CONTACT: Niza Knoll, 303-902-4313, nizak@mac.com Amy Norton, 303-204-5183, amy@thecreativeangle.co (.co not .com)
Niza Knoll Gallery Marks 10-Year Anniversary with Abstract Exhibit Abstract 2020, January 3 - February 15, 2020
(Denver) By late 2009 artist Niza Knoll had been eyeing a For Sale sign on the unit across the street from her studio for some time. The space was located in the established Art District on Santa Fe and was a known popular cultural destination; however, she knew it would be a risk. With her dream of running a gallery, she hoped that by purchasing the unit she could focus on building a stable art business and avoid being at the mercy of a fickle rental market, so she decided it was worth the chance. After remodeling the former office space into a bright, airy gallery she launched her first show in the spring of 2010 and is now proud to be celebrating 10 years in business!
The occasion is being marked with a new exhibit entitled Abstract 2020, on view from January 3 through February 15, 2020. It features abstract works by Knoll and the other artists who have helped create longevity in the space and assisted Knoll in navigating challenges as she developed as a gallery owner. Rachel Basye, Nancy Enyart, Victoria Eubanks, Mark Friday, Jennifer Ghormley, Pat Lickly, Aliki McCain, Paula Romero Schmitt, are all members of the stand-alone co-op The Mix whose members work is always on exhibit in the back of the gallery when they are not participating in other shows up front. The public is invited to an artist reception and 10-year anniversary celebration on Third Friday January 17th from 6-9 pm at 915 Santa Fe Driver. One can also view and purchase work during regular gallery hours Wednesday–Friday, 1-5 pm, Saturday, 1-4 pm, except First and Third Fridays 4-8 pm, or by appointment.
Unlike the traditional gallery model, Niza Knoll does not have a stable of artists that she represents. Rather, she curates themed exhibits—sometimes around current and relevant subject matter—that draws people in to explore a variety of artists, issues and ideas. Visitors always find a friendly, accessible experience in a space that transforms with each new show. Popular reoccurring juried and invitational exhibits have included “Holy Moly: Artists’ Interpretation and Religious Commentary in Contemporary Art”, the fun biennial “Gone To The Dogs” featuring artists’ interpretation of man’s best friend, and the recent “Gentleman in Moscow” show based on the namesake novel, that attracted book lovers from across the area.
Niza Knoll Gallery is located in the Art District on Santa Fe at 915 Santa Fe Drive in Denver, Colorado. The gallery specializes in intriguing conceptual exhibits, hosts first and third Friday events, monthly salons, private concerts and guest speakers. Past exhibits have included unusual artist pairings, outsider art, collaborative work, thought provoking thematic exhibits of artists using non-traditional media. Through a partnership with Kingman Winery the space serves a tasting room for their fine Colorado wines and is proud to offer their wine for sale during First Friday art walks and other special events. Visit www.nizaknollgallery.com for more information.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 16, 2020
CONTACT: Amy Norton, 303-204-5183, amy@thecreativeangle.co (.co not .com) Dan Drossman, 917-703-2563, dbobdross@gmail.com
Artist Dan Drossman invites the public to color their art out.
(Denver) With digital technology overtaking our lives, the hands-on, meditative process of “coloring” has become a popular way for adults to unplug and let the child-like joy of an “analog” creative process sooth the mind. In 2017, with an understanding of this trend, artist Dan Drossman took his edgy, street-art inspired illustrations, stripped out the color, and published a coloring book based on his own original art. While his intricate drawings feature wary-eyed post-industrial characters immersed in a frenzy of stimuli, the act of coloring the images themselves serve as a cathartic anecdote to that very lifestyle.
In 2019 Drossman was commissioned to paint a colorful outdoor mural in this same illustrative style, outside a dispensary in Denver’s Washington Park neighborhood. As he went about this work, he became inspired to replicate the “coloring book” experience as an interactive community art project. Two months later his intricate mural was completed and Drossman went about bringing the project to life.
His first step was to reproduce a few drawings as large prints on paper. He then wheat-pasted them to vacant buildings in RiNo and the Art District on Santa Fe, attaching a bucket of markers and crayons, along with signage inviting passers-by to add color to the piece. Soon he had folks stopping by to participate. He periodically checks on the progress of what he calls “Guerilla Coloring Book Pages” and replenishes supplies that inevitably go missing or wear out.
His hope is to find more places along the beaten path where he can create spontaneous interaction around his artwork and bring small moments of joy into the community. He welcomes building owners to contact him with permission to add a temporary coloring sheet (the wheat paste and paper will eventually succumb to the elements and peel off) to their property. For those looking for a more permanent display, he is also available for mural commissions.
Drossman’s Guerrilla Coloring Book Pages can be found in on Larimer St. between 26th and 27th Avenues and on the west side Santa Fe Drive between 7th and 8th.
His painted mural can be seen outside the Herbal Cure dispensary at 985 S. Logan St. Teetering the Line: An Adult Coloring Book: Street Art Interpretation of Post-Modern Life can be purchased on Amazon.com or through his website www.dandrossmanart.com/teetering-the-line.
Drossman grew up in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, received his BA from Guilford College in Greensboro, North Carolina, and holds an MFA from The School of Visual Arts in New York. He has had solo and group exhibitions throughout New York and North Carolina and Denver. He currently lives in Denver, Colorado and is represented by Ruler Art in New York City (www.rulerart.com). His contemporary abstract work is currently featured in the No Show Exhibit at Bitfactory Gallery in January/February of 2020. He can be found working in his space at Bitfactory Studios on Santa Fe Drive, or online at his newly refreshed website www.dandrossmanart.com and on Instagram @dandrossmanart.
Artist Topher Straus launches into decade with a big success and new opportunities.
(Denver) In 2018 and 2019 after a career shift away from bi-coastal film production, Topher Straus entered the Denver art scene with an enthusiastic ambition to make a name for himself as an artist. Armed with a love of the outdoors and original approach to depicting colorful landscapes on a striking aluminum material, he serendipitously launched his series of national park paintings in January 2019 while the nation was focused on a government shutdown and subsequent detrimental effects on the closed parks. After two popular solo exhibits, various museum shows on both coasts, and a year of diligent marketing and production, he is parlaying his successes into new shows and opportunities for 2020.
Straus’ work is currently on view at Racine’s Restaurant at 650 Sherman St. in Denver through early March. After traveling to San Francisco to participate in the Superfine Art Fair in late February/early March, Straus returns to prepare for Bitfactory Gallery’s “Open Spaces” group landscape show March 20–April 9, then a two-person show with internationally acclaimed artist Howard Harris at Niza Knoll Gallery from July 31 through September 5, 2020. This show will feature Harris and Straus' unique style in new pieces inspired by the great works of the masters such as Picasso, Miro and Matisse.
Straus’ solo exhibit, focused on Colorado Landscapes will also run the entire summer at The American Mountaineering Museum in Golden, his second show in this venue.
While his new works are getting more complex and his palette is constantly evolving, they expand on the same themes of nature and architecture, including the Great Sand Dunes National Park, the Denver skyline at night, and various paintings inspired by Iceland’s stunning environment.
Straus has a decidedly commercial approach to his art business and aims to make his work accessible to art lovers at each end of the income spectrum. His prints on metal are now available in 3 different sizes. The singular originals are printed at a stunning 45x90 inches and range from $16K to $23K. A limited-edition of 25 30x60 inch prints are available for $3,200 and small “souvenir size” of 5x10 inches offered at a $75 price point in retail outlets and online. His business continues to flourish, having recently sold the spectacular “Maroon Bells” original piece to an Aspen buyer for $23,000!
Colorado native Topher Straus left the state to attend Syracuse University, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Film Art. He pursued a career in documentary, narrative films and advertising that took him to Los Angeles and later, New Zealand. Upon returning to Denver in 2012, he shifted gears and began fervently working in his studio as a full-time artist, quickly landing his first solo exhibit. His second solo show, The Parks, was featured at Niza Knoll Gallery early in 2019. He is an active, enthusiastic promoter of his own work and the art community as a whole. Follow Topher on Instagram @CreativeTopher for his engaging posts and popular IGTV show The Landscape. For more information visit TopherStraus.com.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 16, 2020
CONTACT: Jennifer Ghormley: moprint.colorado@gmail.com Amy Norton: 303-204-5183, amy@thecreativeangle.co
Month of Printmaking Launches 4th Biennial Celebration
(Denver) The Month of Printmaking (Mo’ Print) is a biennial celebration of the art of making original, fine-art prints. By partnering with a critical mass of participating artists, galleries and other partners it serves to promote exhibits, workshops, demonstrations, and events that inspire, educate and promote awareness of this art form throughout the Denver area and Colorado. The planners are delighted to announce the launch of 2020 programming that begins in January but has a focus of events during March—the official month of celebration—and some extending into April. The first Mo’Print took place in 2014 with enthusiastic attendance, and is marking its 4th run, deferring, every other year to the comparable Month of Photography.
This year there are fifty exhibitions alone to explore across the front-range, that kicked-off with some early openings on January 16th at the Arvada Center. 528.0 is a regional juried printmaking exhibition including artists residing within a five hundred- and twenty-eight-mile radius of Denver. Imprint: Print Educators of Colorado is an exhibition of print educators from institutions of higher education from across the state of Colorado. Next to open at this location is the Spirit Resonance: The Vitality of Printmaking which runs from January 18 – April 5, 2020.
The following are official Mo’Print coordinated events: Friday, March 6 - Black Ink: A Mo'Print Fundraiser at TRVE Brewery, 7pm-Midnight Saturday, March 14 - Open Portfolio day at RedLine, 1-4 pm Saturday, March 21- "Print Madness" Demo day at the Arvada Center, 12-4 PM March 28 & 29 – Studio + Print Tour, 10am-4pm
Another popular event includes the exciting Steamroller Printing on where over-sized woodblocks are inked and printed under the drum of a 2-ton steamroller. Artists can sign up to have their prints made, and the community is invited to observe on Saturday, April 18, 2020 10 AM – 4 PM on the RMCAD campus, 1600 Pierce Street, Lakewood, CO 80214 A full listing and calendar of exhibitions, workshops and events can be found at www.moprint.org . Some of the hand-on workshops do require registration and fees. Participants are encouraged to register early to ensure your spot.
Mo'Print would like to thank the following 2020 sponsors and programming partners for their assistance with this exciting celebration: Invisible Museum, Art Gym, Arvada Center, Awagami Factory, Trve Brewing Company, Genghis Kern, Speedball, RedLine Contemporary Art Center, Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design, Lakewood Cultural Center, Museum of Outdoor Arts, Kirkland Museum of Fine and Decorative Art.
For more information and to sign up to the email list visit www.moprint.org. Follow on Instagram @moprintcolorado and Facebook @MoPrintDenver. Searchable social media hashtags include #moprint2020, #moprintcolorado, and #moprint.