The William Havu Gallery is one of Denver’s oldest and most well-known contemporary galleries. Over the past four decades they’ve provided a space for creativity to thrive, curating exhibitions with a focus on realism and abstraction. Representing a long list of established and emerging artists, the Havu Gallery is a conduit for regional talent. Their latest series, titled Women in Abstraction, features works from six highly acclaimed artists. This is an all-women’s exhibition, showcasing recent additions to the roster including Lola Montejo, Sheryl Zacharia, and Margaret Pettee-Olsen, alongside alumni artists Monroe Hodder, Amy Metier, and Laura Wait.

Monroe Hodder, Break First Light. Courtesty of the William Havu Gallery

Monroe Hodder is a visual artist currently based in New York. She holds an MBA from Stanford University and an MFA from the San Francisco Art Institute. Hodder approaches painting like recalling a fond memory: with passion, vigor, and illustrious detail. She builds her works with the canvas as a foundation, stacking layer after layer of images full of personal and metaphorical significance to form chaotic narratives. Her works often come out as memories do; complex, partially obscured, and full of emotions that can’t quite be put into words. Her selected paintings center around the effects of climate change.

Amy Metier, Iteration. Courtesty of the William Havu GalleryAmy Metier, Iteration. Courtesty of the William Havu Gallery

Amy Metier is local artist and board member at the Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art. She earned a BFA from Colorado State University and an MFA from the University of Colorado. Metier specializes in oil paintings and has an incredible eye for color. Her paintings are filled with vibrant hues that are accented with more subtle, muted tones. Some works depict brilliant explosions bursting out from liner patterns. Others are swirls of color with no clear boundaries or subject. Metier has been featured in thirteen solo shows, seven of them at the Havu Gallery. She has also been awarded residencies in Ireland, France, Italy, and Vermont.

Lola Montejo, System Shutdown. Courtesty of the William Havu Gallery

Lola Montejo is an abstract expressionist and an adjunct professor at Front Range Community College. She holds a BFA from MSU Denver and an MFA from Azusa Pacific University in California. Montejo has led a life of extensive travel and exploration, providing a wide range of diverse influences. Her works include cubist, modernist, and impressionist elements, and incorporate contrasting colors, shapes, and materials. This is Montejo’s inaugural show at this venue.

Margaret Pettee-Olsen, Floating Redactions. Courtesty of the William Havu GalleryMargaret Pettee-Olsen, Floating Redactions. Courtesty of the William Havu Gallery

Margaret Pettee-Olsen is a visual artist based in Colorado. She holds a master’s degree in studio practice and arts pedagogy from Columbia University. Her artistic career began in printmaking, but eventually turned towards painting. Pettee-Olsen specializes in large scale abstracts, easily recognized by her use of synthetic polymers and reflective pigments. She paints bold linear patterns that fade into fluid, undefined forms, eventually melding seamlessly into the background.

Laura Wait, Under the Garden I. Courtesty of the William Havu Gallery

Laura Wait is an artist, print maker, and bookbinder. She graduated cum laude from Barnard College with a BA in art history. She often incorporates graffiti, numeric symbols, and calligraphy into her paintings. Her works take on a collage-like feeling, drawing on man’s innate relation to written symbols. Wait’s style evokes deep emotion and powerful mental imagery. She has been featured in collections throughout the United States and Japan.

Sheryl Zacharia, Mondrian Moon. Courtesty of the William Havu Gallery

Sheryl Zacharia is an artist, sculptor, singer and songwriter based in Santa Fe. She studied painting at Southampton College and went on to pursue a career in music. Years later, she returned to visual art and began working with clay. Now she takes the abstract shapes and geometric designs from her paintings and transforms them into ceramic sculptures. Zacharia’s works have been featured in collections nationwide.

This series offers audiences a multifaceted view of the latest trends in abstraction and pairs new additions to the roster with resident favorites. You can see Women in Abstraction now through July 27^th. The William Havu Gallery is located at 1040 Cherokee Street in Denver. Hours are 10-6 pm, Tuesday thru Friday, and 11-5 pm on Saturday. For more information visit www.williamhavugallery.com.

Jared Herzing Creative Arts Editor

Jared is a local content contributor and aspiring author. He was fortunate enough to grow up in Golden, Colorado and graduated from MSU Denver. While an insatiable love of travel lures him all over the world, his roots remain firmly planted here. He enjoys writing short stories, poetry, children's books, societal observations, and everything else. A nature enthusiast and sunshine connoisseur, Jared is perfectly at home on any mountaintop or patio. He frequents art galleries and concerts, poetry readings and breweries, museums and bookstores. When he isn't making neighbors cringe at his musical attempts he can be found on a snowboard or sailboat, depending on the day. A perpetual adventurer and eternal patron of the road less traveled.