The DAM

The Denver Art Museum (the DAM) is a really wonderful place- a super inspirational space. I have been there FIVE times this summer. Now this is the really great part- I have managed to not pay to get in all five times!!! Of course, I have to say that if I HAD payed to get in, it would have been totally worth the $25 ticket, but as luck would have it, I never had to.

Correction: The tickets are actually $10 for Colorado residents. Thanks for pointing that out DAM!

1. The first time I went was with my wonderful cousin Kristen. I didn't have to pay this time because she actually payed for me, as a way of thanking me for hosting her during her time in Denver. Very unnecessary- I loved "hosting" her- which consisted of Matt babysitting the kids while me and her explored the funnest places in Denver. We went to the DAM for an event which is titled (oddly enough) "Untitled". It happens every last Friday of the month- the museum stayed open late, has a rockin DJ, cash bar, and lots of awesome games and activities. My favorite monthly "Untitled" feature is the appearance of "Joan and Charlie"- two characters adapted from a painting in the museum. This is me in front of the painting:


The painting is by artist Joan Brown and is entitled "Portrait with Swimming Coach Charlie Sava". "Unititled" brings this otherwise unnoticeable painting to life by acting out the dramatic occurrences happening during Joan's swimming lessons. The funny thing is, everything takes place in the "the pool" which is really just the museum's elevator.

You see how those two people in front of the elevator are the same people from the painting? Perhaps you'll just have to take my word for this, but it's really hilarious and if you're going to go to the Denver Art Museum, you should really do it on the last Friday of the month so that you can see Joan and Charlie. I think they might be falling in love.
I also like to imagine that someday (maybe after I die) an art museum will reenact one of my paintings... but that's just a dream.

2. The second time I went this summer was with my bestest friend from Utah, Stephanie. We didn't even realize it was the first Saturday of the month when we arrived there, but as we entered a lady with a stack of tickets asked us "Are you here for the free first Saturday?" and we were like "Umm YEAH!". So that's why I didn't have to pay that time.
This picture shows off some of the awesome interior architecture of the museum... sort of... actually you just have to be there in person to experience it fully. That's Stephanie in the picture.

Some man walking by laughed a WHOLE LOT while I was posing for this picture. I am glad I could make his day.

3. My third time at the museum was for the very next "first Saturday of the month". So it was free again! I went with the art group from "scum" (the church we have been attending). This is a serious art group with serious artists. I also brought along Roxanne, for her very first time at the DAM.

This is Roxanne observing the same piece I posed with the month earlier. I couldn't talk her into posing the same way. It would have made MY day. Oh well.

She was equally as impressed with the museum as I was, although different artwork inspired her than would have inspired me. But, what-the-heck, she was inspired, and I just love it when people are inspired!!!! The only problem is that she really really really wanted to use my camera so she could remember the paintings that were the most inspiring, but I didn't want to let her use my camera because my camera is so expensive!! I let her use my iphone, which is slightly less super duper expensive, to take pictures. Later, I printed some of her pictures for her so she could copy them on sketch paper, or draw on top of them.

Yes, I agree, that is a horrible painting she is taking a picture of. But beauty is in the eye of the beholder, correct?

4. The fourth time I went to the DAM was for the sake of Dr. Sketchys. You know how "Untitled" always has fun activities? Well, last month one of their fun activities was Dr. Sketchys. As a faithful Dr. Sketchy's sketcher, I was selected to be a "planted" sketcher at the event. So I didn't have to pay... again. YESSSSsss.

Oh crap.... I just noticed now that I can't find any of the pictures I took from Dr. Sketchies at the DAM. This is bad because I was supposed to email them to someone. I didn't save them under the "DAM" folder or the "Dr. Sketchies" folder or the "August" folder... so I don't know where they are. Wiiiiierd.

5. The FIFTH time I went to the DAM was just the day before yesterday. This was also a free "first Saturday" and we went for Roxanne's birthday. Yes, I am raising my daughter with fine tastes, and she chose to go to the DAM for her birthday. We let her open her presents that morning and she got a camera from Matt and I. She was absolutely thrilled and couldn't wait to be able to take pictures of her favorite paintings at the museum. She also got to pick one friend to go with her, and she chose her best friend from school, Cody. Oddly enough, she has similar taste in boys as I do, because she chose a boy who got pretty ticked off at her for taking too many pictures.

A PINK camera. Even better.

I might hear from Cody's mom later....
But THEN... this is the coolest part... THEN, after we left the museum... OK maybe it's not cool, it's sad... THEN, after we left the museum, and we were out front, Roxanne was looking inbetween these two sculptures on the lawn and was like "there is a really huge bug in there!" and I was curious so I looked inside, and there was a little itty bitty bat on the ground. I didn't know if it was alive so I poked it with some posters I had, and it started HISSING really loud at us and looked really really scary:

Ok, this isn't the best way to wrap things up but, I have to go now.