The Denver Art Museum (DAM) is proud to be the only venue presenting the most comprehensive exhibition of Monet paintings in the U.S. in more than two decades. Claude Monet: The Truth of Nature features more than 120 paintings spanning Monet’s entire career and focuses on the celebrated French Impressionist artist’s enduring relationship with nature and his response to the varied and distinct places in which he worked. A special dated and timed exhibition ticket is required for Claude Monet: The Truth of Nature, which is on view through Feb. 2, 2020.
Photograph by James Florio.
Monet traveled more extensively than any other Impressionist artist in search of new motifs. His journeys to varied places—including the rugged Normandy coast, the sunny Mediterranean, London, the Netherlands and Norway—inspired artworks included in the presentation. This exhibition uncovers Monet’s continuous dialogue with nature and its places through a thematic and chronological arrangement, from the first examples of artworks still indebted to the landscape tradition to the revolutionary compositions and series of his late years.
Claude Monet: The Truth of Nature explores Monet’s lasting interest in capturing the quickly changing atmospheres, the reflective qualities of water and the effects of light, aspects that increasingly led him to work on multiple canvases at once. The exhibition also examines the critical shift in Monet’s painting when he began to focus on series of the same subject, including artworks from his series of Haystacks, Poplars, Waterloo Bridge and Waterlilies.
Claude Monet, Fishing Boats, 1883. Bequest of Frederic C. Hamilton.
Co-organized by the DAM and the Museum Barberini in Potsdam, Germany, Denver is the only U.S. venue for this presentation. After debuting in Denver, the exhibition will travel to Potsdam for its final showing. A catalog accompanying the exhibition, including essays by renowned scholars, is available in The Shop at the Denver Art Museum and through the online shop.
A special dated and timed ticket is required for Monet. Advance purchase is strongly recommended as many time slots are selling out. Monet tickets also include an audio tour (with adult and family-friendly versions, in both English and Spanish) and general museum admission for the same day. #MonetatDAM
ALSO ON VIEW
Anthony McCall, Landscape for Fire, 1972. Film still. © Anthony McCall.
Nov. 24, 2019–May 31, 2020
The final installment of the Eyes On contemporary art series will feature Landscape for Fire, an installation by London-born, New York-based artist Anthony McCall. 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, dressed in white, 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
Fred Wilson’s The Way the Moon’s in Love with the Dark, on view in The Light Show. Photo by Instagram user @jrfollero.
Extended through Nov. 29, 2020
Featuring about 250 objects drawn from across the DAM’s nine curatorial departments, The Light Show explores physical and symbolic representations of light in art through a thought-provoking narrative. The expansive exhibition, installed on levels 3 and 4 of the Hamilton Building, 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, as well as Fred Wilson’s The Way the Moon’s in Love with the Dark, a major modern and contemporary artwork acquired in 2017. Included with general admission, which is free for members and youth 18 and younger. #LightatDAM
George Stubbs, A Saddled Bay Hunter, 1786. Oil on panel; 22-3/4 x 19 in. (57.79 x 48.26 cm). Gift of the Berger Collection Educational Trust, 2019.10
Treasures of British Art: The Berger Collection
Through July 12, 2020
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
Shantell Martin: Words and Lines
Through Jan. 31, 2021
Shantell Martin: Words and Lines is an interactive multimedia installation with work 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 solely on her renowned drawings.
An international sensation, Martin has collaborated with such iconic brands and artists as Puma, Nike, Vitra, Max Mara, Tiffany & Co. and Kendrick Lamar. During the exhibition’s run, items designed by the artist—including mugs, pins and stickers—are available for purchase at The Shop at the Denver Art Museum. Included with general admission, which is free for members and youth 18 and younger. #ShantellxDAM
ARTISTS ONSITE
Visitors can explore hands-on creativity in the Paint Studio seven days a week.
Paint Studio and Weekend Artist Demonstrations
Open during museum hours
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. The Paint Studio is open seven days a week. Demonstrations by local artists from noon to 3 p.m. each weekend. Level 1 of the Hamilton Building. Included with general admission, which is free for members and youth 18 and younger.
December Artist Demonstrations
- Nov. 30–Dec. 1 & Dec. 7–8: Elisa Gomez, Gestural Abstraction
- Dec. 14–15: Camila Galofre, Abstract Landscapes and Color Fields
- Dec. 21–22: Brady Smith, Acrylic Still Life Painting
- Dec. 28–29 & Jan. 4–5: Sierra Montoya Barela, Still Lifes and Self-Portraits
FAMILY FUN AT THE DAM
Dec. 7, 10 a.m.–5 p.m.
Enjoy the DAM’s art collections and family-friendly activities for free. There’s 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. (A special exhibition ticket is required for Claude Monet: The Truth of Nature.)
Free First Saturday is 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: Art Detectives
Dec. 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. Free with general admission; youth 18 and younger free. No reservations required.
Dec. 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.
Dec. 21–Jan. 5 (closed Dec. 25)
Spend Winter Break with us! During the Break, Create-n-Takes are available daily. The Paint Studio and First Light Family Space are open during museum hours for more hands-on fun. A special family-friendly play, Art Emergency: Monet Edition, will be presented weekdays at 11 a.m. during Winter Break except for Dec. 25 and 31 and Jan. 1. This latest fast-paced installment of Art Emergency takes a funny and insightful look at some of Monet’s most famous artworks.
All Winter Break activities are included in general admission, which is free for kids 18 and younger.
Open during museum hours
Step into 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. Located on level 3. Included with general admission, which is free for members and youth 18 and younger.
ADULT PROGRAMS AND LECTURES
Dec. 10, 1–3 p.m.
Join artist Anna Kaye in our fun and informal creative art sessions. Bring a drawing or sketching project of your own or get started on something new. All ranges of drawing experience welcome! Drawing materials provided, or bring your own supplies. Please note that only sketchpads/notebooks 14 x 17 inches or smaller, graphite pencils and kneaded erasers are permitted in the galleries. Meet on level 1. Included with museum admission; no reservations required.
Tactile Tables: Favorite Tactiles
Dec. 13 & 14, 11 a.m.–1 p.m.
Get hands on with art! This December we will feature some of our favorite tactiles throughout the museum galleries (except in Claude Monet: The Truth of Nature). Tactile Tables are open to all visitors who desire a multisensory, hands-on experience with art, including those visitors who are blind or have low vision. Included with museum admission; no reservations required.
Dec. 14, 11 a.m.–noon
Join Kadam Lucy James for a short talk about meditation and a relaxing guided meditation. This program is free; reserve your space on the museum website or by calling 720-913-0130. To visit the museum, a general admission ticket is required. After the event, Kadampa Meditation Center Colorado is hosting a drop-by open house from 1-4 p.m., with refreshments and guided tours. They are located at 1336 Glenarm Place, near the Convention Center, a 10-minute walk from the DAM.
Photo by Instagram user @caitlin_marie.
Mindful Looking: The Radcliffe Family
Dec. 17, 1 p.m.
Slow down and spend time with one work of art each month. In December, cast a lingering look at the meticulous details, elegant figures and sumptuous setting of Thomas Hudson’s monumental portrait of the Radcliffe family—on view in Treasures of British Art—with teaching specialist Molly Medakovich. Included with museum admission; no reservations required.
Dec. 20, 4 p.m.
Join yoga teacher Marin McCallum and yogi artist Mark Reeves for a Yoga Nidra session in The Light Show. Explore the threads that connect yogic philosophy and art. Afterwards, enjoy wandering the galleries with a new perspective. Wear comfortable clothing, and bring an additional layer for the sometimes chilly museum temperature. Participants can bring their own yoga mats; a limited number will be available to borrow from the museum. Included with museum admission; no reservations required.
This overview does not include all exhibitions, events and programs available this month. See the museum website for complete information.
