What’s special about where you live and work in North Denver?
So many things, but one that I love to share is that RedLine’s neighborhood of Five Points is so unique and special to Denver because the history it holds. Known as the Harlem of the West, Five Points is celebrated for its rich African-American history, which among other creative offerings is a hub for performances by internationally acclaimed jazz musicians during the Five Points Jazz Festival.
What would you like to see improve in 2021?
I am not alone in wanting the pandemic to end and for the health and economic crisis that is killing and crushing our global community to stop.
What have you done to get through the pandemic?
RedLine has been focused on collaborating on various relief efforts that support artists, musicians, organizations and venues. Thanks to our partners at the City, State and in private philanthropy we have had the deep honor of helping to facilitate over $9 million in relief dollars to creative communities statewide. We have also focused on developing and raising funds for mutual aid projects that seek to address the health crisis and economic crisis under one umbrella or program.
What are some of your favorite places to hang out in North Denver?
Welton Street Cafe, Coffee at the Point and the Curtis Park Creamery.
Who in the community do you admire?
This is an impossible question because there is an endless list of good people in the neighborhood that make it enormously unique and special. That said, as a director of a contemporary art center I am compelled to shout out one artist, whose family has a deep history in the neighborhood and whose studio is just down the street from RedLine between 25th & 26th on Arapahoe. His name is Sam McNeil, a master welder, who owns Superior Iron Works. You’ll know his studio because KUVO can be heard playing from a welded, vintage gramophone horn outside his front door. He and Minerva (his righthand welder) have a generosity and love that they bring to their welding work everyday, which can be seen on the facade of RedLine as well as businesses and private residents throughout Denver. If you want to see some of his recent work, swing by RedLine (visit is available via appointment) and we have a bench he created honoring the great Charles Burrell, known as the Jackie Robinson of Classical Music, who just celebrated his 100th birthday.
