54 APRIL 6-12, 2023 westword.com WESTWORD | MUSIC & VENUES | FOOD & DRINK | ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT | SHOPPING & SERVICES | CONTENTS | Best Psychedelic Artist Android Jones androidjones.com A leader in the psychedelic visionary arts movement, Android Jones creates work that illustrates the heights of a DMT trip, which has made him a trailblazer in digital art, virtual reality and NFTs. His interna- tionally recognized work has been pro- jected on the Empire State Building, the Sydney Opera House in Australia, and the Ghats in Varanasi, India, and he was a vi- sual artist for the 2015 Fare Thee Well Tour with the remaining members of the Grate- ful Dead. But he’s also active in his home state, exhibiting a solo show at Threyda gallery last year. In January, Jones’s Lyons studio was destroyed in a fi re, but he raised more than his asking price of $250,000 in a GoFundMe to replace the expensive tools used to create his art, as well as countless art books and priceless sketches. Starting fresh is diffi cult, but we have no doubt this seasoned artist will stay on top. Best Visionary Artist Emily Kell emilykell.com The concept of the divine feminine is seen throughout the paintings of Emily Kell, a Boulder-based artist who has made a name for herself worldwide with her visionary works. Inspired by her tarot practice, my- thology and archetypal fi gures from mys- ticism, Kell creates portraits of feminine fi gures, often with a background of swirl- ing stars. She’s also a poet, and created an alphabet she calls “moon scratch,” which is instantly recognizable in her oeuvre. While most visionary art is centered on ecstatic psychedelic states, Kell’s work is more about introspection and transitive moments. Her art was published in the 2018 book Women of Visionary Art, though her greatest accomplishment is likely the meaningful inspiration she passes on through her paintings. Best Miniature Art Mister Christmas clevermisterchristmas.com Scott Hildebrandt didn’t know that when he made a miniature village as a Christmas gift back in 2008, it was the beginning of a fl ourishing artistic career. With a back- ground in electrical engineering, Hildeb- randt makes miniature displays that can light up and sometimes move. His diorama worlds are usually set in vintage vessels such as boomboxes or Game Boys, evok- ing nostalgia and eliciting smiles — so it’s no wonder that when Meow Wolf began enlisting Denver artists before it opened in 2021, Hildebrandt was asked to create an installation. After fi lling a hallway there with 200 dioramas, Hildebrandt now fo- cuses on fi lling commissions, which have shot up — because unlike his art, Mister Christmas’s reputation is far from small- scale. Best Kinetic Sculptures Ira Sherman irasherman.com Denver sculptor Ira Sherman has had a long, lucrative career with his iconic ki- netic, wearable sculptures, which have been collected by the Smithsonian Museum of American Art in Washington, D.C., and the National Ornamental Museum in Mem- phis, among others. In 2022, he produced his fi rst exhibition in three years at Bitfac- tory Gallery with Ira Sherman: Revenge, Protection, Redemption, in which he dis- played new, mind-blowing creations that each took six months to complete. These wearable prostheses respond mechanically to the wearer and provide commentary on humans’ relationships with intimacy and emotions. From sci-fi chastity belts to a contraption that can lift couples in the air, Sherman’s work is as fascinating as it’s ever been. Best Community Engagement Cal Duran artbycal.com Anyone who’s been paying attention knows that Cal Duran, an Indigenous, queer, Two Spirit artist inspired by the lore and spiritu- ality of many cultures, has seemingly pos- sessed the superpower to do everything, everywhere, all at once over the past year or two. Wherever big displays were needed for Día de los Muertos celebrations, Duran was there, providing monumental altars, ojos de Dios, calaveras and calacas built from clay, tissue paper and found materi- als, sometimes at more than one venue in a single day, like a shiva with multiple arms. Best New Art Collective Below the Concrete belowtheconcrete.wordpress.com In response to the lack of opportunities for trans and queer artists, Below the Concrete formed last year to showcase work from that community through DIY house shows whose location is revealed only to those who email or message the collective on social media. The group has now grown so much that it offers satellite shows from its members, emphasizing the success of Below the Concrete’s mission to connect like-minded artists. And the works shown in its exhibitions serve as evidence of how DIY still incentivizes fi ne art, with compelling creations in myriad mediums, including fashion, sculpture, poetry, dance, painting and more. Arts and Entertainment continued from page 52 OUR STATE YOUR SYM HONY C E N T E N N I A L EXPLORE THE SEASON TODAY COLORADOSYMPHONY.ORG | 303.623.7876 proudly supported by
