Art, anyone?

Wow, we had such a fun day today! Ryan is working hard on his final project of the semester, so I got up, got the kids ready and we headed out the door for a day of fun so he could have quiet time at home to work on it. We drove into downtown Denver and went to the Denver Art Museum. It was awesome! We started out in the Modern Art Exhibit which was very...modern. Some of it was awesome. Some of it was nude. I don't know why I was forgetting about that whole aspect of art--especially when I had my four young kids in tow! The funny thing was, the kids didn't really even seem to notice that many of the sculptures didn't have clothes on. (Why is it when we go to the zoo they point out all the animals private parts, then?!)Audrey came across this one photograph of a completely topless woman and was admiring how beautiful she was (she did have a striking face...) Most of it was fine. All of it was interesting. Here Audrey admires a little naked boy about her size...with a bird on his head.

My absolutely FAVORITE piece we came across was seriously the most random thing I have ever seen, but my kids' reaction to it was hilarious. I'm not exactly sure how it was art, or what it was supposed to mean or say (maybe I will have to bring the family art historian along with us next time to interpret! You up for it, Erin?) The exhibit was a small old suitcase in a corner. In the suitcase was a nondescript doll's body with a flat round thing for a head. A projected image of a woman's face was constantly playing on the doll's head. She was crazy--talking, whispering, making kissing noises. My kids were enthralled. I think we sat there and listened to that doll talk for 15 minutes. I just laughed and laughed. Lincoln was trying to talk back to her. I want to go again just to see that random piece of art. Unfortunately the woman's head didn't show up very well in the picture...

Here Lincoln listens to African music on the ipod in the African art display...
We found one room with a crazy realistic sculpture type thing of a fat man's head. It was freaky looking. In the same room they had a bunch of post-it notes that you were supposed to write your definition of art and stick it on the wall. Chloe drew a picture of herself screaming and then dictated her message to me: "I am so scared of this museum." I don't blame her with this guy staring us down!

The kids loved this giant red room full of foxes. Once again, the meaning is lost on me, but it was really cool to look at.
One of the things that impressed me the most about this museum was that it was very child friendly--something I was not expecting in an art museum. They had all sorts of activities for the kids to do in every exhibit. This bubble room was one of our favorites. Besides having these glowing globes on the floor and bean bags everywhere, there was a big open space with bubbles projected onto the floor and they would "pop" when the kids jumped on them. Lincoln loved it!!

It was also HUGE and unfortunately we didn't even come close to seeing all of it. I would love to go back someday--without kids might be preferable, only so that I would have more time to read all of the displays and see it all. But it was tons of fun and I highly recommend it to anyone who is in the area!! (First Saturday of every month is free...and crowded.)

Here is Isaac with a piece of Native American art that I liked.

Here are the kids in front of the artistic chairs.
Here is a Maori totem pole.And some giant cows to end the day with.