Avanti F & B and MCA Denver are excited to bring Old Denver by Juan Fuentes into a communal space for visitors to enjoy and experience a visual story of the cultural significance of a neighborhood that highlights landmarks, businesses, and everyday life that is part of the fabric of Denver.

For the past 7 years, Juan Fuentes has collected and archived images centered around the concept of “Old Denver”, the Northside neighborhood where Avanti resides. The images relate to the Chicano/a/x community raised here and are connected to the area before the shifts and displacement of gentrification. Photographs taken by Fuentes make up about half of the archive, while others are submissions through @olddenver via Instagram from community members who share a collective narrative of the neighborhood.

About Juan Fuentes: 

Juan Fuentes (b. 1990, Chihuahua, México) is a self-taught photographer who lives and works in Denver, CO. His photography documents intimate stories of everyday life of immigrants and Chicano/a/x in the Southwest, U.S. Fuentes examines the visual and emotional artifacts of memory, erasure, and family, creating images that affirm and center marginalized communities. 

Juan Fuentes’ photography was featured in the exhibition, Cowboy, at the Museum of Contemporary Art Denver.  His photographs are part of the archives at the University of Colorado - Boulder, Regis University, the permanent collection of the Denver Art Museum and the History Colorado Center, and are part of the Abarca Family Collection, housed at the Latino Cultural Arts Center. Working primarily with still images, Fuentes’ artwork also includes installations, murals, books, film, and archives. 

Connect with Juan on Instagram.

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Instagram: @mcadenver @avantifandb