David B. Smith Gallery

Tomorrow! May 16th, 6–8 PM. Join us for the opening reception of Aaron Maier-Carretero's 𝑈𝑝 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝐴𝑤𝑎𝑦! in our Project Room. ⁠ ⁠ Working from freeform drawing, Maier-Carretero allows forms to emerge intuitively before bending and reworking them into recurring motifs—at times familiar, at times abstract. Through repetition, discipline, and release, the work moves between intention and surprise, arriving at images that resist fixed interpretation.⁠ ⁠ @aaronmaier_ ⁠ ⁠ #artindenver #aaronmaiercarretero #thingstodoindenver #contemporaryart #contemporarydrawing

This Saturday! May 16th, 6–8 PM. Join us for the opening reception of Judd Schiffman's 𝐴𝑠𝑘 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝐷𝑢𝑠𝑡 in our Main Gallery.⁠ ⁠ In 𝐴𝑠𝑘 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝐷𝑢𝑠𝑡, Schiffman blends fantastical imagery inspired by literature and geography with that of nature. The exhibition borrows its title from a 1939 novel of the same name by Colorado-based author John Fante (1909–1983), which describes a young male protagonist struggling with his masculinity and delusions of grandeur, avoiding his underlying cowardice. By referencing this novel, Schiffman considers his own relationship to spiritual practice and his personal journey of self-discovery, aging, and acceptance. ⁠ ⁠ @juddschiffman ⁠ ⁠ Judd Schiffman, 𝐴𝑠𝑘 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝐷𝑢𝑠𝑡, 2026, stoneware, glaze, and gold luster, 30 x 30 x 3 in. (76.2 x 76.2 x 7.6 cm)⁠ ⁠ #artindenver #contemporaryart #juddschiffman #thingstodoindenver #contemporaryceramics

We are thrilled to announce our upcoming exhibition with Aaron Maier-Carretero in the Project Room, 𝑈𝑝 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝐴𝑤𝑎𝑦!. ✨⁠ ⁠ Join us on Saturday, May 16th,*6–8 PM for the opening reception. Aaron will be in attendance. Head to the link in our bio to learn more.⁠ ⁠ *Please note our new reception time.⁠ ⁠ @aaronmaier_ ⁠ ⁠ Image: Aaron Maier-Carretero, 𝐵𝑜𝑜𝑡𝑦, 2025, oil on linen, 30 x 22 in. (76.2 x 55.9 cm)⁠ ⁠ #aaronmaiercarretero #contemporaryart #contemporarypainting #artindenver #thingtodoindenver

We are thrilled to announce our upcoming exhibition with Judd Schiffman in the Main Gallery, 𝐴𝑠𝑘 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝐷𝑢𝑠𝑡. ✨⁠ ⁠ Join us on Saturday, May 16th, *6–8 PM for the opening reception. Judd will be in attendance. Head to the link in our bio to learn more.⁠ ⁠ *Please note our new reception time.⁠ ⁠ @juddschiffman ⁠ ⁠ Image: Judd Schiffman, 𝑇𝑖𝑚𝑒𝑠ℎ𝑒𝑙, 𝑇ℎ𝑜𝑢 𝑀𝑎𝑦𝑒𝑠𝑡, 2026, stoneware, glaze, and gold luster, 30 x 28 x 3 in. (76.2 x 71.1 x 7.6 cm)⁠ ⁠ #juddschiffman #contemporaryart #artindenver #ceramics #thingtodoindenver

It’s the final week to view Leon Benn’s 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑉𝑖𝑜𝑙𝑒𝑡 𝐻𝑜𝑢𝑟 at The Center for Maine Contemporary Art in Rockland, ME. 🪻✨⁠ ⁠ Stop by the CMCA Wednesday–Saturday, 10 AM–5 PM, and Sunday, 12–5 PM.⁠ ⁠ Head to the link in our bio to learn more and read the Portland Press Herald review.⁠ ⁠ @leonmbenn @cmcanow ⁠ ⁠ Installation images courtesy of The Center for Maine Contemporary Art. Photography by Art Index.⁠ ⁠ Slide 1: 𝑀𝑜𝑠𝑠 𝑊𝑜𝑛𝑑𝑒𝑟𝑙𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑅𝑒𝑐𝑙𝑎𝑚𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛, 2025, oil and oil stick on canvas, 51 x 50 in. (129.5 x 127 cm)⁠ ⁠ Slide 3: 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑉𝑖𝑜𝑙𝑒𝑡 𝐻𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝐵𝑎𝑙𝑠𝑎𝑚 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝐶𝑒𝑑𝑎𝑟 𝐹𝑟𝑎𝑔𝑟𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒, 2023, oil and oil stick on canvas, 50 x 40 in. (127 x 101.6 cm)⁠ ⁠ Slide 4: 𝑀𝑒𝑡𝑎𝑙 -𝑇𝑎𝑖𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑃𝑜𝑝𝑝𝑖𝑒𝑠 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝑇𝑤𝑜 𝐹𝑖𝑠ℎ, 2025, oil and oil stick on canvas, 39 x 34 in. (99.1 x 86.4 cm⁠ ⁠ Slide 6: 𝐹𝑎𝑖𝑟𝑦 𝐺𝑜𝑑𝑚𝑜𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟’𝑠 𝑆𝑜𝑖𝑙 𝑀𝑖𝑐𝑟𝑜𝑏𝑖𝑎𝑙 𝐷𝑖𝑠𝑟𝑢𝑝𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛, 2025, oil, oil stick, and acrylic on canvas, 57 x 43 in. (144.8 x 109.2 cm)⁠ ⁠ #leonbenn #contemporaryart #contemporarypainting #landscapepainting #cmca

Closing May 2
The Idiot’s Defense @dbsgallery A defense of what cannot be made strategic. The Idiot’s Defense reflects on the frameworks that shape experience, where structure and agency meet. Centered on a sculptural chess set, gameplay is not escape but a rule-bound field in which one must navigate, exploit, or resist its logic. Across the work, archetypal forms and contemporary symbols intersect, collapsing antiquity and the present into a shared field. Permeability remains central. Forms stay open, holding space for presence, memory, and time without resolving into singular use. Drawing from The Luzhin Defense, The Idiot by Dostoevsky, and Byung-Chul Han’s “Idiotism,” the exhibition considers what it means to exist within systems without being fully absorbed by them.

Thank you to DARIA and Paloma Jimenez for your thoughtful, joyful view of Susan Wick’s solo exhibition at the Denver Art Museum, 𝐸𝑦𝑒𝑠 𝑂𝑛: 𝑆𝑢𝑠𝑎𝑛 𝑊𝑖𝑐𝑘. ✨⁠ ⁠ The exhibition is on view through Sunday, May 10th. Head to the link in our bio to read the full review.⁠ ⁠ @dariaartmagazine @pj.larvae @denverartmuseum ⁠ ⁠ Installation images: 𝐸𝑦𝑒𝑠 𝑂𝑛: 𝑆𝑢𝑠𝑎𝑛 𝑊𝑖𝑐𝑘, Denver Art Museum. Courtesy of Denver Art Museum. Photos by Christina Jackson.⁠ ⁠ Slide 5: Susan Wick, 𝑀𝑜𝑟𝑛𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝐶ℎ𝑜𝑟𝑒𝑠, c. 1996, acrylic, ink, and pastel on paper, 13 x 8 in. (33 x 20.3 cm)⁠ ⁠ Slide 6: Susan Wick, 𝐶𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑢𝑠?, c. 1996, acrylic and ink on paper, 13 x 8 in. (33 x 20.3 cm)⁠ ⁠ Slide 8: Susan Wick, 𝐺𝑎𝑟𝑑𝑒𝑛 𝑜𝑓 𝐸𝑑𝑒𝑛, 2001, acrylic, crayon, and ink on canvas, 60 x 47.75 in. (152.4 x 120.2 cm), Denver Art Museum: Vance Kirkland Fund, 2025.321⁠ ⁠ Slide 10: Susan Wick, 𝐵𝑖𝑡 𝑏𝑦 𝐵𝑖𝑡, c. 1996, acrylic, ink, and colored pencil on paper, 13 x 8 in. (33 x 20.3 cm)⁠ ⁠ #susanwick #artindenver #contemporaryart #denverartmuseum #contemporarypainting

Sylvia Fernández’s 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝐼𝑙𝑙𝑢𝑠𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑜𝑓 𝑃𝑎𝑟𝑎𝑑𝑖𝑠𝑒 on view in the Main Gallery has been extended through May 2nd. In Spanish—Fernández’s mother tongue—ilusion has a double meaning, one that includes a sense of excitement and hope and a positive emotional state. ✨⁠ ⁠ Come explore the installation or head to the link in our bio to learn more. And be sure to stop by the Project Room to view Dimitri Obergfell’s 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝐼𝑑𝑖𝑜𝑡’𝑠 𝐷𝑒𝑓𝑒𝑛𝑠𝑒.⁠ ⁠ @sylviafer78 ⁠ ⁠ Slides 2 & 3: 𝐴𝑙𝑖𝑔𝑛𝑒𝑑, 2026, oil on canvas, 30 x 24 in. (76.2 x 61 cm)⁠ ⁠ Slides 5 & 6: 𝐻𝑜𝑙𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑙𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡, 2025, oil on canvas, 22 x 18 in. (61 x 45.7 cm)⁠ ⁠ Slide 7: 𝑅𝑎𝑖𝑛𝑦, 𝑓𝑜𝑔𝑔𝑦 𝑦𝑜𝑢, 2025, oil on canvas, 30 x 24 in. (76.2 x 61 cm)⁠ ⁠ Slides 9 & 10: 𝐴𝑏𝑦𝑠𝑠 𝑖𝑛 𝑦𝑜𝑢, 2026, oil on canvas, 30 x 24 in. (76.2 x 61 cm)⁠ ⁠ #sylviafernández #contemporaryart #contemporarypainting #artindenver #landscapeart

Dad’s Good Deal This sculpture depicts a racehorse in a post parade with key elements deliberately removed. The rider is missing the upper torso and head, and the bridle hovers like an apparition—omissions that are central to the work. The piece is rooted in my upbringing at racetracks, where my mother trained horses. Roles and identities were constantly shifting—horses cycling through, riders rotating, ownership transferring—while the structure of the sport remained consistent. That continual turnover informs the fragmented figure. The missing elements also point to a personal condition of absence that shaped my sense of identity. The figure remains legible despite what’s missing, suggesting a self can form even when parts of its foundation are simply absent. Formally, the work draws from The Lost Jockey by René Magritte and fragmented antiquities like the Rampin Rider and the Marble statue of a fallen Gaul. It is in dialogue with Breath of a Vessel, which presents the inverse—a head without a body or horse. The title comes from a racehorse my mother owned. As a child, I helped care for him, including sitting with him while his legs soaked in ice buckets. After an injury ended his racing career, he retired to pasture. The work holds that history as a record of care, loss, and continuity. Slide 1 Dad’s Good Deal (maquette) Bronze Slide 2 Dad’s Good Deal (maquette) detail Bronze Slide 3 Dad’s Good Deal (sketch) Slide 4 My mom in the paddock with her horse Slide 5 Rampin Rider Slide 6 Yours truly on Chocolate Milk

Justin Favela subversively addresses stereotypes, ideas about authenticity, and craft, making complex topics palatable for the masses. ⁠ ⁠ For the Dallas Art Fair, his wall-mounted piñata paintings reference 19th and 20th century Latin American still lifes by Masters, including Puerto Rican painter Francisco Oller, drawing a connection between geographically specific agricultural output via fruit production and colonial conquest.⁠ ⁠ Stop by in the final days to see Justin’s amazing work in person! Can’t make it? DM or email us for more info.⁠ ⁠ @favyfav @dallasartfair ⁠ ⁠ Images 1 & 2: Justin Favela, 𝑆𝑡𝑖𝑙𝑙 𝑙𝑖𝑓𝑒 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝐹𝑟𝑢𝑖𝑡 (𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝑠𝑐𝑜𝑟𝑝𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑓𝑟𝑜𝑔), 𝐴𝑓𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝐻𝑒𝑟𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑒𝑔𝑖𝑙𝑑𝑜 𝐵𝑢𝑠𝑡𝑜𝑠 (1874), 2022, tissue paper and glue on board, 18 x 14 in. (45.7 x 35.6 cm)⁠ Images 3-5: Justin Favela, 𝑆𝑡𝑖𝑙𝑙 𝐿𝑖𝑓𝑒 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝑃𝑙𝑎𝑛𝑡𝑎𝑖𝑛𝑠 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝐵𝑎𝑛𝑎𝑛𝑎𝑠, 𝐴𝑓𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝐹𝑟𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑖𝑠𝑐𝑜 𝑂𝑙𝑙𝑒𝑟 (1893), 2022, tissue paper and glue on board, 19 x 36 in. (48.3 x 91.4 cm)⁠ Images 6 & 7: Justin Favela, 𝐽𝑢𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑛 𝐹𝑎𝑣𝑒𝑙𝑎 𝐹𝑟𝑢𝑖𝑡𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑇𝑟𝑜𝑝𝑖𝑐𝑠, 𝐴𝑓𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝐶𝑢𝑟𝑟𝑖𝑒𝑟 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝐼𝑣𝑒𝑠 (1871), 2022, tissue paper and glue on board, 11.5 x 14 in. (29.2 x 35.6 cm)⁠ ⁠ #dallasartfair #justinfavela #contemporaryart #contemporarypainting

Laura Ball’s watercolor works capture a delicacy and occasionally psychedelic-leaning vision that sets apart her depictions of endangered and extinct flora and fauna. Ball’s exquisite talent shines through her desert-inspired watercolors, compositionally and literally, with the use of ground mineral pigments. 🏜️⁠ ⁠ Stop by Booth D6 at the Dallas Art Fair today and tomorrow to view Laura’s works and take a peek at these smaller pieces we brought along, too.⁠ ⁠ @lauraballnet @dallasartfair ⁠ ⁠ Image 1: Laura Ball, 𝑆𝑢𝑛𝑠𝑒𝑡 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝐴𝑔𝑎𝑣𝑒𝑠, 2025, watercolor, wax, and gesso on paper, 16 x 12 in. (40.6 x 30.5 cm)⁠ ⁠ Image 2: Laura Ball, 𝐴𝑔𝑎𝑣𝑒 𝐺𝑎𝑟𝑑𝑒𝑛, 2025, watercolor and wax on paper, 16 x 12 in. (40.6 x 30.5 cm)⁠ ⁠ Image 3: Laura Ball, 𝑈𝑛𝑡𝑖𝑡𝑙𝑒𝑑 (𝑃𝑎𝑠𝑠𝑎𝑔𝑒), 2025, watercolor, wax, and ink on paper, 16 x 12 in. (40.6 x 30.5 cm)⁠ ⁠ #dallasartfair #lauraball #contemporaryart #contemporarypainting #watercolors

The Dallas Art Fair is coming to a close! Be sure to stop by Booth D6 to view new friends from Linda Nguyen Lopez! ⁠ This stoneware husky, 𝑆𝑢𝑛𝑠𝑒𝑡 𝐴𝑓𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑔𝑙𝑜𝑤, uses the Japanese technique Nerikomi, a ceramic inlay process that creates layered patterns by stacking and slicing different colors of clay, giving the piece its unique stripes. 🦓⁠ ⁠ @linda__lopez @dallasartfair ⁠ ⁠ Linda Nguyen Lopez, 𝑆𝑢𝑛𝑠𝑒𝑡 𝐴𝑓𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑔𝑙𝑜𝑤, 2026, stoneware, 6.75 x 8 x 8 in. (17.1 x 20.3 x 20.3 cm)⁠ ⁠ #dallasartfair #lindanguyenlopez #lindalopez #contemporaryart #ceramics