South Broadway gallery offers brush with the bizarre

Spectra Art Space blurs the line between viewing art and stepping inside it

By Cara Meyers

Picture this: It’s a chilly Friday night on South Broadway when you stumble into an unassuming art gallery. While perusing static paintings in the front room, you notice a dark curtain and signage that promises a mind-bending immersive experience. 

Armed with a mystery to solve, you enter what appears to be another universe entirely – traversing a kaleidoscope of colorful creatures and cryptic messaging. Crochet snakes, metallic robots and friendly monsters follow your every move as you decipher riddles, glean inspiration and attempt to take it all in. Welcome to Spectra Art Space. 

As playful as it may seem, the immersive experience is meant to be introspective as well. Sadie Young, Spectra CEO and chief curator, strives to create art that moves people – maybe even in ways they don’t understand. She’s seen patrons navigating the space with tears in their eyes, connecting deeply with the artwork, remembering lost friends. One guest’s nonverbal child even uttered their very first word within these walls.

“People can choose how deep they go into it and what they want to get out of it,” Young said. “You can just have fun, move around and push buttons or you can dive in a bit deeper – there are layers.”

Young has been at Spectra for 11 years, expanding galleries and show concepts along with her personal creative career. She started right after college and eventually took over the lease with a vision and desire to share art for all to enjoy.

“The intention behind Spectra has always been to make art more inclusive and accessible for artists and patrons alike,” Young said. “Supporting artists and bringing art into the lives of everyone that we can.”

For artists, inclusion and accessibility might mean experiencing their very first show, sale or installation, or contributing more as a seasoned veteran. For patrons, it may look like more affordable prices and less obscure themes for all ages and temperaments to enjoy. For Young, building community through art is incredibly important – a through line for the work she creates at Spectra.

“I had an artist tell me ‘I never thought that my art was worth anything or that I could do this,’” Young said. “She came in one day as a patron and said I convinced her to make art, and now she sells it here. She has since become one of my closest friends.”

And friends are vital in an industry that isn’t always clearly defined. Young said the growing popularity of Meow Wolf has helped folks understand the concept of immersive art, but Spectra differs by being artist built and funded, as well as almost entirely local. However, the growing popularity of similar experiences is still a positive development for all.

“These kinds of spaces, we aren’t in competition,” Young elaborated. “We’re just doing similar things in different ways.”

Spectra’s immersive installations such as the current exhibit, Spookadelia Unspoken 2.0, change twice a year to freshen things up for both new and returning patrons. Young describes Spookadelia as “spooky, but on a physiological level.” The storyline and mystery center around the human experience, touching on vulnerable, yet relatable topics that many guests can identify with. And while the installation opened in early October and makes a nod to All Hallows’ Eve, it will still be open to enjoy for months to come.

“Even though it’s perfect for the season, we make sure that the story and the art transcends Halloween so it’s fun no matter when you come,” Young said.

The spring/summer immersive experience, Novo Ita, was born out of COVID when Young thought people really needed hope and something to look forward to. Solar punk science fiction themes juxtapose with real plants and botanicals, resulting in a trippy, thought-provoking masterpiece. 

Last but not least, Young said rotating gallery shows housed in the front room are just as necessary to Spectra’s mission of inclusion and accessibility. The community-building aspect is strong during gallery openings as they typically include snacks, drinks and partnerships with other creatives and like-minded organizations such as tarot card readers, breweries and nonprofits. 

“We change the gallery show about once a month – it’s very key and core to who we are,” Young said. “If you come to do the immersive, you get to experience the gallery show as well.”

Some particularly unique gallery shows have included:

• Creeps & Sweets – a showcase of “artwork inspired by the strange, spooky, sweet and wonderfully weird”

• Tiny Art Big Ideas – a community show and fundraiser featuring works 6 x 6 x 6 inches or smaller

• And Meow This – a fully feline art show and fundraiser for a local cat welfare organization

• May the Art Be With You – an intergalactic showcase touting all things Star Wars and science fiction

• For the Record – a concept of artwork made with and on records, CDs and tapes

• And so many more! Check out the Spectra blog to further explore upcoming, current and past shows.

If that all wasn’t enough, Spectra also offers classes such as glass blowing for those hoping to hone their inventive spirit. While this myriad of offerings certainly keeps Young busy, she is always ready for a new challenge. Looking ahead to her next 11 years at Spectra, Young hopes to continue forging connections with local artists and inspiring patrons.

“Without small businesses that are run by artists and creative, passionate individuals, the world kind of becomes bland,” Young said. “Artists have something to say, especially in times with so much turmoil. This is the kind of thing we need to keep alive, if for nothing else than that sense of hope, community and color.”

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