Denver Arts Week is one part marketing for the region’s cultural offerings and one part inspiration for civic-minded citizens to get out and take advantage of all the good things going on here.
The fact that it includes a few good deals on local attractions makes it hard to resist. There are two-for-one ticket bargains, membership discounts and free performances in the mix of events that stretch from Nov. 2-10 and span the entire region.
The biggest discount in the batch, as usual, is the Free Night at the Museums, this year on Nov. 3, when 17 major cultural institutions will stay open late and drop their admission fees.
Arts Week pulls the city’s diverse personality together. It defines its mission broadly — promoting everything from Denver Fashion week to the Denver Film Festival to the snazzy display of 1970s automobiles at the Fourney Museum of Transportation. Here’s a long list to check out online.
Is it all art? Let’s say it is all artful in its way, and it reminds us that the definition of creativity is rapidly expanding. Arts week is a good chance to catch up with the evolution.
Here are six standout offerings:
One heavenly deal: But one, get two at the Museo de las Americas
Museo de las Americas is one of the best attractions in the art district along Denver’s Santa Fe Drive, but visitors often opt out because the gallery charges admission on a strip where everything else is essentially free. Arts Week cuts that bite in half with a two-for-one deal. Buy one $8 ticket and get another for free. The current exhibit, “E Infinito,” is magical, spiritual and daring, connecting current satellite images of Earth with sections of the Codex Borgia, the ancient Aztec manuscript that contains its own interpretations of the stars and skies.
Museo de las Americas, 861 Santa Fe Drive. Info: 303-571-4401 or museo.org.
Small humans, big art: Free classical for kids in Littleton
The Littleton Symphony Orchestra’s annual free children’s concert coincides nicely with Denver Arts Week. This no-cost event also makes exposing kids to classical music a little less of a risk. Luckily, the program is time-tested in its ability to extend limited attention spans. On the bill: Henry Mancini’s “Pink Panther” and “Baby Elephant Walk,” and Camille Saint-Saëns’ “Carnival of the Animals.” Kids don’t have to behave perfectly at these events, since the atmosphere is relaxed, fun and forgiving.
The concert is 2 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 10, at Littleton United Methodist Church, 5894 S. Datura, Littleton. Info: 303-933-6824 or littletonsymphony.org.
Sophisticated sounds: Jazz at a discount
The live jazz club Nocturne is cutting prices a bit for Denver Arts Week, and that’s an opportunity to check out a hot city venue that looks and sounds sharp. Nocturne usually adds an $8 per person “artist fee” to its food and drink tab, but this week that becomes a 2-for-1 deal making things slightly more affordable. The discount is only good Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Make a reservation in advance if you can.
Nocturne, 1330 27th St., 303-295-3333 or nocturnejazz.com.
The biggest deal of all: Free museums
Denver Arts Week’s Free Night at the Museums has become an annual ritual for folks who want to get a lot of art and not pay anything. In other words, smart people. This year, there are 17 cultural institutions opening their doors at no cost from 5 to 10 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 3. It’s a broad list of attractions ranging form high art outposts (like the Denver Art Museum and the Kirkland Museum), to history centers (like the Black America West Museum and the Denver Firefighters Museum), to family fun houses (like the Museum of Nature & Science and Dinosaur Ridge). You can’t get to them all, so make a battle plan in advance and definitely take the free shuttles waiting to whisk you around with no parking hassles at any of the stops.
There is Info on all of the museums, plus a list of shuttle routes at denver.org/denver-arts-week.
International outlook: A deep dive into Cuba
The Denver Museum of Nature & Science is offering a 10 percent discount on new memberships throughout Arts Week, and its current exhibit is one reason to seize the opportunity. “¡Cuba!” is a multimedia attraction that ties together both the biodiversity and cultural diversity of a country very much at the center of global politics these days. The exhibit works hard to make clear connections — between art, ecology, architecture and daily life, and between the island nation of 11 million people and Cubans living in Denver.
DMNS, 2001 Colorado Blvd., 303-370-6000 or dmns.org.
Dead end: Diá de los Muertos on West Colfax
The 40 West Arts District is doing everything it can to make a name for itself. It deserves your attention. Not only has the fledgling district lured top galleries and artists into its realm, it also produces fun events that liven up the Colfax corridor between Sheridan and Kipling, a section of the region that’s rich in history and personality. Expect the Nov. 2 Colfax Art Crawl and Diá de los Muertos party to be humble yet fun, with a local bent and an international outlook. Yes, there will be piñatas, colorful altars, Aztec dancers and art — lots of it — in the district’s open galleries.
Info at 303-275-3430 or 40westarts.org.
Democracy depends on journalism, and journalists need your help. Support The Denver Post and get unlimited digital access —
the first month is just 99 cents.
[Read More …]
No comments:
Post a Comment