Artist-in-Residence Jack Balas creates maps and chronicles to reveal connections in unexpected places. Often incorporating painting, photography, and other media, his work presents open-ended possibilities. For his project at MCA DENVER, Balas publicly exposes portrait making. We Will Be Seeing You involves a consensual arrangement between volunteer sitters and the artist to create art together. The resulting images, on view for public comment and enjoyment, illustrate the interconnectedness of communities and individuals. Each sitter selects the next participant, moving the story along in seemingly random, unpredictable directions. The result is a progressive and participatory roadmap of new and uncharted paths.

Jack Balas was born in 1955. He received his BFA and MFA from Northern Illinois University, DeKalb. He has exhibited widely, including at the Scottsdale Center for the Arts, AZ; University of Wyoming Art Museum, Laramie and the Tucson Museum of Art, AZ. He received a fellowship from the Colorado Council on the Arts, Denver and from the National Endowment for the Arts, Washington, D.C.

Sponsored in part by Alan Becker, Carol Keller, and Margaret & Glen Wood.

Above: Jack Balas, Chris, Skateboarder (detail), 2007, color photograph, dimensions variable. Courtesy of the Artist.