Colorado Mesa University’s downtown art gallery will feature a unique art exhibition starting Dec. 7 and running until Jan. 25, 2019. Contrary to previous exhibitions, the show will feature work from 47 different international artists.
All of the works presented will be within 18x18x18 inches, emphasizing the importance of small works in the art world.
The artwork features will exhibit two dimensional and three dimensional work in a variety of media such as painting, sculpture, photography, metals, graphic arts and ceramics. The works were selected by juror Jared Steffensen, an artist and curator based at the Salt Lake City Utah Museum of Contemporary Art. Cash prizes and a solo exhibition in 2019 or 2020 will also be awarded.
According to a press release from the CMU Department of Art and Design, “Typically in museums and galleries, bigger is usually seen as better, but this show proves that small works can make a big impact. Furthermore, it’s an opportunity for people in the Western Slope region to see works by many artists from across the country, all at one time.”
The exhibition is the first of what the gallery hopes will become a biennial event, the first of its kind in over fifteen years. The response for the call for artwork brought in nearly 600 works submitted by almost 200 different artists. Only 47 artists were selected for the exhibition.
“Visitors to the gallery will get to see an interesting variety of artistic approaches such as Ashley Dahlke’s energetic abstract mixed media composition, or Felicia Szorad’s biomorphic-inspired metal works, or Roger Walkup’s awkward but monumental depiction of the figure in his drypoint,” the press release states.
The gallery will be open to the public Monday through Saturday from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. and on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 12:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. It will be closed for CMU’s winter break from December 14 to January 21. The opening reception will take place Friday, Dec. 7 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. with local wine and beer available for purchase, provided by Carlson Vineyards and Palisade Brewing Company.
CMU’s art gallery is located at 437 Colorado Avenue and admission is free.
