Riva Sweetrocket was born in 1969 and has been drawing, painting and designing her entire life. She graduated from the University of Colorado Boulder, and while she has completed considerable art coursework, she is largely self-taught as an artist. With a comprehensive background in professional graphic design, Sweetrocket’s visual sensibility is highly iconographic. Her large-scale allegorical paintings have been exhibited extensively and received substantial critical acclaim. Sweetrocket’s work is represented in numerous public, private and corporate collections, and featured in multiple publications. She lives and works in Brooklyn, New York.

Solo Exhibitions:
2010 – Denver Botanic Gardens, “Extra Ordinary”, Denver, CO
2009 – Buell Theater in the Denver Performing Arts Complex, “Heaven and Earth”, Denver, CO
2008 – Plus Gallery, “Handle With Care”, Denver, CO
2007 – Canyon Gallery, “Bravery of Being”, Boulder, CO
2006 – Arvada Center for the Arts and Humanities, “Testify”, Denver, CO
2004 – Zing Gallery, “Food Objects, 21st Century”, Boulder, CO
2003 – Andrew J. Macky Gallery, “Delicate, Dangerous”, Boulder, CO
2002 – National Center for Atmospheric Research, “Riva Sweetrocket, New Works”, Boulder, CO

Selected Group Exhibitions:
2011 – Manifest Art Gallery, “11-11-11”, Niwot, CO
2010 – Friedlander Studio, “Art that Ignites”, Boulder, CO
2010 – Plus Gallery, “Excellencies”, Denver, CO
2010 – Ice Cube Gallery, “The Icebreaker Show”, juried exhibition, Denver, CO
2009 – Denver International Airport, “The Art of Women”, invitational, Denver, CO
2009 – Foothills Art Center, “Colorado Art Open”, juried exhibition, Golden, CO
2009 – Art Student’s League of Denver, “Everybody Loves a Train Wreck”, Denver, CO
2008 – Fort Collins Museum of Contemporary Art, “Rocky Mountain Biennial”, Fort Collins, CO
2008 – Access Gallery, “Remembrance: Visual Expressions of Loss and Love”, Denver, CO
2007 – New Mexico State University, “Art 5–Warhol Regional Invitational”, Las Cruces, NM
2007 – Capsule Gallery, “Heaven on Earth”, Denver, CO
2007 – Plus Gallery, “Surprise!”, Denver, CO
2007 – Foothills Art Center, “REALationships: Works of Surreal Inspiration”, invitational, Golden, CO
2007 – Weilworks, “Colleagues”, invitational, Denver, CO
2006 – Arvada Center for the Arts and Humanities, “The Dog & Pony Show”, invitational, Denver, CO
2006 – Weilworks, “The Making of Dust”, invitational, Denver, CO
2005 – Studio Aiello, “Come Together”, Denver, CO
2004 – ZINO Contemporary, “Grand Opening Exhibition”, Santa Fe, NM
2004 – Studio Aiello, “Group Show 2”, juried biennial, Denver, CO
2003 – Gallery Sovereign, “December Art Exhibit”, Boulder, CO
2003 – Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art, “Avant Garden”, invitational, Boulder, CO
2003 – University Memorial Center Gallery, “Conflict. Resolution.”, juried exhibition, Boulder, CO
2003 – R. L. Foster Gallery, “Art for Designers”, juried exhibition, Denver, CO
2002 – Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art, “30th Anniversary Art Auction”, invitational, Boulder, CO
2002 – Children’s Hospital, “Stock Show”, invitational, Denver, CO
2000 – Flux Gallery, “Reply Hazy, Try Again–20 Artists Respond to the Magic 8-Ball”, Denver, CO

Awards:
2008 – “Top Ten Art Shows of the Year”, The Denver Post, “Handle With Care”
2007 – “Best in Show”, Heaven on Earth People’s Choice Award, “Comfort Food”
2006 – “Best Drawing Show”, Best of Denver, Westword, “Testify”
2005 – “Pastel 100 Competition 4th Place winner”, The Pastel Journal, “Secret World”

Collections:
City of Aurora
First Western Trust Bank
Denver Children’s Hospital
State of Colorado Probation Department
Flashpoint Academy/Howard Tullman Collection
Delta Dental
WhiteWave Foods
Numerous private collections

Publications:
2014 – Nexus Colorado’s Holistic Journal, Cover, March/April issue
2012 – Nexus Colorado’s Holistic Journal, Cover, September/October issue
2011 – Longmont Times Call, “Neighboring Galleries Open in Niwot”, November 17th issue
2010 – The Huffington Post, “Riva Sweetrocket Rocks the Botanic Garden”, December 6th issue
2010 – Nexus Colorado’s Holistic Journal, Cover, July/August issue
2009 – Southwest Art, “Artist to watch–the editors’ choice for up-and-coming talent”, September issue
2009 – Denver Syntax, “Riva Sweetrocket Is a Painter”, Issue 16
2009 – Marilyn Krysl, “Swear the Burning Vow, Selected and New Poems”, Ghost Road Press, Cover
2009 – Nexus Colorado’s Holistic Journal, Cover, January/February issue
2008 – The Denver Post, “Riva Sweetrocket’s Deft Touch Blends Magic and Realism”, March 28th issue
2008 – Nexus Colorado’s Holistic Journal, Cover, May/June issue
2007 – 5280 Magazine, “Artist to Watch”, October issue
2007 – Rocky Mountain News, “Pastels with a Purpose”, February 1st issue
2007 – Nexus Colorado’s Holistic Journal, Cover, September/October issue
2006 – Square One magazine, Cover and various paintings published, Issue 4
2006 – Westword, Art Beat “Testify” review, February issue
2004 – “The Penguin Book of Women Poets”, Farsi translation, Cover
2003 – The Arts Paper, “Delicate and Dangerous: The Visual Play of Riva Sweetrocket”, October issue
2003 – Iran News, “The Joy and Anxiety of Artistic Creation: Interview with Riva Sweetrocket”, June 17th issue
2002 – Colorado Daily, “Majesty Challenged”, August 13th issue