Platinum Anniversary Founding Artists Exibition

Gallery 1261 founders Quang Ho, David Uhl and Christine Mileham hosting a major collection of works by the original group of gallery artists, new artists, and some surprise guests.

Participating artists: Daud Akhriev, Carolyn Anderson, Mia Bergeron, Suchitra Bhosle, Daniel Bilmes, Gregory Block, Gordon Brown, Scott Burdick, David Cheifetz, Alexander Chistov, Robin Cole, Scott Conary, Tony Curanaj, Valerio D’Ospina, Michelle Dunaway, Hollis Dunlap, Scott Fraser, Ulrich Gleiter, David Grossmann, Ron Hicks, Quang Ho, Tony Hochstetler, Daniel Keys, Jeff Legg, Susan Lyon, Dan McCaw, Danny McCaw, John McCaw, CW Mundy, Tibor Nagy, Heather Neill, Rodney O’Dell Davis, Mikael Olson, Derek Penix, Megan Elizabeth Read, Dale O Roberts, Kate Sammons, Andrzej Skorut, Jill Soukup, Bill Starke, Adrienne Stein, David Uhl, Anthony Waichulis, Jason Walker, Kevin Weckbach, Fred Wessel, Jordan Wolfson, Michael Workman, Vincent Xeus, Elizabeth Zanzinger.

Gallery 1261 began as a lofty notion: give artists a space to show the work they made for themselves. “Artists need to experiment and make work for themselves,” Quang Ho says, when asked about the origins of Gallery 1261. “The principal thought was to create a premier gallery where the artists would produce works that were not exclusively motivated by sales. We would allow the art to flow from a deep dive into its source, to break through the usual gallery marketing parameters.”  

David Uhl, Quang’s partner in Gallery 1261, recalls, “Quang and I were having lunch at the Denver Art Museum and started dreaming up the ideal art gallery.” Uhl happened to own a building just three blocks west of the Art Museum, an old machine shop with high arched wooden ceiling, steel trusses and sky lights that he had converted into his private design studio and bachelor pad. But he had moved his studio to the foothills, so the building was not being used. Now all they needed was a gallery manager.

“It was all David’s idea,” Christine Mileham says, reflecting back on the early conversations with Ho and Uhl about running the gallery. She had a successful gallery already, Abend, a family business, but she says she loved the idea. At first, she managed two locations but eventually brought Abend into the same Gallery 1261 space. “I’ve had a great partnership with the guys,” she says about the strengths each person brings to the table. “I think David put together the perfect trio.”

It wasn’t all smooth sailing, though. “Launching the gallery,” Uhl says, “I remember the gallery having a difficult time making enough to pay the rent; good thing I owned the building. It always looked beautiful for sure. In hindsight, it’s difficult prospect to launch a gallery based on artists creating work that’s technically not created to sell. It worked but took two decades!”

The gallery can also boast their ability to bring meld established artists with up-and-coming artists. Robin Cole, who started with 1261 in 2014, recalls, “It’s been a great honor to work with a gallery that represents so many of my heroes. I realize it’s a rare privilege to receive support for your creativity no matter how the spirit moves you—Gallery 1261 stands behind authentic creative endeavor and that is incredibly special.”

For Ron Hicks, who was there at the beginning, loved the comradery. “I was drawn to, and truly connected with Gallery 1261’s original concept of exhibiting works from artist that were experimental or were painted as if no one is looking over your shoulder,” he says. “Imagine… what would you create if left to your own devices, being free, without any external influences?”

And Daniel Sprick adds, “It has been a smooth and easygoing relationship, very productive for me and it only gets better throughout the years. Often times art galleries will steer artists towards some specific niche, or to something commercially viable. But at Gallery 1261 I’ve only seen the encouragement of authentic self-expression.”