Center for Visual Arts at Santa FeCelebrating its 20th anniversary, the Center for Visual Art (CVA) moved into 965 Santa Fe Drive, the first building wholly owned by MSU Denver.

An estimated 500 community and MSU Denver supporters attended the CVA’s opening reception in June. The first exhibition, “Mix: CVA Art District on Santa Fe,” showcased pieces from eight galleries within the district. A division of MSU Denver’s Art Department, the CVA contributes to the University’s status as the only public higher-education art program in Colorado to maintain accreditation from the National Association of Schools of Art and Design.

Reception attendee Tony Garcia, who is the executive director of Su Teatro and an affiliate professor of Chicana/o Studies at MSU Denver, said, “I think this is a great addition to the arts district. It helps raise the bar in terms of diverse programming.”

The 22,000-square-foot gallery, 9,000 square feet of which is exhibition space, also offered greater opportunities for MSU Denver and its students to connect with the local community.