“Storylines” - Solo Exhibitions by Lisa Calzavara and Tara Kelley-Cruz

Denver’s Contemporary Art Gallery in Denver’s Art District on Santa Fe

Hosts “Storylines”, Solo Exhibitions by Lisa Calzavara and Tara Kelley-Cruz

Located at 900 Santa Fe Drive, D’art Gallery hosts “Storylines” featuring member artists, Lisa Calzavara and Tara Kelley-Cruz. The exhibition runs from Thursday, May 6 through Sunday, May 30, 2021. There will be an opening artist’s reception on Friday, May 7 from 5 -7  pm. On Saturday, May 22, the artists will give an Artist Talk at 1:00 pm.

As part of the “Sundays on Santa Fe” in the Art District on Santa Fe, D’art Gallery will be open for this special event on Sunday, May 30 from 11 am to 4 pm.

Art appreciators are encouraged to visit the gallery to see the work in person. Visitors are required to practice social distancing and wear a mask.

Storylines

Through the “Storylines” exhibition Lisa Calzavara and Tara Kelley-Cruz share their inquiry into the various interpretations of the stories people tell. Utilizing their individual styles and mediums to create their personal expression, Calzavara and Kelley-Cruz explore stories that are ingrained into the cultural psyche, including fairy tales, old fables, a person’s individual response to history and current events, and even self-talk. All of these various types of stories influence a person’s experience in life and help shape a culture.

Lisa Calzavara

Lisa Calzavara explores the idea of telling stories by transforming thoughts and emotions into abstract pictograms that form an unconscious language. The images communicate feelings and emotions that are difficult to put into words. Individual pieces can be combined with others to create greater meaning and express unconscious ideas. Through different configurations of the work, people can explore how thoughts can change in terms of the perspective (orientation) of the piece to alter the meaning or sequence. This process allows the viewer to activate their imaginations and create their own unique abstract stories to express passions, thoughts and dreams. 

The body of work explores her vision of pushing beyond the limitations of traditional materials by manipulating liquid resin to create paintings and lightweight sculptures. Using a specialized bonding method, combining a clay base with resin, Calzavara creates large distinctive wall sculptures in a variety of shapes and colors that complement the contemporary abstract paintings.

Lisa Calzavara continues to use her finance degree from Northern Illinois University and at the same time finds time for her creative passions.  She specializes in a variety of mediums, including encaustic, acrylic, resin, oil, and looks forward to new challenges as she pursues her innovative visions. Her work can be viewed at: http://www.aprettypainting.com

Tara Kelley-Cruz

Tara Kelley-Cruz’s work relies heavily on form, color and texture to ask the question: what events and people in history shape us as individuals and as a culture. From her inquiry, Kelley-Cruz has developed visual symbols which mean certain things to her: connection, seeking for direction, spiritual enlightenment, confusion, progression. Her latest series of work deals with stories of hope, isolation, escape, and finding beauty in the turbulence of life.

As a mixed-media painter, her process includes creating at least 10-12 layers of paint, found ephemera, image transfers and drawings. Between layers, she scrapes and sands until the surface begins to take on rich, textured life of its own with its own history. This is symbolic of what history, thoughts, beliefs, messages and stories can be adopted to shape individual lives.

Tara Kelley-Cruz has a graphic design background and Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Brigham Young University. She lives and works in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Her work can be viewed at https://www.tarakelleycruz.com

Gallery Hours: Thursday Noon to 5pm, Friday Noon to 7 pm, Saturday Noon to 5 pm, Sunday 1 pm to 4 pm, with special Sunday Hours 11 am – 4 pm the last Sunday of each month.