Some of the most captivating Denver attractions this season will be found in Denver galleries and museums. We have the top art exhibits, shows and things to do in Denver, Colorado this fall.
WHAT: Frohawk Two Feathers
WHERE: Museum of Contemporary Art
WHEN: Now – September 9, 2012
MCA Denver Colorado showcases the first solo museum exhibition dedicated to the work of Frohawk Two Feathers, the pseudonym for LA-based artist Umar Rashid. The exhibition includes more than 20 paintings, works on paper, and sculpture. Frohawk Two Feather’s collective work brilliantly re-imagines history and recounts the story of Frengland, his fictionalized European empire. By reinterpreting colonial history, his work shows the subjective nature of historical recollection. The artist created new works exclusively for the exhibit that further that expand the narrative to the Western United States.
WHAT: Garry Winogrand: Women are Beautiful
WHERE: Denver Art Museum
WHEN: Now – September 30, 2012
From his early years as a Manhattan magazine freelancer in the 1950s to his final days in Los Angeles, Garry Winogrand snapped pictures of street style. When he sensed a perfect composition, he would capture candid images of anonymous strangers – predominantly, women. A 35mm Leica camera enabled Winogrand to quickly photograph as women stepped into taxis, sat in parks, mingled at parties and exited boutiques. ‘Women are Beautiful’ features nearly 50 captivating photographs of the hundreds that Garry Winogrand took.
WHAT: Kizuna: West Meets East
WHERE: Denver Botanic Gardens
WHEN: Now – November 4, 2012
The Botanic Gardens signature exhibition of the season unites two installation artists working in bamboo: Tetsunori Kawana and Stephen Talasnik. Through different techniques, both artists create large-scale natural works of art with bamboo as their medium. In addition to these serene living installations, the Bill Hosokawa Bonsai Pavillion and Tea Garden were recently unveiled as additions to the Japanese Garden – another must-see while visiting the Denver Colorado Botanic Gardens.
WHAT: Theodore Waddell’s Abstract Angus
WHERE: Denver Art Museum
WHEN: Now – December 2, 2012
Theodore Waddell arrived on the New York scene in the early 60s, just a decade after abstract expressionists like Jackson Pollock ruled the art world. Waddell extracted elements of this abstract art influence before applying them to his own works from his native Montana. Here he painted figures that symbolized cattle on snowy backgrounds, finely walking the line of abstraction and realism. This 23 piece exhibition is a narration of how Waddell’s abstract paintings, sketches and drawings challenge the norm of all Western Art having a realistic form.
WHAT: What Is Modern?
WHERE: Denver Art Museum
WHEN: Now – March 24, 2013
An impressive show dedicated to furniture and decor from the early nineteenth to the early 21st century. Curator Darrin Alfred has assembled revolutionary furniture, lighting and graphic masterpieces. The exhibition takes a chronological look at how technological advancements informed the development of modernism, starting with a bentwood chair from 1808 by Samuel Gragg. The objects represent a lineage of innovative thinking that embodies the modern experience. “In its simplest form, the term modern implies the up-to-date, a current development, or, better still, a spirit in step with its own time,” muses Alfred.
WHAT: Sixteenth Street Mall Festival of the Arts
WHERE: 16th Street between Arapahoe and Stout
WHEN: September 14 – September 15, 2012
The Art District on Santa Fe in collaboration with the Denver Theatre District debuts the first annual 16th Street Mall Festival of the Arts. This exciting new event will feature artists and galleries from Denver’s famed Santa Fe Art District. Explore and purchase painting, sculpture, photography, drawings, textiles, ceramics, jewelry, metal and wood works, or enjoy the live performances, demonstrations and videos. This is sure to be one of the best new things to do in Denver, Colorado.
WHAT: Andy Berg: New Works
WHERE: Rule Gallery
WHEN: September 21 – November 3, 2012; Reception on Friday 9/21 from 6 – 9PM
Artist Andy Berg explains “Painting for me is an opportunity to play for the creative act alone. I approach the process with no restrictions or truths, which allows in the best of moments, for it to become whatever it becomes. There is value in the process rather than in the result. By not identifying with or attaching to the result, I am able to find meaning as it relates to the process.” Visitors of the exhibition step into the experience as they view the dynamic results of Berg’s mystery. Berg’s artwork presents his contemporary view of spontaneity and creativity to Denver, Colorado.
With our quaint streets lined with golden and crimson trees, our bustling farmers markets selling freshly pressed apple cider and our nearby farmlands with corn mazes and pumpkin patches, it’s irrefutable: Denver is spectacular in autumn.
