MICROCOSM: The Universe in the Smallest Things

At The Lab on Santa Fe, we believe that if you look closely enough at one small thing, you start to see everything. A single mark. A strange object. The texture of paint. The tiniest decision can open up an entire world.

For this in-state call for art, we are looking for work that zeroes in before it zooms out. Whether your inspiration comes from Colorado’s landscapes, the natural world, the human figure, memory, abstraction, or something entirely your own, we want artists who trust the small moments instead of chasing the obvious ones. If your work rewards a closer look, if your process is driven by curiosity, intention, and discovery, it belongs in this conversation.

Selected artists will exhibit at The Lab on Santa Fe in Denver’s Art District on Santa Fe, where thousands experience our exhibitions during First Friday Art Walks. Show us the detail that unlocks the whole universe.

At The Lab on Santa Fe, we believe that if you look closely enough at one small thing, you start to see everything. A single mark. A strange little object. The texture of paint. The pattern of a leaf, the surface of a stone, or the shifting light across a Colorado landscape. The tiniest decision can open up an entire world.

For this in-state call for art, we are looking for work that zeroes in before it zooms out. We especially encourage Colorado artists who find endless detail in the natural world around them to apply, but this is not a nature themed exhibition. Your subject might be a landscape, a face, a room, a memory, an invented object, or something that cannot be named at all.

We love artists who trust the small moments instead of chasing the obvious ones. Can your obsessions and compulsions transmute into pure virtuosic brilliance? If your work rewards a closer look, it belongs in this conversation.

Selected artists will exhibit at The Lab on Santa Fe in Denver’s Art District on Santa Fe, where thousands of visitors experience our exhibitions during First Friday Art Walks and collectors come specifically to discover new work. Show us the detail that unlocks the whole universe.

-All art submitted must be for sale and price on application must match what it will be listed at during the exhibition if accepted.

-Measurements on applications need to be accurate in size.

-This exhibit is for Colorado artists only. All Colorado applicants understand they must drive their work for delivery, if accepted. No shipping allowed.

-Art can be turned away at drop-off for improper wiring.