Photos McNeillie. Additional reporting by Mike Lewis
Skateboarding and art came together for a one-of-a-kind event in Denver last weekend that raised over $15,000 for charities. On Friday, Sept. 30, the fourth edition of Bordo Bello was held at the Redline Gallery in Downtown Denver. The event was put on by AIGA Colorado, and contributed to charities for the arts.
“The event went very well—it keeps growing in leaps and bounds every year,” says AIGA Communications Designer Joe Marsh. “New this year was the SoBe t-shirt screen printing and drink sampling station, arcade games provided by The 1UP Bar Denver, Pizza by Basic Kneads, DJ music by Double Shadow, and the highlight of the evening entertainment was the break dance crew Wormtank from Streetside Studios.”
Artists from around the country, including Aaron Draplin, were given a blank skateboard deck, and asked simply to go crazy on it. The resulting pieces were put on display in the gallery, and auctioned both on site and on eBay.
“We had over 250 skateboard decks and Kidrobot customized Munnys done by local, national, and international designers and artists featuring work by Mark Weaver, Sam Bosma, Gary Baseman, Debbie Millman, and several Kidrobot artists like Kronk, Scribe, and many more,” adds Marsh “We also did something new this year with offering a selection of decks to be bid on online during the event for people outside of the Denver area.”
This years event had the gallery packed, as over 650 people checked out the boards, as well as played some old school arcade games from the 1up Arcade. Other sponsors included SoBe, Scion, Odell Brewing, and Kidrobot.
“We are blown away by how warmly the Colorado arts and design scene and the community in general has welcomed our event into the fold of annual events that people want to attend and be involved in,” says Marsh. “Bordo Bello benefits Access Gallery/VSA arts of Colorado where they are creating a world where people with disabilities have the opportunity to learn through, participate in, and enjoy the arts. They host AIGA Colorado’s mentorship program Giving Voice as well as many other community-based activities. Bordo Bello also benefits The Robert Taylor AIGA Colorado Scholarship which recognizes young designers who are dedicated to raising the standards in practice and conduct within the design community by awarding the winning design student with a scholarship.”
The power of skate never ceases to amaze, not does the way people are harnessing it to channel the positive.
TAGS: aaron draplin, Bordo Bello, denver, kid robot, kidrobot, odells, scion, sobe
