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/