In 2025, the Denver Art Museum’s Sensory Garden entered a new chapter with the introduction of the Prow—an expansion designed to deepen the garden’s emotional and sensory impact. Building upon the immersive spirit of the original garden, the Prow offers a more layered experience—one that invites visitors to wander, reflect, and connect with shifting internal landscapes. Where the original Sensory Garden focused on direct sensory engagement, the Prow opens new paths into intellectual and emotional terrain.
Inspired by the presence of Glyph (a sculpture by Paula Castillo), the design of the Prow takes cues from Mesoamerican masonry found in Teotihuacan, using the symbolic energy of the motif to shape the flow and feeling of the plantings. The first phase of the expansion comprises three beds: Welcoming, Wandering, and Widening—each one grounded in a distinct mood and intention. Together, they form a terrain of contrasts: exuberant and quiet, grounded and abstract, familiar and mysterious.
Welcoming: A Central Gathering Point
What grounds us in a place? When do we feel a sense of belonging? How do we offer that feeling to others?
At the heart of the Prow, the Welcoming bed is the only one accessible from all sides—designed as an open, inclusive space. Bold textures, bright color contrasts, and richly fragrant plants invite touch and interaction. Elements from the other three beds weave through this space, giving it a sense of unity with the whole garden. This central bed becomes a sensory crossroads—a place to pause, orient, and connect.
Wandering: A Landscape for the Mind’s Eye
Where does the mind go when it wanders? Where does a sense of adventure take us?
The Wandering bed celebrates exploration—not with a trail to follow, but with a planted vignette that asks the viewer to look beyond its edges. Inspired by the high deserts of the Southwest, this bed features sculptural plants with striking textures and saturated hues. It is not meant to be entered, but to be engaged from a distance. It frames Glyph, harmonizing with its form and color, reinforcing a sense of journey and distance.
Widening: A Space to Breathe
What does it mean to widen our perspective? What role does solitude play in self-understanding?
The Widening bed is a shaded sanctuary designed to foster introspection. Reimagining Becky’s Garden, this space softens the senses: foliage with calming movement, colors that shift subtly with the light, and plantings that encourage quiet presence. It offers a place for forest bathing, a moment of solitude in an otherwise busy world.
Looking Ahead
Like the rest of the Sensory Garden, this new expansion emphasizes water-wise practices. All plantings prioritize xeric strategies, including drip irrigation and a thoughtful mix of native and regionally adapted species suited to Colorado’s climate.
As the Prow takes root, it invites visitors not just to look, touch, or smell—but to feel, wonder, and wander. This garden is not only a physical place but an ongoing invitation to explore our senses, emotions, and connection to the world around us.
