Artists interpreted the American West

Denver Art Museum show runs through May 29

BY SONYA ELLINGBOE SELLINGBOE@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

“Near East to Far West: Fictions of French and American Colonialism” is open in the Hamilton Building at the Denver Art Museum through May 29 and is filled with stories, color and historic interpretations that may be a bit skewed at times.

It includes more than 80 artworks that explore the ways artists were influenced by the style of French Orientalism as they explored ways to portray the story of the American West, its landscapes and inhabitants ... including indigenous people and those more recently arrived ...

Curated by Jennifer Henneman, director of the Petrie Institute of Western American Art at the Denver Art Museum, the exhibit ranges from works by French artists, who were exposed to life in exotic Algiers and American artists, some of whom were trained in France, reflected.

The market for those American artists was mainly on the East Coast and a number of them lived and painted in Taos, New Mexico, depicting the scenes in and around Taos and neighboring desert landscapes as well as scenes from an artist’s imagination.

A visitor will see images of Taos Pueblo and its residents, and African battles that involve lions. There are elaborate Oriental interior scenes, with brightly-costumed characters, desert vistas and pueblo architecture that resembles the sunbaked locations in the Arab world.

An amusing pair of drawings by Charles Russell show two views of his studio: the first, as his mother imagined it: with a neatly dressed artist entertaining a fashionable woman, posing on elaborate furniture. The other, depicts the artist and his Native American buddy seated in a bare-bones mountain cabin as the painter, sitting on a wooden crate, draws from his imagination ... French Orientalism and Western American art “reflect fears, desires and curiosities about unknown lands during the process of colonization” in the western part of North America and in Africa and the Islamic world.

This collection of big, colorful paintings really takes the visitor on a trip ... Oriental scenes may include lions fighting mounted horsemen, as well as exotic women with flowers in their hair and pilgrims on camels, bound for Mecca ...

Imagination was alive and well in the mid-19th century on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean, even though we read of excessive focus on proper behavior in the cities and small towns.

And the painterly skills were at front and center of these works, with swooshes of brilliant color, exotic costumes and a sense of humor as well.

Admission to “Near East to Far West” is included with general admission and is free for members.

The Denver Art Museum is open daily, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Tuesday evenings, and is located at 100 W. 14th Ave. Parkway in Denver.

4 p.m. Wednesday and ursday and 9 a.m.–1 p.m. Friday and Saturday. New guests should arrive one hour before closing time for the intake process. Returning guests should arrive 30 minutes before closing.

See secorcares.com or call 720842-5621. SECORCares sits at 17151 Pine Lane in Parker, just east of Jordan Road.

In Elbert County, e Food Bank of Kiowa Creek Community Church operates from 9 a.m.–1 p.m. Mondays, 3–6 p.m. Tuesdays and 10 a.m.–1 p.m. the second Friday of each month.

Call 303-243-6500 or see kiowacreek.org/who-we-are/foodbankof-kiowa-creek-community-church.

It’s located at 231 Cheyenne St. in Kiowa, about one block north of the intersection of state Highway 86 and Pawnee Street.

For more resources, see information from the following county human services departments:

• Arapahoe County Human Services — Located at 14980 E. Alameda Drive in Aurora, east of Sable Boulevard and east of Interstate 225. Call 303-636-1130 or see resources at arapahoegov.com/388/HumanServices.

• Douglas County Human Services — Located at 4400 Castleton Court in Castle Rock, accessible via Castleton Drive south of Meadows Parkway, just west of Interstate 25. Call 303-688-4825 or see a list of many resources, including for food, at douglas.co.us/human-services/ resources/community-resources.

• Elbert County Human Services

— Located at 75 Ute Ave. in Kiowa, a short drive north of state Highway 86. Call 303-621-3149, or see elbertcounty-co.gov/501/Foodassistance-and-resources.

Je erson County Community Table food pantry in Arvada sits at 8555 W 57th Ave., a short drive west of Wadsworth Boulevard.

It’s open noon–3:45 p.m. Monday,

Tuesday and Friday; noon–5:45 p.m. most Wednesdays; and 10 a.m.–3:45 p.m. ursday. e pantry is closed the second Wednesday of every month. Call 303-424-6685 or see cotable.org.

For other resources, see Je erson County Human Services at je co.us/ human-services or 303-271-1388.

It’s located at 900 Je erson County Parkway in south Golden o U.S. Highway 6.

Clear Creek County Loaves and Fishes, a food pantry in Clear Creek County, sits at 545 Highway 103 in Idaho Springs and is open 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. ursday and e food pantry in the Health and Wellness Center, located at 1969 Miner St. in Idaho Springs, is open 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Read more about the resources in Clear Creek via reporter Olivia Jewell Love on Colorado Community Media’s website at tinyurl.com/ ClearCreekFoodPantry.

Reach Clear Creek County Human Services at 303-679-2300 or at 405 Argentine St. in Georgetown or see co.clear-creek.co.us/113/Human- e Fort Lupton Food and Clothing Bank sits at 421 Denver Ave. in Fort Lupton, east of U.S. Highway 85 and state Highway 52. See fcb.org and call 303-857-1096 for hours and more information.

Reach Weld County Human Services at 2950 9th St. in Fort Lupton, 303-857-4052 or weld.gov/ Government/Departments/HumanServices.

Denver and remaining parts of the metro area

In the “seven-county” metro area — including around the Denver area but also the Boulder and Broom eld communities — dial 211 for a multilingual and con dential service that can connect you to shelter, food, rent assistance, child care and more resources in your area. Or text your ZIP code to 898-211 or scroll down to “live chat” at unitedwaydenver. org/community-programs/2-1-1.