For a painting that is over 300 years old, The Virgin of Valvanera is in remarkably good condition. One would fully expect that a painting of this age has undergone several attempts at restoration (by both skilled and amateur hands). Contrary to what is usually the case, this painting has not incurred major structural damage in the form of tears or losses, has never been lined (i.e. attached to a secondary canvas or solid support material), and has not been severely over-cleaned or extensively repainted.
There’s always plenty for kids and families to explore at the Denver Art Museum. This summer, if you visit the museum with children, here are some suggestions for fun exhibitions and activities. All of the following are free for youth 18 and younger.
1. The Western: An Epic in Art and Film
Howdy partners! Kids and families are invited to play a new gallery game as you explore The Western: An Epic in Art and Film. (This exhibition is free for youth 18 and younger. Learn more about adult ticket prices.)
The game will have you searching for different imagery of key aspects of the Western genre: people, places, and stories. The exhibition features sculpture, paintings, and video clips of well-known Western movies, so there’s plenty to look at and a lot of high-action content to keep everyone interested.
If you’re coming downtown for Cinco de Mayo celebrations, we invite you to include the Denver Art Museum in your visit. The DAM features a host of programs and exhibitions for you and your family to explore Latino arts and culture.
Below are cinco ideas for things to do at the DAM during Cinco de Mayo. All of the following are included with general admission (which is free May 6). Youth 18 and younger always receive free general admission to the DAM.
As part of the research for the conservation treatment of the painting The Virgin of Valvanera, attributed to Cristóbal de Villalpando, a team from the Denver Art Museum traveled to Mexico City in March, 2017. There, the team was fortunate to visit several sites and meet with specialists on Mexican painting of the baroque period.
Art conservation is a field that encompasses a breadth of expertise. As we roll up our sleeves in anticipation of improvements and potential discoveries, a plan that will provide optimum preservation is essential.
Entering its seventh year, the Bank of America Art Conservation Project has funded more than 100 projects in 29 countries, on six continents. In 2016, the Denver Art Museum was among 21 institutions to receive one of these prestigious grants. As a result of this generous support, the conservation and New World curatorial departments will be able to undertake the full scope of historical and technical research as well as the conservation treatment of a very important painting from the museum's Spanish Colonial collection.
In honor of Spring Break at the Denver Art Museum (March 18-April 2, except Mondays) we put together this list of some of the ways art helps children grow and develop, with tips on creative activities kids and families can do at the museum. (Youth 18 and younger always receive free general admission at the DAM.)
You may have recently seen Scottish Angus Cow and Calf—the larger-than-life bronze sculptures by artist Dan Ostermiller—getting their annual summer bath. Above and beyond their cleaning with a specialized mild detergent, the Cow and Calf sculptures needed other treatments, including re-patination and waxing, due to the constant physical interaction they receive from the public.
The highly realistic sculpture Linda by Colorado artist John DeAndrea has been a visitor favorite at the Denver Art Museum since it became a part of the collection in 1984. Linda is also an important work of contemporary art in which DeAndrea made innovative use of a material that was fairly new to art at the time: plastic. This is why Linda is of such interest to us in the museum’s conservation department. This is a material that has not yet stood the test of time, and we watch Linda carefully to understand how the plastic is aging.
In preparation for Creative Crossroads: The Art of Tapestry (now closed), the museum’s staff have been working on a Spanish Colonial table cover in PreVIEW (a behind-the-scenes visible staging area in our textile art gallery).
Curators have examined it and explored its history, and textile art conservators have been testing and repairing the tapestry. Follow this series of blogs to track their progress.
Conservation treatment of King Caspar is almost finished. Having completed the structural portion of the treatment which included filling cracks, repairing broken elements, and stabilizing loose joints, I moved on to the aesthetic portion of the treatment. The goal of this part of the treatment was to unify the overall appearance by filling areas where the paint and/or gesso was lost to bring them to the same level as the surrounding surfaces.