In case you missed it, Denver just had a huge year for the art and culture communities. The result of such a momentous year is that we can expect more local art, rather than feeling the need to bring in big-name artists from other major cities in order to attract visitors. One of Denver’s newest galleries, Mirus (which opened at the beginning of 2018), wants to celebrate the local art scene in a major way, starting January 11, with a group show titled Locals Only.
Featuring over 20 artists who create in a variety of mediums, Locals Only will be an exhibition to attend not only to support the local scene but also to keep an eye out for artists who you might want to follow as their careers blossom. There will be the illusion-based paintings of Anna Charney; the KidRobot toy designer and pop-art illustrator Johnny Draco; the graphic-design appeal of Andrew Huffman; the geometric and colorful work of street artist Sandra Fettingis; collaged contemporary art from Mario Zoots and a pop-up print from Poposition Press, among many others. With so many artists providing work, the show won’t follow a single theme. Instead, each artist is to be experienced as an individual — a task that will come easily with such a diverse cast. There will be paintings and collages, street artists and fine artists, contemporary work and realistic renderings — all side-by-side.
Mirus is technically a “transplant” of an art gallery, with the original location in San Francisco and a gallery still flourishing there. When the gallery arrived in Denver, owner Paul Hemming seemed to already have an idea of the “scene” Denver was lusting after. Maybe that’s because Hemming is also the owner of the newer nightclub Temple (next door to Mirus.) Or maybe it’s because Hemming’s approach to art gallery events was unconventionally successful in San Francisco and he just took a leap of faith on Denver. Whatever the case may be, the Denver gallery had to throw two opening receptions in order to accommodate all the interested visitors.
READ: New “Boundary Pushing” Art Gallery From San Francisco to Open in Denver
Now, at just under a year, Mirus is still keeping its finger on Denver’s cultural pulse. The Locals Only show is a good example of how Mirus plans to steer their curation this year — focusing on the abundance of local artists that are worthy of an art gallery wall. In a press release, the gallery noted “Locals Only is an exhibition to celebrate a variety of work that comes out of Colorado. We are representing artists of all styles, backgrounds and paths. We have selected approximately twenty-five artists that resonant with this expansive creative culture.”
This is the full list of participating artists: Adam Ian Psybe, Alexa Fourier, Andres Acosta, Andrew Huffman, Anna Charney, Camila Galofre, Chris Bohlin, Colton Hindle Collections, Corinne Bee Bop, CT Nelson, Gerard Smithwick, Ian Spencer, RUMTUM, Johnny Draco, Justin Eastman, Kate McGregor, Mario Zoots, Nathaniel Fyffe, Noelle Phares, Ramón Bonilla, Rosston Meyer of Poposition Press, The Crown Collection, Sandra Fettingis, Sarah Neubert, Jolt, Steven Allen, Tod Kapke, Valerie Savarie
The opening reception of Locals Only will be on Friday, January 11 from 7 to 10 p.m. The exhibition will be on view until February 9, 2019, during regular gallery hours.