RADAR / SCENE
SAVE the DATE
“SERIOUS PLAY: DESIGN IN MIDCENTURY AMERICA” Don’t let the name fool you: The Denver Art Museum’s exhibition “Serious Play: Design in Midcentury America,” on view May 5-August 25, isn’t just about toys. Rather, it explores how play as a form of experimentation led to some of the midcentury modern furnishings and objects we know and love today. Co-organized by the Milwaukee Art Museum and the Denver Art Museum around three themes—the American home, child’s play and corporate approaches to design—the show encompasses 200 works in media ranging from works on paper and textiles to furniture and films. Look for iconic designs like the Eames Storage Unit for Herman Miller Furniture Company along with less familiar works, such as Ruth Adler Schnee’s wacky Humpty Dumpty furnishing fabric for Adler-Schnee Associates. And yes, toy fans, there’s something for you, too, from Arthur A. Carrara’s Magnet Master 400 game to Isamu Noguchi’s study model for a colorful and quirky play sculpture. denverartmuseum.org
TALKING SHOP SLO CURIO
How did you make the shift from working artists to shop owners? We found a live-work space to use as a studio, but after learning that we could open up the space for retail we decided to build a place to sell our own goods and those of other artists whose work resonates with a modern, ecoconscious way of living. What do you make that’s available at Slo Curio? I specialize in slow-made clothing and textile art with an emphasis on organic materials and naturally dyed colors. Ry works predominantly with found or repurposed materials to make functional installation art. His current pieces, called Highlights, are biomorphic art/light fixtures made of natural materials. What else will we find in the shop this spring? You’ll find locally made and vintage ceramic arts and crafts, whimsical curios, rare international textiles, eco-conscious homewares, and new and used art. Our latest feature is abstract prints by Denver monotype artist Mami Yamamoto, and we are also blessed to feature the beautiful, minimalist porcelain pieces by Boulder ceramicist Liz Quan. 108 / luxesource.com
OPEN HOUSE CIRCA LIGHTING
This June, Circa Lighting will bring its designerbeloved assortment of timeless lighting fixtures to a new showroom in the Denver Design District (601 S. Broadway, Suite B), making the Mile High City the 13 th outpost of the Savannah-based brand. The 6,400-square-foot boutique-like space, designed by Denver firm McPherson Architecture and Houston-based Colby Design, will echo the brand’s clean, classic style while incorporating state-of-the-art features including interactive digital displays and a new Tech Lighting Lab. Look for a well-edited selection of decorative table, ceiling, wall, floor and exterior lighting by Visual Comfort & Co.—the brand’s roster of superstar designer partners includes Kelly Wearstler, Alexa Hampton and Thomas O’Brien—as well as fixtures by Tech Lighting and Monte Carlo Fans. Unlike many Denver Design District showrooms, Circa Lighting will sell directly to the public, which means shopping for designer lighting in Denver just got a whole lot easier. circalighting.com WRITTEN BY CHRISTINE DEORIO
talking shop photo: jeeyon roslie. save the date photo: edgar orlaine. open house photo: courtesy circa lighting.
Jeeyon “G” Roslie, co-owner of the new RiNo boutique and makers’ space Slo Curio, shares how she and her husband, Ry, both artists and recent Denver transplants, found their way to owning a shop where everything from textile art to apparel is made “slow”—sustainably, mindfully and by hand. slocurio.com