Museums and galleries do big business at this time of year. It’s a combination of cashing in on holiday gift-giving and opening up their spaces to folks with lots of leisure time and plenty of out-of-town guests to entertain.
This season, there are some good options. The offerings below can be mixed and matched for solo outings or complete days of art-appreciating enjoyment. Pick and choose.
Anne von Freyburg, “Amour Toujours,” K Contemporary
Every work that Anne von Freyburg creates makes one of those bold statements that remind us just how exciting art can be, and how meaningful. The Dutch artist indulges at every turn, mixing together excessive amounts of materials to construct pieces that are somewhere between paintings and wall-mounted tapestries. There is nothing two-dimensional in the ideas behind them, though. Von Freyburg loads them up with references to both art and social history and sees them as a way to express 21st-century ideas about culture and feminism. The colors are soft — lots of dreamy pinks, blues and yellows swirling together — but they have a solid intellectual foundation that makes them endlessly interesting to look at.
K Contemporary, 1412 Wazee St., 303-590-9800 or kcontemporaryart.com. Through Dec. 27.
“Brick Planet: A Magical Journey Made with LEGO Bricks,” Denver Museum of Nature and Science
DMNS is all about science, but the museum has gotten quite good at sneaking in exhibits that skirt the edges of art to help teach visitors about the wonders of the natural world. “Brick Planet” is a good example. It is also, I have to say, a lot of fun, and one of those nostalgic attractions that aim to please everyone in the family. The works here — all made with the popular plastic toy — were created by artist Sean Kenney, who customized his creations for the realm of science museums by sculpting animals and plants in exacting detail and placing them in the context of their natural habitats. Yellow seahorses float among pink coral. Polar bear cubs huddle with their mother on a bed of ice. It’s a bit on the cute side, from an art perspective, but also a captivating, all-ages outing that will shake up the usual day at the museum.
Denver Museum of Nature and Science, 2001 Colorado Blvd., 303-370-6000 or dmns.org. Through May 3.
Tracey Stuckey, “Mid-Century Western,” Visions West Gallery
Tracey Stuckey has made his career by taking on the tropes of the American West, and he does it with both humor and a sharp eye that makes those of us who live here constantly reevaluate our evolving identity. His work takes us back, with references to Western films and roadside motels, but also forward with nods to cutting-edge fashion and modern architecture. For this new body of work, Stuckey wants us to think about what we mean when we say this region is full of wide-open spaces — which we often now view from the inside of present-day buildings. “What traditionally belongs indoors appears outdoors, and what we think of belonging to the landscape is now placed into a domestic setting,” the gallery materials explain. Expect Stuckey’s trademark cheekiness to come with some rich social commentary.
Visions West, 2605 Walnut St., 303-292-0909 or visionswestcontemporary.com. Dec. 12-Jan. 9.
“Perfectly Imperfect, Korean Buncheong Ceramics,” Denver Art Museum
This exhibit has been at the Denver Art Museum for about a year now, but I did not want to let it get away without reminding folks that there is only a short time left to see it. This collection of clay works, mostly smaller objects in subtle, white-ish shades, is easy to overlook in an encyclopedic museum full of colorful artistic candy, but the show really is a wonder. The works go back centuries and document how this Korean craft has gently evolved over time, but also how its simple lines and quiet way of speaking have influenced numerous art movements in the modern and contemporary eras. DAM is in the midst of a three-year partnership with curators in Korea, and this show proves the connections are a good deal for all.
Denver Art Museum, 100 W 14th Ave., 720-865-5000 or denverartmuseum.org. Through Dec. 7.
“Perfectly Lost,” Walker Fine Art
I always make a point to stop into Walker Fine Art when the cold weather hits. The elegant space is a warm refuge on chilly days, and the shows, culled from owner Bobbi Walker’s roster of local and national artists, is always a sure bet for gallery-hoppers. This exhibit pulls together six artists, working across various media, whose objects collectively “reflect on how our environment can gently shape us, offering a space for healing, inspiration, and transformation,” according to the gallery. On display is a mix of names that will likely be both familiar and new to local art fans: Holly Wong, Sharon Strasburg, Sara Pittman, Ana Zanic, Eileen Roscina and Mark Penner Howell.
Walker Fine Art, 300 W. 11th Ave., 303-355-8955 or walkerfineart.com. Through Jan. 17.
Five solo shows, Robsichon Gallery
Robischon is keeping it simple for the holiday season, divying up work by five of its artists into mini solo shows that give each a chance to shine. Five exhibitions might seem like a lot, but there is a straightforward simplicity to all of the objects here that promises not to overwhelm visitors to what is routinely the best commercial white cube space in Denver. Each has a unique style, but the thing that brings them together — at least in the gallery’s eyes — is abstraction. In the lineup: Pard Morrison, Jason Karolak, Marcelyn McNeil, Ted Larsen and Lloyd Martin.
Robischon Gallery, 1740 Wazee St., 303-298-7788 or robischongallery.com. Through Dec. 31.