Create Inside The Box

The new art exhibit at CU's University Memorial Center Art Gallery invites visitors to think outside the box by creating INSIDE the box...the Big White Box.

"Painting the Big White Box," a community art project, asks visitors to contribute to this living exhibit by bringing in their artwork to hang, or making art directly on the walls. The exhibit so far is filled with everything from photographs to pottery to sculptures–and there's room for more!

Visit the gallery to enjoy the constantly-changing display or to contribute your own art (some supplies are provided). The exhibit runs through May 1 at UMC Art Gallery, Room 225, University Memorial Center, University of Colorado campus, 10:30am-5:30pm Monday-Friday. Event details. The opening reception is April 9 from 4:30-6:30pm. (Photo by Marty Caivano)

Hidden Treasures

There are many places around Boulder County to find hidden treasures and uncommon art. Logan's Cafe at 3980 Broadway St. in North Boulder comes to mind. You're always sure to find something interesting, quirky or simply beautiful adorning the walls.

Saxy's Cafe at 2018 10th St. in downtown Boulder also offers everything from stark black and white photography to retro '60s hippie art. It's a comfortable, eclectic hang, where fun art complements the wood-and-marble, chandelier-and-rough-hewn-brick decor.

One little known treasure is the gallery at Boulder Shambhala Center, 1345 Spruce St. in downtown Boulder. BSC features paintings, photographs and mixed-media art usually created by members of the Shambhala meditation community. This Friday, April 10, BSC opens a new exhibit of photographs of India taken by local Boulder artist Julia King. The twenty-something, world-traveled King has an eye for the quirky and creative, and her photos are sure to capture the imagination. Art opening and reception is from 6-8pm.

Know of other great out-of-way places to see uncommon art? Comment below!

Visit our website for a complete listing of shows and exhibits at Boulder County Galleries and Boulder County Museums through May 31.

"Bloom" at St. John's Boulder Art Gallery

The St. John's Boulder Art Gallery presents new works by Mary Liz Ringer February 5 – March 31. Artist Reception is Feb. 6, 5:30-7:30pm.

"Bloom" is a kinesthetic riot of color on canvases, a collection of scenes inspired by natural forms. It is as though Mary Liz Ringer is channeling the imagery of magical realism with each stroke of her exquisite brush. Like the stories of Gabriel Garcia Marquez and Georges Luis Borges, Mary Liz’s paintings are never predictable, not even as they are being created. The Bloom series, she emphasizes, is "inspired by spring, the season of hope, promise, and faith in the restoration of Earth’s balance." Mary Liz’s abstract compositions refer to landscapes and plant life. They are not real plants, says Mary Liz, but "nature-scapes that emerge out of what is hidden or unknown, the search for mystery, for God, if you will." She discovers her subjects by layering paint and carefully constructing forms inspired by nature. Then she begins a process of deconstruction; "I scratch and etch until a true shape emerges." As mysterious as her art is to her and to us, it becomes, in the end, bold and exuberant, life affirming, and very, very real.

The St. John's Boulder Art Gallery is located at 1419 Pine Street, Boulder. Admission is free. Call for hours, which are subject to seasonal changes 303-442-5246.