Fiber, paper mache, painting, ceramics, mixed media, and fashion are all represented in this year’s Citywide Elementary Arts Showcase at the Denver Art Museum. The artworks by these Denver Public School students highlight the creative and expressive nature of their art education. Many of the teachers were here to help install the showcase to highlight the imagination and craftsmanship of their students. Their love for what they do and pride in their students’ work was clear in our conversations.
“Easter eggs” are inside jokes or references for fans added to movies. (Learn about some famous Star Wars references in other films.)
In that spirit of fun, guests at the Denver Art Museum don’t have to wait till Easter to hunt for "Easter eggs" in the exhibition Star Wars™ and the Power of Costume. (Get tickets. Time slots are selling out quickly.) We have hidden several inside jokes and authentic props from the Star Wars films throughout the exhibition. Try to find (in order of appearance):
Annually, the Alliance for Young Artists and Writers partners with visual arts and literary arts organizations across the country and brings the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards to local communities. Students in grades 7-12 apply and submit their work in 19 different categories in art and writing while panelists look for works that best exemplify originality, technical skill, and the emergence of a personal voice or vision.
Internationally renowned conceptual photographer Daniela Edburg created the photograph above, titled The Plan, on a visit to Colorado. Daniela was inspired by the landscape of the Pawnee National Grassland, just northeast of Greeley, Colorado, and subsequently created the textile works in the photograph as part of a storyline. She then staged figures on the prairie to suggest a mysterious narrative in her installation Uprooted, part of Mi Tierra: Contemporary Artists Explore Place at the Denver Art Museum.
Each year the DAM's Petrie Institute of Western American Art hosts a symposium that explores themes about the West. This year, the symposium, Set in the West: Telling Tales in Art and Film, focuses on the Western and explores the dialogue between film and fine art, fact and fiction.
Art and film scholars will discuss interesting facts about the genre, including:
The 15th Annual Celebration of Our Lady of Guadalupe at the Denver Art Museum (DAM) will take place on Sunday, December 11, 2016 from 1 pm–4 pm. Our Lady of Guadalupe is one of the most beloved images of Mexico, adored by people of all backgrounds and beliefs. The DAM holds in its collection several fine examples of artwork depicting Our Lady of Guadalupe created by artists from different time periods and locations and made with a diverse array of media.
The 10th annual Denver Arts Week celebration of the Mile High City's vibrant arts and culture scene is on the horizon. Taking place Nov. 4-12, 2016, the nine-day extravaganza brings together visual arts, theater, music, film, museums, dance, opera, comedy, literature, history, and heritage.
Spearheaded by Visit Denver, the cornerstone of Denver Arts Week is FREE Night at the Museums, held on Saturday, Nov. 5, when a total of 12 local museums, including the DAM, will be open late with free general admission 5–10 pm.
Look no further for fall fun. The DAM has you covered with art, culture, fashion, and more. Check out this list of exhibitions and events, many of which are free or included with general admission (which is always free for members).
1. Explore Native art & culture (Saturday, Sept. 10)
Photo from left: Arts educator Ryan Mathews and founders of Blue Ribbon Arts Initiative Max Miller and Rebecca Miller. Visit the second annual Youth Artists on the Spectrum: A Celebration of Neurodiversity on view at the Denver Art Museum on the lower level of the North Building August 26−October 2, 2016. Entry to the showcase is free; admission to the rest of the museum requires a ticket. Learn about one of the artists in the showcase in this story on 9News.com.
Take a brief video tour (above) through select gallery spaces in the Women of Abstract Expressionism exhibition, on view through September 25, 2016.
Then, delve deeper into the subject matter with in-depth interviews (below).
COLORADO PUBLIC RADIO
Curator Gwen Chanzit talks with Colorado Matters host Ryan Warner.
Listen to the interview (13:21).
HYPERALLERGIC PODCAST
Our interactive installation #dancelab seems to be a hit. Open less than a week, there have already been 3,000 dances!
What is #dancelab?
A collaboration between the DAM, Wonderbound dance company, and Legwork Studio, #dancelab is a participatory dance experience, where you, the visitor, are invited to follow dance steps choreographed exclusively for this installation. Then see your movements projected in large format, into an MTV-like music video for all to see. No dance experience or skills are needed.
Katherine Dunham (depicted above), Isadora Duncan, Anna Pavlova, Fred Astaire, and Martha Graham are a few of the acclaimed dancers and personalities that have enthralled audiences over this past century. These and many more famed dancers are exquisitely depicted by American artists in this Denver Art Museum exhibition Rhythm & Roots: Dance in American Art.