Fire Arts Festival Preview: "Tune Into Health" at DAVA

Susan Jenson, executive director of Downtown Aurora Visual Arts talks to gallery students last November.
(Photo by Heather L. Smith / The Aurora Sentinel)

The Fire Arts Festival will hit the Aurora Arts District on East Colfax Avenue this weekend, complete with gallery openings, live iron pours to a half marathon. We'll be running regular previews about the many events that will be on tap in Aurora this weekend, including exhibitions, staged readings and outdoor fun.

Healthy living will be a recurring theme in a gallery exhibit by the city’s youngest artists that’s set to debut this weekend.

Students from the Downtown Aurora Visual Arts Gallery will premiere their “Tune Into Health” exhibit during the “Art On the Fax” walk planned from 5 to 8 p.m. on May 13. The exhibit will feature a variety of drawings, paintings and mixed media pieces with a common message: the importance of making healthy lifestyle choices.

The show will include artwork from middle school students enrolled in DAVA’s Job Training and Computer Arts programs. The works stress the importance of healthy relationships, good nutrition, regular exercise and the dangers of substance abuse for individuals and families. One of the student groups created a multi-media installation on the computer, manipulating their words and silhouettes to create unique exhibit pieces.

For 17 years, DAVA has offered local youth a place to gather after school and work on building their artistic skills at their gallery off East Colfax Avenue.

The “Tune Into Health” exhibit will open with a reception from 4 to 8 p.m. on Friday May 13 at the DAVA gallery, 1405 Florence St. The exhibit will run until July 1; gallery hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, or by appointment. For more information, call 303-367-5886 or log on to www.davarts.org.