COLORADO SPRINGS, CO — Friday, August 23, 2024 — 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.

Media Contact:

Elyce Gronseth
Assistant Director of Marketing & Communications
Ent Center for the Arts at UCCS
egronset@uccs.edu

About the Galleries of Contemporary Art (GOCA): A regional hub for contemporary art, culture, and conversation, GOCA produces dynamic exhibitions and programs that connect national, international, and regional artists with the community. GOCA operate two galleries within the Ent Center for the Arts including an incubator for emerging artists. Visit entarts.org/gallery

About the Ent Center for the Arts: Located on the UCCS campus, the Ent Center for the Arts is a first-class facility fostering creativity and collaboration. It serves as a central space for the arts, bringing together diverse ideas and people. Visit entarts.org