FINE ARTS, Can’t miss
Five art shows you need to see around Denver this summer
The Artistry of Roland Bernier, Lone Tree Arts Center, through Sept. 19
This moderately sized retrospective of work by Roland Bernier is one of the surprise shows of summer 2025. Bernier, who died in 2015, was for decades one of Colorado’s most significant artistic voices, as well as an enthusiastic advocate for the cultural scene in Denver. He is best known for works that combined abstract painting and text, bringing together two trends that dominated American art in the 20th century.
This show, part of the center’s “Commissioner’s Choice” exhibition series — which makes the most of the theater’s outer lobby spaces — taps work from three series Bernier created in the late 1980s and early 1990s, titled “Abstract,” “Graffiti” and “Arty Fax.” That makes it a swell look-back for both fans and newcomers to the artist because it displays his most popular styles, combining hyper-bright colors, geometric color blocks and mysterious threads of text. The works can be a challenge — and a joy — to decipher.
More info: 720-509-1000 or lonetreeartscenter.org