March 2013 First Friday
Start the first Friday of your month off right with first Friday art walk in old town Fort Collins. There are a variety of options for where to go and what to do and some even involve free beer or pizza by the slice. Get the map and participating locations at the following link: http://downtownfortcollins.com/events/first-friday-featuring-gallery-walk
If you can’t bike or walk you might want to get downtown early on first Friday’s because parking can be frustrating, but after circling and taking the back roads you always find something. My friends and I found parking near the Wright Life and then started our night.
We were walking over to Harper Point Photography when we came across a room on Walnut with designer skateboards and prints on the walls. We had to check it out. This place was packed and beer and pizza were being sold to a line in the back corner. The non-profit organization putting it on was Launch and their boards looked amazing. A style for every person could be found. Check out their art and organization: http://launchskate.wordpress.com/about/ We saw designs from a Mr. Fox lookalike to a Wookiee to boards with attachments coming off of them.
These people know what they’re doing and it’s all for a good cause. Plus, it being FoCo you run into all kinds of cool people and friends. I wish we could have stayed longer.
We then made it over to Harper Point http://www.harperpoint.com/
and said Hi to Kira and Nate the owners who have a great concept of color and design. Their namesake is from their dog Harper, with their kid Jude they’re the sweetest little family. They do everything from weddings and fashion to head shots and high school senior photo shoots. At their little studio with the red garage door off Pine St. their was a live band playing and a table of free food. Unfortunately when we arrivedthe band had just stopped playing but the photographs and people crammed in their made for a good time.
Next on the list was the Opiate gallery. They always have the more bizarre indie type of work which I find fascinating. I love the warped subjectmatter and inventive colors. This month they even had sculptures that were taller than me.
Opiate always has free beer from a keg in the back, first come first serve and there is usually a bit of a line to get in, but definitely worth the wait. I even had friends work in this show.
Opiateis also accepting work for group shows so if you’re an artist you should submit to them!! http://www.opiategallery.com/
It never hurts to have extra exhibitions on your resume, especially if you’re an up and coming artist.
After that we made it over to the Center for Fine Art Photography http://www.c4fap.org/ where I was able to see their Portrait series, all photography. There was complementary wine here with an optional donation. The show was incredible and real. Everything from pregnant nudes to big hair and abnormal growths on the body, this show had it all. I was able to speak to the artist that had her work chosen to fill an entire room off the main show room, Susan Barnett. After discussing the way her work was grouped and arranged on the walls it was fantastic that I had the opportunity to meet the artist. (Not an uncommon occurrence if you are interested when you do the art walk.) I told her how I enjoyed her play with colors since her work consists of pictures of the back of peoples T-shirts, she organizes them in different ways such as on one wall all of thebacks had vibrant hues of red. She was so humble talking about her travels around the world in doing this project and how she approaches everyday people on the street and gets permission to make them apart of her show. Once all was said and done I asked if I could take a photograph of her which she willingly agreed to and then turned around so I could photograph her back. I loved the quirky nature that made it all about the work and had nothing to do with her need to be noticed.
At that point it was 9pm and that’s about when all the galleries in art walk shut down so we all headed out for some dinner to discuss our favorite pieces of the night. A great night out with friends, learning social awareness and enjoying some Colorado culture, and might I add it’s free? No admission charges. Guys and gals take your special one out for an inexpensive date night or grab some friends and enjoy your backyard.
Until next month,
Jess
First Friday Gallery Walk September 2012
If you want to hang out with friends and enjoy artwork, with the possibility of a free drink, you are missing out if you don’t know about First Friday in Old Town Fort Collins. It won’t break your budget on a Friday night as almost all participating galleries have free admission on the First Friday of every month and are in walking distance of each other. You can find information on all of these galleries at http://downtownfortcollins.com/dba.php/gallerywalk/ where it lists “fiber arts, visual arts, ceramics, metal smithing, sculpture, glass art and photography in nearly 20 galleries.” The night holds something for everyone to enjoy.
This last Friday on September 7, 2012 I joined friends Jennifer Titone, Mikie Cameron and Eileen Salzman in the gallery walk enjoying and discussing various galleries and the work they held. The four venues that we spent the most time in were as follows; Colorado State University’s Hatton Gallery, Opiate Gallery, Rendition Art Gallery, and the Fort Collins Museum of Art (FCMOA).
The Hatton had an opening exhibit titled Delight in the Details, consisting of graduate student work from Naomi Scheck, Kirsten Gunderson and Sandra Clark. The room is balanced between airy wall hangings and drawings with weighty floor rugs. Delight in the Details truly speaks to the intrigue you experience walking in, the materials used consists of everything from bamboo fiber to alcohol ink. The play of light and materials in the room can keep you there for hours searching for the amorphous forms and concealed subject matter.
The Opiate is a breed of gallery that you have to experience for yourself; it has a very different environment from most old town galleries as it verges away from the stereotypical ‘white cube’ space. A few artists currently exhibiting work there are Dion Welchers, Ellie Rusinour and Darren Muhuron. In totality, the compilation of exhibited artwork indulges the viewer with a whimsical sense of pop culture and dark humor surrounding various social commentaries. Personally, I enjoyed the work; however, the lack of information specified in their labels regarding materials that the artists utilized can be frustrating when trying to appreciate the piece, especially since everything is signed with a high value.
Rumored to be closing after this month, the next gallery on the list was Rendition. This is a uniquely shaped space that is open to, and encourages, experimentation. This show consisted of student art where the artists have utilized the floor and walls without making the pieces feel closed off to viewing. In addition, the installations engage the viewer by stimulating the auditory senses along with involving visuals. However, the finger painting on the walls seemed to be executed in a kitsch way that reads as a lack of care and craftsmanship. Nevertheless, if you want to see work that moves away from formal stereotypes you will enjoy the current exhibition.
A favorite by many was the work in the FCMOA. Unfortunately we were cramped for time so we were unable to view the video across the hall from the sculptures, but at two dollars per student it’s worth going back. Liao Yibai’s Supersized Fakes & Cold War Artifacts from the Wayne F. Yakes Collection is breathtaking. The ‘shiny propaganda’ has the viewer constantly reflected in the stainless steel art; the work includes fakes such as channel, adadis, and more. After reading the artist biography at the show you have such appreciation from the point of view he came from as a child.
I hope you get a chance to attend these gallery shows and others that we were not able to see. Feel free to post feedback on your personal opinions of these shows. Enjoy!
Jessica Powers & Jennifer Titone
Lory Student Center Arts 
