What's Beckoning You to Begin?

"And like a blank canvas, our life stands before us, beckoning us to begin, to paint with bright colors and passionate brush strokes with all that we have deep within."
~James R. Plagmann

This past Saturday I had a blast attending the Summer Solstice Art Workshop led by Laurie Maves and Anya McManis at Laurie's warehouse art studio in Denver!

Photo credit: Laurie Maves

 

To celebrate the first day of summer, 12 beautiful ladies painted journal boards. We began by writing on our boards what we're ready to release that is no longer serving us. Then we painted over our words with colors and images that symbolize what we imagine, believe, and want to create in this new season of being.

 

As we waited for layers of paint to dry on our journal boards, we took turns painting a group mural of a sun to represent the Summer Solstice. Similar to the journal boards, we began by writing on the mural what we're ready and willing to release. Then we painted over our words, ushering in new beginnings.

Creative ceremonies are great fun when tied to a holiday and done with others. But you don't need a special event to have a ceremony - they can be done anytime you feel called to have one. And solo rituals can be just as effective as those done as a group. It's the strength of your intention for the ritual that has the greatest impact during a ceremony.

Ceremonies to release the old and invite in the new aren't limited to painting rituals. You could journal about what you want to let go of, and then burn the paper you write on, releasing the ashes to the wind. You could burn sage, commonly used to clear spaces, to change the energy of your environment. Or you might consider a common Buddhist practice of creating a mandala with sand or flower petals. Then practicing non-attachment, and mindfully destroying your beautiful creation.

As we embark on this summer season I invite you to ask yourself the following questions:

What am I ready and willing to release?

What's beckoning me to begin?
 

Live creatively this summer, 

Marcella

P.S. Read my inspiring (and ballsy) interview with Denver artist Laurie Maves - featured in the June "She Lives Creatively" Spotlight - here.

She Lives Creatively Spotlight: Laurie Maves

"I want to be as relentless and as ballsy as [Frida Kahlo] was - and yes, I said ballsy."
~Laurie Maves

 

Laurie Maves was the first artist I met in Denver the summer of 2009, the year I moved here. I didn’t know any other artists in Colorado and I knew nothing about navigating the Denver art scene, but a painting of mine had just been accepted into my first juried art show. Laurie – BIG hearted soul that she is – took me under her creative wing. Five years later, it is an honor to feature her in this month’s She Lives Creatively Spotlight!

 

Right: One Million Faces photo credit: Peggy Dyer

Marcella: So Laurie, you have a BA in Studio Art and an MA in Art Therapy. After college, what were your initial creative career aspirations and what career path did you follow?

Laurie: After graduate school, I worked briefly at an outpatient treatment center, called the “Rock Creek Center,” as an Art Therapist. It was a beautiful facility in a south suburb of Chicago. But I lived in the city and the commute was crazy. I thought there had to be more to life than working as a therapist driving over an hour in each direction. So I said, “ENOUGH!”

Laurie: My love of the outdoors, of big blue skies, brought me to Denver. I had various jobs as an Art Therapist working with the elderly, working with mentally ill adults, and then with PTSD children. After filtering all of that trauma for others I said, “ENOUGH! I need to get back to my roots as an artist.” It was the one thing I knew in my heart I wanted to be since I was a child. So I slowly left the counseling field and slowly opened my small business as a full time artist.

Marcella: What advice do you have for artists – like me – who are primarily self-taught?  Do you think creativity, and running a creative business, can be learned? And if so, what challenges, or advantages, might a self-taught artist face?

Laurie: Make work, make work, make work. Thousands of hours are required to having a perfected creative relationship with yourself.  You have to know what drives your images. And make those images a dozen , a hundred, a thousand times. As long as you are called to make certain images, certain paintings, certain drawings, make the work!

Laurie: I think anyone can learn to run a business, but not everyone has the discipline and the drive to do so. Any artist, whether she is a, “self- taught,” or a, “professionally schooled,” artist has the same challenges.  Until one experiences high levels of success in whatever market they choose to pursue, the online market, the real market, or the gallery system, most times the only one who will market your work is yourself. And if you’re not willing to put in the time or effort to get your work out there – wherever that may be – I believe you’re going to be frustrated easily.  You just have to put your head down, get going, and believe in yourself. Because if you don’t, it’s hard to ask other people to.

Marcella: When did you leave your day job to pursue your painting full-time? For those aspiring to be a full-time working artist, how did you know when you were ready to take the leap?

Laurie: I quit my full time non-profit job in 2006, but took a few other part time jobs to supplement my studio income until about 2008. I didn’t know I was ready. I think my part time work kind of just dwindled out. Maybe that was the Universe talking to me. But I wasn’t interested in finding another form of part time work, even if it was creative in nature. I just wanted to paint. So I started to market, market, market myself to anyone who would look or listen.

 

Laurie Maves' paintings

Marcella: When I first met you in 2009, you were working out of what I would describe as a mid-size studio in the Santa Fe Art District in Denver. Since that time, your business has grown and you relocated your art studio into a spacious warehouse. How did up-leveling your creative space come about?

Laurie: I had a studio in one of Denver’s many, “Arts,” districts. But I found that most of my commissions and work came to me by referrals, word of mouth, and via social media. So having realized that, I didn’t need to have a studio in the, “Arts,” district to thrive. I found that the studio rental spaces were more expensive for the real estate than what I could get in a not-so-popular area for artists. The move has been refreshing for me. I can afford the much larger space. And as one of my friends says about my new 2,000 square foot studio, “I now have room for all of my big ideas."

Marcella: Were you nervous about making the transition to a larger, more expensive, warehouse space? How did you overcome any fears or anxieties you may have had?

Laurie: Sure I was. And sometimes it’s a challenge to make the rent. But I also feel that sometimes you have to spend money to make money. So I just keep making the work. Some months are gracious and some months are super skinny. But again, I believe in what I am doing and that making paintings and commissions for people is my primary purpose on this planet. So if the finances suffer, so be it. This studio I have now is a dream studio for me.  As long as I can afford to keep it, then fabulous! I finally can say that I have had the painting studio, “of my dreams,” and that’s a wonderful feeling to have.

Marcella: Also when I met you 5 five years ago, you were donating a lot of your art work to charities for fundraising events.  Are art donations still part of your business plan for getting your work out into the world? Do you have any favorite causes you like to support through your art?

Laurie: I have donated hundreds of artworks in Denver and across the country over the past 15 years. One year I donated $10,000 worth of work to various charities. Sometimes I think artists can be, “overexposed,” so you just have to find a fit for yourself. I am asked almost monthly, if not more, than that to donate something to somebody. So I made the personal choice to reel that in a bit.

Laurie: Now I focus the majority of my donated time and artwork to the LLS and to cancer organizations. From time to time, if I have extra work on hand that has not sold, I will try to donate that to organizations that are asking. But I often find that many artists are asked WAY too often just to give their work away. We don’t get a tax write off, as many people do not know. We only get to write off the value of materials used in making the painting, not the retail value of the finished work. So donations really only come from your heart as a way to help others. Not as a way to get more exposure or as a write off. So it’s not currently part of my, “business plan.” I think it’s a good idea for new artists to Denver, or just artists who are newer to the game in general, to get your work out there, and there’s nothing wrong with that.

Marcella: You also used to live paint  – a LOT! You even painted live at Red Rocks Amphitheater during a musical event, toured with a local band one summer, and at least once you were featured on the evening news. So is live painting something you still do?

Laurie: Live painting is still something that I do and love. I do it mostly on a, “for-hire,” basis for non-profits and their annual events and fundraisers. And the paintings that I have made on-site at a fundraising event are put to a live auction and have helped raise $1,400 - $3,500 at a single event. So over time I’ve proved my talents as a great way to not only provide entertainment for their guests, but as a great method for raising extra dollars as well.

 

Laurie Maves live painting

Marcella: I know you’re a HUGE fan of Frida Kahlo. You even made a pilgrimage to her home in Mexico a couple years ago. How has Frida influenced you as an artist?

Laurie: She is the classic example of a woman that used her creatively as her life line. I have always admired her boldness in her works. And she would not apologize for who she was or what she painted. Her paintings were her truths. She lived an amazing life traveling the world with a great deal of physical and emotional pain. She also accomplished great goals in her short life. I want to be as relentless and as ballsy as she was - and yes, I said, “ballsy."

 

Frida Kahlo painting by Laurie Maves

Marcella: You use social media a lot to promote your art / art business. Which are your favorite platforms? What marketing advice do you have for fellow creative types looking to use social media to grow their creative business?

Laurie: It used to be Facebook, but I found that to be a, “closed,” audience in a way. So I’m focusing on Twitter at the moment. My advice is the same as it is in regards to becoming the artist that you were meant to be. And like making work and spending thousands of creative hours. You have to be relentless and to post, post, post. Those who don’t like your work, won’t follow you. But those who do, look forward to your posts every day. A following can become a blessing and a burden. But when people are looking for your work and give you constant feedback, then you know you are making a difference in someone’s life, simply with your creativity and your willingness to share that

Marcella: How do you define success – for you?

Laurie: When I receive random feedback from people I’ve never met in person and they reach out and say I have inspired them today. And tears. When a client picks up a painting and they have tears of joy, for feeling understood, or simply feel a deeper level of human connection. I have the greatest success when my clients cry. I know I have nailed it.

Marcella: What do you consider to be your greatest artistic achievement – so far?

Laurie: Painting live at a TEDx talk. I completed a live painting in under 10 min. That was awesome!

 

Laurie Maves live painting during TEDx Talk

Marcella: What are your self-care practices (nutrition, exercise, etc.) that support your health and vitality, to in-turn support your creativity?

Laurie: Green juice, yoga, and meditation

Marcella: You are a mom of two very active boys. How do you balance being a mom with being an artist?

Laurie: I don’t know how I do it. You just do.

Marcella: What’s next?! Are you getting ready for any upcoming art shows or events?

Laurie: My friend Anya McMannis and I are hosting a summer solstice creative workshop at my studio Saturday, June 21 called, "Art 1 on 1.” We may still have a few spots open if any of your readers are interested in participating. It will include live painting a large group mural and creative journaling.

 

{Register for "Art 1 on 1" creative workshop here.}

 

Laurie: But my most exciting project is a series of healthy cell paintings that I am making and sharing with cancer patients. I believe art and imagery can help in the healing process for anyone who is ailing, physically or emotionally. These paintings are driving my studio time on a daily basis. I have been studying Edgar Cayce and it all seems to be coming together. I just have to make the work...

Marcella: What is your long term vision for your art / art business?

Laurie: My ultimate dream is to paint live in front of thousands of people who are attending motivational workshops and conferences. Like for holistic health guru Kris Carr or something similar. I believe people receive messages differently and for visual learners, witnessing a live painting may inspire them with the speaker’s message on a whole other level. But I would like to keep growing my business as much as I can handle. Then maybe someday I can retire and live off the income of print sales. But I think I would just paint in my retirement anyway. I continue to look for ways to expand my work. So that’s what I’m doing and sharing it with the world. 

 



Laurie Maves with Kris Carr and Peggy Dyer

Marcella: If you could speak to your younger creative self, what advice would you give to her with the wisdom you possess today?

Laurie: Just make the work. Don’t worry about your audience. And focus less energy on trying to be accepted by others . If I make work that is genuine to me, the rest will fall in line.

Marcella: Thank you Laurie! xo

Marcella: To learn more about Laurie Maves and her art visit www.LaurieMavesArt.com

The Meaning and Magic of the Mentor Relationship

Guest blogger post for Gallery24seven.com:


Marcella Nordbeck and Laurie Maves

A mentor is someone who has gone before us, taken the steps, dared the leap, and landed in the middle of her dreams. She is proof that when we lead with our heart, miracles can, and do, happen. 

Had our mentor not come into our life, we might still be living in the land of, “Someday,” and at the crossroads of, “I wish,” and, “I hope.” But our paths crossed. And our destiny was forever altered that moment when we met, that chance encounter of infinite magic and mystery… 

 

Read more at the Gallery24seven.com blog: http://blog.gallery24seven.com/the-meaning-and-magic-of-the-mentor-relationship/

Chapter 10: Self-Protection

10 months into Living The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron and a major change has begun to unfold in my life. Major! I didn’t see it coming, but I should have because when we answer our soul’s higher call, change is inevitable.

I don’t want to spoil the surprise so you’ll have to watch my latest YouTube video to learn what the major change is.

What I will share is I’m learning that no one else can make us happy. We each have to take responsibility for our own happiness. While it is not always easy, it is undeniably necessary. If we are going to live, truly live, we have to live the life that is calling to us. Not the life that is calling to our sister, our neighbor, or old Aunt Mary. The life that is calling to us. For me, it was not the life I was living…

Did I mention it’s a major change? Yeah Baby!

I recently met up with my art mentor Laurie Maves. Witnessing her professional growth and creative achievements serve as tremendous mental equivalents for me. She shows me it can be done, that one can have a successful art career, even in these interesting financial times. But she can’t provide me with a road map. It’s tricky, and often scary, but we must blaze our own creative trails. We’re on our own creative journeys, creating lives and careers that are uniquely our own.

What have you been clinging to? Is your self-protection blocking your creativity?

The Artist's Way - Week Five

Opening Reception of "The Love Show"

at CORE New Art Space

Week five following the 12-week course outlined in Julia Cameron’s book The Artist’s Way has been the most challenging week yet. Writing my three daily morning pages Tuesday hit such a raw nerve that I spent the rest of the day crying. I was beyond embarrassed as I tried to hold myself together at the office I work at as the tears continued to flow throughout the day. A “normal” person would have gone home sick, if they had bothered to go into work at all. But fearing both the pile of work on my desk, and the thought of being home alone with my emotions, I pushed through.

Stephanie McCandless (center) talking to art enthusiasts

in front of "Love," her chalk pastel drawing on

black paper at "The Love Show" at CORE New Art Space

I felt better by Tuesday night after watching Louise L. Hay’s movie You Can Heal Your Life as this week’s solo artist date. Unlike last week’s attempt, I didn’t fall asleep. But by Wednesday night the levy broke and my tears were replaced by a more dramatic unblocking of buried emotions. Having no other physical symptoms, I knew it wasn't the flu. But as I kneeled on the bathroom floor, praying for the nausea to pass and repeating the Al-Anon slogan, “Let go and let God,” I experienced a physical manifestation of unblocking my creative Spirit and detoxifying my body and mind from a lifetime of self-doubt.

Posing with artist Laurie Maves (right) at her solo

artist reception for "Be Our Valentine" at VAIN Salon

Throughout the week I questioned why I am putting myself through The Artist’s Way experience. Despite the emotional lows, and gut wrenching sobbing and purging, I am feeling inspiration stirring within. If I can get over this hump of emotional release, I am confident the creativity and paint will be flowing again soon.

Opening reception of "Be Our Valentine"

Laurie Maves' solo art show at VAIN Salon

In the meantime I found motivation to keep working through The Artist’s Way and inspiration to keep painting by hanging out with two of my favorite fellow Dener artists this weekend.  I attended Dana Cain’s “The Love Show” Friday night at CORE New Art Space where I took in the rest of the art with local artist Stephanie McCandless.  I posed for the camera Saturday night with painter Laurie Maves at her artist reception at VAIN Salon for her six week show, “Be Our Valentine.”

Check in with me next week as I report on reaching the half-way point of The Artist’s Way journey in week six and view a home screening of the independent film Who Does She Think She Is?

To learn about events organized by Dana Cain visit http://www.danacain.com/.

“The Love Show” comes down February 28. Artists will pick up their work between 1-4 pm during the “Break Up Reception.” CORE New Art Space is located at 900 Santa Fe Drive, Denver, Colorado 80204. To learn about upcoming art shows visit http://www.corenewartspace.com/.

Be Stephanie McCandless’ friend on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/.

To see Laurie Maves’ art work, and book her for live painting gigs, visit http://www.lauriemavesart.com/.

VAIN Salon is located at 1890 Pennsylvania St, Denver, CO 80203. For more information visit http://www.vainsalon.com/.

Celebrating Life at First Solo Art Show

Posing with singer/songwriter Mailyn Faulkner

and art collectors Anita & Larry Larson

This month I am the featured artist at Michelangelo’s Coffee and Wine Bar in Denver. To celebrate this artistic achievement I hosted a reception there on Saturday, November 7. It was an evening to delight the senses with happy hour extended an additional hour, inspiring music performed and sung by my friend and singer/songwriter Mailyn Faulkner, and nineteen of my original works of art adorning the walls and adding to the ambiance. It was a wonderful experience to sell five of my paintings opening night, but the highlight of the evening was being honored by Tammy Cunningham of The Cunningham Foundation with a HOPE bracelet.

Photo courtesy of The Cunningham Foundation

The HOPE bracelets are a fundraising project that provides breakfast, lunch, an education, uniforms and shoes to 1,500 children at the Project Mercy orphanage in Yetebon, Ethiopia through The Cunningham Foundation. During the months of November and December 15% of the proceeds from the sale of my paintings at Michelangelo’s, and Mile Hi Church, will benefit The Cunningham Foundation. So I asked Tammy Cunningham, and fellow artist Laurie Maves, to share with the guests at my reception about the philanthropic work they do at Project Mercy through the foundation. It is with great pride that I wear my HOPE bracelet as it is a constant reminder that by honoring my creative self I am able to have a direct impact on the lives of children in the developing world and that I am living my mission: to send out love into the world one painting at a time.

Photo courtesy of The Cunningham Foundation

A first solo art show would be a significant achievement for any artist, but for me it was particularly sweet because eight years ago I could not imagine such an achievement. At that time I was just being reintroduced to art, after denying my creative self for nearly a decade, in the from of art therapy at the hospital I was being treated at for a life threatening bought of depression. Since my breakdown, or what I prefer to call my breakthrough, I have come to realize that it is imperative that I honor my creative self. When I didn’t, life for me was not worth living. So celebrating my first solo art show at Michelangelo’s Coffee and Wine Bar was not just about celebrating an artistic achievement, it was about celebrating life, my life, and a life that I now honor and live to its fullest!

Honoring my creative self and painting brings me joy. But donating a percentage of the proceeds from the sale of my paintings to a cause I support gives my life purpose. Dr. Ernest Holmes once said, “Let the one who is sad, depressed, or unhappy find some altruistic purpose into which he may pour his whole being, and he will find a new inflow of life which he has never dreamed.” And so it is.

After the achievement of being the featured artist at Michelangelo’s, what’s next? I’ve been pondering this question for the past week and answer is simple. To keep living, to keep loving, to keep painting, and to keep bringing attention to the causes that are near and dear to my heart: the philanthropic work of The Cunningham Foundation and eliminating the stigma attached to people who have or continue to struggle with depression.

My solo exhibit at Michelangelo’s Coffee and Wine Bar has been extended two weeks and will run through December 12, 2009. Please visit http://fineartamerica.com/events/1-featured-artist-of-the-month.html for their address and hours.

To learn how you too can support children of the developing world through The Cunningham Foundation please visit http://www.cunninghamfoundation.org/

To view Laurie Maves artwork and learn about her philanthropic endeavors please visit http://www.lauriemavesart.com/

The Power of Saying Yes

"Infinite Love" 2009

Acrylic & Mixed Media

After First Friday Art Walk last night over drinks with friend, mentor, and fellow artist Laurie Maves I shared with her that the day we met changed my life forever. It is all because I said Yes.

I discovered Laurie and her work online late one night back in May when Google imaging other Denver artists. Out of curiosity I wondered if there was anyone else living in this spiritual Mecca I now call home feeling compelled to paint circles. Since these aura like images also haunt some of Laurie’s paintings it didn’t take me long to find her.

Laurie’s work is both dark and light in her use of color, as well as the emotions her paintings convey. I could study the somber faces with spirit orb eyes and the trippy, drippy poppies for hours as the symbolism and built up paint layers transport me to another plane of existence. But it’s not just her paintings that speak to me, it’s all the philanthropic work she does. So the night I discovered her I sent an email and asked her to let me know of opportunities to paint AND support a cause.

Not use to the kindness of strangers back in Michigan, I wasn’t expecting Laurie to email me back, but she did and invited me to visit her at an upcoming show. I get goose bumps recalling our first conversation. It was like standing at a cross road and what I said, Yes or No, would determine my fate forever.

When Laurie asked me if I am a painter I hesitated because up until that moment I had not given myself that title. Sure, I’ve always been expressing myself creatively in some capacity, but I didn’t have a name for it. But then it occurred to me that Yes, I paint, so I am a painter!

I’ve been painting nearly every day since arriving in January. It’s part of why I came out here: to simplify my life, establish healthier boundaries with the ones I love, and to once and for all, create the place and space in my life to allow myself to paint with consistency. When I started painting again five years ago I was only averaging one painting per year. It was all I could produce in my limited free time with the responsibilities of living in a house and the social expectations of living twenty minutes from family. But since moving out here I’m averaging one to two paintings per month.

I said Yes again when Laurie asked me that first night if I was showing anywhere. Granted, I was only showing one painting, “Infinite Love,” and it was the first show that I had ever submitted a piece of my work to. But I was showing in the “Mandala” juried fine art show at Mile Hi Church so I said Yes, because it was true, I was showing somewhere!

Back in Detroit I haunted a few galleries, hung out with a couple working artists, and occasionally took a painting class, but it wasn’t until I moved to Denver that I found the courage to start submitting my work. I am grateful that I found this courage because had I wavered, had I answered No or down played the significance of my painting practices in response to Laurie’s questions, the world as I know it today would not exist.

So I keep saying Yes to every artistic opportunity that comes my way and it seems that the more I say Yes, the more opportunities the Spirit of the Universe gives me to say Yes to. This is an enormous challenge as I work full-time and therefore have less time to paint than I would like. But to have more opportunities to show than I have work to hang is a problem I don’t mind having. It just means I need to be mindful of the things I say No to so that I can see Yes to the things that I want to.

I said Yes again last night when Laurie invited me to paint live with her at Tommypolooza in November to support a children’s charity. I would be lying if I didn’t say that the thought of painting in front of a live audience and on an easel (of which I don’t own yet because I paint flat) doesn’t scare the shit out of me. But what an awesome opportunity to paint with purpose for a children’s charity, plus, paint in front of a live audience, grooving to live music, with the amazing and talented Laurie Maves at my side. Can life get any better than this?

Details to come regarding the Tommypolooza live painting event.

To see Laurie Maves paintings and learn about her philanthropic work visit http://www.lauriemavesart.com/.

Right Place Right Time

"Colorado Abstract Paintings and Sculpture"

by Michael Paglia & Mary Voelz Chandler

I checked out the Denver Modernism last weekend. Anyone who is ANYONE in the Denver art scene was there. I’m definitely renting a booth next year!

I purchased a painting from Laurie Maves, visited Lisa Kowalski, and finally met Brianna Martray – all local, female painters whose work I greatly admire. I also met, Jennifer Bobola, another amazing local artist I’ve only recently discovered.

I bought a copy of the book “Colorado Abstract” AND I got to meet the authors and get their autographs! It’s a coffee table art book featuring abstract paintings and sculptures and the Colorado artists that created them. It was written by Michael Paglia, prominent art critic and “Westword” art columnist, and Mary Voelz Chandler, art and architecture critic for the “Rocky Mountain News” with a forward by Hugh Grant, founder, director and curator of Kirkland Museum of Fine & Decorative Art in Denver and the adjunct curator of the Kirkland Collection at the Denver Art Museum.

I also met Sandra Phillips, Director of Sandra Phillips Gallery. When admiring art in her booth she noticed the book I was carrying and told me that Virginia Maitland, one of the artists she represents, is featured in the book AND that she was there. So painter Virginia Maitland also autographed my book!

In addition to carrying my art book, and talking to the authors and one of the artists featured in it, I was carrying the painting I had purchased from Laurie Maves. When asked about my painting, I told Sandra, Virginia, and Hugh that it was Laurie who had told me about what a fabulous book “Colorado Abstract” is so they all went to her booth to meet her and check out her work.

I’ll let you know when Laurie Maves is showing at the Sandra Phillips Gallery and the Kirkland Museum – I’m confident it will just be a matter of time – as well as when Michael Paglia writes raving reviews. In the meantime, to see Laurie’s paintings online and to learn where she’s currently showing, go to www.LaurieMavesArt.com.

Since I wasn’t exhibiting I didn’t create much of a buzz about my own work, but it was great to be a conduit and get prominent local art figures excited about someone else’s work whom I so strongly admire. What goes around comes around…

Following are websites of some of the amazing art types I got to hobnob with:

http://www.lauriemavesart.com/

http://www.lisakowalski.com/

http://www.briannamartray.com/

http://www.jenniferbobola.com/

http://www.virginiamaitland.com/

http://www.thesandraphillipsgallery.com/

http://www.kirklandmuseum.com/

Canvas For A Cause - Art Farm

Photo courtesy of Eric Matelski, Art Farm 2008

Please join me on Saturday, September 12 for Art Farm 2009!

Art Farm is an outdoor community art show in the West Washington Park at 201 Grant St, Denver, Colorado 80203 and is weather permitting. All art is for sale and proceeds will benefit Denver Urban Gardens.

Featured artists include Eric Matelski, Laurie Maves, Chris Schranck, myself, members of the Art Student League of Denver, and many more!

As a nonprofit organization, Denver Urban Gardens (DUG) operates and assists with the creation and management of over 60 metro-Denver community gardens and small parks. Primarily serving low to moderate income populations in urban neighborhoods, DUG provides opportunities for participants to supplement their diet with produce grown in nearby public gardens. Through the gardens, participants assume responsibility to improve their community, initiate a sense of pride in their surroundings, and improve their nutritional status through healthy, fresh food.