New Colorado Springs exhibit inspired by late sculptor Starr Kempf

The spirit of Starr Kempf will live on in a new exhibit. Kempf, the late Colorado Springs artist celebrated for his monumental steel, kinetic sculptures, three of which dot the landscape outside Ent Center for the Arts, is the inspiration for “We Are the Sky,” a new show at Galleries of Contemporary Art at Ent Center. It opens Thursday with a free reception and runs through Oct.

5. The monthslong run will feature a number of events, including gallery talks and pop-up performances. Instead of merely imitating Kempf’s work, artists were asked to respond to themes present in the works of the artist, who died by suicide in 1995.

Those are: mental health, creation and expansion of community, and innovation. Visitors shouldn’t expect to find works resembling Kempf’s sculptures, though they might find some similarities in terms of aesthetic or material features, but more of what do these themes mean to artists in the region and grappling with some of society’s most pressing issues. ABOVE: “Sky Sail,” by Melanie Audet, Naomi Falk and Mel Williams, indigo dyed linen, recycled denim, thread, 2024, and “Same Tree, Different Day,” by Mike Pach, digital photography, 2016, printed 2024 TOP RIGHT: “Solace,” by Heidi Almosara and Margaret Kasahara, mitsumata branches, string, king protea, concrete, monofilament, gravel, 2024 .

RIGHT: “What Kinda Brown Are You,” works by Daniel Logan, Phil Vallejo, Sofia Hernandez Crade, Noor Adwan, Jesse Allan Rozell, Alix Garcia,.