Danielle SeeWalker is Hunkpapa Lakota from the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe in North Dakota, where she was born and raised. She is an artist, writer, activist, and “boymom” of two, based in Denver, Colorado. She likes to experiment and use mixed media within her artwork while incorporating traditional Native American materials, scenes, and messaging. Her artwork pays homage to her identity as a Native woman and to her passion to redirect the narrative to an accurate and insightful representation of contemporary Native America while not losing sight of the history of her ancestors.
At the Denver Art Museum, our local creative community includes some of our most inspirational collaborators. From Untitled: Creative Fusions, to our Creative-in-Residence program, to weekend demonstrations in the Studio, local artists are integral to DAM programs.
Excerpts of poems graced the walls of Natural Forces as a way to layer in other voices of the time period to give a richer context of the American experience. For Americans living in the 19th century especially, poetry was a pervasive part of their lives and served as an important way to engage in political and cultural discourses.
Like so many places, the Denver Art Museum’s day-to-day operations have shifted drastically in recent months. While some of our staff have been working from home—planning, researching, designing, collaborating, producing, and more—members of our facilities and protective services teams continued diligent work onsite to ensure the cleanliness of the museum’s buildings and the safety and preservation of the art inside.
For many of our staff members, music can often be the key ingredient in getting the creative juices flowing. But we were curious: is the same true for artists?
We turned to one of our local favorites, Suzy Savoy, for answers and asked her what music has helped her to get into the creative mindset during quarantine. Suzy—a Denver-based painter who specializes in a technique involving glass and acrylic enamel (check out this quick but fascinating video about her process)—created an entire playlist for us in response.
We've all had to find ways to pass the time and stay connected to our passions while at home these past few weeks. For many of us, myself included, that's meant turning to movies and television as a source of inspiration and comfort.
Happy birthday to architect and designer Alexander Girard, who was born on May 24, 1907! Girard, Director of Herman Miller’s Textile Division from 1952 to 1973 and an avid promoter of folk art, saw things differently than most. It’s impossible to talk about his designs for textiles, furniture, graphics, exhibitions, and residential and commercial interiors without using words like vibrant or visionary.
Several local artists have embraced using masks as an opportunity for creativity and expression.
While museums have been closed, we—like many of you—have spent countless hours visiting the next best thing: the museum in Animal Crossing: New Horizons.
Our Denver creative community is a vibrant source of inspiration and creativity—especially now. This week, we asked local artist Romelle to share what is keeping her inspired and sparking her creativity during this time. She says:
Learn more about Homer Remington and his painting Fight for the Waterhole.
Artist Interview
Untitled Creative Fusions
Join us on Facebook and YouTube on May 15, 16, and 17 at 7 pm MST for the Denver Art Museum’s first Untitled: Creative Fusions at Home! This is the online version of the Untitled: Creative Fusions event that happens quarterly at the museum. The online version, like the onsite version, is curated by local creatives and inspired by artwork at the museum.
For this event, Becky Wareing Steele and Libby Barbee are our two featured artists who collaborated with us and other local creatives to develop a three-episode online variety show full of fun and unexpected experiences.