On March 15, the Denver Art Museum (DAM) is proud to debut Natural Forces: Winslow Homer and Frederic Remington. The exhibition, featuring 60 artworks, will reveal connections between artistic themes and techniques used by these two acclaimed American artists. Born a generation apart, both artists succeeded in capturing the quintessential American spirit through works of art at the turn of the late-19th and early-20th centuries, an era of growing industrialization and notions of the closing of the American western frontier.
Frederic Remington, The Fall of the Cowboy, 1895. Oil on canvas; 25 × 35-1/8 in. Amon Carter Museum of American Art, Fort Worth, Texas, Amon G. Carter Collection, 1961.230.
Winslow Homer (1836-1910), who was considered the most original painter of his time, prospered by creating masterful depictions of the Eastern Seaboard, while Frederic Remington (1861-1909) became famous for his iconic representations of the American West. The work of these two self-taught artists continues to be celebrated as independent, innovative and homegrown.
Natural Forces is co-organized and co-curated by a team of four curators, including the DAM’s Thomas Brent Smith, Curator of Western American Art and Director of the Petrie Institute of Western American Art, and Jennifer R. Henneman, Associate Curator of Western American Art; Diana Greenwold, Associate Curator of American Art at the Portland Museum of Art in Maine; and Maggie Adler, Curator at the Amon Carter Museum of American Art in Fort Worth, TX.
After debuting at the DAM, the exhibition will travel to the Portland Museum of Art and the Amon Carter Museum of American Art. A 225-page exhibition catalog, published in collaboration with Yale University Press, will be available in The Shop at the Denver Art Museum and online. Natural Forces, on view March 15–June 7, is included in general admission, which is free for DAM members and youth 18 and younger. #NaturalForcesatDAM
Winslow Homer, Undertow, 1886. Oil on canvas; 29-13/16 × 47-5/8 in. Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute, Williamstown, Massachusetts: Acquired by Sterling and Francine Clark, 1924, 1955.4. Image courtesy clarkart.edu
Natural Forces-related programming
Join a 45-minute public tour of Natural Forces: Winslow Homer and Frederic Remington, offered daily at 1 p.m., March 15–June 7. Included with general admission, reservations not required.
Art in America: Homer & Remington in Context (Spring Course 2020)
March 14, 28, April 18 and May 16, 2:30-4 pm
This four-session course will explore the artistic, historical and cultural contexts underlying the paintings and illustrations on display in Natural Forces: Winslow Homer and Frederic Remington. Learn more about Homer and Remington through a deeper look at their iconic artworks and discover their unique approaches to picturing American subject matter during a period of great change and conflict.
- March 14: The American Art Scene, 1850-1910
- March 28: Frederic Remington: An In-Depth Look
- April 18: Market Forces: Winslow Homer and Frederic Remington
- May 16: American Illustration: From Homer & Remington to Rockwell
Register for the entire course or individual sessions: DAM members: $90/$25, nonmembers $100/$28.
With the first reopening phase of the Martin Building scheduled for June 6, the DAM’s Learning & Engagement Department is bringing back a summer of day camps to help ignite children’s inner artist. Camps will be available for ages 5-6, 7-8 and 9-11. Registration for DAM members will begin at 10 a.m. on Feb. 4, and for nonmembers on Feb. 11. The week-long camps will take place between June 15 and August 14.
Camps are filling quickly, but spaces are still available in several camps including Coast to Coast, If This Art Could Talk, Selfies through the Ages and Through Time and Space. For information on specific dates and camps this summer, visit denverartmuseum.org/camps.
ON VIEW
Phantom Canyon: A Digital Circuit
Through April 26
Journey along the circuit of balconies, landings and stairs within the atrium of the Hamilton Building to discover the 15 digital artworks that make up Phantom Canyon: A Digital Circuit, which returns to view this month. A moving image is comprised of a series of still images, shown in rapid succession, to produce the illusion of fluid motion. The afterimage—or ghost—of one picture stays in our eye for a fleeting moment, allowing our brain to merge it with the next. Action on a screen is created through a succession of blended phantom images. Each of the artworks on view depends on the afterimage to create the appearance of movement. As you discover each of the 15 digital artworks in Phantom Canyon, perhaps this space will feel more like a canyon filled with scenic stops that offer a glimpse into each artist’s imagination. #PhantomCanyonatDAM
Stacey Steers, still from Phantom Canyon, 2006. Single-channel video, with sound (edition 2 of 10); 9 min 30 sec. Denver Art Museum: Gift of the artist, 2011.236.1-4. © Stacey Steers
Through May 31
Eyes On: Anthony McCall features Landscape for Fire, an installation by the London-born, New York-based artist. The second in a larger suite of seven fire performances staged between 1972 and 1974, Landscape for Fire is McCall’s primary record of the series. In the video, five members of a local art collective called Exit walk a precisely choreographed pattern across an airfield in North Weald, England, setting fire to pots of gasoline laid in a vast grid. The grid of flames grows incrementally throughout the film. The sharp scratching of matches, the erupting blazes and the brisk wind—punctuated by the sound of a foghorn and the hiss of a flare—create the aural tempo and soundtrack of the non-linear visual narrative. Included with general admission, which is free for members and youth 18 and younger. #AnthonyMcCallatDAM
British artist, Three Young Girls, early 1600s. Oil paint on panel; 32-1/2 × 44-3/8 in. Promised Gift of the Berger Collection Educational Trust, TL-18018
Treasures of British Art: The Berger Collection
Through July 12
Treasures of British Art presents 500 years of British cultural history through the stories of its people, captured by the enduring brilliance of artists of the time. The exhibition features devotional images, portraits, landscapes and sporting scenes by the greatest artists of the British School—including Thomas Gainsborough, Thomas Lawrence and John Constable—as well as non-British artists who spent significant time in Britain, such as Flemish artist Anthony van Dyck and American artists Benjamin West and John Singer Sargent. Included with general admission, which is free for members and youth 18 and younger. #TreasuresatDAM
Through Nov. 29
Featuring about 250 objects, The Light Show explores physical and symbolic representations of light in art through a thought-provoking narrative. The exhibition focuses on the quest by humanity and artists to understand physical light in the natural world as well as metaphorical, spiritual and divine representations of light. The exhibition helps visitors reflect on a variety of light-related themes through a broad range of materials and artworks, including ancient sculptures, paintings, photography, textiles and contemporary installations. Artworks on view include such visitor favorites as El Anatsui’s Rain Has No Father? and Lucas Samaras’s immersive Corridor #2. Included with general admission, which is free for members and youth 18 and younger. #LightatDAM
Shantell Martin: Words and Lines
Through Jan. 31, 2021
Shantell Martin: Words and Lines is an interactive multimedia installation by London-born, New York-based contemporary artist Shantell Martin. Featuring Martin’s signature black and white drawings that explore intersectionality, identity and play, it includes an interactive wall with triangular boxes that rotate, an animated video projection and a third section focused on her renowned drawings. In addition, Martin has created surprises throughout the atrium—even an elevator). An international sensation, Martin has collaborated with such iconic brands and artists as Puma, Nike, Vitra, Max Mara, Tiffany & Co. and Kendrick Lamar. Items designed by the artist—including mugs, pins, magnets and t-shirts—are available for purchase at the Shop at the Denver Art Museum during the exhibition’s run. Included with general admission, which is free for members and youth 18 and younger. #ShantellxDAM
ARTISTS ONSITE
Paint Studio and Weekend Artist Demonstrations
Open during museum hours on level 1
Explore how painters use color and light to capture the world around them, experiment with watercolors, paint a portrait or create your own abstract masterpiece. Weekend demonstrations by local artists from noon to 3 p.m. Included with general admission, which is free for members and youth 18 and younger.
March Artist Demonstrations
- March 1: Emeka Dragonfly, Energistic Light & Color Painting
- March 7-8 & 14-15: Jessica Loving, Exploring Mixed Media Color Field
- March 21-22 & 28-29: Julia Rymer, Color Play
FAMILY FUN AT THE DAM
March 7, 10 a.m.–5 p.m.
Enjoy the DAM’s current exhibitions and family-friendly activities for free, including bilingual fun with the storytelling program Cuentos del Arte at 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. Stop by the Paint Studio for artist demonstrations from noon to 3 p.m. or visit the First Light Family Space. Free general admission tickets will be available on-site starting at 10 a.m. Free Days at the DAM are made possible by Your 6 Hometown Toyota Stores and the citizens who support the Scientific and Cultural Facilities District (SCFD). #ThanksSCFD #GraciasSCFD
Foxy and Shmoxy figuring out an art mystery.
Foxy and Shmoxy: Art Detectives
March 8, 10:30 and 11:30 a.m.
Bring the whole family to help Foxy and Shmoxy sniff out clues and solve art mysteries in the museum. There are two chances to catch these super-sleuths in action: 10:30 and 11:30 a.m. To find the foxes, visit level 1, pick up a letter from the Fox Box and follow the riddles into the galleries. Included with general admission, which is free for youth 18 and younger. No reservations required.
March 11, 10 a.m.–1 p.m.
Drop in with your little ones, ages 3 to 5, and meet up with other tots and their grownups for story time, artmaking and more! Meet on level 3 near the First Light Family Space to find out this month’s program location. Included with general admission, which is free for kids 18 and younger. No reservations required.
March 21–April 5
Step into spring with the whole family! The Paint Studio, First Light Family Space, Create-n-Takes and gallery games and activities are available daily during Spring Break. All spring break activities are included in general admission, free for kids 18 and younger.
The First Light Family Space is open during museum hours for hands-on fun and activities.
Through May 31 (open during museum hours on level 3)
Step into the shining world of the First Light Family Space for light-themed artmaking activities inspired by The Light Show. Capture nature’s shadows with moveable silhouettes, experiment with transparency and color on overhead projectors, mix patterns to cast bold shadows and design a wearable mirror. Included with general admission, which is free for members and youth 18 and younger.
ADULT PROGRAMS AND LECTURES
Agustín Cárdenas with Mon Ombre Après Minuit, 1963. © Pierre Golendorf.
In the Shadow of Surrealism from Cuba to Paris: The Sculpture of Agustín Cárdenas
March 4, 6 p.m. (doors open at 5:30 p.m.)
Often dubbed “the surrealist sculptor par excellence,” Cuban artist Agustín Cárdenas (1927-2001) participated in the surrealist group’s international exhibitions during the postwar period. Having enjoyed early recognition in Cuba before relocating to Paris in 1955, Cárdenas’s five-decade career gained momentum at a moment when the surrealist movement was waning, however. While the trajectory of his reception intersects with Surrealism, Cárdenas’s nuanced, complex sculptural and graphic output eludes static, finite categorization. Susan L. Power has lectured and published internationally on surrealism. Free for Museum Friends, $15 for DAM members, $20 for nonmembers.
Insight: Collaborating with Creatives
March 6, 6 p.m.
Hear about the history of the museum’s programming with creatives from manager of studio and artist programs Jodie Gorochow. Then, join associate manager of studio and artist programs Erin Cousins and artist programs coordinator Sarah Rockett in conversation with two local artists as they discuss the ways in which the DAM and artists co-create interactive experiences for our visitors. Free for Museum Friends, $10 for DAM members, $15 for nonmembers.
With Drop-In Drawing, visit different galleries in the museum each month for inspiration. Photo by Anna Kaye.
March 10, 1–3 p.m. (meet in level 1 elevator lobby)
Join artist Anna Kaye for a fun and informal creative art session in The Light Show, using the Hayagriva Mandala as inspiration. Create your own mandala with drawing tools to activate your creativity and explore this ancient design. All ranges of drawing experience welcome! Drawing materials provided, or bring your own supplies (only sketchpads 14 x 17 inches or smaller, graphite pencils and kneaded erasers permitted in the galleries). Included with museum admission; no reservations required.
March 17, 1–1:45 p.m.
Join us on the third Tuesday of each month for Mindful Looking, a program that invites you to slow down and spend time with a single work of art. Discover overlooked details, explore ideas and make connections as we linger, look and discuss. Included with museum admission; no reservations required. See website for details and location.
Portrait of Michele Oka Doner. Photo courtesy of the artist.
Logan Lecture: Michele Oka Doner - "Bringing the Fire"
March 18, 6 p.m. (doors open at 5:30 p.m.)
Internationally renowned artist Michele Oka Doner works across media including works on paper, sculpture, design, costume, site-specific installations and public art. Oka Doner creates functional objects (such as candelabras and tableware) that allude to organic forms—from elements of nature to the human body. Spanning five decades, Oka Doner’s creative output demonstrates her lifelong appreciation for the natural world and her ability to integrate notions of function with beauty.
Free for Museum Friends, $15 for DAM members, $20 for nonmembers, $5 for students. The Logan Lecture series is sponsored by Vicki and Kent Logan. This lecture is co-presented with the Department of Architecture and Design.
Temple Censers from Escuintla, Guatemala, and What They Tell Us About the City of the Gods
March 19, 1:30–2:30 p.m.
Early Classic censers from Escuintla, Guatemala, are among the most remarkable ceramic sculptures from ancient Mesoamerica. While the lack of provenance data for the large majority of examples hinders their archaeological study, they provide information about the culture and religion of Pacific coastal peoples during a critical period, marked by intensive contacts with the great Mexican city of Teotihuacan.
Dr. Oswaldo Chinchilla Mazariegos will focus on a group of objects called “temple censers” because they depict temple superstructures. An archaeologist specializing in the complex societies of ancient Mesoamerica, Chinchilla Mazariegos suggests that these censers can be understood as models of actual temples and offer a glance at the architectural conformation, ornamentation, religious symbolism and ritual activities that were carried out in the Early Classic shrines of Escuintla. Free for Museum Friends, $15 for DAM members, $20 for nonmembers, $5 for students.
March 24, 1–3 p.m. (meet in level 1 elevator lobby)
Explore your creativity through the written word in our informal writing sessions led by staff from Lighthouse Writers Workshop. Bring your own writing projects or get started on something new. Open to all levels, from published authors to the occasional journaler! Materials provided. Included with museum admission; no reservations required.
USA Pavilion. Aerial photo by Jim Powers, 2011.
Face of a Nation film screening
March 26, 6–8 p.m. (doors open at 5:30 p.m.)
Daughter of immigrants, an American architect struggles to keep her dream alive as she journeys to discover why America abandoned World's Fairs. For generations of Americans, World's Fairs captured visions of hope for the future as part of their collective memory. Mina Chow became fascinated with World's Fairs when she saw pictures of her parents at the 1964 New York World's Fair. Beginning with their stories, Chow shares this legacy and the American values that inspired her to become an architect.
Enjoy a screening of Face of a Nation, followed by a Q&A with filmmaker Mina Chow. Free for Museum Friends, $15 for DAM members, $20 for nonmembers, $5 for students. 2.0 HSW units offered to all licensed AIA architects who attend the event.
