Two nuns in long black habits stroll past a chic shop sporting the latest in women’s fashion: traditional meets trendy. Called “Changing Habits,” this painting at the Foothills Art Center in Golden depicts a culture in transition, and evokes the art vanguard in the 7th District, where habits of thought are changing.
“There are lots of exciting things going on, and it’s rubbing off on us,” says Michael Chavez, 31, curator of the 38-year-old art center.
As an example, he cites The Lab at Belmar, a new experimental arts center in Lakewood that’s luring patrons westward. “Foothills feels somewhat isolated from the Denver metro-area art community,” he says. “We want to get more people out here.”
Seeking a younger audience, Foothills Art Center is updating its image with shows that transcend its roots in clay and watermedia, plus renovations, a renewed focus on art education and its first national juried printmaking exhibition.
“In Golden, the real identity is ‘Where the West Lives,”‘ he says. “Golden likes that because it brings tourists, but we hope to complement that.”
In the heart of representational bronze-cowboy territory, Foothills Art Center aspires to being more than just the go-to guy for the Western-art aesthetic.
– Colleen O’Connor
