Sketchbooks and colored pencils in-hand, we decided to checkout the Denver Art Museum.The Hamilton Building is a welcome variance to Denver’s homogenized stepford-wife-esque suburban architorture. It’s good to know there are people creating structures that challenge us to experience space and ourselves in a new light.
I suppose in some respects the museum is like other institutions that guard artifacts or things of value. There were plenty of white people milling around and security guards silently watching over "the valuables".
While the interior space screams for more energy, in terms of people laughing, having fun, holding hands, or even “performance art” taking place…what we experienced were paintings and sculpture swallowed and fully eclipsed by the architectural space itself.
The slanted walls and open galleries of the Hamilton Building are L-A-R-G-E enough to house works of massive scale. Perhaps jaded from our travels, we found the pieces on display from the modern art collection “ho-hum”.
Our visit was not a total loss. After blowing through the galleries we immersed ourselves in the multi-sensory African Art exhibit. Inspired by the swirlie dance dress, we made sketches of it and created new designs for our very own fantasy gown collection.
The Denver Art Museum is worth a visit… more than one.
Cheers, ~jilly
