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Local News
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Posted: July 01, 2009 |
 Bill Amundson - Branded Man at the CS FAC  Bill Amundson - Nervous Patriot at the DAM
Wisconsin bred, Denver based Bill Amundson is on the map, with works acquired by the permanent collections of both the Denver Art Museum and the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center. Both works are currently on display at their respective new homes however the collections change frequently so be sure to stop by while they are still hanging as the photographs above simply do not do justice to Amundson's compulsive, seemingly infinite in detail, large scale pencil on paper works. "Nervous Patriot" is on the 4th floor of the DAM in the Hamilton Building, while "Branded Man" is in the CS FAC's 1st floor permanent collection gallery. In addition, Amundson is now part of the Plus Gallery family with his current show at Plus on display through Friday July 17th. - KLH
Hear an interview/podcast with Bill Amundson via the Untitled Art Show: http://untitledartshow.com
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Posted: July 01, 2009 |
  Rex Ray at Conduit Gallery in Dallas TX
While Denver has DADA (the Denver Art Dealers Association, our neighbor one letter down the web at http://denverart.org) Dallas has their own DADA, and a CADD as well, the Contemporary Art Dealers of Dallas who have an interesting gallery in downtown Dallas that I had the chance to visit last month. The gallery serves as a central space for each of the member galleries to highlight the artists in their respective stables, but of interest to me was the stack of Rex Ray books by the main entrance. Turns out that Rex Ray, with recent shows at Denver's Gallery T and the MCA Denver is on display at CADD member gallery Conduit until July 18. If you make it down, also check out the current exhibit at the CADD gallery ARCHITECTONIC on display until July 9. - KLH
Conduit Gallery: http://www.conduitgallery.com
Contemporary Art Dealers of Dallas: http://www.caddallas.net
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Local News
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Posted: June 24, 2009 |
 La Piazza 2009 - photos by Ken Hamel/DenverArts.org
Click here for pictures from the 2009 La Piazza Chalk Art festival on Larimer Square
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Event Announcements
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Posted: June 23, 2009 |
First Monday Art Talk 3rd Anniversary Show
Featuring Steve Altman
Dazzle Jazz
Monday July 6th at 7:00 pm
(from the press release)
FIRST MONDAY ART TALK (http://fmatdenver.com)
MEET ARTIST STEVE ALTMAN, HIS ART & INFLUENCES
The Fun Begins at 7p.m. with:
DJ CHECK ONE will play Steve’s favorite tunes. There will be special performances by ThePEOPLE’S KAZOO ORCHESTRA http://elbo.ws/artist/the-peoples-kazoo-orchestra/, LITTLE FYODOR http://www.littlefyodor.com/, and author JOE ABRAMO http://www.jlabramo.com/. Drink specials will be available. There will be an opportunity to ask Steve questions, and as usual, a light buffet will be provided by DAZZLE.
FMAT (FIRST MONDAY ART TALK) is FREE to the public and will provide a look into the life of an artist or art group each month through a unique reproduction of their influences. The evening’s events will be followed by a Q & A with the audience, mediated by host ERIC MATELSKI.
Each show is videotaped by JEREMY MCKENNA
Eric Matelski’s wardrobe provided by FUNKLECTIC
Each show is Photographed by Tim DeMasters
STEVE ALTMAN
Steven Altman was born in Denver in 1958. Between that year and his years as an art major at Colorado State University not much happened. In 1979 he traveled to Florence ( Italy ) to breathe the rarified air of the Old Master and Renaissance painters whom he so admired. He stayed for four years. He did reasonably convincing imitations of Rembrandt. Then he turned his forgers’ skill to Velazquez, Van Gogh, the Impressionists and Mark Rothko. In 1983 he took flight – he became a “flight attendant.” The entire time he thought about art. A passenger would ask for a Coke and he’d answer “With or without Modigliani?” At some point he stopped painting like the “masters” and started painting like Steven Altman. He has participated in numerous exhibitions in Denver and beyond and his work is included in many public and private collections. In 2006 he had a major “mid-career” exhibition at the Singer Gallery, Mizel Arts and Culture Center . He is survived by his loving wife Tracy and his two adoring sons Sam and Henry (only kidding!). Even though he is forced to earn a living to support them he can’t stop making art. He can be reached at 303.377.2787. For a reasonable price he will still paint a Rembrandt for you.
FIRST MONDAY ART TALK MANTRA: “Making art is a common and intimately human activity, filled with all the perils (and rewards) that accompany any worthwhile effort. The difficulties art makers face are not remote and heroic, but universal and familiar.” – David Bayles, Ted Orland
Dazzle Jazz
930 Lincoln St
Denver, CO 80203
303.839.5100
http://dazzlejazz.com
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Regional News
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Posted: June 16, 2009 |
1440 Minutes
FAC Modern (downtown Colorado Srpings)
Reception: Friday, June 19, 2009 from 5-8 pm
(from the website)
A collaborative project between the Gallery of Contemporary Art @ UCCS and I.D.E.A. @ Colorado College, 1440 Minutes is a 24-Hour art installation and performance event curated around the theme of "Economic Creativity." This is the second year of this joint public program supporting Colorado contemporary artists. Artists will present their installations to the public in a free reception at the FAC MODERN, 5–8 p.m. on Friday, June 19.
Great innovations arise in times of crisis; these innovations drive future economic and cultural growth. “Economic Creativity” invites artists to examine how, during this time of great change, we can – and should – use or re-use elements of our personal, cultural, and material past to re-envision a healthy, sustainable future.
Artists featured: atomic elroy & zelda bubbles, Phillip Faulkner, David Fodel, Melanie Grimes & Jocelyn Nevel
FAC Modern
121 South Tejon
Colorado Springs, CO 80903
http://www.csfineartscenter.org
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Local News
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Posted: June 14, 2009 |
Christian rex Van Minnen
Art and design blog "Lost at E Minor" recently posted some pix from Denver's Christian rex Van Minnen who has been keeping a low profile of late but whose work I'm looking forward to seeing again locally sometime soon. Until his next exhibit, check out his website at http://www.seevanminnen.com - KLH
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Posted: June 14, 2009 |
More and more museums are offering audio tours via cellphone, but the National Gallery in London, in partnership with Antenna Audio has developed an iPhone app that takes viewers on a virtual tour of the museum's vast collection. The app is free for a limited time and I'm wondering if this is the death-knell for specialized devices that so many museums rent to visitors for special exhibit guided tours: museums would just post their exhibit tours at the iTunes store and point patrons to download the app for a few bucks. For the iPhone deprived, just keep a stash of ipod touch devices on-hand pre-loaded with the tour.
As to the press release claim of "first app" status, a quick google search on museum iphone tours sheds some light on prior art. - KLH
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Call for Artists
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Posted: June 14, 2009 |
Call for Artists: Here and Now
Color and Light Galleria
Submissions due by Sunday, June 28 at 3:00 pm
Exhibit Dates: July 10 - August 14, 2009
(from the press release)
We are currently calling for art in the theme "HERE AND NOW" 2D originals presenting Denver flavor/culture/style created within the last 12 months by artists who have lived and worked in the Denver Metro Area for at least the last 12 months.
- Max size: 24x36" (or equiv.) securely mounted and wired
- $15 entry fee per piece - up to 3
- Cash awards
Color and Light Galleria
1422 E. 22nd Ave
Denver, CO 80205
303.861.4777
Thu/Fri: 12-6.30 pm
Sat/Sun: 1-4 pm
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
http://www.color-n-light.com
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Call for Artists
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Posted: June 14, 2009 |
CALL TO ARTISTS: ROTATING EXHIBIT AT DIA AND STATE CAPITOL
Colorado Council on the Arts and Denver International Airport
Deadline for entries: Tuesday, June 30, 2009
(from the press release)
The Colorado Council on the Arts and Denver International Airport announce a call to artists from various areas of the state to take part in a four-part rotating series of exhibitions. CCA and DIA are looking for two-dimensional creative interpretations of Colorado environments and culture. The four-part rotating exhibits will feature artists from the northwest, southwest, eastern, and metro Denver areas of Colorado. This second exhibit will highlight artists from southwestern Colorado. The Creative Capitol: Southwest Colorado exhibit will be displayed at DIA from September through November 2009, and then will move to the Capitol from December 2009, through February 2010.
The deadline for entries for the Creative Capitol exhibit is 11:59pm (MDT) Tuesday, June 30, 2009. All application materials must be submitted electronically through CaFÉ™ at www.callforentry.org. There is no application fee to apply or to use the online application system.
To be eligible for this call for entries, artists must be residents of one of the following counties: Alamosa, Archuleta, Chaffee, Conejos, Costilla, Custer, Delta, Dolores, Fremont, Gunnison, Hinsdale, Huerfano, La Plata, Lake, Las Animas, Mesa, Mineral, Montezuma, Montrose, Ouray, Park, Pitkin, Pueblo, Rio Grande, Saguache, San Juan, San Miguel, and Teller.
For questions and additional information about the exhibition, phone (303) 342-2526, or email
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
. Questions will be answered Monday through Friday from 8:30am–5pm. For information about the call for artwork, visit www.flydenver.com/guide/art/call.asp, or www.callforentry.org.
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Other News
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Posted: June 08, 2009 |
 "Galaxies Forming Along Filaments, Like Droplets Along the Strands of a Spider’s Web" by the Argentine artist Tomas Saraceno - Todd Heisler/The New York Times
NY Times on the Venice Biennale and Art Basel
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Posted: June 01, 2009 |
 Magritte Museum in Brussels under construction - photo by Ken Hamel/DenverArts.org
This recent press release detailing the grand opening of a new Rene Magritte museum in Brussels gives me an excuse to post some photos I caught of the musuem under construction, as well as some photos of a few Magritte pieces from the Musées Royaux des Beaux Arts de Belgique.
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Local News
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Posted: May 31, 2009 |
DAM Announces Charles M. Russell Retrospective
Opening October 17, 2009
 Charles M. Russell - Carson's Men (1913)
I recall back in 2004 when the DAM mounted a retrospective of Frederic Remington titled "The Color of Night" I wasn't initially interested, thinking many of Remington's subjects were cliche of an American West much out of touch with the imagination and visual vocabulary of the 21st century. But seeing the works up close turned out to be a real treat, I was quite impressed with Remington's technical prowess and mastery of light. Here's hoping the upcoming Charles M. Russell exhibition slated for October 2009 at the DAM is equally as compelling. - KLH
Click here for the press release from the DAM
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Local News
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Posted: May 30, 2009 |
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Denver's Dunn the Signtologist gets a nod on the Web Urbanist. Check out Dunn's profile on ARTST.com.
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Local News
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Posted: May 27, 2009 |
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(from the press release)
Museo Selects Maruca Salazar as New Executive Director
The Museo de las Américas (Museo) Board of Trustees announced today that Maruca Salazar has been selected as the new executive director. Additionally, David Dadone, former director of operations for the Museo, has been promoted to deputy director. Salazar will assume the position in July.
"We are delighted that Maruca Salazar will be leading the Museo de las Américas as the new Executive Director," stated George Martinez, Board president. "She comes to us with a wealth of artistic, administrative, and curatorial experience. Furthermore, Maruca's relationships with teachers and artists throughout the region will greatly assist us in increasing the scope and reach of our education programs, while expanding our artistic vision."
Prior to joining the Museo, Salazar served as the arts coordinator and arts staff developer for Denver Public Schools. During her tenure, Salazar developed an integrate arts education program, and was responsible for the development and stewardship of the $6.5 million arts budget. She holds a Master's of Arts in Multicultural Education from the University of Colorado, Denver; and a Bachelor's of Arts in Multicultural Education from the University of Veracruz, Mexico.
"This is the opportunity of a lifetime and a true honor," stated Salazar. "As an artist and educator, as well as a long time supporter and participant of the Museo de las Americas, I am committed to advancing Museo's legacy of learning and sharing."
A longtime advocate for the arts, Salazar is a founding member and supporter of the Chicano Humanities and Arts Council, XicanIndie Film Festival, Pirate Gallery, and the Museo de las Américas. As a Visual Artist she has exhibited at local museums and galleries, including the Museo and the Museum of Contemporary Art in Denver. "This is an exciting time for the Museo," stated Martinez. "The Board and staff are confident that Maruca will lead the Museo to new and exciting places, and cement our place as a cornerstone of Denver and the West's cultural community."
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Event Announcements
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Posted: May 27, 2009 |
Mixed Taste
Museum of Contemporary Art Denver
Every Friday from June 5 to August 28, 2009
- Mixed Drinks 5–6:30 pm
- Mixed Kids 6–8 pm
- Mixed Taste Lectures 6:30–8 pm
- Mixed Grill 8–9 pm
- After Taste 9–10 pm
Mixed Taste: Tag Team Lectures on Unrelated Topics is a lecture series that runs every summer. The rules are simple: The first speaker speaks for a half-hour, then the next speaker speaks on a completely unrelated topic for another half-hour, and then there is question and answer on both topics at the same time. During the first part of the program, speakers are not allowed to make connections between topics, during the question and answer, anything can happen. Supported in part by St. Mary Land & Exploration Lecture Endowment, In Honor of Tom Congdon.
MIXED DRINKS: Before the lectures, enjoy drinks in the museum's atrium and check out the current exhibitions.
5–6:30 pm; Cash Bar. Admission to Mixed Drinks is complimentary with Mixed Taste lecture tickets or museum admission.
MIXED KIDS: Connecting Art and Kids; children ages 6–12 can learn and make connections between different topics through art-making activities in the museum’s Fox Family Idea Box.
6–8 pm; $7 MCA Denver Members, $10 General Admission
MIXED GRILL: After the lectures, join MCA Cafe in the Lane for an open-air dinner. Continue the conversation over a barbeque-style meal complete with sides and one free beverage. Vegetarian options will always be available.
8–9 pm; $20 Per Person. Receive $5 off when you purchase Mixed Grill tickets in advance (offer is valid until noon the day before event).
AFTER TASTE: After the lectures, enjoy music and drinks at MCA Cafe on the roof-top deck.
9–10 pm; Cash Bar. Admission to After Taste is complimentary with Mixed Taste lecture tickets or museum admission.
Museum of Contemporary Art / Denver
1485 Delgany
Denver, CO 80202
303.298.7554
Mon: Closed
Tue–Thu: 10:00–6:00 pm
Fri: 10:00–10:00 pm
Sat-Sun: 10:00–6:00 pm
http://mcadenver.org
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Other News
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Posted: May 26, 2009 |
While the city of Denver hashes out plans for an unconventional biennial that attempts to redefine the concept, here's news of the Mercosul Biennial's decidedly mainstream contemporary art extravaganza with a nonetheless ambitious curatorial goal: "Screaming and Hearing." - KLH
(from the press release:)
The 7th Mercosul Biennial runs from October 16 to November 29 2009 in Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. The exhibitions will be open to the public for 45 days in three exhibition spaces – The Quayside Warehouses, Santander Cultural and MARGS – The Rio Grande do Sul Museum of Art – together with other public spaces in the state capital. Approximately 70% of the works will be produced by the artists especially for this Biennial. The full list of artists taking part in this edition will be released in early July.
This edition proposes a series of methodologies and actions which demonstrate contemporary art’s diversity of approaches and functions. The curatorial concept is therefore organised into seven exhibitions, an education programme, a publishing and communication programme, a radio system (Radiovisual) and several cultural programmes running throughout the Biennial inside and outside the exhibition spaces.
Mauro Knijnik, president of the 7the Mercosul Biennial, believes that organisation of the event puts Porto Alegre and the state of Rio Grande do Sul in a privileged position, occupying a key place in the international art scene: “The Mercosul Biennial’s characteristics of quality and relevance have made it a reference point for excellence of concept and organisation. Part of this development is certainly the result of hard work and care for all the inherent detail of the arts, especially in terms of its curatorial concept.”
The 7th Mercosul Biennial’s curatorial concept affirms the meaning and importance of artists as social players and constant producers of necessary critical meaning. Entitled Screaming and Hearing (Grito e Escuta), the 7th Mercosul Biennial aims to explore multidirectional communication – between a world in conflict and an artist who listens and responds; between an artist who produces meaning with the aim of a world that listens – through multiple languages. The project addresses sound, movement of the body, social interaction and educational interaction as integral parts of experiencing art today.
In this way the artists in the 7th Mercosul Biennial occupy the role of curators, developing the exhibition programme and education programme, devising and coordinating the editorial programme and its publications, the image and communication of the Biennial as a whole.
Under chief curatorship of Victoria Noorthoorn, from Argentina, and Camilo Yañez, from Chile, the curatorial team for the 7the Biennial includes the following artists: Education curator: Marina De Caro (Argentina); Adjunct curators: Roberto Jacoby (Argentina), Artur Lescher (Brazil), Mario Navarro (Chile) and Laura Lima (Brazil); Editorial curators: Erick Beltrán (Mexico) and Bernardo Ortiz (Colombia); Co-curator of the Radiovisual programme: Lenora de Barros (Brazil).
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Local News
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Posted: May 20, 2009 |
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It was back over a year ago that the city of Denver announced plans for a "Biennial of the Americas" to take place in 2010, and the team behind the Biennial has a simple website that is dissapointingly sparser than even the original press release.
If you're a member of the Denver Art Museum, the Denver Office of Cultural Affairs has extended a welcome to a special "briefing and discussion" this Tuesday May 26 with the Mayor and the whole Biennial crew which will hopefully shed some light on the plans for 2010. Reservations for the event are being handled by DOCA (
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
) not the DAM.
From the website:
- The Denver Biennial of the Americas will be a citywide, international cultural event. It will include exhibitions, public programs and signature art installations that celebrate the power of ingenuity and the imagination of the Western Hemisphere. Once every two years, some of the world's greatest innovators will convene in Denver, tap into a dynamic local community of creative thinkers, and together galvanize a citizen-driven movement toward cross-cultural understanding and global cooperation. In doing so, we hope to forge solutions to some of the world's most pressing issues.
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Call for Artists
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Posted: April 28, 2009 |
 Call for Member Artsits
NEXT Gallery
NEXT Gallery in Denver, is currently accepting applications from emerging and established artists for membership. In addition to exhibition opportunities, NEXT is a co-op gallery, supporting its members through monthly discussions, critiques, web promotion, and exhibits.
If you are interested in being a NEXT co-op member, please send 6-8 (digital) images of your current work and/or a link to your website to
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
. Also, send a few sentences about your work.
Please visit the info section of the website for more membership information.
http://www.nextgallery.us
contact: Kristin Woodbury
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Local News
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Posted: April 22, 2009 |
Untitled 20: Trip
Denver Art Museum
Final Friday April 24, 2009 from 6:00 - 10:00 pm
After a prolonged winter hibernation, the DAM's "Untitled" series is back adding yet another reason to make a stop into the museum as part of a Friday night out. The DAM has continued staying open on Friday evenings even through a nasty series of staff and budget cuts that have left only the Hamilton building with Friday evening hours (no Ponti for you.) It's nice to see that Untitled has managed to make it through the downsizing.
April's Untitled ("Trip") riffs on the current "Psychedelic Experience" exhibit featuring rock posters from the 1960s. In addition, the usual Untitled flavor will be in effect, including 3 DJs, a 60s fashion show, live printmaking demos and roving comedy from the Buntport theater crew, . More info at http://untitled.denverartmuseum.org. - KLH
Denver Art Museum
100 W 14th Ave
Denver, CO 80204
720.865.5000
http://www.denverartmuseum.org
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Local News
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Posted: April 08, 2009 |
Artist Mark Friday (left) wtih FMAT host Eric Matelski
April's First Monday Art Talk at Dazzle Jazz featured the deadpan humor of Zip37 artist Mark Friday ruminating on a variety of topics from his early days as a student at Metro State to his more recent teaching engagement at the Art Students League Denver.
As April is "Poetry Month," host Matelski opened up the stage to poet (and KUVO First Friday arts commentator) Hillary DePolo (accompanied by James Boyce on guitar) as well as perennial favorite Lenny Chernila who will be hosting an open mic at the Fluid Coffee Bar on Saturday June 6th.
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Local News
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Posted: April 08, 2009 |
Creating the West in Art
Denver Art Museum - North (Ponti) Building, 7th floor
Creating the West in Art - photo by Ken Hamel/DenverArts.org
As work began back in 2003 on the DAM's Daniel Libeskind designed
addition, the original 1971 "North" building designed by Gio Ponti
entered a state of phased suspended animation, closing down floor by
floor until it was completely shuttered up as part of the finishing
touches on the combined new facility which opened in October of 2006.
Even after the grand re-opening, the 7th floor—previously the primary
home of the DAM's historical Western art holdings—has remained
indefinitely under construction, replaced by a more 20th century slant
on Western art on the 2nd floor of the Hamilton building.
So after what is without exaggeration years and years in the making, the
7th floor is back with what is arguably the strongest set of galleries
in the entire museum as part of an exhibit called "Creating the West in Art."
While the works on display are in general first class specimens from a variety of
Western genres and themes (my favorite being the Taos school works), the real
power of this collection is the home that Ponti has created for the
works: stately rooms offering dramatic sneak peeks into the real west
surrounding the building outside.
Quite frankly, it's probably a good thing that the DAM waited as long
as they did to unveil the 7th floor redesign as it truly highlights the
many failings of Liebeskind's awkward, art-unfriendly creation.
Visitors to Denver now have a real treat, a classic space reminiscent
of the grand halls of art that so many older midwestern cities were
able to build throughout the 19th century while Denver was still a cow
town. Without doubt, Ponti's 7th floor and the new "Creating the West in Art" are a must-see destination when visiting the DAM.
View of the roof of the Ponti building from the 7th floor - photo by Ken Hamel/DenverArts.org
Click here for the press release and some additional pix.
Mary Chandler of the RMN: Staking a claim for Western art
Kyle MacMillan of the Denver Post: How the West was seen
Michael Paglia of Westword: The Denver Art Museum looks to the West from its seventh-floor galleries
Denver Art Museum
100 W 14th Ave
Denver, CO 80204
720.865.5000
http://www.denverartmuseum.org
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Local News
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Posted: April 01, 2009 |
Dry Ice Factory founder Matt Palmer in front of the new facility's main entrance
photo by Ken Hamel/DenverArts.org
Many artists are on a perennial quest for the ultimate studio: a creative oasis and home away from home with handy access to his or her tools of the trade and ideally a community of peers close by as well. For the lucky folks with space in the new Dry Ice Factory, the search is over, as the RiNo studio collective at 33rd and Walnut seems to have it all: light filled suites with high ceilings, wood floors, city and mountain views, "Class A" finish, a cavernous gallery currently showing the work of Metro State College faculty Robert Strohmeier, and an eventual cafe to boot.
The DIF joins the equally exciting RiNo artists coop Redline down the block making the neighborhood a required destination for checking on the pulse of the Denver art scene.
Click here for photos from the grand opening...
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