White, stylized logo showing a partial sun with curved rays above the word APOGAEA, reminiscent of Colorados own Burning Man event. The design is minimalistic and centered on a black background.

Apogaea 2023: Seed $$ Grant Winners Announced!

Apogaea is excited to announce the winners of the 2023 seed money grant round!  Read on for more… and KEEP MAKING ART!

A cartoon egg character with a yolk body is lounging on its side, looking relaxed with a bored expression, as if it just returned from the Colorado Burning Man event. The character is brownish-yellow and has shiny surfaces indicating glossiness.

Butt First Coffee

CJ + The Ladies of GlampCamp

See it all, do it all, Butt First Coffee! Catch our popup coffee shop in a shady spot on the main road midday on Friday. Serving up delicious coffees, butt first. Butt puns, butts out, Butt First Coffee.

A wooden model scene evokes a whimsical playground with slides, a swing, and a tower. Vibrant translucent figures in pink, blue, green, and yellow are scattered around like a miniature Colorado art installation inspired by the imaginative spirit of Burning Man.

Life's Balancing Act

Paul R. Bareis / Blu Pax

Consisting of a series of balance beams of varying difficulty, participants challenge themselves to successfully navigate the beams and associated obstacles over the dangerous prehistoric sea, which is filled with various aquatic creatures. Their goal is to make it to the rocking Lifeguard Buoy, where they can then take a zip line to exit the installation. There are four different challenges that speak to Life’s Balancing Act. The first speaks to simple survival, which requires focus, centering and perseverance. The second challenge speaks to answering the deeper philosophical and spiritual questions of life. The third challenge speaks to the lighter side of life through ‘dad jokes’. The final challenge is discerning how to make peace both for ourselves and others.

A 3D rendering of a gray object resembling a potted plant with a heart-shaped leaf and a flexible stem, this piece captures the free-spirited essence of Burning Man. The leaf has a thumbtack-like detail in the center, while the pot and stem maintain their minimalist, cylindrical charm.

Uno Pyroflor

Kevin McWilliams

A metallic flower, growing out of a planting pot-shaped base stands 8 to 10 feet tall. It is equipped with a special system allowing colorful flame to be created from the blossom. The flower also has a propane poofer system so they can make grand fireballs in addition to the colored flame effect. In this way, a bemusing display of flame in unexpected colors entrances participants and educates them about how colored light is emitted by metals and how inspiring physics-based art can be.

A hand-drawn llama with a grid pattern and two red hearts on its body stands on a cloud, capturing the whimsical spirit of a Colorado burner at a Burning Man-inspired event. Two smaller clouds with arcs and lines resemble suns below, while vibrant yellow highlights accentuate the details.

The Disco Llama Illumination

Grizzelda

It’s an honor to be selected to produce & present the newest party animal on the block. The Disco Llama Illumination will be a life sized pinata-esque geometric llama sculpture covered with a mosaic of mirror tiles with a heart cavity radiating light. The Disco Llama Illumination is a physical reflection of how we choose to express our inner party animals. Llamas, while beautiful & gentle looking creatures, are fierce natural guardians of their herds. This light hearted & playful statue is a beacon reminding all party animals to be good stewards of their herds.

A woman playfully poses among large, white flower sculptures in an indoor gallery reminiscent of a Burning Man installation. The oversized blooms with detailed petals and stems sit against a plain white wall, while the concrete floor adds a modern industrial feel.

Orchidstra

James Kindler + Jason Johnston

James Kindler – I am co-founder of a kid’s art program called the Super Art League. We use art and performance to teach kids teamwork, inclusion, and community. We have multiple programs and products that we teach and or sell to school districts, community centers, charter schools, and libraries.  As an artist, I create fire sculptures out of scrap materials. My fire sculptures revolve around a ritual where people can put notes or trinkets into the sculpture asking for something to grow in their lives or asking for something negative to leave. Then we do a ritual to release that energy into the universe.

Jason Johnston – For many years most of my work has been limited edition and commissioned bronze sculpture. I’ve spent over a decade touring the United States selling bronze sculptures at art festivals and in galleries nationwide. I have taught sculpture at the University of Oregon, the Interlochen Center for the Arts, and currently teach at the Columbus College of Art and Design.  Recently I have been working with students to create a giant hand holding a Polaroid photo opp that students will take to festivals for people to enjoy and learn about their Transit Arts educational program. I have been further exploring experiential interactive art and have created flower sculptures for the Franklinton Conservatory Annual Hat Day Party and for Christian Dior New York Fashion Week Party, the Oregon Country Fair, and the What Festival to name a few. This is far too much fun and I look forward to creating all things small into large, playful interactive environments.

A pencil sketch showcases a large yin-yang symbol, its sides adorned with colorful dots and stripes. Below, two abstract figures raise their arms like revelers at Burning Man. Stars twinkle in the blank sky, adding a cosmic feel to this Colorado art-inspired scene.

Yin Yang Saloon Doors

Andrew Smith

Space travelers will know they’ve arrived at the Glam Space Rodeo when they pass through the Yin Yang portal and interact with the dazzling light display as the doors spin. The Yin Yang represents the continuum within the universe, a balance of opposites – the masculine and feminine, light and dark, order and disorder. Use these saloon doors to slip into self realization and cosmic knowledge.

A silhouette of a person stands beside a rectangular table, reminiscent of a Colorado Burning Man creation. The table, with its geometric pattern in purple and white, stands 2.5 feet tall and showcases a modern design with slender legs.

TABLE OF ALIGNMENT.288

Trey Gause

I will construct an interactive table containing 288 geometric pieces to be rearranged by the audience like a puzzle. With no “final” result, the journey is emphasized over the destination. The hand-painted, double-sided triangular pieces will fit together in a geometric formation that has endless compositional possibilities. My goal is to create a tactile experience for the audience that invites curiosity and participation. Checkout the ultraviolet dimension of the table activated at night!

 
Six colorful, quirky robotic creatures with big eyes are displayed in individual square compartments stacked in three rows at a Colorado Burning Man event. A sign above reads 42H Funny Farm and below, Where Evolution is Dope. Straw covers the bottom edge.

42S - The Funny Farm - Evolution is Dope

Spacey Lane

Welcome to the 42H Funny Farm at the SSFSSS42H outpost. Come learn about livestock from diverse star systems and possibly even interact with them if the creature handlers are around. More details about a showcase event and possible live auction will be available in the “WWW”. You can find these cosmic specimens at Camp Spaghetti Sci-fi. Brought to you by Spacey Lane.

A logo featuring the text Late Night Price is Right with a large yellow dollar sign and pink accents over a fiery red and orange background, reminiscent of a Colorado Burners vibrant festival artwork.

Late Nite Price is Rite Presents Late Nite Family* Double Dare (*Not Family Friendly)

Late Nite Price is Rite is back with an updated format for Burn Night! Get off on our fabulous prizes with a new, team-based approach, pushing community participants to leave their comfort zones behind. Hosted for the first time in Center Camp, LNPiR will invite 6 lucky Apogaean audience members to compete as teams to fill Your Mom’s Vagina, put their Hands on a Hard Body, and take the Ice Cock Challenge, along with many new games! Leave your kids back at camp to guard the beer cooler so you can participate in the greatest family* game show of all time!  (*NOT family friendly 18+.)

A haunting display of black wooden tombstones, inscribed with Friend, Family, and Lover, evokes a sense of contemplation. A black fence guards this Colorado art piece set against a backdrop of trees, reminiscent of an evocative scene you might find at a Colorado Burning Man event.

The gRAVE yard Cemetery

Changeling & Resistance and the Flow Bats

While the piece has grown – building the environmental ambiance and seeking to represent more religions, prompts, and platforms for thought – the premise remains.

Whether you wish to Lay something to Rest, for it to Rest in Peace, want to recognize a departed loved one, or have a systemic ill you wish to symbolically put in the ground, our ask is still the same.

Come write on our headstones.

A 3D-rendered model of a mechanical device with a circular, spiraled surface supported by a geometric framework of rods and joints, resembling a platform or table with intricate supports, capturing the essence of Colorado art inspired by the creativity seen at Burning Man.

When Our Heads Are Holding Up The Sky

Matt Brooks

When Our Heads Are Holding Up The Sky will be a freestanding, reflective pool that unifies elements of light, fire, ambient sound, and water. The installation’s namesake is borrowed from a phrase used to describe zen meditative practice, and as such, participants are invited to experience stillness in a highly discordant environment where everything is anything but still. Supporting the weight of the pool will be abstract statues that are configured in different poses.

Hands holding three vibrant butterfly-shaped objects glowing under UV light. The butterflies, reminiscent of Colorado art, showcase neon pink, green, and blue patterns. A USB cord is attached to the bottom butterfly. The dark background enhances this captivating glow effect.

Black Light Butterfly Painting

Tao Rhea

Blacklight Butterfly Painting at Grand Mayhem. Friday Noon-4pm or until butterflies run out. Come by Grand Mayhem for an afternoon of interactive fun to paint your own Blacklight Butterfly… all supplies provided. Just bring your creativity!

A metal Ferris wheel sculpture stands against a brick wall, echoing the whimsical art often showcased at Colorados Burning Man events. It features small cutouts of people sitting in seats around the wheel, with shadows cast on the wall and ground below.

Zoetropia

Andy Blair

Zoetropia is a collection of stroboscopic 3d zoetropes. These kinetic steel sculptures bring seemingly inanimate objects to life in front of your eyes through the use of precisely timed strobes. They are essentially stop-motion animation in real life. Watch color changing sea creatures swim through the air, wooden mannequins dive through portals, and other magical illusions. Enjoy. Maybe even lose your mind!

 
A hand-drawn sketch of a large, futuristic tree-like structure evokes the creativity seen at the Colorado Burning Man event. Platforms of varying heights are meticulously noted, with components like PVC, EMT, and floor levels. Height and distance annotations are scattered throughout.

Wishing Tree

Sparrow and Resistance and the Flow Bats

A Wishing Tree is a unique part of many Asian and Asian American communities and integral to cultural festivals such as Lunar New Year. Community members write their goals, aspirations, and promises onto red slips of ribbon to tie them to branches. The space near and below the tree is for refuge, prayer, meditation, and reflection. As an Asian American, these trees and festivals are a part of my cultural identity and helped me feel like a part of community, instead of “other”. Apogaea has given me this same gift of community full of differing experiences and backgrounds, so I want to share The Wishing Tree as an expression of my cultural experience and love for community with all participants.

A metal structure with curved, perforated panels is burning brightly, reminiscent of a Colorado Burning Man event. Flames rise from its center, casting light across an industrial setting of stacked metal bars.
A sculptural art piece resembling a fire pit with stacked, dark metal blocks and bright orange flames rising from within. This Colorado Burner creation finds its place in an industrial space, framed by a large garage door in the background, echoing the spirit of Burning Man.
A sculptural fire pit, reminiscent of the creativity seen at the Colorado Burning Man event, crafted from a repurposed metal object—perhaps a washing machine drum. Flaming tendrils stretch skyward, casting a warm glow against the darkened backdrop.

Spaghetti Sci-Fi Theme Camp Fire Garden

Dave Chadwell

A variety of steel sculpture warming flames as well as the interactive Hydraconflagulator mini poofers for all to enjoy and warm your Bodies and Souls.

A flame shoots up into the air from a vertical nozzle connected to industrial equipment, reminiscent of a Colorado burner. The setup, placed against a gray brick wall, shares space with a rolling cart and various curious objects nearby.

Flaming Drill Bit

Evan Beloni

Flaming Drill bit is an interactive fire sculpture utilizing an actual 1-3/4″ coolant through drill bit spinning on a ring and pinion differential. Replacing coolant with propane, this piece spins and flames with an industrial aesthetic.


Evan Beloni is an artist, engineer and metal fabricator with a background in aerospace and machine design. While his fire sculptures aren’t the biggest, he excels in innovative interactive methods to engage the community with fire art. Evan’s fire sculpture garden at Apogaea 2023 will include several brand new interactive fire pieces.

A large metal phoenix sculpture with wings ablaze stands in a desert setting at the Colorado Burning Man event. Nearby, people gather around a geodesic dome, as the sky is a mix of blue and warm sunset hues.
A metallic figure resembling a spider with a humanoid torso breathes fire, reminiscent of the fiery spectacles at the Colorado Burning Man event. Flames in red, orange, and white burst from its mouth in a dimly lit brick room, creating a dramatic and fantastical atmosphere.

Art A Flame

Art of Sean T French

Art A Flame is the collaboration of the Art of Sean T French (@seantfrench https://artofseantfrench) and Fire performance artists. Metal & Fire sculptor Sean T French has created dozens of pieces in a unique style derived from a previous career as a historical armorer and a classical art education. Using ancient techniques and forming and casting, French’s pieces all have stories to tell that often explore the metaphors associated with armor in art. After realizing no interest in glorifying battle an underlying theme in all his work is that we all build and wear our own metaphorical armor.

“The FeNyx” is a Phoenix representing the return of the PHX area artists after covid, (see https://artofseantfrench/the-fenyx for more info). Designed by French, a collaboration with Mikey Butzine (blown glass), Michelle Meyer,(base design and construction) and Cody Hunt (internal lighting design), this piece has been to Burning Man 2022 and Love Burn 2023 as well as two Art of Sean T French events, Walter Where? House Gallery and many other events around AZ. “The FeNyx” was in need of a new fire system and wing actuation which we will premiere at Apogaea 2023.

The “WOMANTIS 2” is a solo piece by Sean T French, the second version of a piece French first built a couple years ago and also has displayed at Burning Man 2022 and Love Burn 2023. A four legged, part Mantis, part woman, this creature is angry. Ready to breath fire the WOMANTIS2 has new, longer legs and neck as well as new mechanized head movement with actuators and a completely new, larger fire system and new battery power. The third sculpture is “Accent”. She is a female strength figure in a moment of control. This piece not only shoots a large flame but blasts out a loud trumpet sound as an additional expression of elation. All the pieces feature French’s metal work, forming and casting and are polished to a high shine.

Two illuminated metal sculptures resembling palm trees stand against a dark night sky, reminiscent of the vibrant installations at a Colorado Burning Man event. The trees are lit with small lights along their fronds, casting a glow onto the ground. Thin blue and green lights outline a circular path around them.

Palmas de Fuego

Carlos Vallejo

Two 12′ Palm trees with static and interactive flame effects, bringing warmth, inspiration, and excitement.

A vintage-style wanted poster showcases a person in a cowboy hat and bandana, inspired by Colorado art. The text shouts Wanted Dead or Alive, Armed and Very Dangerous, offering a $20,000 cash reward. Its distressed, sepia-tone gives a nod to the raw aesthetics of Burning Man festivities.

Confetti Western Circus

If yer looking for a mighty good hootenanny, come wander down yonder to the ol’ Confetti Western Saloon. Paint yer nose with some of that mule skinner and get ready for a hog killin’ time. There’ll be antics, theatrics, and semantics. There’ll be temptations, incantations, and libations. Canoodle with Kissin’ Kate and her wild west posse and enjoy yourself a circus shabang like none you’ve seen this side of the Mississippi.

Fortune knocks at every man’s door once in a life, but in a good many cases, the man is in a neighboring saloon and does not hear her. -Mark Twain

Confetti Western is variety show and saloon experience, produced by the Fractal Circus.

Apogaea Inc., 1312 17th St #586, Denver, CO 80202  •  [email protected]  •  © Apogaea Inc. All Rights Reserved. 100% Volunteer Run – 501c3 Not for Profit
Apogaea.com website graphic design, theme & maintenance by Doc Wilder  •  Volunteer DB by Rachel Fish  •  Special thanks to all our volunteers!  •  Flame On Flaming Art!
The Apogaea logo and branding, as well as the fictional character ‘Flaming Art’, are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.

A diverse group of people pose confidently on a yellow bulldozer, perfect for next years calendar. They display various styles, from casual and gothic to eclectic outfits. At the front, someone holds a notebook. The outdoor setting features leafless trees in the background, adding an artistic touch.
Got Your DPW Calendar Yet?
Click HERE for details!