Art Gym Denver is happy to announce the opening of its second gallery space, Common Space Gallery, with the opening of (Tac)tile, an exhibition of new works by member artists Matthew Swisher and Kelly Austin-Rollo in conjunction with the Denver Month of Printmaking.

Both artists are printmakers exploring other mediums. Kelly Austin-Rolo is a contemporary artist working in encaustic. A recent transplant from New York, her work explores the natural world and our man-made landscapes and cityscapes. Kelly’s cyclical process of creation to destruction, back to to creation, allows her to play with the colors and wax, working their shapes over time, resulting in organic and harmonious forms. Kelly explains, “I am inspired by the unending possibilities that creating with wax allows me. From building up…creating texture, to scraping and fusing with a torch and creating smooth, glass like surfaces, every day brings something new. I can constantly learn about this medium and all the possible techniques.”

Matthew Swisher is a Denver-based artist from the Bay Area, CA who received his BFA from the University of Denver in 2015. Though his primary medium is printmaking, Matthew jumps between various media including installation, performance, photography, encaustic, and digital art. Matthew views art as a “language of the commons”, and from this public cultural space grows the opportunity for horizontal exchange of ideas and dialogue. His work often focuses on political themes and creating grass-roots connections. Matthew says, “My goal is to give people something meaningful to hold: visually with their eyes, emotionally with their experience, enthusiastically with their imaginations.”