Portrait by Brittany

Meet the Artist Reception – Friday, July 16: 6:00 – 9:00pm

Open Studio Community Art – Saturday, July 17: 12:00 – 4:00pm

First Friday Reception – Friday, August 6: 6:00 – 9:00pm

VSA Colorado is proud to present work created by the teens in our “Giving Voice” program. During this summer intensive program, teens are challenged to develop self-advocacy skills, job skills and ultimately a voice of their own. This year as we celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act we challenged our teens to explore the concept of disability in our society looking at themselves and the issues people with disabilities face. Since it is still summer we also decided to have a little fun and revisit our “Funky Birdhouses” project. Originally inspired by New Orleans artist Ryan Ballard, our teens have created some of the “funkiest” birdhouses in the world.

A special thank you to Eye Candy Graphics and AugArt Designs for donating the printing of the posters to the show. Eye Candy Graphics located at 2244 Broadway in the ball park neighborhood has recently launched a new division, catering to Art and Art design. Its appropriately called AUGART design. Please visitAUGARTdesign.com to see what we mean by designing art.

Also thank you so much to additional sponsors:

Matt Sesow : Resist

Access Gallery is pleased to welcome Washington D.C. based artist Matt Sesow for a solo show. He is often described as an “outsider” artist but he truly transcends this label. Matt is a prolific artist painting daily in his studio. In addition to the gallery show Matt has agreed to work with some of the teens in our summer program and will be doing a live painting session on Friday, June 18 from noon to 4:00 p.m. Plan to stop by and see this talented artist.

Meet the Artist Reception: Friday, June 18,  6:00 – 9:00 pm

Live Painting and Gallery Talk: Friday June 18, 12:00–4:00 pm

Family Art Day : Saturday June 19, 10:00–1:00 pm

First Friday Reception : July 2, 6:00 – 9:00 pm

Check out a full preview of the work here!

If you can’t make the show remember you can just give us a call to buy, 303.777.0797

99 Pieces of Art on the Wall

Friday, May 21, 2010 6:00 - 9:00 p.m.
$9.99 at the door. doors open at 6:00 p.m.

It’s back after a 2 year hiatus our most popular fundraising event has returned.

99 Pieces of Art on the Wall is VSA Colorado’s biggest fundraising event of the year - but it is not your typical stuffy fundraising event.

Our goal is to make this a fun, memorable and accessible event for everyone.

We have distributed ninety-nine 10″ x 10″ panels to artists, celebrities, kids from our programs and asked them to create an original work of art.

No bid sheets, not auctioneers, and no pressure - you like it you buy it.  Prices range from $25 - $250. You get a great piece of art, you help us continue providing UNIQUE and TRANSFORMATIVE programs for people with and without disabilities in a creative and ACCESSIBLE space.

Preview the art before you come by visiting the 99 Pieces online gallery!

Reel Access - Reel Lives

May 22, 2010 • Starz Film Center

An inaugural film festival featuring the lives and artistic expressions of artists living with disabilities.

A one-day film festival featuring 6 films that explore artistic genres and celebrate the power of artistic pursuit. History reveals that for artists with disabilities, many academic prospects, inclusion in gallery and museum exhibitions and performance opportunities were extremely limited. For these artists, their creative expressions were marginalized and even ignored by critics and dismissed by the creative community that did not consider them seriously as artists.

Drawing upon their strengths, they open a new dialog on the awareness of issues that transcend the stereotypes that have been applied to them. Films will be followed by discussions led by gallery artists, filmmakers, and the artists themselves.

For more information about the films and to purchase tickets visit www.denverfilm.org or in person at the Starz FilmCenter box office.

New works by Uzi Buzgalo and Nancy Rourke
April 16 – May 15, 2010

Artist Reception: April 16, 6-8pm
First Friday Reception: May 7, 6-9pm

Both openings will be interpreted.

Access Gallery is pleased to present two of our favorite artists Uzi Buzgalo and Nancy Rourke. Each artist has a unique style and approach to their work and both bring to life the joys, challenges, opportunities and humor derived from being a deaf artist living in a predominately hearing world. Both artists approach their work very differently yet each artist’s work compliments the other nicely.  Both Uzi and Nancy have an international following.

In the studio: A Poetry of Hands,  featuring students from the Rocky Mountain Deaf School.

"My wife used to..." by Sharon Meriash

Artist Reception: Friday, March 19 – 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.
First Friday Reception: Friday, April 2 – 6:00 to 9:00 p.m.

“My hope is that the series will engage your imagination and encourage your curiosity. All these images were shot within and around the remains of a very small anddilapidated cabin in the mountains of Colorado. Years of disrepair, erosion, misuse, and make-shift renovation have created what I found to be an intriguing and natural “art installation.” What first attracted my attention were the colors, textures and patterns I found but the more time I spent photographing the walls, ceiling and floors of this space the more curious I became about how all the pieces of this patchwork came to be.”  – Sharon Meriash

In the Studio – Tylor Gallagher

February 15 – March 12

“In the beginning was the word . . .”
But what if you were unable to read it? As an artist who is dyslexic, I explore the worlds of illegibility and inaccessibility. I see my work as a visual branch of semiotics – the theory and study of signs and symbols. Eric McGehearty.

Opening Reception – Friday, February 19, 6–8pm
First Friday Reception – Friday, March 5, 6–9pm
Eric will be with us here in the gallery on First Friday.

In the studio – Artwork from the Eye2Eye program
In partnership with Project Eye2Eye and University of Denver

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January 15 – February 13, 2010

Artist Reception - Friday, January 15, 2010
First Friday Reception - Friday, February 5, 2010

An exhibit of imaginative and at times fabled perspectives of the landscape that parallel the transformative process and examination of nature. Two Colorado photographers share in their perilous journeys of survival and wisdom.

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It is hard to believe another year is winding down. We have had a tremendous year here at Access Gallery and I wanted to share some of the highlights from the year. In spite of the economy we are still here and going strong.

This year marked our 30th year as an organization serving people with disabilities through the arts. This year alone more than 15,000 people visited the gallery, more than 2000 people took a class or a workshop with us and another 500 kids with disabilities participated in one of our school based projects.

Clearly, the economy has not helped us in our cause but as an arts organization our creativity and resourcefulness have helped us survive. We have come up with some rather creative pairings through the year including having a group of graffiti artists work with a group of people with Alzheimer’s. With the help of a New Orleans artist displaced by Katrina, the teens in our summer program created a public art project for a community garden here in Denver.

Our hope is to continue offering our innovative programs to people with disabilities in Colorado. In this very special time of year we ask if you would take a moment to help us continue our mission.

Please consider our efforts this holiday and make a donation. Gifts of any size are appreciated and are tax deductable.

Thank you for all your support.
Sincerely,
Damon McLeese
Executive Director

A $20 gift will support a scholarship for an adult to attend an 8 week session of VSAC Community Class.
A $30 your gift will help purchase supplies for the All Kids can create program supporting children and families in our neighborhood.
Gifts of $50 to $250 will support our Artists in Residency programs throughout the state.
Gifts of $500 and above will sustain a full range of VSA programming!!

Please donate today.

On Dec 4, Access Gallery will be having a preview of the show from 4-9pm, along with works by AJ Kiel.

And the actual event got so big, we couldnt have it our space!

So on Friday, Dec 11, starting a 6pm, join us at Andenken Gallery located at 2990 Larimer St, Denver.

They will be auctioning off decks designed by over 200 local artists and designers on Friday December 11, 2009, starting at 6pm. Proceeds benefit two youth-focused design and arts charities, VSA Arts of Colorado’s Access Gallery (thats us!) & Youth Design Denver.

Bordo Bello has organized mentorship teams between established local designers and artists, and students from high schools and colleges in the Colorado area. The boards created by these partnerships will be included in the auction as well as many individual artist’s works.

Tickets can be purchased at the Bordo Bello web site for $15 before the event and $20 at the door. Boards start at $25.

Everyone who comes will be entered to win a collection of door prizes like a comp ticket to the HOW design conference, a 4-pack of rafting tickets, 4-pack of Loveland ski area tickets, Veer Merchandise, A Positiv Skateboard, and a whole lot more! The evening will be filled with sick entertainment including live graffiti by West High School Mural Club, music provided by ArtistRoster.com, and a live skate demo from the BC Surf & Sport Colorado Skate Team. Drinks will be provided by Amp Energy Drinks, Izze sodas, and beer will be $2.

You ready to join us? RSVP HERE.

The Opening night of our “Close Your Eyes, Open Your Mind,”  Tactile exhibit was a great success.  There was lots of wonderful art, entertainment and food!!  Thanks so much to Eddie, Chad, Buna the wonderful sponsors, the artist and everyone else who made this event a huge success!

Remember if you did not make it down this past Friday, please be sure to come down on our First Friday, November 6th from five to nine in the evening.  The fun will be happening all over again!!!!  For more information, call us at 303/777-0797.

Please see the gallery of images from the opening night here.