Where Creativity Gathers

There’s a romantic archetype of the solitary artist, toiling alone in their studio on the fringes of society, but that’s mostly a misconception. In truth, community has always been integral to the creative process. The Art Students League of Denver (ASLD), a long-standing pillar of the city’s cultural infrastructure, epitomizes this communal aspect of art-making. Founded in 1987, ASLD’s art curriculum extends from youth classes to advanced workshops for adults and encompasses the entire spectrum of visual artistic disciplines, serving over 900 students every month. The organization also mounts exhibitions, hosts visiting artists-in-residence, offers scholarships, and organizes year-round, world-class programming. ASLD’s upcoming Summer Art Market, which takes place this year from August 22 to 23 and will showcase nearly 200 local artists, provides critical funding for the nonprofit’s many initiatives, while also offering first-hand exposure to its vibrant arts ecosystem.

“Denver has a lot of creative districts,” says Victoria Eubanks, who’s been an ASLD instructor for 15 years. “Our city’s arts scene is also pretty widespread. It’s not only in downtown Denver—it’s in Englewood, Aurora, and out in Lakewood. RedLine has its niche, the MCA mounts fabulous shows, and then we have the galleries in the Santa Fe arts district.” ASLD functions as a crucial node within this wider cultural network by providing spaces for art-making in a supportive, welcoming environment that caters to all levels of experience. Eubanks’ students have run the gamut from doctors and lawyers to aspiring professional artists, but all of them share a curiosity for the creative process. “Everyone has the capacity to be creative,” she says.

Eubanks works in encaustic, an ancient art form dating back to the third century A.D., when Greek artisans living in Egypt used the technique to paint funerary portraits. Encaustic art requires specialized tools to heat wax, which is then applied to a backing such as canvas, resulting in semi-translucent layers that appear ethereal and nostalgic, with a dream-like quality. Eubanks’ work conveys the emotionality of everyday objects like old-fashioned kitchen chairs handed down from one generation to the next, which serve as symbols for loved ones whose absence is felt long after they’re gone. Her art has been shown in over 60 exhibitions and is in the collections of the University of Colorado (Boulder), PNC Bank, and the Denver Health Center, to name a few.

The ASLD faculty comprises 200 seasoned artists like Eubanks, who lead a range of classes in creative disciplines including book arts, ceramics, painting, printmaking, jewelry, fiber arts, and sculpture. The organization’s historic building in West Wash Park dates back to 1893 and originally served as a public school. Designed by noted architect Henry Dozier and known as the Sherman School, the historical landmark is one of the few Dozier structures still in existence. In 2025, ASLD expanded to Englewood’s CityCenter as part of the CitySpark initiative, which aims to revitalize the neighborhood through arts and entrepreneurship. ASLD’s Englewood branch includes a classroom and artist studios managed by CAST Colorado, further strengthening connections between local nonprofits, creatives, and the community.

Interweaving Cultures

Noel Ordonez, ASLD’s ceramics department technician, was first introduced to the organization when he signed himself and his wife up for a class during the tail end of the pandemic. Ordonez had never formally studied ceramics before, but the class ignited a passion that has since become both his creative and professional outlet. With a background in woodworking, as well as architecture and design, Ordonez began making his own ceramic tools. Today, in addition to his work with ASLD, he and his wife are the founders of ORDO Tools and Ceramics, which sells bespoke artisanal pottery tools and has collaborated with local businesses on custom ceramics inspired by Latin American cultures.

Ordonez’s wife hails from Guatemala, and he was born in northern Mexico’s Chihuahua region, not far from the ancient village of Paquimé, a UNESCO World Heritage Site with a rich tradition of ceramics. Ordonez’s father would occasionally work on clay projects that utilized open burn pits, which were common in both Paquimé and Pueblo pottery practices. This kind of cross-cultural exchange, through materials, methods, and motifs, continues to inspire Ordonez’s own work. It’s also a tradition fortified by ASLD’s programming, especially its “Atelier” excursions, which organize guided trips to artisan enclaves in Spain, the French Riviera, Finland, Estonia, Asia, and beyond.

This fall, ASLD faculty member Sammy Seung-min Lee, who was recently featured in a solo show at the MCA Denver, will lead an ASLD Atelier trip to Seoul, where she was born. Lee is a shining example of Denver’s flourishing creative community. Beyond her work at ASLD, she also runs SML | k, a contemporary art space in the Santa Fe cultural district; she’s served as an ambassador for Asian Art at the Denver Art Museum and is an alum of RedLine’s artist residency program. For ASLD’s Atelier program, Lee created an itinerary that connects art, food, cultural heritage, and various book-making techniques across South Korea’s capital city. Her work explores the porous nature of cultural heritage by interweaving themes of belonging, identity, and memory.

The Fountain of Youth

While some may view art as a luxury, studies have shown that both creating and interacting with art have proven physiological benefits. Researchers at University College London (UCL) recently found that regular exposure to art reduces biological aging by 4%. This means that “people were about a year younger, biologically, if they were regularly engaged in the arts,” explains Daisy Fancourt in an article published by NPR. Fancourt is a Professor of Psychobiology & Epidemiology and Head of the Social Biobehavioural Research Group at UCL, as well as UNESCO Chair in Arts & Global Health. Her work investigates the link between creative practices, cultural appreciation, and physical wellbeing, an urgent topic in an age when art is increasingly imperiled by both political policies and AI.

“I think that now, maybe more than ever before, it’s really the time to support and engage with people making things by hand,” Ordonez says. He feels the connections and conversations fostered by ASLD enhance his own creativity. Thanks to the community at ASLD, “My cup is full,” he says. Eubanks agrees, adding that the creative process makes space for the profound and the hopeful, and also allows new relationships to take root and blossom. While ASLD has a storied history and an established presence in Denver, every ecosystem requires care and cultivation, and the arts ecosystem is no different. Both Eubanks and Ordonez will be exhibiting at the Summer Art Market, which is Denver’s opportunity to show up and support the Art Students League of Denver, a vital source of creativity that’s enriched our community for 39 years and counting.