In Denver visiting family, and had some super fun art days with my nibblets! (nieces and nephew)
Things are always seen from such a different perspective when hanging out with children. For example, I've had this stuck in my head for the last week-
But really, the biggest gift of seeing art with kids is all of the wonder and excitement they approach it with. Everything is an exploration.
The Denver Art Museum had tons of fun stuff to do with kids. I was super impressed by how many interactive artistic activities they had to offer.
There was a full studio with lots of stations set up where kids could play and make art.
A beautiful exhibit by
Francisco Alvarado-Juárez, which was still kid friendly and participatory. You could color and cut out animals to add to the exhibition.
Even the art that wasn't participatory was still of fascination to the little ones, although the concept of "don't touch the art," seemed a little confusing after all the art they could touch.
Loved these photographs by
Danny Singer. They so stunningly capture the feeling of the Prairies.
A postcard making station where they had stamps of art that was in the exhibit. You could color them and post them right from there!
A stunning exposition by
Brad Cloepfil. A room that was filled with a series of metal structures that held up beautiful non-functional objects. The whole piece felt precarious, while at the same time the craftsmanship was impeccable.
They also had a really amazing Aboriginal exhibit (although they still call it the "American Indian" exhibit, a term you'd never see in Canadian exhibit these days.)
I really liked it because along side their historical artifacts they also had a lot of contemporary Aboriginal art that discussed issues of colonialism. I found it a really refreshing way of commenting on the issue of Aboriginal artifacts in the museum.
And there were just so many things for the kids to do!
Making Samurai hats out of paper.
Building Japanese pagodas out of foam blocks.
Dressing up in Samurai outfits.
As well, in a different gallery in Boulder, some pieces that I absolutely LOVED by Nancy Anderson and Dale Peters. I couldn't find them online but I absolutely adored these pieces. It's really rare to see work made out of found objects that still looks new and interesting. Not to mention the subject matter of the kitsch of religion, which I love.
So much fun to see some of the art that's going on in Colorado!
