HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO ALL, THANKS FOR MAKING 2013 A FANTASTIC YEAR AT PLUS GALLERY!

RECEPTION FOR ART STUDENTS LEAGUE EXHIBITION "REVISITED" THIS FRIDAY DECEMBER 20th

The Art Students League of Denver hosts a reception this Friday evening for the exhibition "Revisited," a survey of works by artists who have taught workshops and presented guest lectures at the league over the last decade. Jenny Morgan's spectacular 2012 painting "Mother" is presented front and center at the exhibition, and Bill Amundson's complex, hilarious "The Promised Land" can be found further inside the gallery as well.  The exhibition takes place at the Art Students League gallery at 760 Santa Fe Drive in Denver.

NEW DENVER THEATRE DISTRICT BANNERS FEATURE DENVER DIGERATI ARTWORK BY CHRIS COLEMAN AND MICHAEL SALTER!

What could be more impressive than a massive art-billboard in downtown Denver? Try two brilliant compositions by Chris Coleman and Michael Salter, referencing Denver Digerati, both flanking Digerati's main LED screen at the corner of 14th and Champa Street.  Go take a look at these awesome works downtown before they get covered up by commercial ads sometime in the new year.

+ + + PLUS GALLERY LAST MINUTE HOLIDAY GIFT SUGGESTIONS + + +

1. Allie Pohl Men's Merit Badge Hats

Seven unique hats referencing qualities inherent to men, at $50 each.....you simply can't go wrong with one of these collectible, limited edition hats under the tree or as a stocking stuffer.

2. Colin Livingston - Artist

Our latest publication is fabulous, a 184 page hardcover treatise on one of the most inspirational and complex artists to ever grace the Denver scene, Plus Gallery's own Colin Livingston.  We currently have four copies available prior to X-mas, get yours today for $100.

3. Jenny Morgan - New Territory and We Are All Setting Suns
We currently have two copies of each of these highly collectible monographs, containing nearly all of Jenny Morgan's paintings from the start of her career up through her 2012.  Available for $100 each.

4. Exclusive new small-scale works by Xi Zhang

These gems just arrived at the gallery, Xi's latest black and white pencil drawing "B-Bo" along with two new collaborative paintings with Xi's fiance Kate!

5. Gabriel Liston Blue Book Tiles

These always make the perfect stocking stuffer for those wanting original art, and are a steal at $200 each.

6. Allie Pohl - Ideal Woman Tramp Stamp

Whether you want the whole army or just a single tramp stamp, these are the ideal gift for the perfect man or woman in your life.

7. Mike Whiting animal sculptures - and a mushroom or two

Almost perfect replicas of the originals, only in pixel form, Whiting's signature style for the last decade.

8. Tsehai Johnson "Swarm" cups

Johnson's beautiful installation from earlier this year was comprised of 110 unique cups, the bulk of which are heading to the Milwaukee Art Museum next year for an exhibition in March.  But you can still get a hold of some today for $400 each.

9. Jonathan Monaghan - embezzling the (un)real

We still have a couple of copies left of this very limited edition catalog by one of the most fascinating artists on the planet.  Check out the most recent view into Monaghan's brilliant mind online:

http://animalnewyork.com/2013/artists-notebook-jonathan-monaghan/

And of course we recommend considering any artworks currently available by our talented artists, both for the holidays as well as anytime during the year.

"A PORTRAIT OF THE DENVER ART SCENE" BY RANDAL BELLOWS III IN LATEST ISSUE OF MODERN IN DENVER

Featuring nice words about Plus Gallery and a photo of owner Ivar Zeile.  MID wraps up another terrific year as the highest caliber publication in and about Denver.

JOIN US THIS SATURDAY AT PLUS GALLERY FOR OUR FINAL DAY OPEN OF THE YEAR

"COLIN LIVINGSTON - ARTIST" BOOK RELEASE and FRANK T. MARTINEZ ARTIST TALK STARTING AT 4pm

Plus Gallery welcomes you to join us this Saturday for our final day open of the year 2013. Our outstanding exhibition "Fluid" by Frank T. Martinez will be available for viewing starting at noon, and we welcome everyone to come by at 4pm for two great events, the official book release for our latest hardcover monograph "Colin Livingston - Artist"  and a casual discussion with Frank T. Martinez in conjunction with his latest series of paintings.  The famed Plus Gallery holiday egg-nog will be on hand as well!

CLOSING RECEPTION FOR ARTS & VENUES DENVER EXHIBITION "BEYOND BLUE"

The City and County of Denver is celebrating 25 years of its Public Art program with a special exhibition running through Dec. 22 with a closing reception, Monday, Dec. 16 at 5:30pm at the Buell Theatre.


The "Beyond Blue" exhibition is on display at the Buell Theatre. The exhibits feature 75 artworks by 46 artists represented in the city's distinguished public art collection, including Plus Gallery's current featured artist Frank T. Martinez.


Denver Arts & Venues will host a closing reception to commemorate the anniversary and showcase "Beyond Blue."


What: Denver Public Art 25th Anniversary Celebration Closing Reception
When: Monday, December 16, 5:30-7:30pm
Where: Buell Theatre Lobby, at the Denver Performing Arts Complex, 14th and Curtis streets


The reception is open to the public and admission is free. Light appetizers will be served. Cash bar.


Denver's Public Art Program was established in 1988 by an Executive Order under Mayor Federico Peña. The order, enacted by ordinance in 1991 by Mayor Wellington E. Webb, directs that 1 percent of any capital improvement project of more than $1 million undertaken by the city be set aside for the inclusion of art in the design and construction of the project. The city's collection has grown to more than 350 works.

FRANK T. MARTINEZ INSTALLATION VIEWS NOW ONLINE

For the fifth time in his career, Frank T. Martinez has transformed Plus Gallery in a distinct fashion with a gorgeous, cohesive body of work unlike any other.  Thanks to all who came out to support our opening reception on one of the most chilly nights of the year, one could hardly tell there were weather issues based on the attendance and response that evening.


Stop by to view Martinez' exhibition "Fluid" before the holidays commence.  The gallery will be open for regular hours through Saturday December 21st.


Visit the Plus Gallery website for views of Martinez' installation and newest paintings

http://plusgallery.com/exhibitions/75/142/

NEW ARTICLE ON PLUS GALLERY ARTIST ALLIE POHL IN LA CURRENTS

"For the artist Allie Pohl, inspiration is just a sexual taboo away........." Read the rest of the story, including what Allie has to say about her most recent body of work "Peacocking" which debuted at Plus Gallery at the start of the fall season this year:


http://lacurrents.com/articles/when-seeking-inspiration-this-artist-turns-to-tinder/

THREE GOOD REASONS TO HAVE THE LATEST ISSUE OF PLAYBOY ON YOUR COFFEE TABLE

1. Jenny Morgan feature under the heading "What matters now"
2. Kate Moss cover

3. Riveting, in-depth articles

2013 WINDS DOWN WITH AN IN-DEPTH INTERVIEW WITH PLUS GALLERY OWNER IVAR ZEILE ON 1of1 MAGAZINE

We had the pleasure of sitting down with Ray Munoz and Jarred DePalo from the 1 of 1 Magazine recently to discuss Plus Gallery and Denver Digerati.  Read what transpired that afternoon at:

http://1of1magazine.com/interview-with-ivar-zeile/

PLUS GALLERY RELEASES NEW HARDCOVER BOOK: COLIN LIVINGSTON - ARTIST

Plus Gallery is extremely pleased to announce the completion of our latest book "Colin Livingston - Artist," an in-depth view of one of the gallery's most revered and compelling artists. The 184 page hardcover book captures Livingston's last three solo exhibitions from between the years 2006 and 2013, ones that have engaged the gallery context in a most extraordinary fashion, presenting conceptual painting-based installations where the underlying message is distinct and multi-layered. Livingston has long been hailed as a pop-based painter, generating some of the most visually stimulating, dense compositions of any artist under the age of 40 in the country. There is much more than meets the eye within his work, a challenge to consumer sensibilities as well as a celebration of today's unique systems which the consumer has mandated. Livingston engages the very notions of art as a commodity, presenting an often tongue-very-in-cheek mentality and aesthetic that is both intellectual, full of hope, and fun.  Everyone who has engaged with Livingston's exhibitions over the years will find this to be the perfect companion to his work, offering extensive documentation of his efforts and text that helps define what it's all about.  The book is available for $120, making it the perfect holiday gift for the art enthusiast.

The book is the fourth in a series of quality monographs produced by Plus Gallery to celebrate the work of prominent artists whose careers began in Denver, Colorado. Others in the series include the first two comprehensive publications on  Jenny Morgan "New Territory" and "We Are All Setting Suns,"  as well as "Xi Zhang - Dream Dust," all of which are available through Blurb.com

To see a preview of "Colin Livingston - Artist" visit the blurb link at:


http://www.blurb.com/b/4911476-colin-livingston-artist

Plus Gallery will host an afternoon social and official release party with Colin Livingston on Saturday afternoon, December 21st at 4pm, followed by a conversation with Frank T. Martinez about his current exhibition "Fluid."  Plus Gallery's famed egg-nog will be served to those in attendance that afternoon.

ALLIE POHL FEATURED IN LA EXHIBITION "CAKE" OPENING THIS THURSDAY AT THE GEORGE GALLERY

Plus Gallery artist Allie Pohl will also have select works on view in the comically titled exhibition "Cake" at The George Gallery in Laguna Beach.  What is cake all about?  The George's take is on urban slang for booty, a kilo of cocaine, and money.  Perfect!

If you happen to be in Laguna Beach this Thursday, visit The George for their opening reception from 6-9pm. The George Gallery is located at 354 North Coast Highway.

IF YOU ARE IN MIAMI THIS WEEK, MAKE SURE TO LOOK OUT FOR PLUS GALLERY ARTISTS

Miami has one thing this week that Denver will lack, and that's warmth.  But as Miami kicks off another year of too-many-to-count art fairs, they will have one or two other things in common with Denver:  Plus Gallery artists Jenny Morgan and Allie Pohl.  You can find works by both artists this year at the fair, Morgan at Pulse and Pohl at Context.  Check them out while if you happen to be there, but consider buying their work through Plus anytime during the year.

DENVER DIGERATI COMMISSIONED ARTWORKS TO SHOW THIS FRIDAY EVENING AT 7PM

In support of this weekend's Denver Lights festival, the Denver Theatre District and Denver Digerati will be presenting our 2013 commissioned artworks in their full glory on the 14th and Champa LED screen at 7pm.  Stop by Crave for perfect seating to watch, and tasty food/drinks, or brave the cold outside and see them from any of the corners on the block.

A NEW ERA DAWNS FOR PLUS GALLERY'S LOCATION AT 25TH AND LARIMER

This is the week we've long waited for: Two fantastic new restaurants, Sugarmill and Los Chingones, are now open at the corner of 25th and Larimer, joining another recent favorite of ours Amerigo Delicatus, making our intersection one of Denver's ultimate hotspots.  More consumer-friendly businesses are set to open shortly across the street the other direction on Larimer as well, and everywhere we go people are talking about the pulse of this neighborhood shifting in the most positive ways.

Sugarmill was first out of the starting gate, we had the opportunity to sample their lunch menu recently and found it to be excellent in all ways.  Their focus is on delectable baked goods with a variety of healthy breakfast, lunch and even dinner items, making it what we consider a "go-to" anytime kind of place, complete with a cosy atmosphere that feels a touch European (see the review in today's Denver Post).  Los Chingos next door is a bit more ambitious in scale but limited to mexicali style cuisine, including a nice variety of tacos that we are pretty certain are going to be pulling folks from all corners of the city, if not from a much further trajectory.  And of course there's a full bar including, you guessed it, a wide variety of tequilas. Los Chingos also sports an upper floor with a roof-top deck overlooking Plus Gallery as well as other sides of downtown Denver.  As they also admitted today, we can't wait for spring to come around to try out the full experience, but we are delighted to have these additions open now in the neighborhood and so close to Plus Gallery.

Inside Sugarmill

Both Los Chingos and Sugarmill will have their doors open and serving this week, presenting the perfect opportunity for a nice shift after our opening of Frank T. Martinez show this Thursday night.

And to celebrate what has taken 12 years in this neighborhood to happen for our location, we've mounted our first gallery signage ever, a giant banner on the east-side facade, featuring artwork from Frank T. Martinez new exhibition.  Be the first to see all of the wonderful things happening on our side of town.  Plus Gallery will also be open for extended hours on Friday night in celebration of First Friday and the start of our new show.

"FLUID" FEATURING NEW PAINTINGS BY FRANK T. MARTINEZ OPENS THURSDAY DECEMBER 5TH AT PLUS GALLERY

Plus Gallery is pleased to conclude the year 2013 with "Fluid," the fifth solo exhibition by Denver painter Frank T. Martinez, an artist who has proven to be remarkably dedicated in his approach to expanding his abilities within the genre of abstract painting. Martinez' fifth unique body of work is one that he has been pursuing in the studio over a number of years, with nuances and techniques taken from his other series coalescing in a direction that has been brewing throughout the course of each. Martinez has long sought to strip his surface image down to a simple juxtaposition of opposing values, without leaving the richness that a broader color palate and combinations might exude, such as in his vivid 2011 exhibition "Out/Line." While he still infuses his constructions with intense layers of color and complexity, the final moves neutralize the whole, leading to a cohesive semblance of the "fluid" nature he is pursuing compositionally. Within this context, the richness of globular black forms appear to spill out across intricately woven patterns, appearing like oil flowing into water. For Martinez, these are explorations of balance, tension, chaos, order, and the spaces in between as one extreme flows into another.

Martinez philosophic position has always burned brightly for his studio practice. Each series and work within must resonate for the artist on some fundamental level, loose gestures and linear elements building gradually until they create a complex, cohesive form of their own. According to Martinez, "I am fascinated by the mutable nature of the universe; practical science is based on the certainty of change and the equal certainty of stasis. I have always been interested in metamorphosis, in the fluid stages as one state transforms into another, striving for elusive balance." His fifth series of paintings seem to dutifully achieve that balance, an inspiring collision of elements that are bold and entrancing to behold, and certainly his most forceful works to date.

During the final stretch while creating the paintings that make up "Fluid," Martinez was asked to be one of the featured artists for the Starz Denver Film Festival's "Paint the Town Red" trailer series, to be aired during the 36th version of the festival November 6th through 17th. This celebration of a small, diverse segment of visual artists from Denver's community resonates strongly, as each bears into the essence of their work and the value of art. The trailers give a glimpse into Martinez' unique private environment as well as his humanistic side, a rare pleasure so closely preceding the artist's occasion of a major solo exhibition.

https://vimeo.com/78384382

Since making his debut with Plus Gallery in 2004, Denver native Frank T. Martinez has earned the reputation as one of the most exciting painters of the last decade. His work has been featured in juried exhibitions and regional group shows of note including the Emmanuel Gallery's "Five Prominent Denver Galleries Featuring Five Works of Art," (2005), the Rocky Mountain Biennial at the Fort Collins Museum of Contemporary Art (2006 - Juror's second place award, Juror Bill Wiley), "Pattern Recognition" (2007) at the Foothills Art Center in Golden, and "Silent Films and Bedroom Paintings" at the LAB at Belmar, curated by esteemed MCA Denver director Adam Lerner. His work has been acquired by numerous individuals and collectors of note, and has been placed in distinct corporate collections such as First Western Trust, Regis University, Denver's Glass House and most recently the City of Denver for the recently completed Justice Center on Colfax. Artists collected by the City of Denver, including Martinez, are currently being showcased in the exhibition "Beyond Blue" at the McNichols Civic Center Building in Denver through December 22nd, 2013. "Fluid" caps an extraordinary first decade for Frank T. Martinez as an exhibiting artist.

Join Plus Gallery and Frank this Thursday evening, December 5th from 6-9pm for a reception to kick off "Fluid."

New From Frank T. Martinez

One of the greatest rewards of longevity in the art business is the close involvement in artist's careers and seeing them mature, particularly when your focus starts with emerging artists.  We've had a lot of satisfaction here at Plus Gallery in that regard, perhaps none moreso than with Frank T. Martinez, who returns to the gallery this month to celebrate his tenth year as a professional artist. Martinez initially caught our attention by surprise, we knew him originally as a terrific guy upon our arrival in Denver in 2001, but didn't realize his artistic skill or ambitions until his wife showed us one of his paintings in early 2004.The timing was perfect as we readily embraced Frank's work and began to understand his desire to shift his career fully into art, having been self taught and quite accomplished throughout his life. It was an inspired move on our part, one leading to some of our favorite and most successful exhibitions at the gallery.

Nearly ten years later we are so proud to host Frank's fifth solo exhibition "Fluid," another remarkable display for one of Denver's most talented and hard-working painters. We know it's going to be a cold night for our artist's reception with Frank this Thursday, but nevertheless we'll be celebrating the start of the exhibition with those equally inspired enough to join us. Below is the press release for the show, we hope you will stop by for viewing regardless of the weather sometime over the next six weeks.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Plus Gallery wishes you a terrific Thanksgiving Holiday and extend our thanks and appreciation to everyone that has supported our vision for supporting quality contemporary art and artists in Denver. 2013 has been a terrific year, with venues such as the MCA Denver, The Arvada Center, The Denver Art Museum and the McNichols Civic Center Building presenting our most prestigious exhibitions to date, extending our efforts ways we hadn't even dreamed of 12 years ago when we initiated our program. Several of our artists have risen to prominence on a national level through those years, and we expect to see higher levels attained in the near future. Our Denver Digerati initiative made major advances this year, bringing an entirely new and dynamic texture to the public landscape downtown, we are extremely thankful to all who have helped our work for the Denver Theatre District thrive. Our own block on 25th and Larimer has transformed in major ways in 2013, and once Thanksgiving is over you will be able to have an entirely new experience here with new restaurants, outdoor artwork and even retail a stone's throw from the Plus Gallery front door. Stay tuned and extra big thanks to those who read our weekly newsletter to keep up on all of our efforts both within and beyond Plus Gallery's doors.

FINAL WEEK FOR LAURA KRUDENER'S SOLO EXHIBITION "SUSPENDED CHAOS" AT PLUS GALLERY

This is the final week for Laura Krudener's Plus Gallery debut "Suspended Chaos."  Krudener, who presented an outstanding discussion of her work last Thursday evening at the gallery, is one of two artist's new to Plus Gallery this year.  We have been enamored with Laura's abstract paintings for several years now, and after experiencing the impact of her large-scale works in the exhibition these last four weeks our enthusiasm has only become more firm.  Join us in the discovery of another exceptional Denver talent before the exhibition ends.  We'll have limited viewing hours this week, closing on Wednesday and Thursday for the Thanksgiving holiday but open for two final days on Friday and Saturday November 29th and 30th for regular hours.

Plus Gallery will open the new exhibition "Fluid" by Frank T. Martinez with an evening reception on Thursday, December 5th from 6-9pm.  This is the fifth solo exhibition by Martinez, one that caps his first decade as an exhibiting artist of major note from Denver.