James Hinshaw V Duality

As winter breaks and spring settles in along the Front Range, an itch for community engagement blooms, and we may find ourselves out and about, brimming with curiosity. Year round, Northern Colorado’s art museums bring community together with exciting visual arts exhibits, educational opportunities, and celebratory events.

This spring is no different, as local museums host annual community art projects, showcase diverse student talents, and feature the works of local as well as visiting artists. Below, find a quick tour of what’s in store this spring at museums in Fort Collins, Loveland, and Greeley.

Colorado State University Art Museum 

CSU’s Art Museum encourages the public to engage with and learn about the visual arts, offering free events and exhibitions year-round (excepting university holidays and breaks). The museum is conveniently located on the first floor of the University Center for the Arts at 1400 Remington Street in Fort Collins.

April 17 – May 18, 2015 – Master of Fine Arts Exhibition 

The Master of Fine Arts Exhibition is an annual event showcasing the talented students completing CSU’s three-year degree program in the visual arts. The 2015 exhibition will feature the work of: Adriane Byrd, Allison Conley, Matthew French, Aaron Frondorf, Krirsten Gunderson, Anthony Guntren, Benjamin Isaiah, Sara LaBarre, Cei Lambert, and Silvia Minguzzi.

Fort Collins Museum of Art 

The Fort Collins Museum of Art strives to raise community awareness of and appreciation for the visual arts. Located in Old Town Fort Collins (at 201 South College Ave.), the non-profit museum features rotating exhibitions and hosts community events and educational programs.

Masks Exhibition, April 3 – May 1, 2015 

This spring, the FCMOA will host their signature annual exhibition – Masks – for the eleventh year in a row. Nearly 200 artists have decorated masks for this year’s extraordinary community art project. The collection of masks will be on display at the museum from April 3 through May 1, 2015.

Banner Health – Kaiser Permanente Masks 2015 Gala: April 25, 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. 

To celebrate this special community event and raise funds for the FCMOA, consider attending the Banner Health – Kaiser Permanente Masks Gala on April 25. The event will include a champagne greeting, both silent and live auctions, games, and a gourmet dinner.

Loveland Museum/Gallery 

Loveland, famed for its about-town array of sculpture art, also invites residents and visitors to whet their visual art palates at The Loveland Museum/Gallery. The Loveland Museum/Gallery (at 503 N. Lincoln Ave.) houses three art galleries with exciting and regularly rotating exhibits.

Dunning’s World View, January 29 – May 2, 2015 

Dunning’s World View, hosted in the Foote Gallery, features personal photographs taken during Loveland Museum/Gallery founder, Harold Dunning’s, many trips up Longs Peak and throughout Rocky Mountain National Park.

Art, Science, Nature: Thompson School District Art Show, March 28 – May 10, 2015 

Held in the museum’s Main Gallery, ArtScienceNature gives community members the chance to truly support Loveland and Berthoud’s youth artists. Celebrating National Youth Art Month, this annual art show features works of art from students in grades K through 12, including photography, jewelry, ceramics, sculpture, collage, painting, and drawing.

Remembrance: Paintings by Andrew J. Svedlow, April 11 – July 12, 2015 

In honor of the 70th anniversary recognition of the end of the Holocaust, this exhibit, to be displayed in the Green Room, features paintings that inspire remembrance, through metaphor, of those who have suffered. The series, Svedlow says, represents “my personal struggle with my remembrance of things lost, of lost love, of lost lives, and of lost innocence.”

University of Northern Colorado School of Art & Design, Mariani and Oak Room Galleries 

The Mariani Gallery and Oak Room Gallery provide inspiration and education to art and design students and showcase undergraduate and student works on rotating exhibition schedules. The Mariani Gallery, which has served Northern Colorado and Weld County since 1972, is located in UNC’s Guggenheim Hall. The Oak Room Gallery is in Crabbe hall.

Art in Public Places 

In addition to the array of museums, Northern Colorado’s cities have taken public art to a whole new level. In Loveland, in addition to spectacular sculpture gardens, you’ll find public works transformed into works of art and beautiful murals. In Fort Collins, artists have been commissioned to paint murals on electric boxes, downtown walls, and “Pianos About Town.” The City of Greeley highlights its enthusiasm for public art from multiple angles, partnering with local galleries to showcase student art and commissioning artists for projects from designing manhole covers to creating interpretive sculptural trees for the “Uptown Tree Program.”