So, right from the get-go I am going to have to warn you all that this review will be slightly biased, as I used to be an employee here.
That aside, I feel that I can give you all the inside scoop.
So here is the deal: the CU art gallery is one of those places that is tucked away and little known, which is sad since not only does it show what the undergrads and grads are working on for their theses, but also has revolving professional exhibits. For instance, last fall the gallery had a show with contemporary Tibetan and Latin American art, flown in especially for this smaller gallery in Boulder. No joke....Tibetan monks were at the opening, and the art was.........AMAZING. I'm talking Tate contemporary good.
Ok ok ok...so maybe the art doesn't always live up to Tate standards, but what it does is showcase not only the university's efforts to make strong aspiring artists, but also will show you art that you won't see anywhere else. This is cutting edge stuff, which means sometimes it aims for the stars and fails, but also sometimes that you really can find some beautiful stuff that these students put their life into.
The shows are revolving often. Usually you will have a professional show in Feb-March, Sept-Oct followed by the Masters students in April /November and finally the B.A. students in May/December. 6-7 shows a year always keeps this place fresh.
Now the current exhibit will be running for another week. After which alas the building closes for the summer. There will be a new temporary location next year, while a whole new gallery is being built. Once that is open, it will be 4x bigger, and will become the biggest gallery in Boulder...12 rooms, permanent shows, coat-checks, everything.
In any case, this is one of those hidden gems that needs to get out there. I didn't really know about the place until I was employed for these guys, so I hope that you all will think it is worthwhile to come check it out.
Drawbacks: the gallery is fairly small and consists of 4 rooms or so, with about 15-20 artists on average. CU itself actually has a very large collection of art up in the vaults here, but the gallery right now is too small to keep up a permanent exhibit. This will soon change however.
It's free to the public as well
Oh and all the employees are awesome :) read more