Premiered January 2014
An original piece commissioned by Front Range Women in the Arts for their 40th Anniversary Exhibition at RedLine Gallery in Denver, Colorado. Named for the Colorado region in which they lived and work, Front Range Women in the Visual Arts was founded in 1974 by a group of artists and graduate students at the University of Colorado, Boulder (CU), at a turning point in the history of women in the arts when female artists began seeking greater visibility and validation among the mainstream art world. After conducting a series of interviews with some of the FRWA original members, choreographer Katie Elliott created a sound montage of these women’s voices to layer with the choreography that was built around their guiding principles of a cooperative environment. This piece began as an improvisation in and amongst the gallery attendees and culminated into a piece in the center of the gallery to honor what these women have contributed to the region.
Transit of Venus was the 1st exhibition in She Crossed the Line, a series of 5 exhibitions put together by RedLine Gallery honoring trailblazing women artists who have been instrumental in laying the foundations of contemporary art.