Ectoplasmas de los Fantasmas, presented by Los Fantasmas Artist Collective

March 8th-May 3rd, 2024

Ectoplasmas de los Fantasmas open March 8, 2024 at the Firehouse Art Center for the Month of Printmaking. The exhibit showcases the work of 6 artists, all members of Los Fantasmas Artist Collective.

“Los Fantasmas Artist Collective was formed in the late 1990’s as a response to the local art scene that, in our view, treated BIPoc artists as “fantasmas” or “ghosts”. We observed the contributions of BIPoc folks in society as unseen. From the creatives working for our communities, to the people who work in kitchens and grow our food, to those who arrive at night, cleaning and providing services to make the lives of the privileged easier.” states Grace Gutierrez, guest curator for Ectoplasmas de los Fantasmas.

“Contrary to the lack of evidence these workers leave, Los Fantasmas celebrates the cultural contribution of these ghosts with Ectoplasmas de los Fantasmas. Ectoplasm, a supposed substance that ghosts or spirits expel, a gooey, spiritual energy, is our imagined trace that BIPoc individuals’ contributions leave behind. For this exhibition these 6 artists work in the form of printmaking and inking techniques, the ink representing the ectoplasm of our cultural experiences, allowing those unseen to take up space and make a mark.”

Ectoplasmas displays both solo works from the artists of LFAC, as well as collaborative works highlighting their group engagement.

Artist Bios:
Tony Diego
Tony Diego is an artist that has lived and worked in Colorado for nearly 50 years. Tony earned his Fine Arts Degree with a Human Services Minor from Metropolitan State University in Denver, Colorado. He has directed youth art and restitution programs in urban and rural Colorado for over 20 years, as well as men’s healing groups that promote connections and respect of our mother earth and the ancestors who have come before us. Tony’s current works cross over from conceptual art to artivism. Using indigenous images and focusing on scenes from the southern US, Mexico and South America Tony seeks to enrich the viewing experience while offering opportunities to see our world through a critical lens.

Carlos Fresquez
Carlos has exhibited in over 30 U.S. states and over a dozen different countries. He has lectured about Chicano Art history and his own artwork at many colleges, universities, galleries and art centers including Ohio Wesleyan University, The Bronx Museum, Las Bellas Artes in Mexico City and The National Museum of American Art -The Smithsonian. Selected traveling exhibitions; Arte Caliente (2005-2007); The Colorado Artist Fellowship Awards Exhibition (1997); The Chicano Codices; Encountering Art of the Americas (1992-1994); Rasquachismo; Chicano Aesthetics (1988-1989); and the groundbreaking exhibition; CARA – Chicano Art: Resistance and Affirmation (1990-1993).

https://www.carlosfresquez.com/

Grace Gutierrez
Grace Gutierrez is a Longmont, Colorado based artist working in a variety of mediums including painting, ceramics, sculpture, and video art. Her work celebrates her mixed-race, Chicanxa identity, and is a response to deeply personal experiences as well as her family’s experiences navigating culture, heritage, and stereotypes. She is inspired by Mexican folk art, folklore, and literature. Constant reflection of community and cultural pride helps Grace build sentimental narratives to encourage empathy, equity, and pride within our communities. Grace was born and raised in Longmont, Colorado where she still resides, working to expand creative opportunities for local artists. Grace received her BFA with an emphasis in painting and ceramics from Metropolitan State University of Denver in 2020.

https://www.gracegutierrezstudio.com.

Josiah Lee Lopez

Josiah Lee Lopez was born in Denver Colorado. He graduated from University of Colorado at Boulder with an MFA in Studio Arts. He has shown his artwork since 1998 across the United States and Internationally. Josiah’s work has elements of graffiti, fine arts and graphic design, and he uses the street as an inspiration in much of his work that touches on the complicated narratives of urban Identity.

https://www.josiahleelopez.com/

Izzy Lozano 

Izzy has worked as an artist and art educator in the city of Denver for the past 25 years. He has exhibited his work as far west as California and his work belongs to a number of  prestigious collections as far east as Philadelphia. He has worked for the Denver Public Schools system for the past 17 years in a variety of situations and demographics, from private to public and alternative, across the metro area. Izzy has worked for institutions such as the Art Student League, the Lakewood Cultural Center and Metropolitan State University. Under the guidance and supervision of Eduardo Diaz, Executive Director of Latino Smithsonian in Washington, D.C., Izzy has been a guest speaker in the summers of 2014 and 2015. He is currently the owner and operator of a small residential painting company while teaching Watercolor, Acrylic, and Oil Painting at the Lakewood Cultural Center and Washington Heights Art Center.

Justin Maes

Justin Roman Maes, was raised in both Northwest Denver and in the mountainous lands of his indigenous ancestors – Northern New Mexico. In 2008 Justin received his BFA from Metro State University of Denver with an emphasis in printmaking and a minor in art history. From 2008-2011 Justin attended the University of Wisconsin, Madison on fellowship where he received his MA and MFA with an emphasis in studio art and visual culture. While exhibiting his work and developing DIY art spaces, Justin discovered that art is flourishing in much less prestigious environments, and he strived to be seen and recognized in many ways that would be dismissed by academia. He realized that his mission was to uplift brown and indigenous artists; ones who didn’t go to art school, ones who didn’t have art studios and residencies and regular showings for their work. Justin then found a job at a local frame shop, ABC Custom Framing, and 2 years later acquired the business with the support of his family. The basement of ABC became a hub for black and brown artists and musicians. Justin’s own studio became a place where he regularly recorded music with friends and acquaintances. Seven years later there are 6 employees and 5 artists in residence who make up the Hideout Gallery/ABC family, forging a new path for a relationship with art.

https://www.instagram.com/abc_custom_framing/

Opening Reception: March 8, 6pm-8pm

Secondary Reception: March 24, 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Artist Talk: March 24, 3:00 PM
Join the artists from Ectoplasmas de los Fantasmas as they discuss printmaking, process, and artmaking as it pertains to social commentary and creating community.

On view March 8 through May 3, 2024.