The Spaces Between: Space Through Play, Memory, and Expression

Launching our new artist-curated series during Denver Arts Week with a group exhibition exploring childhood.

The Spaces Between is a group exhibition curated by Denver artist Johnny Draco that examines how childhood environments shape memory, identity, and creative expression. On view at the RiNo ArtPark Gallery & Welcome Center from November 6, 2026, through January 8, 2027, the exhibition brings together seven Denver-based artists whose work considers the relationship between the places we grow up and the people we become. 

The public exhibition officially opens on Friday, November 6, with an opening reception presented as part of Denver Arts Week.

The exhibition explores the contrast between indoor spaces, often associated with familiarity and structure, and outdoor environments, where play and discovery take shape. Rather than treating these settings as separate worlds, The Spaces Between considers what happens in the transition between them: how imagination develops, how our surroundings inform our sense of belonging, and how childhood experiences continue to influence us over time.

Presented as part of RiNo Art District’s artist-curated exhibition series, the show also creates space for local artists to take on curatorial roles and bring their perspectives to the gallery. Draco’s approach extends beyond the artwork on the walls, incorporating food and music into the opening reception as additional forms of creative expression and community connection.

Featured Artists

The exhibition features works be seven visual artists: A.L. Grime, Jazz Holmes, Johnny Draco, Olive Moya, Rob Hill, Shadae Hunt, and Tyree Jones-Evans. Working across distinct visual practices, the artists approach the exhibition’s themes from different perspectives, bringing together interpretations of identity, environment, memory, and cultural experience.

Opening Night Guest Collaborators (November 6 Only)

For the November 6 opening reception, the visual exhibition is activated through an exclusive culinary and sound collaboration:

• Guest Chef: Michael Diaz de Leon (Molino Chido)
• Guest DJ: DJ KDO

Food plays a special role during the November 6 opening reception through a collaboration with Chef Michael Diaz de Leon of Molino Chido. Draco selected Diaz de Leon for the opening after seeing him serve his neighborhood from a hot dog cart at a Fourth of July cookout in 2025. The experience highlighted how a shared meal can bring people together, informing Draco’s decision to incorporate culinary arts into the exhibition’s opening.

A first-generation Mexican American raised in El Paso, Texas, Diaz de Leon draws on his cultural background and relationship with community through his work as a chef. His participation on opening night broadens the exhibition’s focus on creative expression, connecting visual art with the storytelling and shared experiences that food can foster.

Music shapes the opening reception atmosphere through Denver-based producer, curator, and open-format artist DJ KDO. Drawing on his background as a classically trained percussionist, he blends southern hip-hop and R&B with house and disco influences to create groove-driven electronic sets that bring an immersive, creative energy to opening night.

Opening Reception Details

Opening Reception: November 6, 2026 (Denver Arts Week)

Join the RiNo Art District on Friday, November 6, from 5 to 9 p.m. for the free public opening reception of The Spaces Between at the RiNo ArtPark Gallery & Welcome Center, celebrated in conjunction with Denver Arts Week.

The evening will feature live sets by DJ KDO and food from Chef Michael Diaz de Leon of Molino Chido, available for purchase outdoors on the RiNo ArtPark Plaza. Refreshments will also be served.

The reception brings the exhibition into a social setting, with art, music, and food coming together in a public gathering shaped by Draco’s curatorial vision.

RSVP for the November 6 opening reception

Exhibition Details

The Spaces Between will remain on view through January 8, 2027, at the RiNo ArtPark Gallery & Welcome Center, located at 1900 35th St. in Denver. The gallery is open Tuesday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., with extended hours until 4 p.m. on Fridays, and visits by appointment.

The gallery will be closed November 23–29 for Thanksgiving week and December 21, 2026, through January 4, 2027, reopening January 5 for the exhibition’s final days. Admission is free and open to the public.