We Are the Sky

A GOCA Collaboratory

The Galleries of Contemporary Art are pleased to present We Are the Sky, a group exhibition featuring artworks created by 40+ Pikes Peak region artists! We Are the Sky will be on-view from July 11 – October 5, 2024, at the Marie Walsh Sharpe Gallery at the Ent Center for the Arts. The opening reception is on Thursday, July 11th from 4-7pm, with a collection of site-specific activations and performances that can only be experienced during the opening!

Featuring more than 40 artists from throughout the Pikes Peak region, We Are the Sky is inspired by the work of late Colorado Springs artist Starr Kempf, whose monumental kinetic sculptures punctuate our local landscape. More than 80 artists responded to a call for entries, challenging them to respond not to Kempf’s forms or subjects, but instead to powerful themes present in the artist’s life and oeuvre. Mental health and wellness, community identity and interpersonal connection, and a spirit of innovation are central to each offering, inclusive of 2D and 3D gallery works to performances and ephemeral experiences.

Over the course of three months, We Are the Sky will create space for poignant narratives around our unique and shared human experiences, a testament to the power of art in fostering dialogue, understanding, and healing. Within the gallery exhibition and related events, artists illuminate the interconnectedness of individual struggles and collective resilience, inviting viewers to engage in discourse and introspection. These 19 artworks address complexities of mental health, inclusion, and invention with empathy and solidarity, and all are new creations, born out of creative experimentation and collaboration.

We Are the Sky is a transformative embrace of Pikes Peak region creatives at the intersection of artistry and advocacy, a celebration of unconventional convergence, and an illumination of interdisciplinary pathways toward healing and growth, greater sense of belonging, community empowerment, and a more compassionate and resilient future.

Gallery Talks

Join us in the gallery for informal artist talks by some of the featured artist groups in We Are the Sky! These talks are free, no registration is required.

Saturday, August 3rd, 2024, 12-1 pm

• Annie Pieper/Jacqueline Moulton, Michelle Winchell, K8E Orr/Ashley Cornelius, and Jonathan Dankenbring

Saturday, August 17th, 2024, 12-1 pm

• Mel Williams/Melanie Audet/Naomi J. Falk, Meghan Wilbar, Darya Warner, and Creative Exchange

Saturday, August 31st, 2024, 12-1 pm

• Mike Pach, Sean O’Meallie, Bob Marsh, and Margaret Kasahara/Heidi Almosara

Join the Galleries of Contemporary Art for the Closing Celebration of We Are the Sky! This is your last chance to see this celebration of art and community of the Pikes Peak region, while experiencing unique activations that will only take place at the closing celebration! The We Are the Sky Closing Celebration will happen on Saturday, October 5th from 5-7:30pm at the Ent Center for the Arts. Join up for all the pop-up activations and activities!

IMPORTANT DATES

Exhibition on View
July 11 - October 5, 2024

Opening Reception:

Thurs, July 11, 2024, 4-7 pm

Marie Walsh Sharpe Gallery

Closing Celebration:

Sat, Oct 5, 2024, 5-7:30 pm

Marie Walsh Sharpe Gallery and Ent Center Lawn

Special Events

GOCA Family Day:

Sat, June 22nd, 10 am – 1 pm

GOCA Lobby and Outdoor Patio

The Butterfly Effect: Experimenting with Expression

Lectures and Performance

Thurs, September 12th, 7-8:30 pm

Chapman Foundation Recital Hall

Panel Discussion and Performance for the piece, What Kinda Brown Are You:

Thurs, September 19th, 6-8:30 pm

Chapman Foundation Recital Hall and Marie Walsh Sharpe Gallery

Gallery hours:
Thursday - Saturday: 1-6 pm

or by appointment

email: gallery@uccs.edu | call: 719.255.3504