Housed in the Price Gallery in RINO, The Spring / Summer 2014 BARE ARTIST COLLECTION unveiling event took place Saturday, March 22nd. It was a surreal night of paint, self-expression, friends, community, and giving back to local Denver artists and entrepreneurs. With the new BARE ARTIST COLLECTION slated for online release this spring, it was only right that our local Denver constituents were able to view the collection first and experience the integral production methods of this inventive line. The collection is so different, so one of a kind, you truly have to see it for yourself to appreciate what BARE Creative Director Grason Ratowsky has developed as a follow up to his initial line, the BARE Burlap Collection.

Once again, Ratowsky has raised the bar of design, creating a limited edition, sleek line of durable, exquisitely crafted, high end, weatherproof travel bags and accessories, made from repurposed materials, that scream ART at the tops of their lungs. Much like the BARE Creative Director, the ARTIST COLLECTION is bold, unapologetic, expressive, and different by choice. The ARTIST COLLECITON unveiling event wasn’t your typical event either. Guests arrived around 6pm to the creative warehouse gallery owned by local artist Price Davis on the corner of Larimer and 31st with feelings of excitement and intrigue. Entering the space one immediately grasped the raw esthetic of a working artist’s studio – the exposed brick, massive steel art structures in different stages of completion, low hanging light fixtures and two large (repurposed) canvases hung from 20-foot walls with a carefully selected assortment of paints laid out in waiting, begging to be mixed.

When the room had been packed, the BARE team took the stage to welcome the guests before queuing the spotlights to illuminate the new BARE ARTIST COLLECTION. The collection was displayed in traditional gallery format, with pieces hanging from hooks on the exposed concrete walls, cementing the innate connection between fashion and art that is entrenched in the line. After a brief introduction of the new line the night’s activities truly began and the creative expression flowed effortlessly through the room. The selected artists took paint to the massive hanging canvas and began to furiously create. Guests sat back and watched in awe as each layer of paint melded with another, experiencing creation before their eyes. Up-tempo music spun from a DJ booth on a lofted balcony above and drove the momentum and energy forward, onward, and beyond. Guests purchased BARE products in the galleries painting studio turned retail space and had the rare opportunity to pre-buy items from the new ARTIST COLLECTION. We drank, we made art, and we made history for our brand.

In the end, paint and art covered the walls. A collective of artists, entrepreneurs and friends were able to connect and share in one of those unique experiences that will never be recreated. It is these moments that drive us at BARE, the rare ones that allow us to stay present and connected, that allow us to lose ourselves in the here and now. It is the moments where our past and future are no longer relevant because we’ve become a part of something greater than ourselves. Moments like this are the reason for our existence, and the reason we created BARE in the first place.

Keep an eye out for our limited edition BARE ARTIST COLLECTION and sign up for our newsletter to find out when it will be officially released to the public & for great exclusives. A portion of proceeds from the event went to CREATE MSU Denver in support of their ARTrepreneurship program. http://www.createmsudenver.com/