Friend of a Friend is back. 

We can’t tell you how excited we are to reopen our gallery in a new, ground-floor location along the Platte River Trail at the base of the recently completed Burrell building. In a recent past-life, Friend of a Friend began in the historic (and at the time almost completely empty) Evans School building in the Golden Triangle of Denver’s downtown. It was March 2021, still pre-vaccination for many people, and the difficult and unfamiliar air in many artists’ lives necessitated a want to gather in a safe and vibrant location. Although our 250 sq ft. gallery was quaint we opened up an entire playground that welcomed established and new to Denver artists alike. 

As 2025 tumbles into our lives, we are pleased to present our first exhibition at 36th Avenue and Chestnut Place, Mug to Mug, which places handmade cups in conversation with portrait makers. A certain warmth and familiarity can come with faces and mugs – whether you’re having a coffee or tea by yourself or enjoying it engaged with a loved one, these two forms are linked vessels holding sustenance, energy or blossoming ideas.  We have doubled our square footage (and the number of fluorescent lights illuminating the gallery from above) and in true Friend of a Friend fashion we have gathered over 40 artists from Colorado, New York, South Carolina, Michigan, Arkansas, California, Arizona, Ohio, Oregon and New Mexico to christen our new spot with a group hug. 

The new beginning for Friend of a Friend brings slightly pivoted aspirations. New Co-Directors Jenny Nagashima and Ilan Gutin bring a wealth of experience from galleries in Chicago, Denver, and Montana. Along with founder and Co-Director Derrick Velasquez we are attempting to fill a very specific niche in Denver that lies somewhere between project space and commercial gallery. With this inaugural exhibition, the doors to our ground floor space will be open to a growing Denver audience ready to meet face to face or mug to mug.