One of our biggest inspirations is seeing amazingly creative people come together in collaboration and this show looks to be amazing! Let’s learn about Invitation to Linger featuring a star-studded cast of Denver creatives!

Invitation to Linger shows at D’art Gallery, located at 900 Santa Fe Drive in Denver, from January 18 to February 12, 2024.

Can you provide an overview of the concept and vision behind this fashion mixed with art show?

Invitation to Linger explores landscapes, both interior and exterior. Inspired by memories, feelings, scenes, and experiences, the artists invite you to pause and enjoy. Works in acrylic and mixed media by James-Allan Holmes, Jenny Wilson, and Karla Raines draw the viewer in while they extend the surface out. 

The artists invited two local creatives to enrich the visitor experience. The eye is delighted by art and fashion pairings featuring one-of-a-kind creations from Mona Lucero. Richly embellished jackets and headpieces intermingle with the paintings. Taste-maker Tammy Abramovitz brings an eye for stylish composition as guest curator. Tammy is known for arranging unexpected style elements in bold tableaus. 

What inspired you to curate a show that combines fashion and art?

A tour of Mona Lucero’s new studio revealed her fabulously embellished jackets and headpieces. The lush colors, intricate floral and fauna motifs, and rich textural detail invite the eye to explore and linger. With the goal of curating a one-of-a-kind experience for gallery visitors it was obvious that Mona’s three-dimensional artworks complement that of the two-dimensional visual artists. Her designs evoke similar memories, feelings, and experiences.

How was the theme or concept for the show developed, and how did it evolve during the curation process?

The curation process began with the intermingling of work by all three artists. Rather than exhibit three distinct shows in the gallery, the artists decided to hang their work together to create tableaus with interesting combinations of color, line, and texture. With Tammy’s help as guest curator, the team proposed creating several “linger moments,” opportunities for visitors to engage deeply with the work. As the vision evolved within the D’art Gallery setting, the possibility of including Mona’s creations on mannequins solidified in the artists’ minds. We could envision several of her works positioned throughout the gallery to accentuate the “linger moments.” 

 

Were there any challenges in narrowing down the theme or deciding on the overall narrative?

It was easy to decide on the overall narrative. Our biggest challenge will be selecting the optimal pieces and combinations from the extensive portfolios of available work from the five artists. That’s where Tammy comes in as guest curator. With her eye for stylish arrangement, we’re sure to curate a fabulous show. The artists will each bring numerous pieces to the gallery to provide space for inspiration and final iterative design once we’re on site. 

What kind of experience or message do you hope the audience takes away from this fashion mixed with art show?

Collaboration brings a fresh perspective to highlight the artwork in situ exploring sightlines, color stories, textures, and inspirations across two- and three-dimensional creations. It’s a wonderful way to kick off 2024 at D’art Gallery. Visitors will enjoy a curated Spotify playlist courtesy of Tammy and James. 

How do you envision the audience interacting with the curated pieces and installations?

We foresee a sense of awe and delight as visitors engage with the work of all four artists and enjoy the distinctive “linger moments.”

Are there any particularly innovative or unconventional elements in the show that you are excited about? 

The show features:

• A curated playlist evokes the show’s messages. The Spotify playlist will heighten the visitor experience during special events and will be shared on social media.
• The Opening Reception brings the show to life.
• A Curator’s Cocktail Party features Tammy’s signature punch. Tammy designs a wonderful evening celebrating the four artists.
• A fashion pop-up the Sunday before Valentines offers giftable art for your special someone. Mona brings her artistic flair to a Valentine pop-up shop within the gallery. Mimosas with Mona features giftable fashion and art pieces for your sweetheart.

The calendar includes:

1/18 – Opening Reception, 6-9 pm (Private event)

1/19 – Art Appreciators’ Night, 5-9 pm

1/27 – Curator’s Cocktail Party, 6-9 pm (Private event)

1/28 – Sundays on Santa Fe, 1-4 pm

2/2 – First Friday, 5-9 pm

2/11 – Mimosas with Mona Fashion Pop-Up, 1-4 pm

How do you see this show contributing to the local or global creative community?

Five local creatives are joining forces to create a novel experience for Denver. Each is an active member of the creative community, seeking to expand their impact in service to others. 

Jenny Wilson has made it her life’s work to explore the beauty and mystery of nature through her art. Wilson’s paintings are inspired by the natural world and the interplay of light and dark in the sky and horizon lines. Her work evokes a sense of wonder and contemplation, inviting the viewer to lose themselves in the vastness of the landscapes she portrays. Website, Instagram, Linkedin 

James-Allan Holmes is a visual artist based in Denver who creates brilliant abstract paintings using bold colors and rich textures to translate his inner life through a unique visual language. His body of work exists to be gazed upon and contemplated with the hope that the paintings inspire optimism, abundance, peace, and love. Website, Facebook, Instagram 

Karla Raines is a mixed-media artist. Beauty inspires her. An endearing love for fashion and style (she learned to sew when she was ten years old) finds its way onto the canvas as she manipulates various paint mediums to create rich color combinations and delightful texture. Website, Instagram, Linkedin

Mona Lucero believes in the symbiotic relationship of art and fashion. She has a BFA from University of Colorado Denver, emphasizing in sculpture and painting and an AAS from FIT in New York. She uses art concepts in her apparel, incorporating her drawings and paintings. She has also utilized found objects, collage, embroidery, and embellishments in her work. Website, Instagram, YouTube 

Tammy Abramovitz, guest curator, is either making a party or making an entrance. A creative sophisticate, Tammy’s eye on the show will embody imaginative, colorful, emotional, and inspirational through lines. This Colorado style maker will invite you to linger by sight, sound, and palate. Facebook, Instagram  

From your perspective as a curator, how do you see the intersection of fashion and art evolving, and what role does this show play in that evolution? 

As the exhibit’s curator, Tammy is excited to show the element of fashion as art and with art.  Mona Lucero was trained in both art and fashion and her collaboration with fine art is a perfect combination that is thrilling and adds an unexpected element to our show.

Are there emerging trends or themes in the field that you find particularly intriguing? 

One of the elements we’ll bring to our show that is fresh is the curated playlist that will accompany the show. James Holmes brought the idea up after hearing a set list play at the Denver Art Museum in conjunction with an exhibit. We are very excited to design a playlist that follows our theme and the feelings we hope to evoke. 

WE CAN’T WAIT TO CHECK OUT THIS AMAZING SHOW!!!!