The First Friday Of September

I attended the First Friday of September Art Walk on Santa Fe Boulevard here in Denver last night, and the streets were packed.  I thought the crowds were a little sparse last month, but the street was closed to traffic that night and people had a lot more room to wander.  This time Santa Fe Boulevard was open to traffic, and the sidewalks were jammed.  In any case, I walked past The Room of Lost Things, and noticed that Santa Claus was prominently displayed out in front. It is, after all, September, which I assume is now the traditional start of the Christmas shopping season.  In any case, I took a look inside, and the place was jammed wall to wall with people.  As far as I could tell, the place has a lot of weird stuff, such as the skeleton of a baby alligator enclosed in glass, and that was one of the more ordinary items on display.  I decided not to go inside, because I doubted I would be able to get out again if I did.

Just down the block is Veterans of Foreign Wars Post I, which allows artists to display their work on the first Friday of every month.  And yes, VFW Post I is indeed the first VFW Post in the country, founded in 1899. For many years it was located near the corner of 20th and Market Streets, and existed there inconspicuously when the neighborhood was considered "questionable."  Then the city built Coors Field around the corner, and they were forced to move, replaced by The View House, a trendy bar in what is now known as "The Ballpark Neighborhood."  In any case, I was happy to see that Jim Stevens was exhibiting his work there last night.  I have featured Jim on this Blog before.  He is a legally blind artist who lost his sight in 1993, as a result of an injury he received in Vietnam in 1970.  He paints strips of monofilament and hangs them in rows to create the artwork seen (along with Jim and a potential customer) in the photograph on the right.  His work is really good, especially considering the handicap he labors under. Check out Jim's story at http://www.westword.com/arts/blind-artist-jim-stevens-got-a-black-belt-and-found-his-vision-7443613 .