Denver Artist Networking Meetup Group

🌈“Queer Art Reimagined: A Pride Weekend Meetup”🌈

Welcome, fellow artists, visionaries, and lovers of creativity! As the sun sets on Pride Month, we gather in a vibrant kaleidoscope of colors to celebrate love, identity, and artistic expression. Our canvas awaits, and our brushes are poised to dance across it like the rhythm of our hearts.

When: Sunday, June 23rd, 3:00 PM ~ 5:00 PM
Where: Elevated Metaphysical (826 Santa Fe Dr, Denver, CO 80204)

## 🌟 The Artists Who Paved the Way 🌟

### Jean-Michel Basquiat

History: Born in Brooklyn, New York, Basquiat was a graffiti artist turned neo-expressionist painter. His raw, poetic works explored race, identity, and urban life themes. Basquiat’s meteoric rise in the 1980s art scene left an indelible mark on contemporary art. Style: Chaotic, frenetic, and deeply personal. His canvases pulsate with symbols, words, and fractured figures. Works: “Untitled (Skull),” “Boy and Dog in a Johnnypump,” “Irony of Negro Policeman.”

### Francis Bacon

History: The enigmatic Irish-born Bacon was a master of existential angst. His distorted, nightmarish portraits captured the human condition in all its twisted glory. Style: Distorted faces, contorted bodies, and a visceral exploration of pain and pleasure. His colors bleed like fractured souls. Works: “Study after Velázquez’s Portrait of Pope Innocent X,” “Three Studies for Figures at the Base of a Crucifixion,” “Portrait of George Dyer in a Mirror.”

### Tamara de Lempicka

History: The Baroness with a Brush, Lempicka epitomized Art Deco elegance. Her glamorous portraits adorned the elite's walls, capturing the Roaring Twenties' spirit. Style: Bold lines, sensuous curves, and a touch of decadence. Her women exude power, confidence, and a hint of mystery. Works: “Portrait of a Young Girl in a Green Dress,” “Autoportrait (Tamara in a Green Bugatti),” “La Belle Rafaela.”

### Julie Mehretu

History: Born in Ethiopia, Mehretu’s abstract works are like cosmic maps. Layers of lines and shapes intersect, telling stories of migration, displacement, and resilience. Style: Dynamic, intricate, and layered. Her canvases are cities in flux, where chaos and order collide. Works: “Stadia II,” “Mural,” “Black City.”

## 🎨 Your Journey Begins 🎨

We gather around our communal art board, each brushstroke a heartbeat. Choose your muse—the spirit of Basquiat, the haunting gaze of Bacon, the elegance of Lempicka, or the cosmic energy of Mehretu—and let their essence flow through you.

Dip your brush into the acrylic rivers, mix colors like whispered secrets, and reimagine their masterpieces. Twist reality, blur boundaries, and create anew. The art board becomes a portal—a mirror reflecting your truth, queerness, and unapologetic existence.

Remember, this isn’t mere replication; it’s alchemy. Transform their visions into your own. Let your strokes sing, your colors collide, and your soul spill forth. When you step back, you’ll see fragments of history woven into your creation—a tapestry of resilience, love, and rebellion.

And as the sun sets, we’ll share our reimagined masterpieces. Each stroke is a declaration. Each color is a revolution. We’ll toast to the artists who paved the way and to the ones who continue to light our path.

Let the canvas breathe. Let your heart speak. Let Pride infuse every stroke. 🌈

Artboard, acrylic paint, and brushes will be provided. Bring your courage, your vulnerability, and your truth. Feel free to bring your art supplies if you prefer a different modality.✨🌟

🎉 Who’s Invited:

• Newbies eager to dive into the art of acrylics
• Seasoned artists with a passion for painting
• Curious souls who want to explore their creative edge

## See you there! 🎉🎨