Denver has always had a strong cultural presence.  Even when it was a Wild West gold mining boom town in the 1860s, Denver had a theatre and a performance of Macbeth, long before the city had a school or a hospital.

            Today, Metro Denver collects and distributes more public money for the arts than any other city on a per capita basis.  Through the unique Scientific & Cultural Facilities District, residents in the seven-county Denver metro area have voted three times to approve a 1/10 of a cent sales tax increase for the arts.  More than $42 million was collected in 2007 and distributed to 300 arts and cultural organizations.

            In 2007, the attendance at all of Denver’s arts and cultural organizations was greater than the attendance at all of Denver’s professional sporting events – and Denver has eight professional sports teams, more than any other city.

            Denver’s cultural scene has never shined quite so brightly as today.  A few highlights:

Visual Arts & Architecture

“The Mile High City is remaking itself as a world capital of art and architecture.”  Sunset

• In early 2008, The City of Denver announced plans to host The Biennial of the Americas in 2010, a two-month long curated celebration of contemporary art from throughout North America.
• Denver has one of the nation’s leading public art programs.  One percent of all city construction projects must be devoted to art.  The public art program associated with Denver International Airport was the largest commissioned public art program in American history.
• Denver opened three new art museums in a short span.  The new Hamilton Building at the Denver Art Museum opened in 2006 to rave reviews.  It is renown architect Daniel Libeskind’s first building in the United States. The new building doubles the size of the museum and gives it the space to host any touring art show that has ever been organized.  The $90 million cost was approved by Denver voters.
• Also in 2006, the innovative Lab at Belmar opened, an institution dedicated to contemporary art and thought that combines elements of an art museum, think tank and public forum.
• The second new art museum, the Museum of Contemporary Art / Denver, opened in 2007 and was designed by London architect David Adjaye.  It offers five galleries for changing exhibits, as well as a spectacular rooftop café.
• The third new art museum will house the 2,000-Piece Clyfford Still collection. When American artist Clyfford Still died in 1980, he left a priceless 2,000- piece private collection to  an American city that would create and maintain a museum exclusively devoted to his art. In 2004, Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper met  with his widow, Mrs. Patricia A. Still, and in August of that year, she confirmed that Denver would be the recipient of this collection of works by her late husband in the new Clyfford Still Museum. The City of Denver unveiled plans for the museum in March 2008.
• Other art museums in the region include the Kirkland Museum of Fine & Decorative Art, which displays a nationally important collection of 20^th Century decorative art as well as the works of Denver painter Vance Kirkland; and the Leanin’ Tree Museum of Western Art, which is the nation’s largest public collection of contemporary Western art.  The Denver Public Library (the 4^th largest in the nation which was built in 1995 with a voter approved tax increase) also has its own Western art collection.
• Denver has a growing reputation for its collection of art galleries in trendy neighborhoods that include more than 30 art galleries in the ArtsDistrict on Santa Fe; the hip galleries of Rhino (River North); the Golden Triangle Museum District; LoDo (short for Lower Downtown) and Cherry Creek.
• The Cherry Creek Arts Festival is consistently ranked as the largest outdoor-juried arts event in the country and attracts more than 300,000 people every July 4^th weekend.
• Denver hosted its first Denver Arts Week in 2007 and will host its fourth Doors Open Denver in 2008, allowing admission to more than 70 architectural treasures in the city.
•  As a recognition of Denver’s increasing role as a cultural center, the American Association of Museums Annual Meeting and Museum Expo  will be held in Denver, April 27 – May 1, 2008, attracting up to 15,000 museum professional and volunteer members and over 3,000 institutional members.

Performing Arts

“Denver has become the cultural beacon of the American West.”  Patricia Schultz, 1000 Places to See Before You Die

• The Denver Performing Arts Complex is the second largest arts center in the nation with 10 venues that seat 10,000 people for Tony Award-winning theatre, Broadway road shows (The Little Mermaid premiered in Denver in 2007), dance, opera and symphony.  The complex includes a voice research laboratory, acting school and video production company.  Original productions have moved on to successful runs in New York and London.
• The new $90 million Ellie Caulkins Opera House opened in 2006 as part of the Denver Performing Arts Complex and is one of only three in the nation to feature in-seat translation devices