A colorful, creative community - where everyone is an artist.
The Art Garage is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that serves Denver families, schools, partner organizations, and individual artists. We offer classes and camps year-round, host community events and open studios, provide adaptive programming for partner organizations, and offer scholarships so cost is never a barrier.
About The Art Garage
Our Mission
The Art Garage’s Mission is to offer visual arts-based programs that inspire, empower, and promote creative self-expression by people of all ages and backgrounds.
On-site and off-site studio workshops and exhibitions engage the greater Denver community and outreach is provided to those who are underserved and marginalized to ensure the artistic process is fully accessible and inclusive.
What We Believe
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Creativity belongs to everyone
We celebrate the artist that lives within each person - from bold ideas to the magic that happens when things don’t go as planned.
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Art should be accessible and inclusive
We believe the arts should be available to everyone, with financial aid and personalized support making our classes more inclusive.
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Artists impacting community
Participants learn directly from practicing artists who model curiosity, discipline, and a lifelong creative practice.
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Process over Product
We emphasize process-based art exploration and creation over polished results, helping participants see value in the work itself.
Our Vision
A Denver where every person — regardless of age, income, ability, or background — has access to the transformative power of visual arts. A community where creativity belongs to everyone, and where artists thrive alongside the neighborhoods they serve.
Equity Statement
At The Art Garage, we believe everyone is an artist. With a commitment to equity, we strive to ensure accessibility to the arts and to amplify voices that have been systematically excluded. We work to enrich our community by providing space for individuals to be their most authentic, creative selves.
Environmental Statement
As part of our mission to ensure the artistic process is fully accessible and inclusive, we commit to protecting resources and opportunities for future generations of artists. We model ecological stewardship through three practices:
Reuse — Our studio motto: nothing is trash. Old markers become liquid watercolor. Toilet paper tubes become projects. Left behind art becomes thank-you cards.
Reduce — A 2026 Energy Audit helped us minimize energy, water, and material waste. Our goal: continue lowering our carbon footprint over the next decade.
Recycle — Material donations from our community make up a significant portion of our studio supplies, keeping items out of landfills.
Our Story
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Founded in 2006
The Art Garage was founded by local artist Barb McKee as a for-profit visual arts center in a converted mechanic's garage in Denver's Park Hill neighborhood. The original mission focused on creating opportunities for professional artists to teach classes and share their expertise with the community.
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Becoming a Non Profit
In 2012, The Art Garage officially transitioned into a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization while maintaining its commitment to supporting artists and expanding access to visual arts education. Since then, we've broadened outreach and strengthened partnerships across the Denver Metro Area.
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Today
Today, The Art Garage partners with schools, organizations and businesses across Denver to bring creative programming to underserved communities. But we remain true to our roots as a neighborhood art center: a place where anyone — kid, teen, adult, professional, beginner — can walk in, make something, and discover that they are, in fact, an artist.