Join us for the opening reception of Rough Gems first pop-up exhibition- Literally Behind. Showcasing a combination of six emerging and established Denver-based artists, curator George P. Perez presents painter Andrew Huffman, painter Julio Alejandro, photographer John Barnabas Lake, mixed-media artist Lindsay Smith Gustave, painter Jennifer Lord, and sculptor Marsha Mack as you've never seen them before. Artworks have been commissioned and selected specifically to be displayed in the form of an installation which utilizes an aesthetic of awkward and uncanny to take on the perceived divide between fine art and interior design. In Literally Behind, artworks are obstructed by furniture, situated underneath design objects, hung behind curtains, and peeking through plants; asking the viewer to confront the ways that interior spaces and curation methods alter their perceptions of artworks and their meaning.

Rough Gems is an annual open call and collaborative curatorial project. Taking place from January 15 - March 12, 2020, Rough Gems will showcase the work of three Denver-based curators in a rotating pop-up exhibition format. Selected through an open call for proposals, each of the three curators is granted access to Union Hall’s space, budget, and additional resources in order to create a two-week pop-up exhibition, as well as support in creating supplementary events and programming throughout their two-week run of show. The goal of this ambitious rotating exhibition series is to showcase local curatorial and artistic talent by turning over Union Hall’s gallery space to emerging curators, inviting them to share an exhibition in an active and experimental environment.