Usually, when you’re in a museum you only get to look at the art, but we wanted to change all that. We wanted people to have the ability to look at the art on our walls, and also to have the chance to hang that art in their own homes and LIVE WITH IT. Radical, we know. But, we believe in the power of art and its ability to inspire, challenge, and enrich lives.

So that's why we dreamed up this weirdly named thing called The Octopus Initiative, a FREE art lending library that will put art in the hands of many. This program will reach out to the community with welcoming arms, offering any Denver metro resident (within these 6 counties: Adams, Arapahoe, Broomfield, Denver, Douglas, and Jefferson) a chance to live with a work of art for ten months. And, it’s not just any art–it’s art we’ve commissioned from Denver’s leading artists.

Commissioned artists will each create 25 unique works of art that form the library’s inventory. The first six artists are:

• Sierra Montoya Barela
• Molly Bounds
• Suchitra Mattai
• Chris Oatey
• Laura Shill
• Derrick Velasquez

To celebrate the launch of this new initiative we want to invite you to join us March 15th to visit the new library space, meet the participating artists, browse the art and sign up for the lottery to win a work of art for your home.

HERE'S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE LAUNCH PARTY:

• It will be Penny Admission from 4–9PM.
• Any Denver metro resident can sign up to enter the lottery.
• Gallery attendants will be roaming the library to help people sign up and answer questions about the lottery and how it works.
• Guests can hang out and chat with the participating artists while exploring their work.
• Last, but definitely not least, the first 100 visitors (who are 21+) through the door between 4–9PM will receive a free beer, graciously donated by Ratio Beerworks.