How a RiNo Made Pop-Up residency helped painter Shadae Hunt find confidence, community, and creative purpose
Shadae Hunt has always wanted to help people — there was even a time she thought she might become a doctor.
Then, during her senior year in high school, she took on an art project involving special needs students. “I did a painting of them and I had them sign in and put their hand prints on it,” she remembers. “It's hanging up in the school. And I think I realized that creativity was more my avenue in life.” She started to sense there were other paths she could take and still fulfill her purpose in a way that felt more organic to her.
Eight years later, Hunt is a painter primarily using traditional oil and acrylic paints to express herself and tell true stories drawn from her life. “Finding my style was something that was so important to me,” she says. “I always wanted to be an artist that had something that was signature and personal to her.”
In August 2025, Hunt was selected to participate in a RiNo Made Pop-Up, a residency for local artists organized by RiNo Art District. “I'm all for residencies,” Hunt says. “I think that is the best, best way to meet other artists.” Hunt says she naturally gravitates toward working solo, but the Pop-Up helped her connect to her community and climb out of her shell. “It just came at a time where I was really unsure of myself and my art,” she adds. “The painting that I made was a breaking point for me. It was so amazing to have a space, a big enough space where I can create any kind of art that I wanted.”
RiNo Made Pop-Ups aim to activate unoccupied retail spaces, a concept which particularly attracted Hunt. “I thought that was so amazing because it ties together all of the community. It ties together artists, it ties together these businesses, it ties together just people just walking by. I have never seen anything like that.”
“Working with Shadae Hunt through the RiNo Made Pop-Up Artist Residency was a reminder of what can happen when artists are given the resources, trust, and support to fully invest in their practice,” says Kiah Butcher, Exhibitions & Programs Manager at RiNo Art District. Butcher oversees RiNo Made Pop-Ups and selects artists for festivals and cultural events. “Shadae approached the residency with remarkable tenacity, curiosity, and care, immersing herself in every aspect of the opportunity. She embraced the time and space to experiment, reflect, and push her work forward while actively engaging with her artist cohort and the arts community in Denver.”
Hunt certainly engaged with her artist cohort, and made connections that have lasted. “Everybody that I met at the Pop-Up I still talk to to this day, but Sam specifically was the best person ever to meet,” Hunt says, referring to multidisciplinary artist Sam Grabowska, who worked alongside Hunt in their storefront Pop-Up. “They're so amazing. I love how they have so much passion for their work.”
Hunt’s relationship with the RiNo Art District didn’t end with her Pop Up — she recently took on her first-ever vending opportunity at May’s First Friday Festival. “I’ve gotten a couple opportunities for vending, but specifically because I was tied to RiNo and I love what they were doing, that was one of the main parts of my decision,” she explains. Gusts of May wind didn’t dampen her experience — instead, she found that vending offered her a different way to connect with art lovers. “I'm used to gallery spaces, where people want to learn about your art and just walk away,” she explains, saying that festivalgoers seemed to speak to all of the participating artists longer, to truly immerse themselves and get to know them as people.
“As an arts administrator, one of the most important things I can provide is connection—to fellow artists, to resources, and to opportunities for growth,” says Butcher. “The RiNo Made residency is built on the belief that artists thrive when they have dedicated time, creative space, and a network of support. Artists like Shadae and all of the other RiNo Made cohort artists demonstrate why it is so critical for arts districts, businesses, and our RiNo/Denver community to continue creating spaces where local artists can grow, take risks, and feel genuinely supported.”