FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contacts: Rose Beetem, 720-913-0000
[email protected]
Shadia Lemus, 720-913-0096
[email protected]
Images available upon request.
Women of Abstract Expressionism Opens, Last Chance to See Samurai,
Summer Classes and Schedule Begin and Other June Highlights
(Denver) – May 24, 2016 – Debuting June 12 at the Denver Art Museum (DAM), the groundbreaking
exhibition Women of Abstract Expressionism will celebrate the often unknown female artists of this mid-20thcentury art movement. More than 50 major paintings
will be on view by artists working on the East and
West Coasts during the 1940s and ’50s, including
Elaine de Kooning, Lee Krasner, Joan Mitchell,
Helen Frankenthaler, Jay DeFeo, Sonia Gechtoff,
Judith Godwin, Mary Abbott, Perle Fine, Grace
Hartigan,
Deborah
Remington
and
Ethel
Schwabacher. This will be the first presentation of
works by these female artists together at one time.
Women of Abstract Expressionism will focus on the
expressive freedom of direct gesture and process at
the core of abstract expressionism, while revealing
inward reverie and painterly expression in these
works by individuals responding to particular places,
Elaine de Kooning, Bullfight, 1959. Oil on canvas; 77-5/8 × 131-1/4 × 1-1/8 in. Vance H. Kirkland
memories and life experiences. An illustrated catalog Acquisition Fund. ©Elaine de Kooning Trust
is available in The Shops at the Denver Art Museum.
Women of Abstract Expressionism is organized by the DAM and curated by Gwen Chanzit, the museum's curator
of modern art. The exhibition runs through Sept. 25 and is included in museum admission. #WomenofAbEx
Women of Abstract Expressionism-related programming
Women of Abstract Expressionism In Context (lecture series)
Celebrate the women who helped forge abstract expressionism—
the first fully American modern art movement—and reassess the
role of women painters within this movement that has been
customarily defined by heroic male painters. The Clyfford Still
Museum and the DAM present a series of co-sponsored talks
around this groundbreaking exhibition.
 June 22: Gwen Chanzit and Dean Sobel, Women of Abstract
Expressionism in Context
 July 13: Norman Kleeblatt, Action Abstraction: The Critics, the
Artists and the New York School
 July 27: Erika Doss, Not Just a Guy’s Club: Gender Dynamics
and Women Painters in the American 1950s
 Sept. 21: Susan Landauer, The Advantages of Obscurity: San
Sonia Gechtoff, The Beginning, 1960. Oil paint on canvas; 69 × 83 in.
Francisco Women Abstract Expressionists
Vance H. Kirkland Acquisition Fund, 2015.62. ©Sonia Gechtoff
All lectures are at 6:30 p.m. in the DAM’s Sharp Auditorium on the
lower level of the Hamilton Building. Pre-lecture viewing of Women of Abstract Expressionism at 5:30 p.m. Tickets
for each lecture are $12–$15; free for college students. Visit tickets.denverartmuseum.org or call 720-913-0130.
Drop-In Drawing: Women of Abstract Expressionism
June 14, 1–3 p.m.
Using place and memory as inspiration, participants will explore gesture and emotion to create abstract drawings,
taking inspiration from the groundbreaking exhibition, Women of Abstract Expressionism. All experience levels
welcome. Use one of our communal sketch pads or bring your own supplies. Included in museum admission; youth
18 and younger free. No reservations required.
Untitled: Power House
June 24, 6–10 p.m.
Be part of the action with a focus on female artists and architectural interventions. Produced with local creatives,
Untitled Final Fridays is the museum's monthly late night program featuring workshops, performances and tours
with a twist. Included in museum admission; youth 18 and younger free. College students with valid ID receive 2for-1 admission to Untitled Final Fridays. Untitled Final Fridays are presented by Your 6 Hometown Toyota Stores.
CLOSING SOON
Samurai: Armor from the Ann and Gabriel Barbier-Mueller Collection
On view through June 5
Samurai: Armor from the Ann and Gabriel Barbier-Mueller Collection tells
the iconic story of Japanese warriors through 140 objects from one of the
finest and most comprehensive collections of samurai armor and
accoutrements in the world. Surrounded by murals and war regalia, visitors
will be immersed in the life, culture and pageantry of samurai in the 1100s
through the 1800s. Exquisitely decorated suits of armor, helmets, weapons,
horse trappings and additional battle gear are on display, demonstrating
masterful craftsmanship. Samurai highlights the artistic inspiration for these
elaborate suits of armor. A special exhibition ticket, which includes an audio
tour, is required for Samurai. The exhibition is curated in collaboration with
the DAM and The Ann & Gabriel Barbier-Mueller Museum: The Samurai
Collection, Dallas. An exhibition catalog, Art of Armor: Samurai Armor from
the Ann and Gabriel Barbier-Mueller Collection, is available in The Shops
and online. #SamuraiDAM
Samurai-related programming
Nimaitachidō tōsei gusoku (armor), Muromachi period, ca.
1400 (helmet bowl), mid-Edo period, 18th century (armor).
Iron, shakudō, lacing, silver, wood, gold, brocade, fur,
bronze, brass, leather. Photograph by Brad Flowers.
©The Ann & Gabriel Barbier-Mueller Museum, Dallas.
Curator’s Circle: The Evolution of Japanese Armor from the Kofun to
Edo Periods
June 2, 6:30 p.m.
The image of the samurai on the battlefield is closely tied to the suits of armor they wore. Magnificently imposing
and beautifully detailed, these works of art were perfectly designed to protect their wearers and convey their
authority. Douglas Wagner of the DAM’s Asian art department will illustrate various types of Japanese armor,
explaining the events and forces that drove changes in its appearance, construction and function through more than
thirteen centuries. Reception follows the lecture. Free, but reservations are requested on the museum website or by
calling 720-913-0130.
NEW ON VIEW
Why We Dance: American Indian Art in Motion
May 29, 2016–Aug. 14, 2016
Why We Dance will present the motives behind Native American dance and highlight the DAM’s annual Friendship
Powwow and American Indian Cultural Celebration, occurring this year on Sept. 10. This multisensory exhibition will
feature about 86 works, including 78 drawn from the museum’s American Indian art collection. In addition to historic
works, the exhibition will showcase contemporary dance regalia from the regional Native American community.
Paintings and drawings will illustrate specific Native dances. Also included in the exhibition are large-scale, dancethemed paintings from the 1939 San Francisco World’s Fair by Charles Loloma, Jose Duran and Ignacio Moquino.
Visitors will be invited into a dancing circle through Mohawk artist Alan Michelson's Round Dance video art
installation, allowing them to join in on a form of dance used as social protest. Part of Dance!—a campus-wide
celebration of creative expression through movement—the exhibition is included in museum admission, which is
free for youth 18 and younger. #danceatDAM
Why We Dance-related programming
Gallery Tour of Why We Dance
June 1, 6 & 7 p.m.
Join curators Nancy Blomberg and John Lukavic for a closer look at the historic works, contemporary dance regalia
and paintings and drawings illustrating specific Native dances featured in this multisensory exhibition. The tour will
be offered twice, at 6 and 7 p.m. Tickets are $5 for Friends of Native Arts: The Douglas Society members, $10 for
DAM members, $12 for others and free for students with valid ID.
Conversation with Curator: Why We Dance
July 3, 4 p.m.
Curator Nancy Blomberg leads a tour of this multisensory exhibition, which presents the motives behind Native
American dance and highlights the museum’s annual Friendship Powwow and American Indian Cultural
Celebration. Conversations with Curators feature lively discussion with different curators on the first Friday of the
month. Meet in the elevator lobby on level 1 of the Hamilton Building. Included with general admission; no
reservations are needed.
Timothy H. O'Sullivan, Ancient Ruins in the Cañon
de Chelle, N.M. In a Niche 50 Feet above Present
Cañon Bed., 1873. Albumen silver print. Denver Art
Museum Collection: The Daniel Wolf Landscape
Photography Collection, 1991.483.48
On Desert Time: Landscape Photographs by O’Sullivan & Bell, 1871–1874
May 29, 2016–Jan. 8, 2017
On Desert Time presents photographs by Timothy H. O’Sullivan and William H.
Bell made over four summers, 1871–1874. In those years, these
photographers worked on the Wheeler Survey—a series of expeditions in the
American Southwest led by Lieutenant George Wheeler that were officially
titled the Geographic Explorations and Surveys West of the 100th Meridian.
The Wheeler Survey was charged with the task of mapping lands for the
development of military posts, transportation corridors, and mineral resources
in territories ceded to the United States at the end of the Mexican-American
War. Within these constraints, O’Sullivan and Bell created striking views of the
desert region that reflect both the bones of the landscape and the
photographers’ own experiences in the area. The two photographers
documented places, cultures and geologic phenomena across lands that now
lie within Arizona, Nevada, Utah, Colorado and New Mexico, including areas
such as the Grand Canyon and Canyon de Chelly. O’Sullivan’s and Bell’s
pictures, printed in Washington, D.C., over the following winters and published
in bound portfolios, fueled people’s curiosity about a region that was largely
unknown to European Americans farther east. Included in museum admission;
youth 18 and younger free.
ARTISTS ON SITE
Native Arts Artist-in-Residence: Powwow Regalia Studio
June 9–Sept. 18
This summer, the Native Arts Artist-in-Residence program will focus on the artistry and process of creating powwow
regalia, coinciding with Why We Dance: American Indian Art in Motion and the DAM’s 2016 Friendship Powwow on
Sept. 10.
Six artists from the Denver community will be in residence for two weeks each, focusing on regalia for different
powwow dances. Each artist will have open studio hours from 10 a.m.–2 p.m., Thursdays–Sundays during their
two-week residency.
Artist Residency Schedule

June 9–19: Mary Young Bear, Men’s Woodland Style Dance

July 7–17: Alistair Bane, Men’s Straight Dance

July 21–31: Verla Howell, Men’s Fancy Feather Dance

Aug. 4–14: Kiva Trujillo, Women’s Fancy Dance

Aug. 18–28: Iris Rouillard, Traditional Lakota Design Beadwork

Sept. 1–4 and 15–18: Andy Cozad, Gourd Dance
Movement Studio
Opens June 4
Explore how artists express and are inspired by movement through different mediums and techniques. The studio
will include three hands-on activity areas to explore and experiment with motion in unique ways and will feature
demonstrations by local creatives each weekend during a summer celebrating movement and Dance!
June Demo Artist Schedule
 June 4–5: David Ocelotl Garcia – Energy in Motion (interactive drawing and painting)
 June 11–12: Corrina Espinosa – Objects in Motion
 June 18–19 and 25–26: Mark Brasuell – Automatic Painting & Conceptual Abstraction
The Movement Studio is generously supported by The R&J Newman Family Foundation.
ADULT LECTURES & PROGRAMS
Mindful Looking
June 21, 1 p.m. (offered on the third Tuesday of every
month)
Join teaching specialist Molly Medakovich for an indepth exploration of a screen depicting a garden party
in the DAM’s Spanish Colonial collection. Mindful
Looking invites visitors to slow down and spend time
with a work of art, discovering overlooked details,
exploring ideas and making connections. Included in
museum admission; youth 18 and younger free. No
reservations required.
Garden Party on the Terrace of a Country Home, Mexico, circa 1725. Oil, canvas, gold. Gift
of Frederick and Jan Mayer; 2009.759
Drop-In Writing: Say What You Will – Hanging Out In Audacious
June 28, 1–3 p.m. (offered on the fourth Tuesday of every month)
Poet W.H. Auden once wrote that poetry “makes nothing happen.” Even if that is true, it doesn’t mean we shouldn't
say the things we need to say—about culture, about politics, about the state of our world. This month, we’ll take an
active role in speaking our minds, using Audacious: Contemporary Artists Speak Out as a creative launch pad. All
experience levels welcome, bring your own supplies or use one of our notebooks. Included in museum admission;
youth 18 and younger free. No reservations required.
FAMILY FUN
Free First Saturday / CelebrARTE at Free First Saturdays
June 4, 10 a.m.–5 p.m.
On the first Saturday of every month, enjoy the museum’s art collections and
non-ticketed exhibitions without spending a dime! Be sure to check out some
of the DAM’s many family-friendly activities. Free museum admission tickets
are available on-site starting at 10 a.m. (Additional ticket required for Samurai.)
Free First Saturday is made possible by Your 6 Hometown Toyota Stores and the citizens who
support the Scientific and Cultural Facilities District (SCFD).
At CelebrARTE on Free First Saturdays, enjoy bilingual fun for everyone,
with a 2 p.m. DAM Highlights tour in Spanish, Create-n-Takes and a
storytelling program. Cuentistas tell the tales of artworks during Cuentos del
Arte with stories para todos—for everyone—at 1 and 3 p.m.
Summer Schedule for Family Fun
Starting June 4, Create-n-Takes will be available in the galleries for summer
fun Tuesday–Friday from 10:30 a.m.–3:30 p.m., and on Free First Saturdays
June–August. Starting June 7, the Family Activity Cart will be out every day the
museum is open. Check out a Family Backpack and explore the galleries!
Included in museum admission; youth 18 and younger free. No reservations
required.
Create Playdate: Shadow
June 8, 10 a.m.–1 p.m.
Drop in with your little ones, aged 3 to 5, to create art, read stories and play art games. In June, we’ll play with
shadow and light. Included in museum admission; youth 18 and younger free. No reservations required.
Foxy and Shmoxy: Art Detectives
June 12, 10 a.m.–noon (offered on the second Sunday of every month)
Foxy and Shmoxy—two smart, witty and hilarious foxes—are ready to solve art mysteries in the galleries. Bring the
whole family to help Foxy and Shmoxy sniff out clues and unseen treasures in the museum. See the foxes in action
at 10:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. Visit the Family Activity Cart, pick up a letter from the Fox Box, and then follow the
riddles into the galleries to find the foxes. Included in museum admission; youth 18 and younger free. No
reservations required.
Note: This is an overview of June happenings and does not include all exhibitions, events and programs
available at the DAM this month. Please visit the museum website for complete information.
Media Resources
 Online Newsroom: www.denverartmuseum.org/press
 Facebook: www.facebook.com/denverartmuseum
 Twitter: www.twitter.com/denverartmuseum
 Instagram: www.Instagram.com/denverartmuseum
Denver Art Museum
The Denver Art Museum is an educational, nonprofit resource that sparks creative thinking and expression through
transformative experiences with art. Its holdings reflect the city and region—and provide invaluable ways for the
community to learn about cultures from around the world. Denver metro citizens support the Scientific and Cultural
Facilities District (SCFD), a unique funding source serving hundreds of metro Denver arts, culture and scientific
organizations. For museum information, call 720-865-5000 or visit denverartmuseum.org.
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