DENVER — Growth of a city can be seen through all sorts of lenses. Some find a changing skyline to be exciting, others might find it upsetting.
“That’s history changing and showing us kind of the different ways of growth and development,” said Samantha Johnston, the executive director of the Colorado Photographic Arts Center, which has been in Denver for 55 years.
The center recently worked with the Denver Architecture Foundation to put together an online photo contest and exhibition called Y/OUR Denver. The show’s 30 photographs from 28 different photographers show some iconic buildings like the state’s Capitol building as well as others that might not be as well known. Many of the photos show angles and curves most might not see while walking by.
“I hope that it teaches people about the incredible beauty and richness of our architecture, it’s history, and how much we have to celebrate,” said Pauline Herrera Serianni, the executive director of the Denver Architecture Foundation. “That’s part of our city’s growth—architecture is getting better because we are able to attract more international architects, and really elevate the city’s architectural inventory in that way.”
The photo contest and exhibit are part of the Denver Architecture Foundation’s 2018 Doors Open Denver event, which opens up more that 60 of the city’s buildings to attendees. Herrera Serianni said this year, 11,000 people attended the event.
The photography contest is an extension of the event, and this year the foundation paired with the Colorado Photographic Arts Center for the first time. Johnston curated the show.
“It was really fun to see those different viewpoints of those iconic buildings throughout the city,” Johnston said.
Y/OUR Denver is an online only exhibit, that’s free to view.
“It’s just that click of a few buttons and you’re on the website, and then you can kind of scroll through and you can sit from the comfort of your own home,” Johnston said.
The exhibit is up on both the Colorado Photographic Arts Center’s website through Dec. 31, 2018, and on the Denver Architecture Foundation’s website through Feb. 28, 2019.