Artnauts: Three Decades of Art, Dialogue and Global Connection

A 30-Year Story That Began at CU Boulder The Arnauts was founded in 1996 at CU Boulder by Dr. George Rivera, Garrison Roots, Dr. Beth Krensky, Dennis Dalton, and Luis Valdovino. More than 220 artists have participated over 30 years creating 256+ exhibitions, in 27 countries and 5 continents.

The collective has worked across art, activism, social practice, peace building and global issues. The 2026 exhibition brings together 22 artists with CU Boulder affiliations. Many of those artists earned their MFAs or PhDs at CU Boulder.

The Artnauts History

The Artnauts is an artist collective that uses the visual arts as a tool for addressing global issues while connecting artists from around the world. In 1996, Dr. George Rivera, professor in the Art and Art History Department at the University of Colorado Boulder founded the Artnauts with Dennis Dalton, University of Colorado Pueblo), Dr. Beth Krensky, (University of Utah), Garrison Roots, and Luis Valdovino, (University of Colorado Boulder). Dr. Rivera has been the lead curator since the inception of the collective.

The name, Artnauts, derives from combining the words “art” and “astronaut” as a way to describe the process of exploring uncharted territory in the world at large. The name also denotes the practice that is “not” art as usual, going beyond the confines of the traditional or conventional art world and blurring the boundaries between art, activism, and social practice. The Artnauts have worked at the intersection of critical consciousness and contemporary artistic practice to impact change for 30 years. More than 220 artists have been in the collective, participating in over 256 exhibitions, in 27 countries on 5 continents.

Link to more information about the Artnauts