DENVER EDITION
Andrea Duffie
"Go west young man, and grow up with the country." -- Horace Greeley
After the chaos of my last trip to get there, and following a very long string of very long days in the office, I was thoroughly excited to get to Denver. Many of my friends had been singing the city's praises for years. I hadn't been since a family vacation when I was 7 or so (I remembered the dinosaurs!) so I was ready to see what all the hoopla was about.
Turns out, Denver was worth the wait. Not only was there interesting museums, but a thriving downtown with some nerdily-awesome attractions - including a video game themed bar and a Shakespearean comedy improv show - provided me with exactly the break I needed.
Not to mention it provided me with an outlet for my latest random nerdy hobby: catching Pokémon.
On the road again with #TimTheTRex, Denver-bound for another #Museumpalooza! (We attempted this back in February, but there's no blizzard in our way this time...for now.)
Well, I just discovered my second favorite book store in the country. (And yes, I'm keeping a running list.) Absolutely adore The Tattered Cover Bookstore. New book obtained: The Shining by Stephen King. #Bookpalooza
Tim the T-Rex and I are excited for Stop #1 on our Denver #Museumpalooza: the Museum of Contemporary Arts Denver!
Sessa Engund, @sessasessasessa. Artist’s Instagram feed, digital print, acrylic keyrings, varying size. (2016)
Currently examining Sessa Engund's @sessasessasessa, composed of keychains containing pictures from the artist's Instagram account. Purchase of a keychain results in that image being deleted from the artist's Instagram account...FOR-EV-ER.
In the social media world, where everything lives indefinitely, this is like...a very big deal.
Interesting statement on memories as commodities / ideas of ownership in the age of social media.
Nathan Carter, Ladies and Gentlemen, Meet the Dramastics. Mixed media. (2016)
"Head banging, air guitar shredding and mic dropping are permitted in this area." Tim the T-Rex rocks out with Nathan Carter's Dramastics installation at the Museum of Contemporary Art Denver! #MCALoudAF
Stop #2 on our Denver #Museumpalooza: Denver Museum of Nature & Science!
It's hard to tell who's more excited about being at Denver Museum of Nature & Science: Tim or the actual T-Rex.
In the mummy exhibit at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science, we learned that Egypt wasn't the only ancient civilization that created mummies. In fact, ancient Peruvian and Chilean cultures made the oldest mummies in the world beginning 7,000 years ago - 1,500 years before Egyptians!
The largest T-Rex skulls that have been discovered are a little over 4.5 ft. long. The skull's many large openings (called "fenestrae") helped reduce the overall weight of the skull while also providing space for muscles to attach. And as for teeth? The largest T-Rex tooth ever discovered is 12 inches long, the largest tooth of any carnivorous dinosaur to date.
It's probably not hard to guess Tim the T-Rex's favorite part of our visit to Denver Museum of Nature & Science. #Allosaurus #Stegosaurus #ActualJurassicPark #TimePeriodAppropriate
Stand-off on the tundra at Denver Museum of Nature & Science. This is what REALLY happens when you give a moose a muffin. (Fun fact: The symmetry of a moose's antlers reflects its health.)
I think I just discovered my new favorite reading spot in Denver. It's absolutely stunning.
Selections from Clyfford Still: The Works on Paper.
Museumpalooza Stop #3: the Clyfford Still Museum! Still was notoriously possessive about his work, and passed away with 94% of his artistic output still in his estate (now mostly in possession of the museum.) While he was more renowned for his large Abstract Expressionist paintings, Still was also prolific with pastels and was a skilled draftsman.
Selections from Clyfford Still: The Works on Paper.
"My work in its entirety is like a symphony in which each painting as its part." - Clyfford Still. None of the "big paintings" were on view, but the Works on Paper show at the Clyfford Still Museum featured a lot of interesting works I never knew about. #Museumpalooza
Final stop on our #Museumpalooza tour of Denver: Denver Art Museum!
Detail. Pompeo Girolamo Batoni, The Triumph of Venice. Oil on canvas. (1737)
Stopped by the Glory of Venice exhibit at the Denver Art Museum and was very impressed by this painting by Pompeo Girolamo Batoni, which depicts the city of Venice as the woman in the chariot (next to the Dodge.) The chariot is drawn by winged lions, the symbol of Venice's patron saint, Saint Mark. #Museumpalooza
Sui Jianguo, Made in China. (2005)
Tim wasn't the only toy dinosaur at Denver Art Museum this afternoon.
The Denver Art Museum building is almost 10 years old, yet still looks amazing from every angle. The building was Daniel Libeskind's first project in the US, and its unique design was inspired by the peaks of the nearby Rocky Mountains. #Museumpalooza
Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen, Big Sweep. (1999-2006)
Final shot of Tim at Denver Art Museum, taking in Claus Oldenburg and Coosie van Bruggen's Big Sweep.
Albert Bierstadt, Estes Park, Long’s Peak. Oil on canvas. (1877)
We had a blast during our Denver #Museumpalooza! Big thanks to the Museum of Contemporary Art Denver, Denver Museum of Nature & Science, the Still Museum and the Denver Art Museum, plus Tattered Cover Bookstore, for being fantastic hosts! (Painting: Estes Park by Albert Bierstadt at Denver Museum of Art)
TRIP SUMMARY
DENVER
Museums visited: 4
- Museum of Contemporary Art - Denver
- Denver Museum of Nature & Science
- Clyfford Still Museum
- Denver Art Museum
Additional locations of note:
- Tattered Cover Bookstore
- The 1-Up in LoDo
- Voodoo Donuts