Press Release  August 2, 2019

Colorado Abstract +10: A History & A Survey

Courtesy Kirkland Museum

Otto Bach (1909–1990, American), White Scantling Frame Abstraction, c. 1965, oil on canvas, 48 x 72 inches. Collection Kirkland Museum.

Denver & Arvada, CO — Kirkland Museum of Fine & Decorative Art and the Arvada Center for the Arts and Humanities open a collaborative exhibition titled Colorado Abstract +10: A History & A Survey at both locations to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the stunning book, Colorado Abstract: Paintings and Sculpture.

Courtesy Kirkland Museum

Angelo di Benedetto (1913–1992, American), Geometric Forms, 1960s, oil on canvas, 39 x 65 ¼ inches. Collection Kirkland Museum.

Originally published in 2009 by Fresco Books with a foreword by Hugh Grant, notable art writers Michael Paglia and Mary Voelz Chandler highlight the history and continuing tradition of abstraction by artists in the state. The exhibition, Colorado Abstract +10: A History & A Survey, will be split with Kirkland Museum displaying works from the historical section of the book, and the Arvada Center presenting a contemporary survey of the work in the book as well as additional artists working in abstraction that have impacted Colorado’s art scene.

Deputy Curator Christopher Herron at Kirkland Museum says, “We are proud to partner with the Arvada Center again, and to revisit the book and this group of artists. Many works we are showing have not been on public view since the book was released ten years ago.”

Courtesy Kirkland Museum

Beverly Rosen (1924–2006, American), Collimation, 1972, acrylic on canvas, 66 x 88 inches. © Estate of Beverly D. Rosen. Collection Kirkland Museum.

Hugh Grant, Founding Director & Curator at Kirkland Museum says, “The history of abstraction in Colorado is important because our state has made major contributions to this international movement and is still making them.”

“It’s an honor to pay homage to these artists,” says Collin Parson, Director of Galleries and Curator at the Arvada Center. “The book does a great job highlighting the work that Colorado artists have done in abstraction. Ten years later, it’s interesting to see the evolution of abstraction in the state.”

For a complete list of artists participating in this collaborative exhibition, please visit Kirkland Museum’s website at kirklandmuseum.org or the Arvada Center’s website at arvadacenter.org/galleries

Exhibition Details:
Colorado Abstract +10: A History
will be on view at Kirkland Museum of Fine & Decorative Art September 6, 2019 - January 12, 2020. This part of the exhibition will present two and three-dimensional artworks created by the artists featured in the historical section of the book, tracing the history and development of this artistic style in Colorado.

Colorado Abstract +10: A Survey will be on view at the Arvada Center for the Arts and Humanities September 12 - November 17, 2019. This part of the exhibition will display the work of artists originally included in the publication and introduce additional artists working in abstraction that have made an impact on Colorado's art scene.

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