Recently I took a trip to Denver, Colorado. I was there for a week visiting a friend who lives just outside of the Denver area. This was my first time in Denver and let me first say that it’s absolutely beautiful there! Despite being a person who isn’t particularly crazy about the cold, I’d totally move there. The scenery makes enduring the cold worth it!

Anyway, throughout my trip I got the chance to drown myself in art between visits to the Denver Art Museum, Meow Wulf, and visiting various galleries in the Denver Arts District on Santa Fe.

More info: artgirlshay.com

Now it may just be a matter of being in a different environment but the art was more than just foliage, nature, and animals which is the type of art that I feel dominates my area. Don’t get me wrong though, there IS a lot of nature oriented art because how could there not be when your backyard is literally the Rocky Mountains? But what I also saw and had a great appreciation for was the variety.

Taking in all of the art and the various styles and subject matter felt encouraging. I fully understand that there’s an audience for pretty much anything but to see art with subject matter that didn’t feel cliche and overly curated hit me different. It truly validated the fact that all you have to do is find your audience.

This artist had freebies at their space! I love a nice sticker so I picked one up!

You can follow this artist on Instagram at @ashlynpaintss.

This print was located in a place called the Denver Arts Society. I really liked the movement and energy in it

More from the Denver Arts Society! I spent hours in this place

Denver Arts Society continued

Denver Arts Society artist

I left some of the gallery spaces feeling refreshed and encouraged. Encouraged to dig deep into the weirdest part of myself and create art from that space. Encouraged to stand firm in the type of work that I create. Encouraged to leave pieces of my soul in the work in whatever way it chooses to manifest itself.

Denver Arts Society artist continued

Performance stage at the back of the Denver Arts Society building

Denver Arts Society artist continued… (Told ya I spent hours in here!)

Denver Arts Society artist continued

Denver Arts Society artist continued

I feel like when you spend time stuck in your immediate area for a while and observe the types of things that people gravitate to it can start to feel like you’re living in a bubble. A bubble where only certain types of subject matter breaks through and other subject matter isn’t as appreciated. The art that I got the chance to come in contact with while in Denver gave me the sense that the arts in general is really championed, despite the subject matter.

Denver Arts Society artist continued (one of my favorite pieces there)

Denver Arts Society artist continued

Denver Arts Society artist continued (that’s me in the mirror… clearly, lol!)

All this being said, I appreciated the collective creative energy that seemed to pulse through Denver. It felt welcoming and appreciative of all manifestations of creativity no matter how weird or off the wall the art may have appeared.

If you’re reading this and you’re an artist, I highly advise checking out art districts or art communities other than the one you’re in. You may get inspired in ways you never thought imaginable.

Denver Arts Society artist continued

Denver Arts Society artist continued

This was a cool little art box. Take a piece of art and leave a piece of art! I took two pieces and left discount vouchers for my website and a couple of my own prints

Art in a place called ReCreative Denver

ReCreative Denver artist

Forgot the name of this gallery, but the art there was outstanding!

A piece in Meow Wulf!

A cool castle in Meow Wulf!

This is a photo of some art in Meow Wulf. I have a friend who creates art that looks veeeery similar to this. Took this photo to show her to provide a bit of encouragement!

More from Meow Wulf!

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