Image via Complex Original
Written by Claudio Cho (@literalporn)
Every first Friday of the month from 5 to 9 p.m., traffic on Santa Fe Drive in Denver comes to a grinding halt for the Denver Art Walk. Locals and tourists alike flood the streets of the Art District to soak up galleries full of local artists’ paintings, photographs, sculptures, and jewelry.
Sounds like any other art walk right? Well, it's not. I’ve been to art walks in San Diego, swap meets in Los Angeles, street fairs in New York, and beyond. Surprisingly, hands down, Denver’s Art Walk kicks all their asses. Parking is usually a pain, and since the booze flows freely, and Colorado has some of the nation’s harshest DUI penalties, it would be wise to take advantage of the free shuttles that pick you up from the light rail station and chauffeur you around the Art District.
Here are 5 Reasons the Denver Art Walk Is Awesome.
There are businesses on wheels.
All along the side streets of Santa Fe are food trucks serving all kinds of food. From Indian to funnel cakes, there's a food truck to suit every palette.
But the trucks weren’t just limited to food; there were also fashion trucks serving up apparel and accessories.
You can get fades on site.
858 Santa Fe was a nameless gallery, but I immediately had to step inside when I heard the music blasting from the sidewalk. When I went in, I was greeted by bright graffiti on the walls. In addition to artists talking to potential buyers, there was a fly blonde chick giving guys fades.
Where else are you going to get a haircut while admiring art?
This 3D paint exhibit by VRBA.
When I walked into the basement of this space, I wasn’t expecting much. “They probably hide the meh stuff down here,” I thought to myself. I was pleasantly proven wrong. When I turned the corner, I saw what looked like bad reproductions of Jackson Pollock paintings. Again, I was wrong. Next to each bright multi-colored splatter painting was a pair of 3D glasses. Mind. Blown. These types of art exhibitions are frequent occurrences at the Denver Art Walk.
There's live-bombing on site.
Graffiti is a crime in most states, done away from prying eyes. Not at Denver’s Art Walk. On the first Friday of every month from 6-9 p.m., graffiti artists are welcomed. For those few golden hours, writers get to flex their artform in public without repercussion.
You can buy nudes for $1.
Towards the tail end of the Art Walk, a lot of people sell their art on the street instead of in galleries. Of those, my favorite is a man selling tastefully drawn nudes. He advertises this with a cardboard sign that says “NUDES $1” written on it in black marker.
