summer 2020

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Black in Denver takes a critical look at identity. The portraits are of unique individuals, both locals and transplants. The background colors are as vibrant and varied as the community here. Each color repeats intentionally, representing our unity and interdependence.

Series participants offer poignant, poetic, and revealing accounts of life in Denver, ranging from the importance of community building to taking up space in an ever-evolving city. As a whole, this series shows that Denver’s Black community fosters a culture of authenticity.

Black in Denver supports and demonstrates the notion that blackness, and identity in general, is not a monolith. In a society where Black people are often stereotyped and seen as homogenous, the artist hopes to change the narrative and raise awareness about the power of being one’s self.⁣

By John Moore, Senior Arts Journalist

"Amplify" means to intensify, escalate and magnify a sound that needs to be cranked up.

On Friday, June 26, the Arvada Center will launch a new line of online programming called “Amplify,” a summer-long video series giving voice to Black men through song, performance, dance and spoken word. Specifically: Black men whose voices have not yet been heard loudly enough, at the Arvada Center or beyond.