CU Denver exhibit honors John R. Henderson, Colorado's first licensed Black architect

2022-03-11T17:21:00-05:00

February 17 was a night of many firsts for the College of Architecture and Planning, Dean Nan Ellin said. For the first time in two years, students, faculty, and staff gathered in-person for the grand opening of CAP’s latest exhibition at its second floor gallery in the CU Denver Building. Marking its first in-person gathering since the start of the pandemic, CAP is thrilled to showcase the life and work of John R. Henderson, Colorado’s first licensed Black architect.

The exhibit was curated by College of Architecture and Planning (CAP) Research Assistant Schawn Chi Ming Li and consisted of 300 drawings, audio recordings, and architectural models produced throughout Henderson’s life and career. Henderson, who passed away in 2018, was one of very few Black licensed architects in the U.S. in the late 1950s.

His body of work includes private homes and commercial projects across Denver, with clients and collaborators including Civil Rights figure Carlotta Walls LaNier and local architecture firms James Sudler Associates and Hornbein & White. The exhibition honoring Henderson’s life and work will be on display through March.

Archinect - News

CU Denver exhibit honors John R. Henderson, Colorado's first licensed Black architect