Black Book Gallery was established in Denver, Colorado in 2009. Since then, we’ve mounted over 150 exhibitions with more than 100 artists. Our clientele is an international mix of private individuals, institutions and corporate collections. We embrace new technology and digital platforms like social media in order to broaden our artists’ exposure and to support them by selling their work, both online and in the gallery. Our core philosophy, however, has always been that we don’t show work with only the market in mind. Since our inaugural exhibition over a decade ago, Black Book’s first priority has always been our artists.
At Black Book, artists have full creative-control. Being located outside of the big art “markets” like NYC and LA allows us to be more experimental in our exhibitions. We believe in taking risks and we provide our artists a platform to do so. Our names are not on the gallery door because we firmly believe that the art and the artists are the most important aspect of our business, and that’s where the focus should be. In 2019, we relocated to a sprawling new gallery space that allows us to mount larger and more ambitious installations than ever before, giving our artists the space they deserve in order to realize the full extent of their unique creative visions.
The diversity of the art that we show is a reflection of the constantly evolving visual, political, social and technological world that we live in. We are committed to exhibiting work that breaks with tradition and challenges convention because we always want our audience to discover something new. We work with artists based on their ingenuity, not their “art world” credentials. In fact, we don’t care if you went to art school or taught yourself. We are looking for exceptional craftsmanship that’s passionate, provocative, and isn’t limited to just one aesthetic or worldview. We don’t want (or need) to be accepted by the mainstream – we are champions of counterculture and the underground.
Black Book is a full-service gallery. In addition to our exhibition program, we organize large-scale murals, publish limited editions, manage art installations and coordinate all logistics. We pride ourselves on our attention to detail and providing quality, trustworthy service to our global clientele, whether first-time buyers or seasoned collectors. We sell art regardless of status. When you contact our gallery, you are speaking directly to ownership – there are no “middlemen” in our operation. Unlike the traditional gallery business model of secrecy and exclusivity, our pricing is transparent and our business model is democratic. And while we refuse to be influenced by art market metrics alone, we also believe that it’s important for collectors to understand the market and have faith in who they buy from. In an industry widely viewed as opaque and inaccessible, we are advocates for openness, trust and accountability.
As we look back on our many years in business, while also looking forward to the future, Black Book Gallery is deeply grateful to the community that has supported us, and to the artists whose work inspires us to keep going.