Join us for a special opportunity on the last day of the exhibition. Open case talk with Alicia Bailey, will be an intimate look at the work included in the exhibition, and the insider perspective on putting together the inaugural exhibition for InterOcean Studios.

Saturday, April 2, 2022
Talk will be held from 4:00 PM 6:00 PM with time for questions.

Curatorial Statement, Alicia Bailey

It has been an honor as well as great fun to curate this inaugural exhibition for the gallery at InterOcean Studio. So energizing to participate in a reconfiguration of the existing workspace of Ray Tomasso (1949 - 2020) into a facility that will host workshops, visiting artist residencies, and curated exhibitions in the areas of handmade paper, letterpress printing, and book arts. This is an especially welcome opportunity as these disciplines are underdeveloped in both educational opportunities and visibility in Denver metro.

First, a bit of backstory. Inter Ocean Curiosity Studio was owned and operated for many decades in Englewood, Colorado, by Ray Tomasso. I met Ray in 1978, when we were students (he a graduate student, I an undergraduate student) in the printmaking department at the University of Colorado, Boulder. While Ray's home base remained in Colorado, he achieved international recognition, primarily for his work in handmade paper, with an emphasis on paper casting. At Inter Ocean Curiosity Studio he developed a robust internship program, training students in papermaking and letterpress printing. It is fitting that the work he started is able to continue through the resources provided by Ray's widow, Diane, and InterOcean Studio director Rhiannon Alpers.

My intent for Momentum is to showcase as broad a range of approach to these three areas as can be managed in a single show. I've selected works from six Colorado artists, including myself, each with a different approach to working with hand made paper, letterpress printing, and/or book arts.