Feature-length documentary film
Premiere: Fall, 2026

Art, Not As Usual: The Story of the Artnauts chronicles the art exhibitions and personal journeys of an international collective of multi-media, contemporary artists, while also exploring the unusual origin story of the group and their intrepid founder, Dr. George Rivera.

Background: In the mid-1990s, Dr. George Rivera teamed up with then graduate student Beth Krensky and his contemporaries at the University of Colorado, Boulder, to launch art exhibitions in cities and countries that the mainstream art world did not reach. Early exhibitions began in Mexico and South America which led to Bethlehem, Sarajevo, the Colombian Amazon, the Korean Demilitarized Zone, to name a few. The collective has had more than 251 exhibitions in 27 countries. Over the years, the Artnauts have established a vast network of global friends and expanded into a collective of over 66 artists, fostering decades-long collaborations and serendipitous exchanges in some of the world’s most unexpected places.

After 30 years as chief curator, Dr. George Rivera is passing the torch to ensure the continuation of the collective.

Film Storylines: In the film, we see Dr. Rivera in his hotel room in Sarajevo, managing his cancer treatment before stepping out for the evening to the Winter Arts celebration, where he receives the “Peace & Justice” Award. In the Amazon city of Manaus, Brazil, we are introduced to artist and professor Priscila Pinto, who helps orchestrate the exhibition about “Adaptation” at the Universidade Federal Do Amazonas (UFAM). In Northern Ireland, we see Irish-born Artist Rian Kerrane interviewed by the BBC for the Artnauts exhibition, “Thus Far,” a theme of healing after unrest. In Rwanda, Artnauts Trine Bumiller and Pamela Beverly-Quigley install the exhibition at the Kigali Genocide Memorial, the final resting place of 250,000 victims of the genocide against the Tutsi. We see exchanges between the Artnauts and local artists about the exhibition theme of “Cultivating Peace.”

In Bogota, Colombia, the Artnauts install their exhibition titled “(Dis)Place” while exploring the city and learning more about Colombia’s history and culture. We see them visiting historical and contemporary museums, as well as gun and ammunition shops, while pondering the civil unrest and displacement that are woven into the cultural landscape.

The Adventure Continues: How will the next chapter unfold as the Artnauts expand their global movement to use art as a tool for dialogue about peace and healing? How has their vision evolved to meet an ever more complex and conflict-ridden world? Art, Not As Usual explores these questions through storylines that anchor us to the heart of the narrative. This is a story driven by unfurling global adventures that illuminate the depths of human connection and the transformative power of art.

Our goal is to share the story of the Artnauts’ collective with the broadest audience possible, igniting a deeper exploration of how art can foster connection and promote positive change. The Artnauts refer to this spark as a rhizome, with tendrils that proliferate and extend to people and places in the most unexpected ways. (Rhizome theory: Deleuze and Guattari, coined this term in their 1975 book, Kafka: Toward a Minor Literature)

Distribution: We are an independent production company; upon completion, we will aim for the broadest possible North American distribution platform, starting with PBS. We will also explore broadcasts with regional PBS affiliates across the country, as well as international stations like ARTE and Al-Jazeera (our Bosnian production crew has ties to the Al-Jazeera branch in Eastern Europe). Additionally, we will explore niche streaming platforms such as Curiosity Stream, Films for Action, and broader platforms like Vimeo and YouTube. We will also have a shorter version that we will distribute to educational institutions, giving young thinkers and makers the tools to start their own collectives.

The premiere will take place in Fall 2026 in Boulder, Colorado; Park City, Utah; Carbondale, Colorado; and Austin, Texas.