Left: Artist Laura Shape poses in front of her painting Beautiful Stranger. Right: Laura Shape’s painting titled Twilight Tide. Photos courtesy of Laura Shape

Creating Art from the Leather of Invasive Species

A Central Park artist is pioneering a new kind of fine art that transforms leather from invasive species into wall art with a conservation impact. “My work isn’t just beautiful, it’s a solution,” says Laura Shape. “Each painting I create helps protect ecosystems.”

Specifically, she creates art using ethically harvested Burmese python leather from the Florida Everglades, carp leather from the Mississippi River, and lionfish leather from the Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea. “I had been searching for leather that I could feel inarguably good about using in my art,” she says. With each piece, Shape cuts the leather into a desired form, which she mounts on an art board before painting in acrylics. In her painting Beautiful Stranger, created from a single 14-foot invasive python, Shape juxtaposes attraction and caution, she says, in a nod to the artistic process promoting environmental restoration.

Shape is also the founder of Catalyst Collaborative, a new art movement in which market success directly drives environmental impact, and her work has earned recognition from the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center. For Shape, “Every acquisition becomes a partnership between artist and collector to create measurable change.” To learn more about Shape’s work, visit laurashape.com.

Brigid (left) and Gemma Hull at the Denver St. Patrick’s Day parade. Photo courtesy of Erin​​​​ Matis

Sisters Compete in Irish Dancing World Championship

Two Central Park sisters will showcase their fancy footwork at the 2025 Irish Dancing World Championship in Dublin in April. Gemma Hull, 15, and Brigid Hull, 10, qualified for the week-long competition after earning top marks in the North American regional championship.

“I really like being able to perform, and I like doing Irish dance especially because it’s so different,” says Gemma. She began taking Irish dance lessons in kindergarten, and Brigid joined at age 3. “It’s been a fantastic sport for them,” says their mom, Erin Matis. “It taught them discipline, how to overcome disappointments, and how to embrace success from hard work.”

While Gemma has competed in the world championship twice previously, this will be Brigid’s first experience. “It’s a really cool competition because you’re dancing with people from all over the world, including Australia and European countries,” Gemma says. Brigid says her favorite part might be the costumes, which are crafted by dressmakers from Ireland.

This year, both sisters will compete in solo events, with Gemma also dancing on a team from her dance school, Celtic Steps in Littleton. “We’re hoping for fifth,” she says, as last year her team secured sixth place on the world stage of Irish dance.

Patrick Efferson with his Juanita Gray award. Photo courtesy of the Efferson family

Northfield High School Junior Receives Juanita Gray Award

A junior at Northfield High School, Patrick Efferson was awarded the Juanita Gray Community Service Award in February by the Denver Public Library in recognition of his outstanding leadership and academic excellence. The annual award honors African American community leaders and youth who make significant contributions to the Denver Metro area.

Efferson’s desire to improve himself and his community has been evident from his early days. He wrote his first book, promoting literacy among Black children, at age 5 and he has continued to hone his leadership skills as part of The Piton Fellowship for Denver young people and the Denver Mayor’s Youth Commission. “In this world, there’s a lot of bad stuff going on, and I try to be my best in supporting everybody overall and advocating for people like me,” he says. As part of the mayor’s commission, Efferson led a break-out room on mental health and “how to help a friend help a friend” at the Safe City Youth Summit in March.

Efferson attributes much of his success to his mom and grandmother. “My grandma is my everything,” he says. “She encourages me to be better, and I feel like my best qualities come from her.”