There were great art exhibitions all around the Front Range in 2023, from big institutions (like the Denver Art Museum and the Museum of Contemporary Art) to mid-size players (like the RedLine Art Center, Understudy and Black Cube), to small, hard-working commercial spaces (like David B. Smith and Leon galleries). They all deserve a hand.
These are the ones to remember.
“Colombia: The Corn, the River, and the Grave,” Museo de Las Americas, April
This was among the most ambitious art efforts in all of Colorado in 2023. The Museo set out to show us the best of contemporary art being made in the country of Colombia and exceeded its goal. The show was full of top names who define the current scene and emerging newcomers who will create its future. Curator Alex Brahim pulled it all together by connecting the natural beauty of his homeland to the decades of political upheaval that have taken place in it. It was a rare opportunity for local audiences to see another world, and a great example of why the museo is crucial to Denver’s art ecosystem.
The Denver Art Museum reinstall, May 2023
The Denver Art Museum has done a lot of shuffling and expanding over the past decade, and that forced some of its best work to drop out of view. But in May, much of that art came back in grand fashion, with the simultaneous reinstallation and opening of its galleries of Modern and Contemporary Art, Arts of Oceania and African Arts. It would be easy to pick apart the choices — what was exhibited and what was withheld from public view and why — but it was a moment of pure pride for the city, a reminder of why this institution keeps Denver important and the lives of its citizens interesting. Permanently open.
“Made in Colorado,” Emmanuel Gallery, June
This biennial survey of art from across the state had a very good year. Guest jurors Nora Halpern and Kerry Brougher whittled down 1,400 works, submitted through an open call to artists, to a solid 45 that showed off the diversity of objects being made across Colorado now. The display was colorful, relatable, sophisticated and energetic, thanks to both the artists in the lineup and the professional installation of the varied material by the gallery staff. Looking forward to next time.
Virgil Ortiz, “Revolt,” Colorado History Center, June
The exhibition “Revolt” was a major departure for the Colorado History Center, and a welcome one. Virgil Ortiz is a New Mexico-based artist with an international reputation for making sci-fi-themed art out of ceramics he fashions by hand. Ortiz has spent a career re-telling the tale of the Pueblo Revolt of 1680, but with a twist. He resets the narrative 500 years into the future and opens up the possibilities of new outcomes for the historical players. This museum is trying to reinvent itself lately, taking some chances and embracing technology and diversity and this offering is an important step on its journey. Open indefinitely.
“Colorado Women to Watch,” Center for Visual Art, August
I had some issues with this show, which was genre-exclusive in an era when genre is rapidly, and welcomingly, being redefined. But there is no getting around the content, which was excellent at every turn. The five artists in the mix — Kim Dickey, Ana María Hernando, Maia Ruth Lee, Suchitra Mattai and Senga Nengudi — are, indeed, artists we have been watching for some time now in this state, and with good reason. They make art that reflects their personal journeys and understandings of both art and the wider world and they present provocative objects that challenge us to think more differently. Cheers to Nora Burnett Abrams, who culled the lineup, and gallery director Cecily Cullen, who organized the event.
Trey Duvall, “RETURN/SWEEP,” Rule Gallery, October 2023
“RETURN/SWEEP” is one of those shows that don’t sound so good on paper: It basically featured a mechanical broom sweeping back and forth over a pile of sand every 8 minutes. Not exactly an action movie. But the durational piece was entertaining enough to lure us in as viewers and then deep enough to chill us out as spectators of art. Watching the broom’s work was meditational, and then transformative; it invited us to think about time, space, deterioration and our personal experiences as human beings. It was great that Rule Gallery, a commercial space, was willing to host it.
Martha Russo, “Caesura,” GoCa, November
Martha Russo has been constructing the ceramic pieces that make up her mega-work titled “Lacuna” for more than 30 years — small shapes of clay, inspired by the sea and the land, that she assembles into a large-scale object that feels magical and hand-made at the same time. It has been so gratifying for Colorado audiences to watch a project of this magnitude unfold over time. The work was the centerpiece of an exhibition that breathed life into a gallery that seemed to have lost its energy over time. New gallery director Joy Armstrong organized the show, and it will be swell to see where the place goes from here.
“Wild Color,” Denver Museum of Nature and Science, December
“Wild Color” is not exactly an art exhibition, but it has similar charms. The show is organized into sections, each themed by a different color found in nature. Visitors go from seeing the red of a coral shell to the orange of an oriole feather right through to the purple of a butterfly wing. I found it mesmerizing and educational and authentic in a way that “real” art exhibitions want to be. A simple idea, well-executed, and an excellent way to introduce kids to the power of color and using it in any imaginative way they can dream up. Open until April 17.
Ray Mark Rinaldi is a freelance writer based in Denver who specializes in fine arts coverage.
