The UCCS Visiting Artists & Critics Series features a lineup of presentations by artists and critics of national and international significance. The program’s goal is to foster understanding and appreciation of contemporary art through dialogue and critical conversations. Each VACS lecture takes place in the Chapman Foundation Recital Hall, next door to the Marie Walsh Sharpe Gallery in the Ent Center for the Arts. High-quality video recordings of each lecture are made public and archived on GOCA’s digital content platform within two weeks of each event (GOCAdigital.org).

Over the past decade, the series co-produced by the UCCS Galleries of Contemporary Art and UCCS Visual Art & Art History programs has invited artists and scholars to the UCCS campus to present public lectures and meet with undergraduate students in classes and workshop settings.

The series is generously supported by the CU President’s Fund for the Humanities, Colorado Creative Industries, UCCS Student Government Association, and the Bee Vradenburg Foundation.

2024-2025 EVENTS

Thursday, February 20, 2025, 6 - 7 p.m.

Chapman Auditorium, Ent Center for the Arts

Patrick Shearn, Creative Director of Poetic Kinetics, is a visionary artist renowned for his captivating, large-scale public art installations that transform urban spaces and engage audiences around the globe. Fueled by a passion for exploring human connection, emotion, and our relationship with the natural world, Shearn creates immersive experiences that inspire wonder and introspection, captivating viewers on both visual and emotional levels.  

Shearn’s artistic career started in the film industry on notable projects such as Jurassic Park, Fight Club, and Interview with a Vampire.  This experience nurtured his creative spirit and honed his technical prowess, ultimately leading him to establish Poetic Kinetics, a collective of talented artists. A cornerstone of Shearn’s creative process is direct impact, seizing opportunities to spark viewers’ curiosity beyond traditional art spaces. By inspiring wonder, surprise, and unconventional thinking, he imparts knowledge in playful or even subliminal ways. His team has coined this approach as “cerebral detonation,” which captures the artworks’ flirtatious engagement with the observer. 

By pushing creative boundaries, Shearn has dedicated his career to crafting awe-inspiring public art. His signature Skynet series, including the internationally acclaimed Liquid Shard, demonstrates his commitment to transforming underused public spaces into bustling destinations. This passion for innovation and audience engagement has resulted in the most iconic art pieces at events like Coachella Music and Arts Festival, EDC, and Burning Man, captivating viewers and garnering viral recognition, as well as features in prestigious publications such as The New York Times, The Guardian, GQ, and Rolling Stone.  

Drawing inspiration from the natural world, Shearn’s work explores the contrasts between organic movement and the rigid forms of man-made environments, incorporating cutting-edge technology and scientific principles to create immersive, interactive experiences.  With each new project, he continues to redefine the way people experience art, reimagining and revitalizing urban spaces around the globe.