Union Hall Annual Review 2022

WHAT IS UNION HALL?

One of the only non-profit arts exhibition and event spaces located in Lower Downtown, Denver. Union Hall advances opportunities for diverse, emerging artists and creative by paying fair and equitable wages, and provides a platform for Denver locals and visitors to engage in free exhibitions and accessible creative experiences.

OUR APPROACH

- Flexible and multi-purpose space, featuring rotating exhibitions and interdisciplinary events that bring together creatives from different fields and mediums to foster innovation and incubate ideas, while continually evolving to meet the needs of the community.

- Dedicated to equitable arts practices prioritizing Diversity, Equity, Inclusivity, and Accessibility, highlighting a range of different voices and providing free and accessible events.

- Supporting emerging artists and curators through fair and equitable wages, professional development opportunities, and collaborative programming, impacting individual artists and the creative community as a whole.

- Providing fun, thought-provoking, and educational experiences for audiences to engage with the arts.

curators identified as female or nonbinary

of respondents in our Rough Gems survey said they identified as LGBTQIA+

2022 DEI NUMBERS 5/6 86%

50% 13%

38%

of all artists and curators we worked with are BIPOC/Latinx

of all artists identified as female or non-binary

of respondents in our Rough Gems survey said they identified as disabled

Surveying the landscape of opportunities available for creatives in Denver, we recognized that there are relatively few opportunities for emerging curators to submit work for consideration, receive portfolio reviews, and be awarded funds, when compared to similar opportunities for artists.

Rough Gems was developed as a response to this gap; supporting artists, art historians, musicians, writers, students, producers and other creatives in developing their curatorial skills, and in turn supporting artists and diversifying the voices responsible for exhibition-making.

ROUGH GEMS 2022

JANUARY 20 — APRIL 23, 2022

Perception Shift - curated by Amy Hoagland, this five-artist show investigates how different materials — projected light, shadow, ceramic, graphite, glass, and metal — can work alongside each other to shift the viewer’s way of seeing.

VIRGA - curated by Brook Vann and A Grix, this project is based on the relationship between the five selected artists’ work and the meteorological phenomena of the Virga Cloud.

Made Known - curated by Nate Craig, those who will come to experience the six makers, artists, and artisans that place themselves, their story and personhood so intimately into their craft will fine it impossible to separate the maker from object.

RECENT EXHIBITIONS

AURA

MAY 13 — JULY 9, 2022

Guest Curated by Eriko Tsogo and produced in partnership between Denver Film and Union Hall, AURA explores the interdisciplinary territory of art and technology – presenting a mix of traditional and experimental art forms that challenge the possibilities of creative innovation to enlist technology as new modes of valuation and expression in cultural production and critique.

the story of you + me

JULY 21 — SEPTEMBER 17, 2022

Guest Curated by Robert Martin, the story of you and me features select works by Erickson Díaz-Cortés, Jordan Ramsey Ismaiel, Em Van Loan, and Robert Martin. These artists have created work about and inspired by their intimate relationships; both with others and with themselves. Documenting the quieter and sometimes deeper moments of love and light, the exhibition is indulgent in earnestness and sentimentality.

One Foot in the Grave

SEPTEMBER 29 — OCTOBER 29, 2022

Featuring several local and national artists, One Foot in the Grave explores themes of the afterlife, with works that playfully celebrate human fallibility and our temporal lives’ messy, unconventional beauty. This is local artists Esther Hz’s first curatorial project as Union Hall’s new Chief Curator! Programming and events aligned with this exhibition celebrate life and embrace mortality as a natural part of the human experience.

PROGRAMMING AND EVENTS

Our programming includes artist talks, guided yoga and meditations, educational and professional development workshops, film screenings, poetry readings, live concerts and performances, pop-up exhibitions, panel discussions, exhibition opening and closing parties, and cultural excursions.

WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING

“ “

The Rough Gems program provided a great and equal measure of freedom and support. Curators are supported by a great team at Union Hall provided with feedback, assistance, development, and education throughout all stages of the curatorial and exhibition process. It’s a unique and standalone program in the mentorship and opportunity it provides. But the team and program do this in a way where the curator still retains full ownership, accountability and freedom. I felt like I learned every step of the way but never had to minimize my ideas.

Your programs are original and interesting. They feel cutting edge for the Denver visual arts scene and go beyond just the exhibits. Also I like that you give back to the community with free events.

“

— 2022 ROUGH GEMS ARTIST

The most memorable part of the [Union Hall performance] event to me was the love and reciprocal energy that filled the room. I got the genuine sense that everyone was there to support each other, encourage each other, and praise each other. The feeling of community was so alive and made the experience so impressionable.

— RYAN LA (AKA KOIBOY), PERFORMER FOR MARS IN SCORPIO CLOSING PARTY

— 2022 ROUGH GEMS CURATOR

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THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION