Showing posts with label Denver. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Denver. Show all posts

Sunday, November 2, 2025

Catrinas en mi Ciudad Cultural Art Exhibit in Denver, Colorado


 My husband and I enjoy opera and have been attending Opera Colorado's productions every year since we moved to Colorado in 2013. For the past few years, as subscribers, we have enjoyed being invited to a delicious brunch at the Ellie Caulkins Opera House and watching a Sitzprobe rehearsal afterward. This year, we watched the sitzprobe of this season's first opera, Verdi's La Traviata. 

The term "sitzprobe" (seated rehearsal) originates from German and is believed to have originated in opera. The term refers to the first run-through of a performance in which both the singers and the orchestra perform together. Often, the sitzprobe is not performed on stage and does not use elements such as costumes, props, or scenery. Instead, the singers simply sit or stand and run through the music and dialogue in order with the orchestra attending and directed by the conductor. It is an interesting rehearsal to view, and we look forward to seeing the actual production.  



We were also excited to see a free exhibit at the Denver Center for Performing Arts, where the opera house is located, of "Catrinas en mi Ciudad." 

It was a month-long exhibit for "Dia de los Muertos -- Day of the Dead" celebrated by Mexico and other Latin cultures.  I knew a bit about Dia de Los Muertos from trips I took in the past, to both San Antonio, Texas, and Mexico, but this exhibit taught me much more.

The Catrinas en mi ciudad in Denver was an immersive, outdoor art exhibit inspired by Mexico's Día de Muertos, and featured larger-than-life art pieces by Ricardo Soltero, Cooperativa Jaen Cartonería, Colección Serpentina, and Osvaldo Ruelas Ramirez from Mexico. The exhibit also featured the work of Colorado Latino artists who, through their own art form and technique, shared some of Día de Muertos' most special traditions.

Please click on photo to enlarge to read the informational placard

Monumental papier-mache skeletons were on display.




A giant skeleton was hanging on the tiers of the parking garage! 


Please click on the photo to enlarge it to read the placard


Calaveras is the Spanish word for "Skulls", and there were many artistic ones on display--some very large ones that one could step inside to see their decorations.


Each of the individual hand-painted Cavaleras on display was by a different Latino artist, and each was a personal statement unique to its creator. Each told a story of who they are, where they come from, and how they place themselves in ancestral tradition. 

Please click on the photo to read the information on the placard


I liked the thought of the souls of the departed being alive for a day as a monarch butterfly! The monarchs’ migration arrival in Mexico usually occurs around November 1 and November 2, coinciding with Día De Los Muertos, or Day of the Dead.  Marigold flowers have a strong scent and are said to attract them, so they are often displayed together on "Ofrendas," which is an altar with different offerings displayed during the annual and traditionally Mexican Día de los Muertos celebration. An ofrenda, which may be quite large and elaborate, is usually created by the family members of a person who has died and is intended to welcome the deceased to the altar setting.


Please click on the photo  to enlarge to read the placard


According to Wikipedia, Aztec culture considered souls to continuously live and enter different realms after the body dies. This view of the Aztecs was eventually commingled with the Christian beliefs of "All Saints Day" and "All Souls Day," as cultures and religions merged.



One of the strongest and most recognizable symbols of  Day of the Dead celebrations is the tall female skeleton wearing a fancy hat with feathers, called La Catrina.



A woman performer dressed and wearing makeup as a La Catrina was scheduled to appear at this stage on the afternoon we visited the Denver Performing Arts Complex, but we were in the opera sitzprobe and missed her performance.



My favorite Catrina was this one on display at the far end of the performing arts complex!


She was stunning!

The exhibit's last day is November 2, 2025, and I hope my photos will allow you to enjoy this exhibit a bit longer and learn something new about this interesting holiday celebration.



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Monday, January 15, 2024

the Future Era for the National Western Complex


My husband and I enjoyed going to the annual National Western Stock Show Parade in Denver in early January --read that post here--and we decided to take another trip into Denver last week to visit the stock show grounds on the free admission day. We visited the stockyards before, years ago--click here to read that post--and we were excited to see the new construction that we had heard about being in progress.  The construction consists of more than 2.2 million square feet of new indoor and outdoor spaces is underway, designed to host innovation and research labs, farmers markets, international conferences, outdoor festivals, and everything in between.




The National Western Center is being built by the City and County of Denver in partnership with the National Western Stock Show and Colorado State University, along with programming support by History Colorado and the Denver Museum of Nature and Science.

Information about the new buildings from the National Western Center website:

"The National Western Center will be a year-round, global destination for agricultural innovation, western heritage, and culture. People worldwide will convene at the National Western Center and online to lead, inspire, create, educate, and entertain in pursuit of global food solutions. The National Western Center will be the future home of the National Western Stock Show and exploratory learning opportunities through CSU. The National Western Center Authority is the nonprofit that will operate the campus; its offices are located at 4701 Marion St., Denver."



The signs on the construction fences gave more information and some photos of what the buildings would look like.




Construction is expected to be completed by late 2025 or early 2026.




From what we could see the new buildings will be amazing amenities to the city of Denver!





We walked around to see some of the remaining outdoor stock pens...




...and we watched a few of the bull demonstrations and auctions.



We then walked over to see the two new Colorado State University -CSU- buildings called CSU SPUR.  CSU Spur hosts programming from many partners — including the Dumb Friends League, Denver Water, the Temple Grandin Equine Center, and the CSU College of Agriculture. It is home to real science and research and has laboratories, a veterinary clinic, a market, a museum, an art studio, classrooms, a garden, and an innovation center.

CSU Spur is always free and is open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. every day during the National Western Stock Show (Jan. 6-21, 2024) for dog and cat surgeries, rooftop greenhouses, interactive exhibits, and special demonstrations. There was so much to see and do there--we know we will return again to do more.

You can watch a YouTube video at this link to see more about what wonderful things are happening in these buildings.




We then went inside the Stockyards Event Center where there were hundreds of vendor booths selling a multitude of goods and services during the stock show days.



There were also indoor stock pens inside the event center with animals from A --Alpaca on the right--to Z-- Zebu on the left.




I was amazed to see the girth of these two well-fed bulls!





We also added some girth to our waistlines by having a delicious barbecue lunch at one of the food vendors at the event center! I had brisket with coleslaw and a broccoli salad, and my husband had a sausage and ribs platter with beans and potato salad. It was all delicious!

We enjoyed our day out and look forward to many more visits in the future at the new National Western Complex. It really has made Denver remain the premier center of the West!






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Monday, January 8, 2024

The 2024 National Western Stock Show Parade in Denver, Colorado



Happy New Year! I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season and that 2024 will be a healthy and prosperous year for all! 




One of our favorite first activities for the new year is attending the National Western Stock Show parade in Denver, Colorado.  I've blogged about it in the past--see those blog posts here and here and here, but we haven't been able to attend the parade for quite a few years as COVID shut it down a few years and then we were avoiding being in crowds for a few years when it came back.  But this year feeling all boosted and healthy we decided to go to the National Western Stock Show Kick-off Parade on Thursday, Jan. 4, 2024. 




 
The Parade route in Denver is on 17th Street from Union Station to Glenarm Street and down 18th Street to McGregor Square. This year’s parade featured the 30 longhorn cattle herded by many cowboys and followed by many professional photographers, down the parade route. They are always an exciting sight to see!



The Stock Show runs through Jan. 21 at the National Western Complex, featuring everything from cattle auctions to professional rodeos, mutton busting, sheep shearing, and bluegrass. In the past we attended rodeos--see those blog posts here--and here --and a Draft Horse Show--post here.

An estimated 700,000 people visit the Stock Show each year in Denver. The event officially dates back to 1906, but there were earlier cattle shows and auctions in Denver as far back as 1874. The 2024 show runs through Jan. 21, 2024.


Former Denver Broncos All-Pro middle linebacker Randy Gradishar was the official Grand Marshal of the 2024 National Western Stock Show Kick-off Parade.





Mike Johnson, the Mayor of Denver, was also in the parade.




There is a definite Western flair to the parade!




Many horses and carriages passed by...


...as well as mini horses, a college mascot Ram, and a scooter-riding Bronco football mascot!




To see a video reel of this group of Westernaires passing by go to this link on my Mille Fiori Facebook page. Turn on the microphone icon on the upper right of the video.

Information from the Westernaires web site: 
"We're a non-profit organization located in Golden, Colorado, comprised of over 1,000 dedicated young people, aged 9 to 19. We encourage self-respect, responsibility and leadership through horsemanship and family participation. Since 1949, Westernaires has proudly trained young people to use their talents and skills in the best traditions of the West."
.

There were many men and women on horseback...


...as well as marching bands.




Another group of Westernaires pass by.




There were 59 different groups in the parade and traditional Mexican dancers performed, as did a group of Native Americans in traditional dress.  To see a video reel of the Mexican dancers click this link on my Mille Fiori Favoriti Facebook page.  To hear the Native Americans dancing and chanting go to this link.  Be sure to click on the microphone icon in the upper right corner of each video to hear the sound.




There was a wonderful representation of 4 H groups. 4-H is a community of young people, across America, learning leadership, citizenship, and life skills, and in Colorado, it is supported by the Colorado State University Extension.  It was the first time I saw chickens in the parade!



There were even some  National Western Extreme Dog Show dogs in the parade. 




More Westernaires...




...in a long line riding down 17th Street in Denver.




One of the last floats is usually the Grizzly Rose--a country music nightclub and dance hall in Denver that hosts country western music six nights a week.  


With all the horses that passed by this becomes the final. well-needed sight following the parade is a parade of street cleaning vehicles!

As always we enjoyed the National Western Stock Show Kick-Off Parade, even though the chilly overcast skies made it the coldest one that we've experienced. It was good to finally put my gloves back on after taking so many photos!  I hope you enjoyed seeing it here on my blog. I missed you all while on my holiday break and it's good to be back!



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Monday, August 22, 2022

A Day at the Denver Art Museum


It is hard to believe that school in our part of Colorado has already been in session for one week! A few days before the new school year we brought our oldest granddaughter to the Denver Art Museum for the day.  She was very excited, as you can see by her big smile.




The Denver Art Museum is located in an area of Denver's "Golden Triangle." Within the boundaries of the Golden Triangle, you can find Civic Center Park, the City and County of Denver offices, the Colorado State Capitol, History Colorado, the Denver Art Museum, the U.S. Mint Museum, the Clyfford Still Museum, and the Kirkland Museum of Fine & Decorative Art and the Denver Public Library.

The Denver Art Museum has exhibitions and collections of more than 70,000 diverse works from across the centuries and the world, as well as special exhibits.






 I was excited to see the special Georgia O'Keeffe Photographer exhibit that runs 
through November 6, 2022

Information from the exhibit website:
"Georgia O’Keeffe, Photographer brings a trove of newly identified photographs by the groundbreaking artist to Colorado in summer 2022 in an exhibition organized by the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (MFAH) with the collaboration of the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum, Santa Fe. The presentation reveals a new aspect of the modernist artist’s career through nearly 100 photographs, as well as several paintings, drawings, and related ephemera."



Please click on to enlarge

I think many are familiar with her macro-style flower paintings and it was interesting to see her photos that were her inspiration.




Please click on to enlarge

Her photo of her New Mexico studio door






O'Keeffe's painting of her patio and door with a cloud-filled sky above.









Some other paintings by O'Keeffe are part of the exhibit.



Please click on to enlarge

We were amazed to see the "Age of Armor" special exhibit which runs until September 5, 2022.  It is an immersive exhibition featuring more than 100 objects highlighting the artistry, function, and societal perceptions of armor shaped throughout time, from the Higgins Collection at the Worcester Art Museum of Massachusetts.





Please click on to enlarge


This two-handed sword was impressive!




Some beautiful glass was made in the Czech Republic, where glassmaking is a 1,000-year-old tradition.




An art museum visit would not be complete without looking at the Impressionists--just a small portion we saw are in the collage above.





There is also Outdoor Art outside the museum as well as an interactive garden. 

The thirty-five-foot tall "Big Sweep" sculpture is by Claes Oldenburg and Coosje Van Bruggen and is located on Martin Plaza outside the Hamilton building.  

I was happy to see the horse sculptures made by Deborah Butterfield which were part of an exhibit I saw years ago at the Denver Botanic Garden called "The Nature of Horses--click here--to see them in that blog post.





Denver Art Museum is one of the largest art museums between Chicago and the West Coast with global art collections that represent cultures around the world as well as work by artists from Denver and the Rocky Mountain region. Internationally known for its holdings of American Indian art, the museum has also assembled an extensive group of pre-Columbian and Spanish Colonial art objects now considered one of the finest collections in the world.   To see some of these exhibits in past blogs click here and here.

 
We only saw a small portion of the exhibits on this visit and we will return many times in the future to see more.  



Our granddaughter was especially excited to see that there were many Creativity Areas in the museum where she could create her own artwork! There were many art supplies available and after seeing so much artwork and sculptures our creative juice was flowing and we both made drawings.  

She enjoyed the interactive poetry wall in one room and on the whiteboard that asked the question "Why do we need creativity?"  she wrote "Creativity Shows Passion," which I think sums up our day at the museum perfectly!


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