Voelz Chandler: Dogs, ponies have their day

Published August 11, 2006 at midnight

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It's easy, or perhaps glib, to say the Arvada Center is going to the dogs. After all, the summer and fall exhibition - a long, long run, since it continues through Nov. 12 - almost begs for some sort of flip remark.

Especially since this show will still be up when the center is scheduled to mark both its 30th anniversary and the completion of the first phase of its expansion project Nov. 5. That's when officials are to announce the artist for a piece of public art in conjunction with the new building.

A visit, though, reveals that "The Dog and Pony Show," the anchor exhibition in the Lower Gallery, is mostly serious business.

As an adjunct, gallery director Jerry Gilmore has filled the Upper Gallery with work on the same dog- and-horse theme by area school groups and during workshops held at the center. Meanwhile, in the Theater Gallery, the exhibition is a selection of paintings by Carlos Michael Finn that, except for a couple of quite fine abstract pieces, demonstrate his style, which aims at finding the primitive side of the subject at hand. Finn's dogs are composed as rectangular head upon rectangular body, nondimensional, almost naif creatures that are all jagged mouth and bright color.

A more traditional group show hangs downstairs. Even here, Gilmore has taken a risk or two in assembling this sizable combination of works on paper from several noted publishing houses, paintings, ceramic sculpture, a sound piece, and an assemblage.

The first key moment occurs at the entry to the gallery, a sweet spot I've always considered as an indication of the tone of an exhibition.

On one side of the door, there is a 1992 color lithograph by Luis Jimenez of his Mustang sculpture for DIA; wall text notes Jimenez's untimely, sad passing in June while working on a piece long awaited at the airport.

On the other side of the door, and I suppose this decision could fit into either the "thank you" or "how generous" category, Gilmore has hung two drawings by the young daughter of artists and former gallery owners Monica and Tyler Aiello, who exhibited his work. But it seems a gesture more suitable for the community portion of the exhibition.

After that, the show leads through numerous works on paper from houses such as the Colorado-based Shark's Ink. (including two pieces by Red Grooms and an intricate color woodcut by John Buck) and Open Press, as well as lithographers from Mesa, Ariz., and Chicago.

Much of the show's interpretations of this theme - itself built off a jokey, even derogative, description of a particular process - come in the form of paintings and other mediums.

Some are quite surprising, including Phil Bender's row of "beware of dog" signs atop a row of Chinese checker boards; Dave Seiler's glazed and painted ceramic depiction of a dog riding a dog; Nancy Anderson and Caroline Douglas' two-totem assemblage, Dogs of War; Charles Parson's giant painting of a dog's muzzle, Close, In Your Face (nice art history reference there), accompanied by a video of the sculptor being a painter; and Riva Sweetrocket's pastel of two horses and a dog, Messenger.

But some works really do reach for that jokey state of mind, such as Susan Bell's horse manure sculptures, Dung Bunnies; the incomprehensible sound and minivideo piece by Chris Lavery, All the Dogs Should Go Home; and Suzanne Faris' found-object work, Over Protector, that entails placing a pillow on a chaise longue and pillow in the middle of the gallery.

As a coda, Gilmore has set aside an alcove at the very back for Who Am I (¿Quién Soy Yo?), a collaboration of George Rivera (words) and Anthony Ortega (images) that explores the "Family Adventures of Cholo, Vato and Pano." A small bilingual catalog makes a nice keepsake for younger art lovers.

This sort of mixed-bag of exhibitions fits into the somewhat lighter fare usually associated with art in the summer - although Summer 2006 certainly will be remembered for its share of heavyweight offerings examining Colorado's role in contemporary art-making.

A BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION: The art venue now known as + Gallery has been through so many names (and faces) that it was a wake-up call when the word went out that it was marking its fifth anniversary.

But it is, and to note the milestone, owner Ivar Zeile has taken two unusual steps. One really works, and the other is also something that fits in the "how generous" category.

In the first instance is a show offsite, at Studio 3559, curated by + Gallery interns Kate Delaney and Sarah Swartzendruber. They sought work from gallery artists - from Bruce Price to Lauri Lynnxe Murphy to Tsehai Johnson - that are preparatory in nature; on view through Sept. 30, at 3559 Larimer St., "+ Gallery's unentitleds" is a fascinating collection.

In the second is the show at + Gallery proper, at 2350 Lawrence St. Zeile decided to offer Denver business legend Jack B. Weil his first show (at age 83), and team him with a group exhibition of several emerging artists. "In the Beginning," on view through Aug. 18, does not really hang together, and really sounds better on paper than it does on the walls. But, like I said, it was a generous move.

For information on both: 303-296- 0927.

The Dog & Pony Show

• What: Work on a theme of imagery of horses and dogs, in the Lower Gallery; "A Work in Progress: Dog & Pony Art From the Community," images made by school groups and Arvada Center workshops, and "Carlos Michael Finn: "Stray Dogs," in the Theater Gallery

• Where and when: Arvada Center, 6901 Wadsworth Blvd., Arvada; through Nov. 12

• Of note: A closing party for "The Dog and Pony Show" is set for 1-4 p.m. Nov. 12

• Information: 720-898-7200; www.arvadacenter.org

Chandlerm@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-954-2677.

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