Colorado may best be known for its world class winter skiing, but summer brings a wealth of opportunities too – including some great exhibitions.
Sandy Skoglund (American, b. 1946), Revenge of the Goldfish, 1981. Cibachrome print. Bank of America Collection. © 1981 Sandy Skoglund
The western U.S. state is renowned for its diverse landscape of arid desert, river canyons and snow-covered Rocky Mountains. Yet venture beyond these natural attractions, and into its urban centres, and visitors will soon discover an assortment of cultural venues that play host to diverse programmes of events and exhibitions. Here are 14 of the best taking place across the state this summer.
Modern Women/Modern Vision
Presenting more than 100 images by female artists, this exhibition celebrates the bold and dynamic contributions of women to the development and evolution of photography in the 20th-century. Diverse in style, tone, and subject, these images range from spontaneous to composed, detached to empathetic, monumental to intimate. The exhibition is presented in six thematic sections, including Modernist Innovators, Documentary Photography and the New Deal, the Photo League, Modern Masters, Exploring the Environment, and The Global Contemporary Lens to reflect the impact of female artists in the medium of photography.
Denver Art Museum / Through 28 August 2022
Pioneering the Field: Women in Mining
Women haven’t always been fairly recognised for their contributions to the mining industry. This exhibition showcases the careers of 15 women who represent a variety of mining sectors and have influenced the mining industry both historically and contemporarily. It tells the stories of these women using personal objects and images from their time working in, managing, and supporting the mining industry. An interactive touchscreen shows brief biographies of all other women nominated for inclusion.
National Mining Hall of Fame and Museum, Leadville / Through February 2023
Egypt: The Time of Pharaohs
(Photo: Denver Museum of Nature and Science)
Over 5,000 years ago, Egypt became a state that unified many cities and towns along the Nile River. Since then, ancient Egypt’s powerful pharaohs, phenomenal pyramids and extraordinary art have captivated people’s imagination all over the world. Through hundreds of artifacts, artwork and interactive displays, this exhibition transports visitors to the distant past to explore ancient Egyptian culture and the land of pharaohs, inviting them to experience what everyday life was like in one of the most storied cultures in human history.
Denver Museum of Nature and Science / Through 5 September 2022
Climb to Glory
(Photo: Colorado Snowsports Museum)
This museum celebrates Colorado snow sports by telling stories that educate and inspire others to seek adventure. One of the museum’s most popular exhibition, “Climb to Glory” is dedicated to the 10th Mountain Division of World War II. With help from the 10th Mountain Division Foundation, the exhibit is undergoing a revamp this summer, with plans to create a deeper dive into the 10th Mountain story through the use of an interactive touchscreen digitally showcasing information about soldiers, letter communications, photos, and other archival materials.
Colorado Snowsports Museum, Vail / Premiering end of Summer 2022
Any Place That Is North And West
In his poem, “One Way Ticket”, Langston Hughes eloquently described the exodus of millions of African Americans out of the South following the Civil War. Pushed out by repressive Jim Crow laws, acts of violence and intimidation, and economic and political repression, Blacks moved Any Place That is North and West. This permanent exhibit explores what they found when they arrived in Colorado Springs, the supportive community they created for themselves, and the role they played in shaping the city we live in today.
Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum / Permanent
Heroine of the Titanic
(Photo: Molly Brown House)
This exhibition commemorates 110 years since the sinking of the RMS Titanic, bringing survivors’ memories of that fateful night to life – including those of Margaret Brown, who helped row a lifeboat through the night to safety. Visitors can step back in time to discover the heroine’s story through rare artifacts, never-before-seen family documents, and awe-inspiring objects and photographs, as well as Margaret’s many Titanic interviews including her first one, given when she was still on board the rescue ship.
Molly Brown House, Denver / Through 25 September 2022
Jurassic World: The Exhibition
This immersive experience is based on one of the biggest blockbusters in cinema history. Visitors can walk through the world-famous “Jurassic World” gates, encounter life-sized dinosaurs and explore richly themed environments. Imagine what it would have been like to roam among these breath-taking creature by getting an up-close look at a Velociraptor, standing in awe under a towering Brachiosaurus, interacting with baby dinosaurs, and encountering the most fearsome of them all, the mighty Tyrannosaurus rex.
National Western Center, Denver / Through 5 September 2022
The Buffalo Bill Story
The Buffalo Bill Museum focusses on the life, times, and legacy of American soldier, bison hunter, and showman William “Buffalo Bill” Cody. Among its permanent exhibitions are the Buffalo Bill Story, featuring rare and never-before-seen artifacts including the Stetson hat worn by Buffalo Bill at the last performance before his death, and the head of the last buffalo he ever shot. Posters, photographs and archival materials supplement the exhibits many items. Visitors can also hear early recordings of Buffalo Bill’s voice and the “Buffalo Bill Farewell March,” played during the 1912 performance season.
Buffalo Bill Museum and Grave, Golden / Permanent
Food for Thought: Micro Views of Sustenance
(Photo: Courtesy of Robert Dash)
Using eye-catching photomontages, acclaimed educator, photographer and naturalist Robert Dash’s offers a micro perspective on how one part of nature – our food – is deeply connected to climate change. The thought-provoking exhibition ponders the threats posed to our staple foods and provides hopeful prospects surrounding the issue of climate change. The subjects and sources of Dash’s intriguing images were primarily found in the San Juan Islands, Washington.
Fort Collins Museum of Discovery / 18 June – 4 September 2022
The Art of Banksy
This exhibition features original works by one of the most intriguing and talked-about artist in modern history. On display are prints, canvasses, sculptures, unique works and limited-edition pieces, mainly dated between the years 1997 to 2008 – the period which resulted in Banksy’s most recognisable and well-known works. Highlights include iconic pieces such as ‘Girl and Balloon’, ‘Flower Thrower’ and ‘Rude Copper’ alongside some of Banksy’s lesser known masterpieces, including a number of works on canvas, wood and paper.
The Denver Sports Castle / Through 10 July 2022
Evolutions: Looking Back | Moving Forward
This biennial show invites art quilters from across the country the chance to showcase the evolution of their art quilting journey. Artists in fibre and mixed media create their concept of an evolution quilt that represents their transition in the art of quilting. The entrants can interpret evolutions any way they chose – on a personal level, on a global level, or related to changes and growth of their favourite means of creative expression, the quilt. The first place winner will be given their own solo exhibit in 2023.
Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum, Golden / Through 16 July 2022
LaMont Hamilton: To Hear the Earth Before the End of the World
(Photo: Seabrook Gubbins for Gray Area)
This light and sound installation by artist LaMont Hamilton is organised around elements of air, earth, fire, water, and the aether. The exhibition includes field recordings Hamilton captured during his travels to Europe and North and South America where he gained what he calls “a ground zero understanding of our changing Earth”. A ring of speakers plays long-form compositions of modulated environmental recordings intermixed with digital and instrumental sounds, creating a heightened sensory environment wherein Hamilton asks us to listen to the sounds of a changing climate that involves both creation and destruction.
University of Colorado Art Museum, Boulder / Through 16 July 2022
Tania Candiani: For the Animals
This exhibition by artist Tania Candiani explores the interrelationships between human, animal, and non-biological sounds, and the rich and fragile nature of the acoustic fabric around us. Highlights include a mesmerising video titled “For the Animals”, which considers the evolution of sound tracing back to the origins of our planet through historical documentation, scientific and documentary footage, and night-vision cameras, delving into how animals, humans, and the environment intersect to create an acoustic ecology around us.
Museum of Contemporary Art Denver / Through 26 August 2022