Three decades of community art markets

Art Students League of Denver’s Summer Art Market returns for 30th year

BY BRUCE GOLDBERG SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA

It took two decades for Jill Campbell to decide to start working with clay again.

Campbell, who is now 44, earned an arts degree in college, but for 14 years, she made a living working in the restaurant industry and “didn’t do anything with art,” she said, admitting to a battle with alcoholism at the time. She moved to Denver in fall 2015 “in hopes of rejoining the real world,” she said. In July 2017, Campbell chose to get sober for good.

Campbell got involved with the Art Students League of Denver, and eventually received a $10,000 grant from Studio Potter Magazine. So she quit her job at Trader Joe’s to focus on ceramics.

“Coming back to clay for me has been a direct result of my sobriety — and coming back to myself and getting back to what does inspire me and excite me,” Campbell said.

The Art Student League of Denver’s 30th Summer Art Market takes place from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Aug. 26-27 in the Washington Park West neighborhood. The event will be bordered by East First Avenue, Sherman Street, East Fourth Avenue and Logan Street. Tickets cost $5 per person and are free for children age 12 and younger. Tickets can be purchased in advance on the ASLD website or the day of at any entrance to the event. Cash purchases are encouraged. Learn more at asld.org.

Today, Campbell is in the midst of a year-long ceramics apprenticeship under the supervision of John Hamilton, who runs ASLD’s ceramics department. e two will share a booth at this year’s Summer Art Market, which is hosted annually by the ASLD. e 30th Summer Art Market — also known as SAM — takes place Aug. 26-27. e works of about 150 artists will be on display at this year’s event. It’s far beyond drawing and painting ere also will be free educational opportunities at SAM, such as artist demonstrations; a KidArt area with activities; and food and drink vendors.

— the SAM showcases all the mediums that people can take a course on at the ASLD. In addition to drawing and painting, these include ceramics, digital art, mixed media, photography, printmaking, ber art, jewelry, sculpture and more.

Another great attraction to the annual SAM is that it’s community-focused — all the artists have a tie to ASLD, whether they are a student, volunteer, member, serve on the board, instructor or other sta er. Some local teens will also gain exposure and show o their creations by sharing booth space with an ASLD faculty member.

Cristian Mora teaches two classes weekly at ASLD, titled Intro to Still Life and Intro to Figure Painting.

“I love it,” he said. “I get to test myself and my knowledge and I get to pass that on to other people. e students love the classes. Some completely change the way they paint. You see a light go on over their heads.” is will be the second time Mora will have work on display at SAM.

“I like to paint what I see … but cre- ate a di erent work from what I’m seeing,” Mora said. “ e other thing I like to do is create from my imagination. at’s a little darker, a little weirder.” e ASLD was founded in 1987, and it’s been a long road since its founding, starting out with only two studios for artists. Today, the nonpro t arts organization connects with 55,000 people in the community each year. Membership is about 3,000.

Along with providing the opportunity for local, community artists to showcase and sell their work, the SAM is an annual fundraiser for ASLD. Proceeds go toward funding the ASLD’s classes, scholarships, free or low-cost community engagement programs and general operations.

“We hear many people saying Denver is changing these days,” said Tessa Crisman, director of communication and development at ASLD.

Crisman added that as the city grows and changes, so does the ASLD.

“It’s adapting to the way Denver is changing, and (knowing) our role in a changing city,” Crisman said. “I don’t think people thought of Denver as an arts hub, and we’re really growing into that as the city grows. We’re becoming an arts center.”