By Ashley Bertolino
The Curtis Center for the Arts is pleased to present the 42nd Annual All Colorado Art Show. The exhibition, which opened on July 12 and will be on view through August 29, is free to attend and open to the public for viewing during regular gallery hours (M-F 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Sat. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.) at 2349 East Orchard Road in Greenwood Village.
This year’s All Colorado Show was juried by Michael Paglia, a professional writer working as an art critic, curator, educator, and script writer. During his nearly thirty-year-long writing career, he has focused on the art and architecture of the American West and has gained specialized knowledge of the art scene in Colorado. His columns have appeared in Westword, a Denver weekly, from 1995 through 2020.
Paglia’s jurying process begins with dividing submissions into “yes,” “no,” and “maybe” categories. With 549 different pieces submitted, a great level of discernment was required to narrow down the 90 works ultimately selected for inclusion.
In Paglia’s words, “I looked for pieces that came together into a coherent visual statement, regardless of their style, technique, or medium. As anyone interested in art will tell you, there’s a decidedly je ne sais quoi quality that determines whether a work of art is a success or a failure.” His instinctual response to the experience of viewing a work of art has been honed over the years, giving rise to the high-quality and diverse pieces that viewers will find in the All Colorado Show.
Reflecting art across styles and media, this exhibit is an homage to contemporary Colorado artists. Pieces like Symphony of Colors by Esra Kellermanns, who was awarded the first-place prize, attest to the “depth of talent in the state right now” that Paglia seeks to bolster. The painting is a mesmerizing cacophony of minute details that swirl into a dynamic vortex, which viewers are encouraged to admire up close and from a distance. Kellermanns’ process is grounded in emotion and, to her, “moving paint across the canvas feels like a grounding ritual.” After paint is applied, she goes over the piece with a fine-line pen in a technique she calls “chasing lines.” The artist and viewer are thus afforded a meditative opportunity to follow the lines and find treasures and stories threaded through the layers.
Second and third place prizes were awarded to Jessica Craig for Outdoor Obsession and Mieko Johnson for Rumors, respectively. Paglia decided to choose one abstract, one landscape, and one figure study to represent the stylistic diversity of the show and determined his specific choices by what he considered “credible and strong examples in each of these three categories.” However, with so many superb examples of art, viewers are invited to come in, explore, and decide on their own Best in Show piece with our new People’s Choice Award.
About Curtis Center for the Arts
Formerly the Curtis School, which initially opened in 1914, the Curtis Center is housed in a historic brick building that continues to serve as the City of Greenwood Village’s home for cultural arts education. The Curtis Center offers a variety of arts instruction, rotating visual arts exhibits, lectures, and other cultural events throughout the year. Learn more about the 42nd Annual All Colorado Show and other Curtis Center exhibits, classes, and programs by visiting GreenwoodVillage.com/Curtis and follow us on Instagram and Facebook at @CurtisCenterForTheArts.