In 2022, as a grant awardee of the Art Students League of Denver’s inaugural Flagpole Project—Denise created a hand-sewn flag for a collaborative public installation reimagining Colorado’s layered history. Curated by ASLD Executive Director Rachel Basye in partnership with the Denver Public Library, the project brought together artists, historians, and community members to highlight overlooked events and narratives.
Hoisted on ASLD’s historic flagpole on Grant Street with QR info, her flag featured abstracted motifs of Denver’s natural waterways, prompting reflection on the city’s water consumption, advocating for sustainable policies.
https://asld.org/exhibit-details/flagpole-project
Athena Project: Women In Their Infinite Forms, 2023
In 2023, as part of Athena Project's 3rd Annual Women in Their Infinite Forms, a commissioned public art installation celebrating Women’s History Month, Denise joined 9 Colorado artists in transforming the Dairy Block's Venture X co-working space into a reflective tableau of feminine multiplicity. The exhibit tasked creators with reimagining womanhood through mirrors, yielding reflective works that doubled as saleable sculptures benefiting the nonprofit.
Her contribution, Colorado's Guardians of the Wild, elevated a native plant-adorned mirror to evoke the vigilance of environmental stewards and conservationists. The piece also paid homage to women like Denise's grandmother Mary, a USGS editor and lifelong National Parks supporter.
https://athenaprojectarts.org/event/3witif/
