Navajo Street brings the art

Just north of campus lies a rugged and thriving art scene. The Navajo Street Art District, on Navajo Street and 37th near the Regency, is home to a few of Denver’s best-hidden landmarks.

A savory mixture of food, art, and entertainment come together to give this district an interesting and nostalgic feel.

Over 80 years ago, a local Italian family opened an Italian restaurant on Navajo. Despite a few modifications over the years, it remains open to this day and still serves authentic Italian cuisine under the name Patsy’s.

Along the same side of the street is Pirate Gallery, which just last month featured work from CU Denver’s own sculpture professor and gallery member Michael Brohman.

On the corner sits one of Navajo’s newest additions, Next Gallery. Since 2006, Next has been providing the people of Denver with unique abstract art that is available for perusing on the weekends.

Across the street from Next is the Edge Gallery, which, keeping its theme with the rest of the architecture on the block, is a very old brick building that has been converted to an art space.

Edge’s full-time members also include some names from UCD, including instructor Rian Kerrane and sculpture student Laura Phelps Rogers. Students enrolled in Maymester this last summer also enjoyed the using space of this gallery to exhibit the work they created in the new Iron Pouring and Performance course.

The neighbor to Edge Gallery is one of the most peculiar venues in our city, the Bug Theater. This particular theater has been known to host events ranging from stand-up comedy to performing cats, live music to acting classes.

The type of crowd that an establishment such as the Bug Theater attracts may not be the same as those who visit the galleries surrounding it. However, the general passion for art is present in the packed schedule and wide spectrum of performances. With a capacity of approximately 160, the Bug Theater can even be rented out for those looking for a space to show a film or host a concert.

The eclectic group of establishments along Navajo Street has been drawing in Denverites for nearly 100 years and it has a selection of one-of-a-kind locations that are not to be missed.