Artist Shanah Leaf to Open Exhibition October 29

The University of Colorado Colorado Springs will host the new exhibition titled Ode to Pages at the Ent Center for the Arts.

Updated on Oct. 28, 2026 in Fine Art

Bold vector editorial illustration showing floating ink pens and flowing, intricate line art, reflecting a surrealist art exhibition. — Artist Shanah Leaf will debut her new exhibition, Ode to Pages, at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs on October 29. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Artist Shanah Leaf will open her art exhibition, Ode to Pages, at the Galleries of Contemporary Art on October 29, 2026. The residency follows an invitation from university faculty.

Why it matters

The exhibition highlights the return of a local alumna to her former university to share work developed through surrealist automatic drawing techniques.

Artist Shanah Leaf has completed approximately 80 murals over the past nine years. She is a 2017 graduate of the University of Colorado Colorado Springs.

The players

Shanah Leaf

A Colorado Springs-based artist who has created approximately 80 murals over the last nine years.

University of Colorado Colorado Springs

The institution hosting the exhibition at its Galleries of Contemporary Art located within the Ent Center for the Arts.

The details

Leaf utilizes graphic journals to organize her creative concepts before employing a surrealist technique known as automatic drawing. The project was made possible after university professors invited the artist to complete a residency at the school.

Shanah Leaf graduated from the University of Colorado Colorado Springs in 2017.
The exhibition opens at the gallery on October 29, 2026.

Industry Dynamics

This exhibition follows a pattern set by the Galleries of Contemporary Art residency program in fostering connections between academic institutions and regional talent. It highlights the trend of universities providing professional platforms for local alumni to showcase their evolving creative portfolios.

Local residents can view the exhibition starting October 29 at the Ent Center for the Arts. The event provides the community with direct access to the latest work from a long-time Colorado Springs artist.

The takeaway

Leaf demonstrates the value of documenting creative ideas through graphic journals as a primary step in the artistic process. Aspiring artists can implement these organizational habits to refine their own surrealist techniques.