SUPERIOR, Colo. — Over the past three years, Kevin McCormack has spent time restoring his artwork that was destroyed in the Marshall Fire.
The 2021 fire damaged or destroyed more than 1,000 homes and businesses, leaving the community in immense pain and suffering. McCormack found a way to bring his creativity back to life.
"All the work that I had a record of — I documented and digitized — was on the computer," McCormack said.
He used the digitally scanned files to reimagine his original work and found a new way to share his creations by printing pieces onto different materials like glass and metal.
"Much of the original work was on paper, right, or canvas. So when I was choosing materials for my project, the restoration of the art, I wanted something that would be permanent or more permanent or more durable," McCormack explained. "So I chose metal, which is aluminum in this case because I just thought it was an answer to that problem of permanence."
Hear McCormack explain his process in the video player below:
Now, his work is on display at Arts Off Center, a new gallery featuring the work of local artists. Sherry Smith, the owner of Arts Off Center, described the need for a space where artists could gather in the community and find comfort following the fire.
"Well, we thought there was a need for a space like this in Superior, and that there were so many Superior local artists. Like, we have nine artists now, [and] seven of them are residents of Superior," explained Smith. "So we feel like that's important for our Superior artists to have a voice in Superior and build a little artist community where they can come and hang out, share ideas."
Looking out at the gallery, Smith described the incredible transformation of the space, which is now filled with bright colors and showcases the extraordinary talents of the local artists.
"This building was a victim of the fire, and there was still soot inside the doors when I walked in and cleaned up. And it's kind of like a phoenix going from fire damage to colorful and warm and happy," Smith said.
The same message can be seen in McCormack's work, as his originals have risen from the ashes and turned into a different form but with the same intention and soul.
"So for instance, this piece is called 'The Phoenix,' and it epitomizes the myth of rising from the ashes, you know, and this is exactly what has happened in terms of my art and this gallery in general. This is the living phoenix," said McCormack. "So that is the full circle as embodied through the images."
The grand opening of Arts Off Center, located at 405 Center Drive, will be on Jan. 18. Smith said there still is plenty of space for 2D and 3D artists. Interested artists can email info@artsoffcenter.org for inquiries.
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