The Curtis Hotel Begins 5-Floor Mural Commission with Local Artist
NINE dot ARTS, working closely with design firm DLR Group, announces a five-floor, 1,600+ square-foot mural project in collaboration with Denver-based artist Forrest J. Morrison for The Curtis Hotel, co-owned and operated by Denver-based Sage Hospitality, located in downtown Denver. As part of Sage Hospitality’s art initiative that creates a mini-museum inside each and every Sage hotel, this mural project continues The Curtis Hotel’s commitment to local artists while branding the property as a one-of-a-kind, pop-culture experience for guests. Morrison, selected for the project from an invitational short list of a dozen other local artists, will create immersive experiences in each elevator lobby of the hotel’s parking garages from October 17 thru December 23, 2016.
Inspired by The Curtis Hotel’s close proximity to several cultural landmarks such as the Denver Performing Arts Complex and Denver Art Museum in addition to its location inside Denver’s Theatre District, Morrison explores the strata of the environment through art historical, parodical and pop cultural lenses. The first floor elevator lobby will reference Edward Hopper’s iconic Nighthawks painting while integrating scenes from inside The Corner Office as well as Denver’s skyline. François Boucher’s putti will float among clouds complete with selfie sticks, smart phones and headphones on floor 1A. Morrison will turn the second floor into Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel containing a self-absorbed Adam in addition to Slim Goodbody. The basement level will transform into Rembrandt’s The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Nicolaes Tulp but feature a tattoo parlor instead of a lecture room. The sub-basement will morph into Hieronymous Bosch’s depictions of purgatory and hell from The Garden of Earthly Delights populated with mid-century pop culture icons that have lost their glamour. The elevator door wall will be painted like an ancient Greek bust: when the elevator doors open, guests enter as if through the bust’s eye sockets.
This mural project ranks as one of the largest NINE dot ARTS has completed to date in a hospitality setting. “We always look to push ourselves and the artists we work with to the next level creatively,” says NINE dot ARTS’ CEO Martha Weidmann. She adds, “We have the processes, structure and funding in place to help artists scale up their work for these large projects. Clients like Sage really believe in the artists and the value of their work, which makes the end result that much better. The artist’s vision is honored, and the hotel benefits through guest engagement and community goodwill.” Morrison has painted murals for the Denver Urban Arts Fund as well as Youth on Record with the Denver Housing Authority. Of The Curtis Hotel project he says, “I’m a realist painter adept in many styles and I’m looking forward to showing off my chops.”
Guests of The Curtis Hotel are invited to see the painting in progress through the duration of the project. The public may follow the project’s progression through social media via the hashtags #thecurtismuralproject, #thecurtisgarageart or #forrestatthecurtis.
NINE dot ARTS bridges the gap between arts and business. We are an award-winning art advisory firm known for its curatorial creativity, management of large-scale multi-phase projects and forward-thinking vision. With knowledge and experience we curate inspiring art collections that show beauty, creativity and purpose. NINE dot ARTS uses the power of original art to transform ordinary spaces into one-of-a-kind experiences. NINE dot ARTS’ project roster includes Colorado Convention Center, Boston’s Hotel Commonwealth, Saint Joseph Hospital, Wheeler Trigg O’Donnell, SM Energy and TD Ameritrade, among others. The Huffington Post, Boston Globe, New York Post, Successful Meetings, Modern in Denver and The Denver Post have featured stories about NINE dot ARTS and its projects.
Forrest J. Morrison is an interdisciplinary artist based in Denver’s Art District on Santa Fe, where he serves as a board member. A fierce advocate for the arts, an experienced community organizer, mentor, muralist and studio artist, Morrison is dedicated to advancing opportunities and learning within the creative sector. Morrison’s artwork explores Western identity in drawing, sculpture and painting while incorporating nature, humor and historical references in a deconstructive approach. Working in a style that blends hyper-realism with elements of formalism and minimalism, his works are clean, nuanced and conceptually dynamic. Morrison’s work has been widely exhibited and will be featured in a solo exhibition in spring 2017 at Leon Gallery in Denver.
The Curtis Hotel is a boutique, Pop Culture Denver hotel—located in the lively iconic Theatre District that is ever evolving— offering a unique guest experience that combines a nostalgic essence of pop culture with comfortable, modern design. Stay Happy. That’s our motto here at The Curtis. We are a hotel dedicated to making you smile. At The Curtis, you’ll find the modern luxuries you need to happily escape from the bustle of life. From cartoons playing in our lobby to a five & dime filled with favorite treats from your childhood. Each of our floors has a personality all its own. You’ll be sure to “snap” a picture in our PacMan Elevator Landing on our “Fun and Games” floor or be inspired to Live Long and Prosper on the “Sci-Fi” floor. Artwork awaits you around every corner and is guaranteed to make you grin. If you’re here for business, you can Work Happy too. Have your board meeting and play ping pong in our “Rock” Paper Scissors Boardroom or enjoy pop-rock donuts and Cotton Candied Coffee on our 2500 square foot terrace overlooking downtown Denver. Our playful yet professional attitude is what we live by and we surround ourselves with companies that have the same outlook on life. We don’t believe that we clock out of life when we come into work, but yet work is an enhancement of our life. We are a hotel with a twist. Sixteen floors of personality and charm. We are the simple happy-go-lucky parts of childhood with a cutting edge flare, delightfully tucked into a stunning, truly artistic hotel.
Founded in 1984, Sage Hospitality set out to be the best hotel owner and operator in the business. Through valued partnerships with internationally recognized hotel brands, Sage grew a portfolio focusing on running successful select and full service hotels. Sage became recognized as a preferred management company for industry leaders such as Marriott International, Hilton Hotels & Resorts and Starwood Hotels & Resorts. In 2006, the game began to change for Sage as Peter Karpinski joined the leadership team. Peter came with one goal, to create the best restaurants in the world, using Sage’s hotels as the original traffic driver and expanding to local exposure, driving new customers and aggressive results on the food and beverage side of the experience. Ten years later, Sage Restaurant Group owns and operates 11 unique restaurant concepts, with more coming nationwide.
DLR Group believes integrated design is the practice of early collaboration in order to produce sustainable design excellence. At the core of an integrated design firm are collaborative, interdisciplinary teams composed of all project lifecycle stakeholders. These teams champion true collaboration, open information sharing, shared risk and reward, value-based decision making, and proficient use of technology to elevate design. The outcome is sustainable design of a high performance building for a sustainable future.