McNichols Civic Center Building Summer Exhibitions Celebrate Pride Month

Denver Arts & Venues has announced two new summer art exhibitions at McNichols Civic Center Building, and an extension of a third exhibition originally opened in March.

Queer City of the Plains: An Artistic Look at Denver's LGBTQ+ History (Third Floor) May 30-Aug. 30: The exhibition blends important milestones in Denver's LGBTQ+ culture with contemporary art-making, focusing on a diversity of queer identities. This exhibition draws on histories of struggle for self-determination to imagine a more inclusive future.

Lavender Mist: Gay Men in Contemporary Art in Colorado (Boettcher Cultural Pavilion, Second Floor) May 30-Aug. 30: This exhibit zeroes-in on some of the state's most significant contemporary artists who also happen to be gay; a key constituent of the larger LGBTQ+ community. Gay men have often played an outsized role throughout the history of art, which is reflected in Colorado's contemporary art scene, now and in the recent past.

Border, (First Floor) extended through June 30: This solo exhibit of works by Mongolian artist Tsogo Mijid features a mix of contemporary paintings, Tsam dance masks and soft sculpture works. This exhibition, curated by Eriko Tsogo, is the outcome of Mijid's residency with the International Yurt Art Residency Program in collaboration with the Mongolian Culture and Heritage Center of Colorado, and is supported by Denver Arts & Venues Cultural Partner Program.

In order to maintain a safer visitation experiences, McNichols Building exhibitions are free and open to the public. Following Safer-At-Home guidelines, groups of eight people or fewer can make appointments online for a two-hour time slot starting Monday, June 15, daily 8:30-10:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. or 2:20-4:30 p.m. Please visit artsandvenues.wufoo.com/forms/mcnichols-building-reservation-request to make an appointment.

Denver Arts & Venues will be building out website galleries on McNicholsBuilding.com to allow people to experience the exhibitions virtually. Additional virtual experiences such as tours, panels and workshops will also be available online throughout June in celebration of Pride Month. The exterior of McNichols Building will also be lit in multiple colors in honor of Pride Month.

Facebook Live Tours, Fridays, noon: Join curators and special guests on Facebook.com/McNicholsBuilding as they guide viewers through the exhibits and provide additional insight from Cultural Partner Program Administrator, Shanna Shelby. Participants will have an opportunity to ask questions via Facebook chat.
June 19 host - David Duffield, historian
June 26 host - Michael Paglia, curator, Lavender Mist
July 10 host - Brendan Picker, curator, Queer City of the Plains

Artists Panel, Thursday, June 18, 6-7:30: Join art critic Ray Rinaldi as he moderates an online panel of artists featured in Queer City of the Plains including Jonathan Saiz, Adri Norris, Steven Frost, Brian Corrigan and members of Secret Love Collective, as well as historians David Duffield and Genevieve Waller. Free. Register online at Eventbrite.com.

Flag Making Workshop, on-demand after June 15: What kind of visual rhetoric best represents your community? Join artist Steven Frost for an intimate video workshop focused on the conception and design of your own personal flag. This short video will explore the origins of popular queer symbolism and introduce conceptual techniques for generating civic designs. The only materials required to participate are colored pencils or markers and a couple pieces of blank paper.

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