The month of February is all about love—and here at RedLine, that means showing love to the Colorado artists who make our arts ecosystem so rich and vibrant!

This February, you can catch 5 new solo shows featuring RedLine Resident and REACH Alumni that explore identity, history, and human connection.

Plus, don’t forget to stop by RedLine to view our current exhibition, Living Land. Curated by Jane Burke, this annual showcase features the diverse work of current Resident & Resource Artists, and our 2022-2024 Resident Alumni.

You can also join for a special curator tour with Jane Burke on Saturday, February 15th at 1:30pm!

Below are 5 art events that are sure to warm your heart this February, in Colorado and beyond.

Kenzie Sitterud
Happy Sad Solo Exhibition

What: Solo exhibition
Where: Firehouse Art Center - 667 4th Ave, Longmont, CO, 80501
When: February 7 - March 9, 2025
Opening reception: Friday, February 7, 6-9pm

About the exhibition: Happy Sad introduces a new body of work featuring an experimental kinetic installation, video performances, concrete balloon sculptures, and hard-edged geometric abstract paintings—all works developed during their winter residency at Firehouse starting the day after the election.

This series investigates American privilege in times of war and the rise of fascism by leaning into absurdity and repetition. Utilizing Mylar happy-face balloon iconography and repeated acts of indulgence, the works reflect the tension between American privilege and the devastations of war.

About the artist: Kenzie Sitterud works as a multimedia artist and designer primarily producing immersive large-scale installations and designed experiences. Sitterud began their creative practice in 2008 with their first installation in Denver (The Bathroom), establishing interest in conflicts between queerness and domestic spaces.

Continuing this practice after moving to Seattle, Sitterud established themselves within the DIY and music communities. They returned to Denver in 2013 to pursue their BFA in Communication design from Metropolitan State University of Denver, graduating in 2016.

Website: www.kenziemckenzie.com
Instagram: @kenziesitterud

Tony Ortega
Imagenes de Nepantla Solo Exhibition

What: Solo exhibition
Where: The Art Base - 174 Midland Ave, Basalt, CO, 81621
When: February 7 - March 7, 2025
Opening Reception: Friday, February 7, 2025
Artist Talk: Friday, February 14, 2025

About the exhibition: Nepantla is a Nahuatl word for the space between two bodies of water, the space between two worlds. It is a limited space, a space where you are not this or that, but where you are changing. You do not yet exist within this new identity, nor have you left the old identity behind; you are in a kind of transition. And that is what Nepantla [means].

It is a very awkward, uncomfortable, and frustrating place to be because you are amid transformation. Nepantla lives in the traditions, politics, and complexities of Chicano/Mexican American community. My work focuses on themes of identity, traditions, culture, memory, and struggle. It is furthermore a celebration of culture and history of Chicanos/Mexican Americans. They physically, emotionally, and spiritually live between the clash of two cultures, one Mexican and one American.

About the artist: Tony Ortega holds an MFA in drawing and painting from the University of Colorado and is currently a professor for Regis University.

He is the recipient of the coveted Governor's Award for Excellence in the Arts (1999) and the Mayor's Award for Excellence in the Arts (1998). He has been a working artist and teacher for the past 36 years. Tony Ortega’s lifelong goal is to contribute to a better understanding of cultural diversity by addressing the culture, history and experiences of Chicanos/Latinos through his art.

His work can be found in Denver Art Museum, Los Angeles County Museum and the Colorado Springs Fine Art Center. He has exhibited extensively in United States, Latin America and other parts of the world. Tony’s artwork can be found in Denver, Colorado at the William Havu Gallery.

Website: www.tonyortega.net
Instagram: @tortegaartist

Daisy Patton
Before These Witnesses Solo Exhibition

What: Solo exhibition
Where: Harold J. Miossi Gallery - Cuesta College Rm 7170, Romauldo Rd, San Luis Obispo, CA 93405
When: January 30 - March 14, 2025
Opening Reception: January 30, 2025 4:30-7:30pm

About the exhibition: "Before These Witnesses," curated by Tim Stark, is a show about the pomp and circumstance of weddings. Often considered a major life event, I'm interested in the aesthetic, political, and social aspects of marking the documentation and celebration of this moment. Who is (or is not) included in these moments and why?

It is my most ambitious show to date, with sculptural elements, incredibly labor intensive aspects like embroidery and so so many flowers. The photos are from all over the world, from the late 19th century onward, both straight and queer couplings. I'm so grateful for the support and care of Tim Stark with my work, and the last couple of years have been working towards this exhibit.

About the artist: From Los Angeles, California, Daisy Patton moved back and forth between Oklahoma and California during her childhood. Inquisitive and an avid reader, she spent much of her early years perusing adventure and detective tales, history and art history books, and ghost stories. The effects of this youth soaked in such specific cultural landscapes continue today.

Patton scrutinizes the lines between history and mythology, between memory and perceived experience, and between intrinsic behavior and learned tendencies. Her work explores the meaning and social conventions of families, little discussed or hidden histories, and what it is to be a person living in our contemporary world.

Instagram: daisy_patton
Website: www.daisypatton.com

Charles (Chuck) Parson
Altars to the Earth Solo Exhibition

What: Solo exhibition
Where: Pace Gallery - 20000 Pikes Peak Avenue, Parker, CO, 80138
When: On display through February 23, 2025

About the exhibit: This is my 82nd One person Exhibition. In conjunction with this series of works is a new, self-published book, "On the Edge; A Capulin Experience", which gives a verbal context to many of the artworks on display that were developed Ianthe Fall of 2023 while an Artist in Residence at the remote New Mexico Capulin Volcano National Monument. These works , along with newer works developed back in my Denver studio are responsive to that experience, providing 65 works of dimensional drawings, plein air studies, and sculptures.

About the artist: CHARLES (Chuck) PARSON studied at the A.E. Backus Studio in Florida from 1962-66; he received his BFA in 1970 from the Kansas City Art Institute with a major in Painting and Drawing and a minor in Printmaking. He was awarded a MFA from Cranbrook Academy of Art in 1972 with a major in Painting and a minor in Materials Technology.

He has over 80 one-person exhibits throughout the U.S., along with an extensive participation in group exhibits, as well as large-scale installations and monumental public sculptures which have been seen in places such as New York City, Chicago, and Kansas City.

Parson has juried local, regional and national art exhibitions including such venues as the Colorado Cherry Creek Arts Festival, The Milwaukee Art Museum Festival, The Cocoa Beach Arts Festival and the Annual Colorado Contemporary Art Competition. He has performed workshops, classes and lectured nationally on the state of the arts and the diverse role of creativity in our culture. He has just retired this spring as a Professor of Art at an urban college in the Denver area, after teaching many years throughout the region.

Contact: cparson.art@gmail.com
Website: www.charlesparsonart.com

Melody Epperson
Meandering Solo Exhibition

What: Solo exhibition
Where: D'art Gallery - 900 Santa Fe Dr, Denver, CO 80204
When: February 12 - March 8, 2025
Opening Reception: Friday, February 21, 6-9pm

About the exhibition: Join us for the unveiling of Meandering, a deeply personal art exhibition by Melody Epperson. This collection of abstract encaustic paintings reflects Melody’s ongoing exploration of farms and open spaces, where nature’s rhythms guide her creative process. The series features handmade natural inks harvested from the farms of the Eastern Plains, along with other carefully selected pigments.

Meandering invites viewers to experience the connection between land, history, and the artist’s ancestors who once farmed this soil. The layers of wax and pigment evoke the stories of the earth, while abstract lines mirror the meditative process of reconnecting with nature. Come explore the layers, textures, and stories of the land that shape Melody’s work.

About the artist: Born and raised in Colorado, Melody has spent her life in the arts. She studied ceramics and printmaking in college and received her BFA from Metropolitan State College in Communication Design. She went on to study Integrated Arts at both Columbia College Chicago and Goddard College.

Currently, Melody shows her artwork at D’Art Gallery in Denver Co. From 2021-2023 she served as President of the Women’s Caucus for Art Colorado and currently sits on the board of ArtSource Colorado.

She received the Mac Arthur Goodwin Award for Distinguished Service Within the Profession in 2021. In 2023 she received the P.S. You Are Here Grant from Denver Arts and Venues for her “Tree Tales” installation in trees at Denver’s La Alma Park. Melody is proud to have worked with a variety of organizations such as 40 West Arts, Arts and Culture Adams County, Littleton Arts, Salida Arts Counsel and Trinidad El Corizon Arts District to provide art and arts programming.

Website: www.melodyepperson.com
Instagram: melody.epperson