Where are you going to find one of the best exhibitions of drawings in town? At Great Divide's most popular watering hole, the Tap Room at 2201 Arapahoe St. just a couple of blocks from Plus Gallery. Denver artist Matt O'Neill began a series of sketchbook drawings in ballpoint pen during time spent in South America in 2011. The resulting "South America" series is a wellspring of artistic flair and spontaneity, engaging in a broad range of symbolism that capitalizes on O'Neill's fluid artistic language. When asked to contribute the works to this exhibition at Great Divide, O'Neill crafted several directly in response to the unique "brewery" environment in a way that honors the complexity and joy found within.
Matt O'Neill has been a prominent part of Denver's contemporary art scene for over 20 years, with works in the permanent collection of the Denver Art Museum and an exhibition record that includes the Museum of Contemporary Art Denver, the Aspen Art Museum, the Singer Gallery at the Mizel Center for Arts and Culture, Rule and T-Judish Arts and most recently the group exhibition "Invincible Cohort" in 2010 at Plus Gallery. O'Neill's sketches will also be featured in the upcoming Plus Gallery summer exhibition "Merge" along with works by Denver artist Erik Shumake and New Zealand artist Shannon Novak.
