Art exhibitions to check out around Denver this fall
Denver’s autumn art calendar bursts with variety, offering everything from provocative portraiture to immersive light installations. The city’s galleries and museums have curated shows that invite visitors to linger, reflect, and discover new perspectives.
At William Havu Gallery, Klaire Lockheart presents Brodalisque, a tongue‑in‑cheek series that blends the classical odalisque with a modern “bro” aesthetic, while Wes Hempel follows with Your Invitation, a vibrant exploration of color, nature, and the human figure. Both exhibitions run through early November, making the space a lively hub for portrait lovers.
The Denver Botanic Gardens transforms into a floral laboratory this season. The Place of Flowers: Works by Daisy Patton turns archival photographs into bright, memory‑laden canvases, and Curious Companions: Fungi, Parasites and Carnivores reveals the hidden symbiosis of plant and micro‑life through detailed botanical illustration. Later, Realm of Wonder: Izumi Yokoyama offers delicate ink drawings and sculptures that contemplate impermanence and the night sky.
Beyond the gardens, the Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art hosts "The Gravity of Light", a multi‑media survey of artists who treat light as material. The Colorado Photographic Arts Center revisits "Mary Ellen Mark: Indian Circus", a compassionate documentary portrait of circus life in India. Meanwhile, the Museum of Contemporary Art Denver’s Colorado Currents assembles 28 Colorado‑linked creators to map the state’s cultural landscape, and the Gregory Allicar Museum of Art concludes the year with "Ralph Steadman: And Another Thing", a retrospective of the legendary British graphic artist. Finally, the Denver Art Museum’s Storytellers juxtaposes Charles M. Russell’s paintings with Blackfeet artworks, sparking a dialogue across centuries.