Press Releases

Visual Artist and Naropa University Faculty Caroline Hinkley is Awarded Studio in  RedLine Visual Arts Center

DENVER, Colo. (November 17, 2008)—Naropa University faculty member and award-winning photographer Caroline Hinkley is one of fourteen artists selected to receive a studio space in the newly opened RedLine visual arts center. The selection process was conducted by an outside jury and the decisions were based on the merit of the works presented. In total, about 75 artists applied for these studios.

The exhibition space, community space, and individual studios are the result of the imagination and support of its founder and artist, Laura Merage, who directed the restoration of an old warehouse, and ultimately converted it into space that functions as a kind of experimental ‘urban lab.’ It is extraordinary to be able to be a part of this group,” says Hinkley of her acceptance into RedLine. Caroline Hinkley has been a practicing artist and photographer since 1975. Since 1981, she has been living in Boulder and has taught at the University of Colorado in the College of Architecture and Planning, the Art Department and Women's Studies. She has received a NEA/WESTAF award for photography, a Visual Arts Fellowship from the Colorado Council on the Arts, a Neo Data fellowship and the San Francisco Foundation Phelan Award for excellence in photography.

The RedLine Visual Arts Center, located in Curtis Park in Denver, is unique for several reasons. Originally an auto parts warehouse, the building had been abandoned for several years until RedLine founder Laura Merage decided to renovate and convert it into an art gallery. Unlike most galleries, which simply display finished works in the main exhibit area, RedLine’s studios are completely open to patrons who want to see the creative process as it unfolds. The gallery was also established with a specific purpose in mind; to give Colorado-based artists an avenue to receive greater exposure.

Though RedLine had its opening Gala on October 24, construction on the building was finished in June and people have been visiting it ever since. Its hours are currently Monday through Friday 9-5, but weekend hours are forthcoming within the next few weeks.

Accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, Naropa University is a private, nonprofit, nonsectarian liberal arts institution dedicated to advancing contemplative education. This approach to learning integrates the best of Eastern and Western educational traditions, helping students know themselves more deeply and engage constructively with others. The university comprises a four-year undergraduate college and graduate programs in the arts, education, environmental leadership, psychology and religious studies.