Patti Cramer, iconic Denver artist and longtime Westword contributor, passes away

Click to enlarge.

One of the most extraordinary things about Denver is the incredible community of artists who call this place home. Whether they grew up here or simply moved here as soon as they could, in Denver they found a wide-open canvas they could fill with their own dreams, their own visions, their own art. And now one of those artists is gone: Patti Cramer has passed away.

For decades, Cramer was not just an integral part of the scene here in Denver, but also an artist who showed in galleries across the country.

She was also part of the Westword family, working as an advertising rep through the early '80s, until she left to pursue art full-time. But she still did illustrations for the paper and contributed her whimsical "Overheard Conversations" off and on for two decades.

Cramer died last week after a short illness, but while she was here, she certainly painted the town. A small show of her paintings will be hanging at Dazzle, 930 Lincoln Street, next week; there will be a reception there in her honor from 4 to 7 p.m. next Tuesday, October 12.

You'll find more on her art and life in this week's Westword.