Poems for Our Country
Poems for Our Country
Union Hall
1750 Wewatta Street, Suite 144, Denver, CO 80202
Curated by Arielle M. Myers
November 14, 2019-January 4, 2020
Admission: Free
Review by Laura Miller
The new, non-profit art gallery Union Hall opened its doors earlier this year. Located in downtown Denver, it resides inside the hotel/apartment complex The Coloradan, on the first floor amidst retailer shops and an upscale café. According to the gallery’s website, it’s the first exhibition space to be integrated within a private real-estate development in Denver. The latest exhibit, Poems for Our Country, features commissioned banners containing slogans and sentiments for the new year.
Installation view of the exhibition Poems for Our Country. Image courtesy of Union Hall.
The artists Jackie Barry, Sally Chung, Johnny DeFeo, Steven Frost, Umar Rashid (Frohawk Twofeathers), Noah Schneiderman, Mary Welcome, and Susan Wick took varying approaches to the task—some urging viewers to action with their phrase or poem, others reflecting on the year past. Steven Frost’s Using the Power of His Office, for example, quotes a whistleblower’s report and is meant to serve as an “incantation” to defeat President Trump at the ballot box.[1] I Hope You Grow Well by Sally Chung, which depicts a nude female figure surrounded by vines, moths, symbols, and half-formed shapes, tells the story of new beginnings, regeneration, and growth.
Sally Chung, I Hope You Grow Well. Image by Laura I. Miller.
Another common theme among the artists’ works is visibility. Umar Rashid’s banner combines iconography with modern hobo symbols that stand for crime and jail. It reads “Colonialism is State Sponsored Terror” and brings awareness to marginalized populations. Susan Wick’s piece uses puppets of varying shapes, sizes, and colors to represent tolerance and diversity.
Umar Rashid (Frohawk Twofeathers), Colonialism is State Sponsored Terror. Image by Laura I. Miller.
The exhibition’s strength lies in its unpredictability. I found it exhilarating to discover how each artist responded within the limitations of the prompt. Though all the works are hung from the ceiling like flags, the materials and methods—yarn and fabric, paint and ribbon—never cease to surprise the viewer.
Because I happened to visit the gallery during a flag-making workshop titled “Flags for Your Nation,” the gallery space contained sewing machines and scraps of fabric that participants used to create their own banners for the new year. Artist Steven Frost led the workshop and offered tips on how to use the tools and materials. In part due to the workshop, the space felt welcoming and alive, humming with creativity.
In the background, Steven Frost’s Using the Power of His Office on display with other artists’ works in the Poems for Our Country exhibition. In the foreground, Frost leads his “Flags for Your Nation” workshop in the gallery on December 14, 2019.
Union Hall places an emphasis on experiential exhibitions and often invites community members into the space for workshops, parties, yoga, and other events. This model of integrating a non-profit art gallery with retail stores marks a shift toward expanding accessibility and audiences in the visual arts community. I look forward to seeing what’s ahead for this newly-opened venue.
Laura I. Miller is a Denver-based writer, editor, and arts supporter. Her reviews have appeared in Lit Hub, Electric Literature, Bustle, and elsewhere. She received an MFA in creative writing from the University of Arizona.
[1] From Steven Frost’s statement in the exhibition guide, available at https://www.unionhalldenver.com/current (accessed Dec. 16, 2019).
