It’s hard not to be impressed with the enterprising spirit of the Artdistrict on Santa Fe.
What started as a kind of artistic outpost, with a few little-noticed art spaces, has turned into Denver’s most widely known artistic neighborhood, regularly attracting several thousand people each month for its First Friday open houses.
Part of what has boosted the district are its ambitious promotional efforts, such as a new shuttle service running from 1 to 5 p.m. each Friday, ferrying art patrons from four downtown hotels to the more than 30 galleries in the area.
Many aspects of the district are clearly a boon for the city. It creates a focal point for the visual arts and brings heightened attention to Denver’s art scene, which has long been undervalued by local residents, let alone observers at the national level.
But along with the positives come some notable negatives. As the neighborhood has become better known, a growing impression has emerged among many people that it is the only art district of any consequence.
This notion is simply wrong. There are several other credible groups of galleries, studios and creative ventures in Denver, including the River North Art District, which was founded last year, and ones in areas such as LoDo and the Golden Triangle.
Even more alarming is the idea held by some that Denver’s best artists show primarily in the Artdistrict on Santa Fe and that most of the city’s premier art galleries are there. Again, this is a misperception.
Beyond Santa Fe
The Sandy Carson Gallery, one of the city’s top-tier commercial galleries, is along Santa Fe Drive, but all the rest are elsewhere and show no indications of relocating. The Robischon Gallery, for example, is in LoDo, and the Rule Gallery is at 227 Broadway.
The city’s fixation on the Artdistrict on Santa Fe has inevitably caused some potential local gallery-goers to ignore or neglect these other districts. That’s a shame, because these people are missing out on much of what Denver’s artistic scene has to offer.
Possibly even worse is what could happen with visitors from New York City or San Francisico who possess a sophisticated sense of what is happening in the contemporary art world at large. There are a lot of those now because of the opening of the Denver Art Museum’s much-publicized Hamilton Building.
If those visitors are directed by a hotel concierge or taxi driver to Santa Fe Drive and do not realize there are other galleries elsewhere, they will get a very limited view of the local art scene and leave with a negative overall impression.
Seize the moment
With the debut of the Hamilton Building and two other museum projects in development, Denver is at a critical juncture in its cultural evolution. The city’s art scene is making a bid to be taken more seriously on the national and even international levels.
But to achieve that goal, it is important that local residents understand the full scope of what is happening artistically in their city. And it is imperative that Denver put its best foot forward culturally when hosting visitors.
Toward that end, the Denver Office of Cultural Affairs released in October an ambitious gallery guide with maps and a comprehensive list of the city’s art spaces. It is available at visitor centers or online at denvergov.org/cultural affairs.
In addition, the Denver Art Dealers Association has a gallery guide and website, and a couple of commercial directories are available, including ArtScape.
But more needs to be done. The city’s other gallery districts could take a few lessons from Santa Fe Drive. One that has is River North, which has launched a variety of publicity initiatives, including a regular e-mail newsletter.
The Artdistrict of Santa Fe deserves kudos for what it has accomplished, and no one wants to take away from anything happening there, but it is hardly the only game in town.
Denver has as a bountiful, multifaceted art scene spread across the city and not restricted to one neighborhood.
Reach fine arts critic Kyle MacMillan at 303-954-1675 or kmacmillan@denverpost.com.
