Join us on Saturday, Sept. 7, for the 30th Annual Friendship Powwow and American Indian Cultural Celebration. One of the Denver Art Museum's (DAM) longest-running events, the Friendship Powwow is a celebration of the vitality of American Indian cultures that will feature dancers, drum groups, artist booths and more. Visitors can watch dance competitions, participate in hands-on activities and enjoy their first (or 101st!) piece of fry bread.
Grand entry will be at 11 a.m. All powwow activities and general museum admission are free.
This year’s Friendship Powwow also celebrates the life of Nancy Blomberg, who served in her curatorial role at the DAM for 28 years, overseeing the American Indian, African and Oceanic art collections. A new song composed for the DAM, and in honor of Blomberg, by Andy Cozad (Kiowa) will debut during the Friendship Powwow in the afternoon.
The 30th Annual Friendship Powwow and American Indian Cultural Celebration is sponsored by U.S. Bank and brought to you by the Denver metro citizens who support the Scientific and Cultural Facilities District (SCFD).
COMING SOON AND ON VIEW
Phantom Canyon: A Digital Circuit
Opening Aug. 25
Journey along the circuit of balconies, landings and stairs within the atrium of the DAM’s Hamilton Building to discover 15 digital artworks that make up Phantom Canyon: A Digital Circuit. A moving image is comprised of a series of still images, shown in rapid succession. The afterimage—or ghost—of one picture stays in our eye for a fleeting moment, allowing our brain to merge it with the next. Each of the artworks on view depends on the afterimage to create the appearance of movement.
As visitors discover each of the artworks in Phantom Canyon, perhaps this space will feel more like a canyon filled with scenic stops that offer a glimpse into each artist’s imagination. Included with general admission, which is free for members and youth 18 and younger. #PhantomCanyonatDAM
Shantell Martin: Words and Lines
Opening Sept. 27
Shantell Martin: Words and Lines is an interactive multimedia installation featuring the work of London-born, New York-based contemporary artist Shantell Martin. Featuring Martin’s signature black and white drawings that explore intersectionality, identity and play, it will include an interactive wall with triangular boxes that rotate, an animated video projection and a third section focused solely on her renowned drawings. Extensions of this installation will be visible throughout the museum, adding an element of surprise and whimsy.
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—will be 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
Through Nov. 17
Eyes On: Erika Harrsch features a contemporary installation titled Under the Same Sky… We Dream. Harrsch (who is based in New York and was born and raised in Mexico City) first exhibited Under the Same Sky… We Dream in El Paso in 2017 just as regulations became more stringent for those seeking asylum in the United States.
Harrsch’s installation offers a place of reflection that acknowledges the children who have crossed the border between Mexico and the U.S. The multimedia artwork uses photography, animation, visual language and music to capture current cultural, political and environmental issues faced by children of refugees and undocumented immigrants. Included with general admission, which is free for members and youth 18 and younger. #ErikaHarrschatDAM
Through Nov. 17
Jonathan Saiz’s installation #WhatisUtopia features a column covered with 10,000 tiny drawings, paintings and sculptures as well as five additional framed pieces. After the exhibition closes, the artist will give away the 10,000 tiny artworks. Details will be released in September; email whatisutopia@denverartmuseum.org to receive information about the giveaway.
Consider Jonathan Saiz's invitation to join his dialogue about utopia. Engage through Instagram via @utopia_is_free and with the hashtags #WhatisUtopia and #JonathanSaizatDAM.
Sept. 11, 6 p.m. (doors open at 5:30 p.m.)
Jonathan Saiz's installation #WhatisUtopia is currently on view in Eyes On: Jonathan Saiz. The artist employs social media to spark conversation and document responses about our ability to re-envision and embody a modern utopia. Lecture includes on-site reception and after-hours exhibition viewing.
Free for Contemporary Alliance members and students with valid ID, $10 DAM volunteers, $15 DAM members, $20 others. The Logan Lecture series is sponsored by Vicki and Kent Logan in affiliation with Contemporary Alliance.
Treasures of British Art: The Berger Collection
Through Jan. 5, 2020
Treasures of British Art displays about 60 paintings gifted to the museum by the Berger Collection Educational Trust in 2018. This exhibition 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.
A 45-minute public tour is available daily at 1:30 p.m. through Oct. 20. Included with general admission, which is free for members and youth 18 and younger. #TreasuresatDAM
Treasures of British Art-related program
What Lies Beneath: Uncovering the Secrets of Early British Portraits (symposium)
Sept. 12, 8:30 a.m.-6 p.m.
At this daylong symposium on early British pictures in European and American art collections, leading scholars from America and England will present the results of their recent groundbreaking research, including on the Berger Collection's renowned group of early portraits. The symposium is hosted by the DAM’s department of painting and sculpture and sponsored by the Berger Collection Educational Trust. $12 students, $25 DAM members, $35 others.
ARTISTS ONSITE
Creative-in-Residence: Juntae TeeJay Hwang
Wednesday Happenings, 1-3 p.m.
Observe and interact with the DAM's current Creative-in-Residence, Juntae TeeJay Hwang, as he explores performance art in the museum during Wednesday Happenings. Included with general admission.
Composing & Mixing Media
- Sept. 4, level 4, The Light Show
- Sept. 11, lower level, Sharp Auditorium
Saturday Studies: Performance Workshops, 3-4 p.m.
Learn a performance and participate in a museum happening at Saturday Studies: Performance Workshops. TeeJay will guide visitors through a thematic performance workshop that will end with a performance in the museum. Included with general admission, but space is limited. Online registration required.
Composing & Mixing Media
- Sept. 7, level 4, The Light Show
- Sept. 14, lower level, Sharp Auditorium
Creative-In-Residence Juntae TeeJay Hwang: Final Performance
Sept. 21, 6-8 p.m.
Join us for the culminating performance of our 2019 Creative-in-Residence, Juntae TeeJay Hwang. Included with general admission; first-come seating.
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.
On level 1 of the Hamilton Building. Included with general admission, which is free for members and youth 18 and younger.
September Artist Demonstrations
- Sept. 1: Caleb Hahne, What We Feel: Painting Emotion
- Sept. 7-8 & 14-15: Carlos Frésquez, Acrylic Gel Transfer
- Sept. 21-22 & 28-29: Adri Norris, Women Behaving Badly: A Portrait Series
FAMILY FUN AT THE DAM
Sept. 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.
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
Open during museum hours
Step into the shining world of the First Light Family Space for hands-on 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. Included with general admission, which is free for members and youth 18 and younger.
ADULT PROGRAMS AND LECTURES
Insight: What’s in a Label? The Art of Exhibition Storytelling
Sept. 6, 6 p.m. (doors open at 5:30 p.m.)
Before the earliest 140-character tweet, there was the 75-word museum label. How in the world do we condense all there is to say about an artwork into one brief label? (Short answer: We don’t.) DAM’s senior interpretive specialist Stefania Van Dyke and director of publications Laura Caruso discuss the reading habits of museum visitors, developing an institutional “voice,” why simplifying does not mean “dumbing down” and how they handle tricky questions like nationality. $10 for DAM members, $15 others.
Passing the Flame: The Takahashi Rakusai Lineage in Shigaraki Ceramics
Sept. 13, 6:30-9 p.m.
Takahashi Rakusai V and his daughter Yoshiko are the latest inheritors of a multi-generational Japanese ceramic tradition. Makers of masterpieces in the distinctive Shigaraki style, with its rustic yet elegant pieces graced with splashes of ash glaze, they will discuss the materials, methods and aesthetic that have made Shigaraki ceramics famous for centuries.
The DAM’s Asian Art Department and the Consulate-general of Japan in Denver are proud to host this Curator’s Circle event, which is free to the public. The lecture will be followed by a reception at 7:30 p.m.
Mindful Looking: Architecture of the Hamilton Building
Sept. 17, 1 p.m.
Designed by world-renowned architect Daniel Libeskind, the DAM’s Hamilton Building is an expression of energy and creativity. Explore this dynamic piece of architecture with interpretive specialist Ann Lambson. Discover overlooked details, explore ideas and make connections as we linger, look and discuss. Included with general admission, which is free for members and youth 18 and younger.
Sept. 20, 4–4:45 p.m.
Wind down your week with Unplugged, a program that explores different ways to turn down the tempo and step into a state of relaxation, reflection and calm. In September, join Mona Akbari and slow down with all-levels yoga in The Light Show. The Unplugged experience changes each month. Included in general admission, which is free for members and youth 18 and younger.
Zurbarán and the Atlantic World
Sept. 20, 6:30–7:45 p.m. (doors open at 5:30 p.m.)
The most important religious painter of mid-17th century Spain, Zurbarán was also among the leading exporters of artwork to the Americas. The travels and travails of these seafaring paintings make for some fascinating historical tales. Speaker Michael A. Brown, Ph.D., is Curator of European Art at the San Diego Museum of Art.
Coffee, cookies and conversation at 5:30 p.m., followed by the 6:30 p.m. lecture. Free for Alianza members and students with ID; $5 for others.
Sept. 24, 1–3 p.m.
Explore your creativity through the written word in our informal writing sessions with Michael Henry, executive director of the Lighthouse Writers Workshop. This month, take a scavenger hunt throughout the museum. Bring your own writing projects or get started on something new. Open to all levels, from published authors to the occasional journaler. Materials available onsite. Included in general admission, which is free for members and youth 18 and younger.
Anderman Photography Lecture: Janelle Lynch
Sept. 26, 7-8:30 p.m. (doors open at 6:30 p.m.)
Janelle Lynch is a large format photographer whose work has been born out of time spent in the landscapes of the United States, Spain and Mexico. She often uses the landscape as a metaphor for aspects of our relationships with each other and nature, exploring ideas such as presence/absence, memory, disconnection/need for connection and love. Lynch’s pictures encourage us to look more deeply and consider what meaning may lie beneath the surface.
She is currently based in New York City and teaches at the International Center of Photography. Lynch’s work is collected and exhibited internationally and has been the subject of three monographs. She was recently selected for the Prix Pictet 2019 shortlist.
$5 for students, DAM members and CPAC members, $12 for others. The Anderman Photography Lecture Series is sponsored by the DAM Photography Department. Series funding is generously provided by Evan and Elizabeth Anderman.
Sept. 27, 6–10 p.m.
Untitled Final Fridays is the DAM’s monthly late-night program featuring unconventional experiences developed in collaboration with local creatives and community members.
In September, Untitled will highlight the creative practice of artist and master of ceremonies MO SPKX, with the theme “Harvest of the Dreamer" inspired by The Light Show. Watch for blackout poetry, live beat making and performance art. Untitled Final Friday also includes a cash bar and yummy eats available from a different food truck each month.
Included in general admission, which is free for DAM members and youth 18 and younger. Students with valid ID receive two-for-one tickets during Untitled. Untitled Final Fridays are presented by Your 6 Hometown Toyota Stores. #untitledDAM
This overview of September happenings does not include all exhibitions, events and programs available this month. See the museum website for complete information.
