NewsOur Colorado

Actions

What's that?: Negro Leagues art exhibit opens at McNichols Civic Center

Shades of Greateness exhibit.jfif
Posted at 10:24 AM, Jul 16, 2021
and last updated 2021-07-16 12:31:21-04

Editor's Note: 'Our Colorado' helps us all navigate the challenges related to growth while celebrating life in the state we love. To comment on this or other Our Colorado stories, email us at OurCO@TheDenverChannel.com. See more 'Our Colorado' stories here.

DENVER – As MLB All-Star Game week events wrap up, an art exhibit inspired by the Negro Leagues will remain open for several more weeks.

Shades of Greatness, a traveling art exhibit inspired by Negro Leagues Baseball is currently on display at McNichols Civic Center in downtown Denver.

In 2003, the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City, Mo., made the exhibit available to the public.

President of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum Bob Kendrick said the exhibit features 35 original works of art created by 28 diverse artists from all over the United States.

“I think what makes this exhibit so powerful is the diversity in this exhibition. You have Black, white, and Hispanic artists. You also have young, old, men, and women,” Kendrick said. “They all saw the Negro Leagues through different lenses and it comes across beautifully in this collection.”

The exhibit opened during the week leading up to the MLB All-Star Game and will be in Denver until September 7.

Less than a block from McNichols Civic Center, another art installation is open and free to the public.

This year, Denver's Black Love Mural Festival has returned to Civic Center Park.

The curator for the exhibit is called "Rob the Art Museum", a company dedicated to making art more accessible to underserved communities.

One of the featured artists, Elijah Minton, also known as the Art Alchemist, said he enjoyed taking part in this year's festival.

"I painted the entire pandemic to be honest...but as a whole, it's nice to see everybody coming along and joining me now," Minton said.

The murals will remain on display until August 1.

Denver7 is committed to exploring the growth we are all experiencing in Our Colorado. We want to know what you're seeing and what questions you have about what's to come in your community. If you notice a new project and you want to know more, email us at OurCO@TheDenverChannel.com and ask, "What's that?" Every week, we'll take your questions and see what we can find out.