Colin Ward · CRFW

Rhinoceropolis

Where: Denver, CO

Denver DIY art/music venue. Closed December 8, 2016 after a surprise Denver Fire inspection in the wake of the Ghost Ship fire. Colin was a ‘Rhinoceropolis luminary’ (per Kyle Harris, Westword) and had been working with John Golter on reopening it when he died in January 2018. A ‘Colin Forever’ tribute was spray-painted on the garage door of Glob.

Founding and pre-Colin era (resolved Session 19 from Tom Murphy 2015 Westword history)

Rhinoceropolis opened the first week of May 2005, founded by RMCAD students Harry C. Walters and Jeremiah Teutsch with musicians/artists Milton Melvin Croissant III (aka “Buddy”) and Warren Bedell. The four had spent time at Monkey Mania (Denver DIY space, ~1998–early 2006). They named the venue by vote against “Corporate Tiger” and an old-sports-arena name.

Teutsch and Walters moved out by May 2006; Travis Egedy moved in. The venue’s busiest era was late 2006 – 2009.

Bedell and Croissant moved out in 2010. Egedy moved next door to Glob in 2011, then to NYC in 2012. Chris Westin took over the lease when the old guard moved on (~2010–2011).

Various residents 2010–2013 included: Colin Ward, John Gross, Darren Kulback and Kevin Wesley (Hot White), Katie Taylor (later Club Scum / Future Single Mom), Frances Creegan, Zach Khan, and Sara Century. Trevor Yawner moved in 2012; Ben Donehower moved in 2013. John Gross took over the lease in 2013 and held it through the Ghost Ship-era closure.

Timeline of the space

  • May 2005 — Rhinoceropolis opens at 3553 Brighton Boulevard, Denver
  • May 2006 — Teutsch and Walters move out; Travis Egedy moves in
  • June 2006 — Coughs (Chicago) + Dynasty (Rhode Island) show; widely cited as an inflection point for the space’s identity
  • Late 2006 – 2009 — Busiest era
  • 2010 — Bedell and Croissant move out
  • Late 2011 / early 2012 — Colin Ward and Stephan Herrera move into Rhinoceropolis
  • March 24, 2012 — Fantasia 2012 — first installation-style Fantasia at Rhinoceropolis
  • June 6–7, 2014 — Fantasia 2014 — two-night festival
  • July 9, 2016 — Cave Rave (Fantasia 2016 fundraiser) — Fantasia 2016 fundraiser
  • September 9–11, 2016 — Fantasia 2016 — last Fantasia; spans Rhinoceropolis + Glob + Club Scum
  • December 8, 2016 — Surprise Denver Fire Department inspection shuts Rhinoceropolis and Glob in the wake of the Ghost Ship warehouse fire (Oakland, December 2, 2016)
  • ~2019–2020 — Rhinoceropolis briefly re-opens after community fundraising (including from Meow Wolf); costs prove untenable without resident artists
  • ~2022 — Squirm Gallery opens at the same address (3553 Brighton Blvd); most founding members met at Rhinoceropolis
  • 2024 — Squirm Gallery wins Westword’s “Best DIY Gallery and Event Space”

Sources

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