal reason to search Yannuzzi to begin with, and that officers were targeting people who looked like protesters for searches. The original charge for the brass knuckles was later dismissed.

Denver Police Department declined to comment on the claim brought by Yannuzzi.

It’s not the first time protesters have brought cases against the Denver Police Department claiming officers targeted protesters.

In 2023 the city settled a large class-action case for $4.72 million. That case involved more than 300 Black Lives Matter protesters arrested during the 2020 protests. The lawyers in that case argued that Denver Police Officers selectively enforced a city curfew by specifically targeting people who looked like protesters, violating their First Amendment rights.

In 2020, Denver’s former Independent Monitor, the city’s top police watchdog, released a damning report about how Denver Police managed that summer’s racial justice protests. Frank said Yannuzzi’s case showed not much changed a few months later in 2021.

“What we see in the next round of protests that happened is, we’re not dealing with excessive force in this situation, but we are dealing with an explicit plan by Denver to respond to protests by violating protesters rights en masse, and Denver has to get the message that that is not an acceptable thing to do,” he said.

Frank said he and his client are pleased with the settlement outcome.

“Nobody shot him in the eye with a rubber bullet, he wasn’t subjected to extreme pain like many other protesters,” Frank said. “But the fact remains that Denver decided the way it was going to respond to protests was by violating people’s rights, and there has to be a consequence for that.”

Denver’s very popular e-bike rebate program is back in 2024 with some tweaks that could make the program more accessible.

This year, the city is expanding funding for low-income residents and streamlining the application process. The rebates are funded through the Climate Protection Fund, a voter approved sales tax focused on climate resilience.

The program’s goal is getting Denverites to drive less and bike more.

Since launching in 2022, more than 15,000 people applied for vouchers through the program and nearly 8,000 have received and redeemed them, according to city data. About 37 percent of applications came from income-qualifying Denverites. A 2023 survey of voucher recipients found that the e-bikes replaced an average of 3.4 car trips per week per rider, or around 22 miles per week per rider.

The rebates are first-come, first-serve, and will open at 11 a.m. on Feb. 27, April 30, June 25, Aug. 27 and Oct. 29 at the city’s online portal. In the past, they’ve been snatched up within minutes of becoming available.

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Here’s a guide to applying and a list of shops where vouchers can be used.

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There are now two tiers for income-qualified rebates.

Previously, those rebates were set at $1,200 for a standard e-bike and $1,400 for a cargo e-bike for anyone earning less than 80 percent of the area median income.

This year, anyone making between 60 to 100 percent of the area median income, or between $52,140 and $86,900 for a single person, can get $700 for a regular e-bike and $900 for a cargo e-bike.

 

 

Anyone making below 60 percent of the area median income, or $52,140 for a single person, can get $1,200 for a regular e-bike and $1,400 for a cargo e-bike.

Denverites who do not qualify for the income rebates can continue to get $300 towards a standard e-bike and $500 towards a cargo e-bike, and people with disabilities can get up to $1,400 for adaptive e-bikes.

Denverites will also have more time to redeem their vouchers.

Previously, a recipient had up to 60 days to purchase a bike. The city has bumped that figure up to 90 days.

To meet demand, anyone who previously received vouchers — whether they redeemed them or not — will not be able to register in 2024.

The city is also adding extra safety precautions. Denverites can only redeem vouchers for e-bikes certified under specific safety standards to prevent e-bike battery fires. Denver is also requiring shops to work with battery recyclers.