Meet Sigri Strand | Executive Director, Union Hall

We had the good fortune of connecting with Sigri Strand and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Sigri, can you talk to us a bit about the social impact of your business?
At Union Hall, we serve the arts community and artists by giving space and a voice to artists looking to push boundaries, show exciting work, and we offer a program for emerging curators called Rough Gems which offers career development and exposure for truly exciting new ideas to come to a larger audience. We believe in paying artists and curators so participants receive access to Union Hall’s resources, equitable artist and curatorial stipends aligned with W.A.G.E. (Working Artists and the Greater Economy) guidelines, curatorial mentorship, planning support, full use of the exhibition space, installation and deinstallation assistance, and marketing and press support.

And, our mission goes beyond serving the arts community – we’re here to build community, create access, and support local impact. We intentionally design our space to be welcoming and inclusive, especially for small businesses, creatives, other nonprofits, and community organizers who might not otherwise have access to professional, high-quality venues. By offering affordable event space, and collaborative programming, we lower barriers for people to connect, launch ideas, and grow meaningful work. This includes providing space for workshops, mutual aid efforts, educational programming, and community conversations that strengthen social ties and encourage collective problem-solving.

What should our readers know about your business?
At Union Hall, we serve the arts community and artists by giving space and a voice to artists looking to push boundaries, show exciting work, and we offer a program for emerging curators called Rough Gems, which offers career development and exposure for truly exciting new ideas to come to a larger audience. We believe in paying artists and curators so participants receive access to Union Hall’s resources, equitable artist and curatorial stipends aligned with W.A.G.E. (Working Artists and the Greater Economy) guidelines, curatorial mentorship, planning support, full use of the exhibition space, installation and deinstallation assistance, and marketing and press support. It’s truly a workforce development opportunity specifically for the curatorial career path, and we are very proud of it. This year we launched a new program, The Wild Bloom: A Performance Art Series. We are now spreading the impact and support to performance artists. In the coming 2027 iteration we hope to raise their stipends and offer practice space while commissioning new works.

And, our mission goes beyond serving the arts community – we’re here to build community, create access, and support local impact. We intentionally design our space to be welcoming and inclusive, especially for small businesses, creatives, other nonprofits, and community organizers who might not otherwise have access to professional, high-quality venues. By offering affordable event space and collaborative programming, we lower barriers for people to connect, launch ideas, and grow meaningful work. This includes providing space for workshops, mutual aid efforts, educational programming, and community conversations that strengthen social ties and encourage collective problem-solving.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Union Hall (of course!), hiking in the mountains, A Photo Swap at Not Another Film Lab, or a Photo Walk with Queers and Cameras Denver, pick up some film at Denver Digital Imaging Center, food at Champagne Tiger, a drag show at X Bar, Spice Room, Larimer Lounge, staying at the Crawford Hotel, eating in Denver Union Station and getting a drink in Cooper Lounge. Also eating at Rougarou or Somebody People, checking out South Broadway, Alto Gallery, Redline Contemporary Art, Leon Gallery, Friend of a Friend Gallery, Emmanuel Gallery, Center for Visual Arts, MCA Denver, and of course, Colorado Photographic Arts Center.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Jessie De La Cruz, one of my best friends who I’ve known since we were teenagers, has been by my side as we’ve grown as humans and in our careers. We worked together on ArtHyve, an archive project that taught living artists to think about their legacies in advance, taught archival practices, and sought to challenge misrepresentation and a lack of diverse perspectives in archives. We were lucky to work with many amazing artists, create very interesting programs that demystified archives and art, and had a whole community of supporters. It was such a fun project to work on.

My chosen family, Lesley Smolik, another best friend and chosen family, who has been by my side and supported me throughout life and career. She also helped us with ArtHyve as our treasurer. She makes sure that I never go through anything alone – plus she’s one of the funnest/funniest people I know. Lesley is a true gem of a human.

Annie Levinsky, my former boss at Historic Denver, who is now the VP and Chief Operating Officer at History Colorado. She really fostered a space to grow my confidence and gave me the perfect guardrails to express my creativity. Annie is a wonderful visionary and I learned so much from the ways that she would express the mission of Historic Denver. I carry that in my work today. Annie is also a wonderful boss, who I hope to emulate, and she is a good friend who has always encouraged me to grow in my career.

Lastly, the staff and board at Union Hall. Jess Diaz and Esther Hernandez are wonderful for keeping Union Hall going and caring so much for the community of artists and patrons that love what we do. I wouldn’t be here without the board’s amazing dedication to Union Hall. I’m so grateful we are able to continue our mission due to the tenacity and strength of our team.

Website: https://www.unionhalldenver.org/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unionhalldenver/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sigri-strand-2164289/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/unionhalldenver

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCleUkQbIadmWwtqIpRkJeew

Image Credits
Anthony Maes, Raymundo Munoz, Helena Yosef, Roxie Martinez and Union Hall