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Spring (it’s almost here, I promise) is known as a time of renewal and rebirth. Apparently, Denver’s culture scene is latching onto that theme because a number of new art and performance venues have recently opened their doors.
Dateline
An art gallery created by artists for artists? We like it. Contemporary artists Adam Milner and Jeromie Dorrance opened Dateline in “the living room of the RiNo district storefront…where they live” earlier this year. Expect innovative artists showcasing a small number of works that you won’t find elsewhere in the city. 3004 Larimer St.
Next Up: Gangsta Paradise opens May 7
Dada Art Bar
Iain Chisholm’s Amerigo Delicatus Restaurant & Market has been our RiNo go-to practically since it opened—and helped set off a domino effect of new eateries on the streets just north of the Ballpark neighborhood. Now Chisholm is extending his reach with Dada Art Bar, a warehouse-like space that launched in April. The goal: Showcase more accessible (aka lower price point) works of art by less-well-known artists—the selections will change monthly—alongside a bar serving a curated selection of booze (plus cheese and charcuterie plates, desserts, and coffee) to counter the area’s plethora of dive bars. Bonus: 90 percent of the sale of a work goes back to the artist. (Pictured, right: a piece by the High Fructose Porn Syrup Collective, which showed in April.) 2470 Broadway, 720-350-4716
Next Up: Sonny Valdez‘s metal designs
Will Day Art Gallery + Studio
There’s a certain magic that happens when you have the opportunity to watch an artist create in his or her own environment. Starting May 15, painter Will Day (pictured, above) invites the public to do just that. In his new studio-meets-gallery, you’ll see Day turn large-scale canvases into bold, color-forward abstract works inspired by the natural world. 3550 Frontier Ave., Unit A2, Boulder (inside the Studio Boulder)
Valor Center for Culture and Influence
OK, so this isn’t exactly an art gallery but at a time when many schools are having to cut (or have already slashed) art and music programs, we have to give a shout-out to Valor Christian High School in Highlands Ranch. Friday marked the groundbreaking of a 83,000-square-foot visual and performing arts center. The two-story building expands the school’s arts offerings with additional teaching spaces for music, dance, and theater classes, a professional-level recording studio, a photography suite, a television/broadcast studio, and a 715-seat auditorium where the public can enjoy performances. (Pictured, right: a rendering of a rehearsal room)
