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January 2, 2020
DENVER
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Museums turn toward tech, innovation Multi-sensory exhibits are among new ways of telling a story BY CLARKE READER SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA
Denver and the surrounding suburbs have spent the better part of this century becoming some of the most desirable places to live in the country. The influx of new residents has brought with it all manner of changes, but one that may not be immediately noticeable is how local cultural hotspots cater to this dynamic audience. “Denver is a fresh, entrepreneurial and growing community, and I have found our audiences to embody these qualities,” said Heather Nielson, director of learning and engagement at the Denver Art Museum. “They expect high quality. They are courageous and adventurous, and welcome exhibition projects that are experimental and innovative. They want projects that reflect their communities.” Denver’s museums are using technology, community outreach and innovative, multi-sensory approaches to draw in new audiences and increase repeat visits from residents. In the process, they’re changing the standard for what a “typical” museum exhibit can look like. “To a certain extent, places like zoos and aquarium generally experience higher attendance. Art museums started looking at this and asked, ‘Why not us?’” said Dean Sobel, director of the Clyfford Still Museum. “Art museums are starting to have a lot of fun in coming up with new ways to set up an exhibit.” The Clyfford Still Museum’s latest exhibit, Still: Elemental (which runs through Jan. 12), exemplifies this burgeoning approach. It makes use of a relatively low-tech video projection, incorporates a sensory feature by encouraging visitors to smell actual
Some of Pixar’s most beloved characters come to life at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science’s “The Science Behind Pixar” exhibit, which runs at the museum through April 5. PHOTO BY NICOLAUS CZARNECKI dirt in the earth element portion, and uses noise-cancelling headphones in the last gallery. “There’s something really interesting about closing out one of our senses, and how it heightens our other senses,” Sobel explained. “It becomes a deeper experience by making the last gallery a non-social experience.” In recent years, the Denver Art Museum has been giving extra attention to the story of an exhibit. Rather than seeing exhibits as static spaces with general themes and organization, the aim of the museum is to give them
a narrative arc, with elements of an introduction, characters or ideas visitors can connect with, and a conclusion, Nielson said. “We spend a lot of time thinking about the entry points for visitors. For some that is through the artists’ perspective and voice, to show the power of creativity and unique approaches to art making,” she said. “Over the last several years, design has become important in our telling of each exhibition’s story. We have experimented with immersive audio and video elements on certain projects
to transport our visitors to a different time and place.” Much like the Denver Art Museum, with its Dior and Monet exhibits, the Denver Museum of Nature & Science has hosted some well-known exhibitions like the Dead Sea Scrolls and, currently, The Science Behind Pixar (running through April 5). It’s extremely important that a Denver touch is added to all these national exhibits, so community residents get a unique experience when they visit. SEE MUSEUMS, P5
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