Long before the arts district sprouted up on Santa Fe Drive and before River North’s artist area rose from the rubble of industry, they were together: a group of painters and one sculptor who, most likely, formed the first artist cooperative in Denver 27 years ago.
“It’s a great group of like-minded . . .” says Sharon Detrick.
“. . . people. It is a bit unique,” chimes in Barbara Kloehn.
“Isn’t it?” asks Dwight Davidson.
Like people in a long-standing marriage, the three finish one another’s thoughts. After all, they’ve spent at least half of their lives working together.
They call themselves the Lawrence Street Artists and they stand 11 strong now. One or two have come or gone, but the core group has remained the same. They’ve shared one big studio at 20th and Lawrence streets for the past 17 years.
“We’ve been so fortunate we found good space. We’ve only moved once,” says Kloehn, who creates large abstract paintings.
The group is getting ready for its first open studio in three years on Saturday. But visitors who come looking for this hip hangout won’t find it unless they know where to go. There’s no sign above the door. No advertising. No website. No regular hours. There is a phone, but they probably won’t answer it. They’re too busy working.
But the finished products offer surprises. These artists, some professional and some semi-professional, have distinctive styles, even though most are painters. Their techniques range from abstract to realist. Their colors are mostly bold and bright. The sculptor, Dwight Davidson, stands out both literally and figuratively. His ceramic and bronzed animals are displayed in a whimsical way meant to marry real life and a bit of irony — like his pig on a motorcycle, titled “Road Hog.”
The group formed in 1983 out of necessity. It was too costly to find individual studio space, especially at the beginning of their careers. “Barb and I met at Red Rocks College. They had a very good art department,” says Detrick. Others came through word of mouth.
Their first big space was 6,000 square feet in a warehouse on Blake Street that had housed the Perky Pet Bird Feeder Co. “It was fun and funky,” says Davidson, whose off-beat sculptures match his dry wit. “We cut a hole in our roof and had a cactus garden.” They reminisce about the early days. “It wasn’t just about art. It was fun.”
There were 17 artists then. “We all had to build our own space,” says Detrick, who also creates large abstract paintings. The wall dividers were only 5 feet tall, even though the warehouse ceiling was three times that height. It allowed more outside light to be shared and also gave the group an easy way to communicate while working individually. That allowed for the artists to talk to one another about their techniques and even led to critiques, which the artists value highly.
Ten years later, the group found itself left out when right field moved in. “We lost our space to Coors (Field),” says Davidson. They decided to stick together and find a new place. The group settled on the second floor of the brick building on Lawrence and 20th, currently on top of the 20th Street Cafe and Blue Feather Art Services. It was the former dance studio of Cleo Parker Robinson.
They took the dividing walls from Blake Street and created the new place with 11 somewhat separate studios. “We got the sink, toilet, lights and an upright piano from a building in Idaho that was going to be demolished,” Davidson says. “We were green from way back.”
Seventeen years after stepping into this space, the well-worn wood floor is now unintentionally decorated with spots of colorful paint. “I’m not going to keep the floor clean. Artists don’t do that,” says Ruth Rankin, the most “mature” member of the group. Well into her 90s, she would much rather talk about art than her age. “I’m doing collage. I paint the papers and fool around with them.”
Rankin started out as a staff artist and illustrator at Conde Nast Publications. Her designs appeared in The New York Times and Town & Country magazine. Now, like someone who has fallen in love for the first time, she can’t help smiling and talking about her newfound style. After she paints, she cuts or gently tears her materials, then sometimes spends weeks placing them “just right.”
When she’s not talking about art, Rankin talks about her studio roommates. “It’s wonderful to be in this group. We’re like a family now.”
“It is more like a family, dysfunctional at times,” Detrick quips.
The group stays together still out of necessity. It’s not just because shared rent makes it affordable, says Kloehn. “When you’re stuck on something, we need each other.”
“It’s a different eye,” says Davidson. “And we trust each others’ opinion.”
Some in the group travel together, socialize together and create together. And they rely on one another. “This is our shrink . . .,” Detrick says with a laugh.
“. . . This has saved my life. I haven’t had to spend a dime on a shrink,” Davidson says, finishing Detrick’s sentence.
Seeing them in action takes a little treasure hunting. Look for the black door with a doorbell that faces Lawrence Street. Up the stairs and inside the large open space, you’ll find this eclectic collective of fine art and souls.
The artists have sold their work over the years at festivals and in galleries from Paonia to Paris. “Galleries come and go,” says Detrick. “But we’re still here.”
Come meet the artists and see the art
The Lawrence Street Artists Open Studios event will be from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday at 2006 Lawrence St.
Artists and their media include:
Dwight Davidson, whimsical sculpture and photography
Sharon Detrick, large canvas abstracts
Marianne Jensen, contemporary realism
Barbara Kloehn, large canvas abstracts
Arlene Kunz, traditional and realistic mixed media
Donna Lovely, landscapes, seascapes
Ruth Rankin, collage
Moe Scance, drawing
Leise and Tim Tetherow, magic realism and landscapes
Gay Warren, abstract and impressionist paintings and drawings
