Denver Presents Summer Exhibitions and Events to Celebrate Pride

Editor’s Note: Press Releases are provided to Yellow Scene. In an effort to keep our community informed, we publish some press releases in whole.

Denver Arts & Venues is pleased to present four new summer exhibitions at McNichols Civic Center Building (144 West Colfax Avenue, Denver, CO); with several exhibition-related events, including the second event in the Cultural Fashion Runway Series, celebrating Pride month with non-binary and drag fashion and special guest performances by RuPaul’s Drag Race all-stars, Mayhem Miller and Yara Sofia. A popular show on Paramount and Showtime.

“I can’t tell you how excited DCR Studios is to partner with Denver Arts & Venues to not only showcase beautiful gender fluid and inclusive fashion in the McNichols Building exhibition but also to be a part of the runway show,” said DeMarcio Slaughter, emcee and entertainment coordinator for the Center Stage at Denver PrideFest. “We’re able to showcase unique fashions and really spread love, as well as educate about the LGBTQ movement.”

SUMMER EXHIBITIONS:

DCR Studios and DeMarcio: Creating the Glamour on Center Stage at Denver PRIDE(First Floor Nook), June 1-30. Fashion is for everybody, and everybody’s different body. We all deserve the right to feel comfortable in our clothes. Fabric knows no gender beyond what we, as a society, apply to it. Each of us deserves to wear what makes us feel cute, sexy, or strong… to feel our very best. We all have the commonality of wearing clothes, and a simple layer of fabric is the only thing between us and our environment. We must be able to navigate this environment with confidence – in all honesty, it’s difficult to have a bad day in a good pair of shoes. This exhibit celebrates all of the aforementioned, and the joy clothing brings to the Pride movement.

In Sickness and In Health(First Floor Community Gallery), June 1-30. Guest Curated by Mary Grace Bernard and Genevieve Waller, this mixed media group show speaks to the intersection of disability and queer. The artists featured explore personal illness as it impacts femme, non-binary and queer bodies, as well as the institution and concept of marriage. Presented in conjunction with Pride month.

Chained Voices: DU Prison Arts Initiative(Boettcher Cultural Pavilion, Second Floor), June 1-Aug. 20. Curated by Shanna Shelby, with a statewide call to artists participating in the University of Denver’s Prison Arts Initiative, “Chained Voices” features art created by people currently incarcerated at a Denver jail or Colorado Department of Corrections’ facility. Artworks featured in this exhibition (which highlights the themes of “Light Born from Darkness” and “Resiliency”) will be available for purchase and the proceeds will go directly to the artists.

Portrait of a Culture(Third Floor), June 1-Aug. 20. This exhibit features portraits by Artist Kelle (Nigeria), Jordan Jones (Florida), Yazmin Atmore (Denver). Through their works, each artist showcases their own unique approaches to portraiture.

The McNichols Building exhibitions are open daily from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. and Denver Arts & Venues has several exhibit-related events for those interested in learning more about the artworks and artists featured.

Denver Arts & Venues Cultural Runway Series: PRIDE – Saturday, June 11, doors 7 p.m., runway show 9 p.m.: Local fan favorite, DeMarcio Slaughter, emcees the runway show which will include glamorous drag fashions by DCR studios, and stylish pieces from their ready-to-wear designs created with gender fluidity, size inclusivity and cultural diversity in mind. The evening will include spectacular guest performances by RuPaul Drag Race All Stars contestants: Yara Sofia, from season 7 and Mayhem Miller, from season 5. Tickets are available at AXS.com, $6.35-$44.80.

Creating the Glamour on Center Stage at Denver PRIDE – virtual tour and discussion with DeMarcio Slaughter – Monday, June 13, noon: Join Shanna Shelby, Denver Arts & Venues, and DeMarcio Slaughter, Emcee and Entertainment Coordinator of the Center Stage at Denver PrideFest, for a virtual tour and discussion of “DCR Studios and DeMarcio: Creating the Glamour on Center Stage at Denver PRIDE” on display at McNichols Civic Center Building. DeMarcio will discuss the fashion on display and his work as the Emcee and Entertainment Coordinator for PrideFest. FREE. Register through Eventbrite.com.

DCR Studios: Fashion for Every Body – virtual tour and discussion with Darlene Ritz – Tuesday, June 21, 3:30 p.m.: Join Shanna Shelby, Denver Arts & Venues, and Darlene Ritz, DCR Studios fashion designer, for a virtual tour and discussion of “DCR Studios and DeMarcio: Creating the Glamour on Center Stage at Denver PRIDE” on display at McNichols Civic Center Building. Darlene will discuss the fashion on display and the inspiration for the exhibit, as well as designing with gender fluidity, size inclusivity and cultural diversity in mind. FREE. Register through Eventbrite.com.

In Sickness and In Health: virtual tour and discussion with Mary Grace Bernard and Genevieve Waller – Wednesday, June 29, 11 a.m.: Join Shanna Shelby, Denver Arts & Venues, and guest curators, Mary Grace Bernard and Genevieve Waller, in a virtual tour and discussion about “In Sickness and In Health” on display at McNichols Civic Center Building. Mary Grace and Genevieve will discuss the artworks on display and the inspiration for the exhibit, as well as the intersections of disability – and illness in particular – with queer and feminist critiques of marriage, patriarchy in the home, and dominant hetero imaginings of domestic space and sexualities. FREE. Register through Eventbrite.com.