Play on the Plaza
Free First Saturday at the Denver Art Museum is on July 7 and there’s lots to do without even entering the museum! Love to make art? Stop by the special summer Create-n-Take outside on the plaza. Head to the bright green trailer to try out “Photo Finish,” from 11 am–3 pm. Experiment with surprising techniques and unexpected materials to make your own customized photographs.
You’re also welcome to relax and rock on the musical chairs of the outside art installation, La Musidora.
Take a new approach to your museum visit in the month of May with some surprising activities for the whole family.
Catch an unexpected musical performance!
Stop by Create Playdate on Wednesday, May 9, to catch a mini-opera with perennial favorites Central City Opera. Create an animal disguise, and participate in one of their kid-friendly performances at 10:45 am, 11:30 am, and 12:30 pm. Music and making happen in A Walk in the Woods on Level 3.
This April, get a conversation started when you visit the museum as a family. Pick up a “Fun Things for Families to Do Today” brochure, and check out the “TALK ABOUT IT!” tabs for discussion ideas. Pair the conversation starters with our programs and exhibitions to create a fun family visit.
Try one of these five prompts during your next visit:
This article tells the story of how the Denver Art Museum conserved this map. To learn more about the map itself read this article. No longer on view.
History, Artistry & Science
Traditional conservation embodies what I like to refer to as the “holy trinity” of disciplines: history, artistic competency, and science. The marriage of these three areas make conservation stand apart from restoration—or simply making something look good or better.
We are ready to shake off those winter blues and gear up for a very busy Spring Break at the Denver Art Museum.
Spring Break (March 17–April 1)
Come explore, make, and laugh with us every day, March 17–April 1, for two fun-filled weeks of Spring Break programming.
Create-n-Takes
Dear Families,
We invite you to fall in love with art in February at the Denver Art Museum!
Swoon over Free First Saturday (February 3)
Free First Saturday on February 3 will have you swooning with joy! Take a walk on the wild side in the family fun space, A Walk in the Woods! Play, imagine, and make art to take home. Spot birds in a colorful flock, mix-and-match animal costumes to create new creatures; build horse sculptures inspired by artist Deborah Butterfield, and make a shadowbox to display your favorite creatures.
Happy New Year! It’s time to set some resolutions. Let the Denver Art Museum start you off on the right foot in the month of January.
Resolution #1: Have fun as a family!
December is packed full of things for families to do at the DAM. The North Building might be closed, but there is so much to do in the Hamilton Building, you may want to come back multiple times to join in all the fun! As always, youth 18 and under receive free general admission to the DAM.
A New Create-n-Take: Starting December 2 (available weekends and school breaks)
In addition to working at the Denver Art Museum, many of our staff members are engaged with the local creative community in a variety of ways. In a series of articles, we'd like to introduce you to some of the creatives and artists on our staff.
1. What do you do at the museum?
I'm a sales and services associate so I help people with memberships and introduce guests to the museum as they get their admission.
2. How long have you worked here?
I started in early August.
These videos tell the story of how curators, conservators, and educators worked to conserve The Virgin of Valvanera (on view in Revealing a Mexican Masterpiece: The Virgin of Valvanera), a painting created in the 1700s.
Fall programming has definitely kicked into high gear at the Denver Art Museum. Come visit us and take part in our countless family offerings as we celebrate the final weeks before the North Building Renovation project gets underway. Youth 18 and under receive free general admission to the DAM.
Kicking off a very busy November is Free First Saturday. On November 4, drop in and listen to the stories behind the objects with storytellers during our bilingual program Cuentos del Arte. Stories are at 11:30 am and 1 pm.
Artists have used varnishes to coat their paintings since the 1400s—some claim as early as the eleventh century. Varnishes serve to saturate the paint colors, provide some degree of protection for the paint surface, and to impart an even surface sheen. Some artists have used varnishes as an aesthetic medium, mixing resins into wet paint to create rich translucency or selectively applying them to juxtapose areas of matte and gloss.
Conservation & Varnish