Pop-up art shows, artist’s studio galleries, First Friday art walks — these are the efforts of artists and curators trying to connect with wider audiences. It’s part of a growing dialogue about how to foster a more diverse art scene in Denver. A new business called Feral Factory is hoping to catalyze these efforts by launching a four-month rotating exhibition at the end of this month in RiNo that will focus on providing open platforms between the artists and the audience. Partnering with NINE dot ARTS and RiNo, Feral Factory will host the exhibitions at the Crash Mile High exhibition space (2555 Walnut Street) beginning with a launch party on Friday, February 24 from 7-11 p.m. The team is inviting everyone to come see the newest addition to the art scene in Denver with live performances, music, drinks, appetizers and of course, art.
The launch will coincide with Denver’s Month of Photography, featuring photographs which “reflect on the depths of human experience in the modern city” and segueing into a wider series on urbanism. The first exhibition, Exploring the Collage City, will feature work by Armando Martinez and Shana Cordon that illuminates urban life. They have also put out a call for entry for this show and future exhibitions.
Feral Factory wants to create a space that not only allows people to enjoy art, but to immerse themselves in the process and the consequence of said art. “We celebrate the resilient brilliance of human creativity and the power of art to inspire empathy, connection, and understanding” reads the curator’s statement on the website, and by bringing art pairings, workshops, talks, gallery hours and “salons” to their exhibitions this spring and summer, they obviously want others to celebrate that brilliance as well. Many gallery owners and curators understand that art galleries and exhibitions can be intimidating, and Feral Factory aims to curate experiences that may lesson that fear factor from viewing art. The art pairings, which will begin in March, are a “sensory feast” where the art on view is paired with performances, writing, music or theater as well as libations.
The “salons” are another unique addition to the Denver art community because they will provide a space for critical evaluation of deeper themes in the art. This idea came from the salons of the Academie des Beaux-Arts in France, where for more than 200 years there were thoughtful discussions encouraged about the history, context and possible interpretations of art. Feral Factory will provide optional talking points and extracurricular reading in conjunction with their exhibitions, hoping to foster an intellectual crowd who wants to do more than just appreciate the art aesthetically.
From April to June, Feral Factory will rotate with different multimedia juried exhibitions that will feature one Resident artist from RiNo and other local and international artists. Beginning April 1, Thomas Evans — aka Detour 303, one of Denver’s muralists — will be featured in the exhibition on Radical Heterogeneity, exploring the ideas of complexity, interaction and variety in a city. April 29 – May 24 will feature Nicholas Emery with The Art of Resistance, the Art of Resilience. And the final exhibition, May 27 – June 28 will feature Stephanie Hartshorn in Theater of Memory, Theater or Prophecy, exploring the future and past of a city.
For more information about Feral Factory, visit the website here.
