Famously referred to as Gateway to
the Rockies, Denver is a country-city best
known for its surrounding red rock mountains
and a hotspot for adventurous travellers
to water raft, fi sh, swim and hike to their
hearts’ content. Yet, in the aftermath of the
Democratic National Convention last August,
a fi ttingly celebratory fi nale to the hard-fought
Democratic presidential nomination which
the city was host to, an adoring media have
uncovered a largely unseen, sophisticated
side to the city.
What the press pack saw during their
coverage of the event was a freshly refi ned
Denver donning an artist’s cloak. Today, it is
home to the largest number of art museums
and galleries of any city between Chicago and
San Francisco. From Broadway-calibre theatre
A good example of the bold,
at the sprawling 10-stage Denver Performing
contemporary and often
controversial public art Arts Complex to the Clyff ord Still Museum,
popping up around Denver is
Donald Lipski’s ‘The Yearling,’
scheduled to debut in early 2010 to house
standing outside the Denver the works of the noted abstract expressionist
Public Library
painter, Denver is making the most overt
Denver’s downtown Theater District
statement to its cultural ambitions yet.
is home to the nation’s second largest
performing arts complex
Its emerging artistic identity is focused on the city’s often whimsical public art scene. Towering outside
the Colorado Convention Centre is a monumental 13.5m blue bear sculpture by Lawrence Argent. Installed in
2007 as part of the city’s energetic 10-year-old Public Art Collection programme, it is just one of the over 300
artworks valued at almost US$25million that visitors can fi nd in various locations around the city.
Another stunning sight is The Yearling by Donald Lipski, which features a dappled pony standing full-
sized atop a giant straight-backed chair outside the US$64million Michael Graves-designed Denver Public
Library. Seen by many residents and visitors as a perfect vision of the New West, its antic playfulness refl ects
the informal nature of the popular public art programme.
Standing more than 13.5 m tall, sculptor
Lawrence Argent’s monumental blue bear peers
into the Colorado Convention Center atrium.
Quizzically named I See What You Mean, the big
bear was installed in 2007 as part of Denver’s
energetic public art programme
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