Waldo Canyon Fire Community Display (updated!)

 SHARE YOUR STORY 

 
We've created a space along the glass corridor landing for people to pin and share their images and experiences from the devastating fires impacting our community. Pin up a photo, write a note, or simply checkout what others in your community have to say. The display is yours to fill with personal experience.

We hope this space brings strength to our community, allowing people to express and cope with their feelings during this difficult and unpredictable situation.

 

Update!
If you would like us to print and pin something on the wall for you,  please email: info@csfineartscenter.org and include "Waldo Canyon Fire" in the subject line.

PLUS, 

BEAT THE HEAT, ENJOY ART 

In response to the very poor air quality, we are keeping the FAC galleries open and free to the public until further notice. We invite everyone to use the FAC as a resource for staying indoor, avoiding the heat, and enjoying art 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.   

Check out with is currently on view in the museum, including Frank Mechau's Wild Horses.

Frank Mechau's Wild Horses, mural, 1935. Denver magazine Westword calls it 
"unquestionably one of the greatest works of art anywhere in the state."

Wild Horses
On view in the first-floor galleries

Frank Mechau's Wild Horses

Frank Mechau, detail of Wild Horses, mural, 1936.

To celebrate our region's Western heritage, we put up a small exhibition of Wild Horses in the first-floor galleries. One of the artists in the line-up includes Frank Mechau, a Broadmoor Art Academy painting teacher. Before teaching here in the late 30s, Mechau studied at University of Denver, the Art Institute of Chicago, New York, and Europe. In France during the 30s, he was heavily influenced by Cubist painters.

What kind of parallels do you see between this cubist painting
and Mechau's works? Georges Braque, Candlestick and
Playing Cards on a Table, 1910, oil on canvas (image source).

When the Great Depression hit, Mechau gained a WPA mural commission in 1934 and 1935. After his international travels, he returned to Colorado and opened the School of Modern Art in Denver. He produced Horses in the Night (1934) for the Denver Public Library, and continued his galloping horse motif with the completion of FAC courtyard mural in 1935. Three of his Denver students assisted him, Eduardo Chavez and Permanent Collection artists Jenne and Ethel Magafan.

Whiskey for My Men, Beer for My Horses — new date!

Fri., August 17 | 6 - 9 p.m.

Non-members $25 (FAC Members $20) — $5 discount if you wear a big-ass belt buckle

Tickets online, Box Office 719.634.5583, or at the door

Invite friends on Facebook

Wild Horses
On view in the first-floor galleries
General museum admission $10

UPDATE! FAC updates following recent fire developments

A young girl watching the fire move through Mountain Shadows. Image Source

Right now, our hearts and thoughts go out to everyone in our community being impacted by the Waldo Canyon Fire. In light of recent developments, we have some updates to share.

FAC GALLERIES ARE FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC | 10a-5p

In response to the very poor air quality, we are keeping the FAC galleries open and free to the public. We invite everyone to use the FAC as a resource for staying indoor, avoiding the heat, and enjoying art. 
UPDATE | The FAC will resume regular gallery admission rates starting Tuesday, July 10, 2012. Hope you've enjoy the galleries, and return to see James Turrell: Trace Elements and Scott Johnson: Places Apart. 

SHARE YOUR STORY: WALDO CANYON FIRE COMMUNITY DISPLAY

We've created a space along the glass corridor landing for people to pin and share their images and experiences from the devastating fires impacting our community. We hope this space brings strength to our community, allowing people to express and cope with their feelings during this difficult and unpredictable situation. 

WHISKEY III RESCHEDULED

UPDATE | We have rescheduled Whiskey for My Men, Beer for My Horses: Friday, August 17 | 6-9 pm.

BEMIS SCHOOL OF ART AND YOUTH REP THEATRE IN SESSION

Committed to keeping students active and engaged during this difficult time, Bemis summer classes and Youth Rep programs will continue as scheduled. Any cancellations will happen on a class-by-class basis, and students will be contacted directly by instructors.

To keep updated on a all FAC-related events, please check our website, facebook, twitter and blog regularly. We'll share information as we have it available. 

Many have been evacuated and displaced, FAC staff members included, by the fires. During this very difficult time, one thing remains certain; we have a remarkable community. The FAC is proud to be part of such a resilient community, and is committed to supporting it as best we can. Sincere thanks and gratitude to all fire fighters and those supporting the effort. 

Take care, and stay safe!

Optical Illusions

James Turrell, Alta (Pink) as part of "Cosmic Wonder" at San Francisco's
Yerba Buena Center, 1968. This piece shows how Turrell challenges
the viewer into questioning whether that is just light or something more
physical, even something that you could potentially touch (image source).

Many of James Turrell's works attempt to make light, something wholly non-physical, cross the standards boundaries of perception into an almost physical and material realm. The dramatic color and light saturation that dominate his pieces suggest an entirely new way of experiencing light that goes beyond the mere visual sense. Turrell's undergraduate background in psychology has informed his works through their ability to challenge standard modes of perception.

An example of a literal optical illusion where
the image created is different from the objects.
It is seeing an image that you normally would
not see in that context (image source).

But what are optical illusions? Here's a real life example of optical illusions by Mike Hewson, a public art commission in New Zealand that pays homage to the Christchurch Normal School, a building slated for demolition after the 2011 earthquake. Can you tell which type(s) of optical illusions Hewson is working with from the three categories below?

Types of optical illusions
Literal, physiological, cognitive

An example of a physiological optical illusion, which
are most commonly characterized by the afterimages after
looking at bright lights. This type of repeating or intense stimulus
leads us to falsely perceive movement or repetition. Jeremy Hinton
created this illusion around 2005 -- if you stare at the center cross
for about 20 seconds, then you see three things: (1) a gap running
around the circle of lilacs, (2) a green disc that joins the running
purple lilacs, and (3) the green disc moving in the circular pattern
and the lilac discs disappear (image source).

20th Century Analytic philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein's famous duck-rabbit picture
to demonstrate the distinction between "seeing as" and "seeing that" or, an example of a cognitive visual illusion. There is no correct answer to whether this is a drawing of a duck, or a rabbit. Cognitive illusions are a result of our conceptions and assumptions about the world, which we impose upon visual stimuli. This can lead to four types of cognitive illusions: ambiguous illusions, distorting/geometrical-optical illusions, paradox illusions, or fictions (image source).

Types of cognitive optical illusions
Ambiguous, distorting, paradox, fiction

The most common interpretation
of the Necker Cube, an ambiguous
cognitive illusion (image source).

A less common but equally
plausible conception of the faces of
the Necker Cube.

The Necker Cube is a well known example of an ambiguous illusion. The arrangement of the lines themselves are ambiguous, meaning nothing in the lines themselves suggest for the lower left face to be the "front" face. Computers do not have the same consistency as humans do in seeing this "front" face, rather, they see other interpretations with equal frequency.

The full moon illusion,
a distorting cognitive
illusion
(image source).

"The Café Wall" as n example of a
geometric distorting cognitive illusion
because of the arrangement of the lines
and shading that make it seem like the
lines are not straight when in fact
they are (image source).

Distorting illusions are some of the most common because they happen in everyday life as well as in geometric/artistic constructions. The photo on the left of the moon illustrates how our eyes are not equipped to see the true size of the moon, rather it depends on where the moon is in the sky. When directly overhead, the full moon looks much smaller than when it's on the horizon. The psychological reasons behind this phenomena are still being debated.

The Penrose Stairs, an example of paradox cognitive
illusion. This 2-dimensional depiction of a staircase
has a 90º turn to form a continuous loop, where you
would not get any higher or lower whichever step you take
(image source).

Paradox illusions are caused by images that cannot exist in real life, but our minds accept them, at least at first, to be convincing. The Penroses, father Lionel and son Roger, (no relation to Spencer and Julie Penrose) invented the most famous paradox illusion of the Penrose Stairs.  


Fiction illusions occur most commonly in hallucinogenic drug users, schizophrenics and others with disorders that cause hallucinations. These illusions are perceived only by the subject, and not anyone else.



To see more examples of how our eyes can trick us, here's an online gallery of more optical illusions.

Or, visit Convolutions, the first exhibition in our new Permanent Collection series, Raiding the Crates. Permanent collection works presented in Convolutions were chosen in response to the upcoming James Turrell and Scott Johnson exhibitions.You'll find some challenges to your visual perception by the likes of Larry Bell, Oskar Fischinger, Adam Fuss, and many more!

James Turrell | Trace Elements: Light into Space

Scott Johnson | Places Apart

July 14 – Sept. 30

Convolutions  
Closing Nov. 4

Whiskey vs Whisky?

What's the difference between whiskey and whisky anyways? A 2008 article by New York Times wine critic Eric Asimov on single malts landed him in a bit of trouble with his readers for his spelling of single malt "whiskey," instead of "whisky." Use "whisky" when referring to Scottish, Canadian, and Japanese liquors, Scotch Whisky, and "whiskey" when referring to all other origins, or just in general.

Whiskey serves as an umbrella term for a specific type of spirit that is distilled from fermented grains. Whiskey/whisky is produced in 12 countries (see the map below for where) -- each with their own approach to the grains used, alcoholic content, and quality. Whiskey picked up its nickname "moonshine" in the 18th century when the English Malt Tax passed and forced whiskey distillation to after dark in order to hide the smoke which rises from the stills. 

Map of countries that produce whisk(e)y:

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The main types and combinations of whisk(e)y are:

Scotch whisky — only whisky from Scotland, where barley is the sole grain used in the production process.

Malt whiskey — main ingredient is malted barley, other ingredients can include yeast and other grains. Dominant grains differ by country, Scotland uses barley and oats; America uses corn and wheat. Malting is the process of allowing a grain, usually barley, to sprout.

Single malt whiskey —malt whiskey from a single distillery, therefore, single grain... not the common misconception of a single barrel. Single barrel whiskey is gaining an American audience though.

Vatted malt whiskey — combination of single malt whiskey from different distilleries.

Blended whiskey — mixture of 2/3 grain (includes wheat, barley, rye and/or corn -- which means its much cheaper!) and 1/3 vatted whiskeys. Taste stays relatively the same from year to year because of distillers' ability to control the taste of grain whiskey, making this type favored for mass production.

Bourbon — whiskey whose grain mash contains at least 51% corn

Whiskey for My Men, Beer for My Horses — new date!

Fri., August 17 | 6 - 9 p.m.

Non-members $25 (FAC Members $20) — $5 discount if you wear a big-ass belt buckle

Tickets online, Box Office 719.634.5583, or at the door

Invite friends on Facebook

Win a FREE CD from The J. Miller Band

We're one week away until WHISKEY III, and in celebration, we're giving away a copy of The J. Miller Band's latest album, "Road to Elvado." 

To win a CD, share with us your favorite whiskey summer cocktail! You can leave a comment on our blog or post on Facebook. We'll pick a random winner on Monday, June 25 in the afternoon.

As an added bonus, one of these whiskey cocktails might make a cameo at WHISKEY III on Fri., Aug. 17. 

 

Whiskey for My Men, Beer for My Horses — new date!

Fri., August 17 | 6 - 9 p.m.

A beer and whiskey tasting fundraiser featuring live music by The J. Miller Band, New West BBQ, and free admission to the FAC galleries. 

$25 (FAC Members $20) — $5 discount if you wear a big-ass belt buckle | Buy Tickets

Wild Horses

On view in the first-floor galleries

Aspen Institute Designer Herbert Bayer in "Convolutions"

Herbert Bayer, seven convolutions, lithograph, 1948 (image source).

In the first exhibition of the “Raiding the Crates” series, Convolutions is a visual exploration of the ambiguity of perception and its ability to hop between the tangible and intangible worlds. The title comes from Herbert Bayer’s sequence of seven lithographs that represent the perpetual vigor of elemental forms in nature. Time, space, light, memory, and material (both natural and industrial) influence the artists' process to suggest universal experiences that are felt as well as seen.

Herbert Bayer in the 1940s holding a piece from the FAC Collection.

Bayer was instrumental in bringing European Modernism to Colorado. He was born in Austria and studied art, design, photography and architecture at the Bauhaus in Germany. There, he studied under instructors such as Wassily Kandinsky and László Moholy-Nagy.  He later became the director of printing and advertising at the Bauhaus, and created his renowned all lower-case, sans-serif typeface.
After 1946, Bayer settled in Aspen, Colorado, where he became well-known for design work for the Aspen Institute and for the ski industry. The Herbert Bayer collection and archives is located at the Denver Art Museum.

Bayer had a brief connection to the FAC in 1948 when he worked on his seven convolutions portfolio with master lithographer Lawrence Barrett. He was also a lecturer at the FAC’s Conference on the Fine Arts that same year. All seven of Bayer's prints are on display as part of Convolutions.

Bayer’s Bauhaus-inspired architecture for the Health Center and Gym at the Aspen Institute (image source).

Bauhaus-style bike (image source).

Bayer’s design for the Aspen Institute (image source).

Raiding the Crates is an ongoing permanent collection exhibition series intended to follow exciting grooves in the collection and spin new experiences with a spectrum of artists, ideas, styles, and media. Permanent collection works presented in Convolutions were chosen in response to the upcoming James Turrell and Scott Johnson exhibitions.

Convolutions
Closing Nov. 4

James Turrell | Trace Elements: Light into Space
Scott Johnson | Places Apart

July 14 – Sept. 30

...In the Community (June 21-July 4)

We're featuring a bi-monthly glance at some exciting upcoming local events — some art, some nature, some music... hopefully you'll find a little bit of everything. Share your experience of these events in the comments section, Facebook, or Twitter (use #inthecommunity) if you go to any of these!

Art of Zen Workshop

Sat., 6/23 | 3 – 6 p.m.

$25 at Smokebrush Gallery (map) — 719.444.1012

Photographer Tim Davis will assist beginning photographers in integrating the fundamentals of Zen with the ideals of photography. Bring device that takes a digital image, even mobile phones.

Amateur Comedy Night

Wed., 6/27 | 8 – 11 p.m.

at Metropolis Supper Club (map) — 719.227.9888

Two drink minimum at this open mic amateur comedy night in a 1940s art deco setting restaurant/lounge. 

Manitou Springs Free Summer Concert Series (watch)

Mon., 6/27, 7/24 | 8:30 p.m. 
Free at Soda Springs Park (map) — 719.685.5089

Enjoy Little London Winds, Colorado Springs’ premiere wind ensemble, perform free in plein-air in Manitou Springs. The Concert Series happens every Monday at Soda Springs until Aug. 13.
 

Little Wonders: Roly-polys are a Riot

Thurs., 6/28 | 9 – 10:15 a.m.

$3 (reservations required) at Bear Creek Nature Center (map) — 719.520.6387
A perfect introduction to the outdoors with your 2 or 3 year old, which includes interactive lessons and a short hike for you and your child.

World Music Series: Novalima (listen)

Mon., 7/2 | 7 - 9 p.m.

Free at Colorado College, Armstrong Quad (map) — 719.389.6607

Novalima blends soulful Afro-Peruvian style with modern electronic beats to create a original hybrid of tradition and contemporary music. 

Lost and Found: A North Sea Collaboration with Carl Reed and Thomas Claesson

Closing 7/14 | Tues. – Sat. 12:30 - 7 p.m. 
Free at Colorado College, I.D.E.A. Space (map) —719.389.6066

Thomas Claesson’s collection of “lost” objects found near his home off the west coast of Sweden are re-invented by Colorado-sculptor Carl Reed. 

One of the works featured in the I.D.E.A. Space
exhibition, Lost and Found: A North Sea
Collaboration, featuring the works of Thomas
Claesson and Carl Reed (Image source)

  

...In the Community runs on the first and third Thursdays of each month on the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center Blog.

Fun Western movies

With the upsurge of new Western movies being released by contemporary directors such as Quentin Tarantino (Pulp Fiction, Kill Bill), Gore Verbinski (Pirates of the Carribean) and the Coen brothers (No Country for Old Men); and the popularity of the video game Red Dead Redemption, it looks like the Western is making a comeback from the $1 bin at the movie store! To help you get excited for Whiskey for My Men, Beer for My Horses, here's a collection of some of the most iconic Western movies. You can kick off your boots and watch some good movies before tasting some ice-cold microbrews and hand-crafted whiskey at the event next Fri., June 29 on Fri., Aug 17.

"Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid" (1973)
by Sam Peckinpah. Starring James Coburn,
Kris Kristofferson,Bob Dylan (image source).
This was filmed on location in Durango,
Mex., and was plagued with production
controversies. Peckinpah released a 1988
version of the film, a product significantly
different from the theatrical version. 

"The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" (1966) by Sergio Leone.

Starring Eli Wallach, Clint Eastwood, Lee Van Cleef. Leone

pioneered the "spaghetti western" sub-genre of the popular

Western style. Many of the spaghetti westerns were shot

in Spain, and the typical production team consisted of an

Italian director, and Spanish, German, and American actors.

"The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" was shot in Italy.

"The Magnificent Seven" (1960) by John Sturges. Starring Yul Brynner, Eli Wallach, Steve McQueen, Charles Bronson, Robert Vaughn, Brad Dexter, James Coburn (image source). "The Magnificent Seven" is based on Akira Kurosawa's 1954 film, "Seven Samurai."

"The War Wagon" (1967) by Burt Kennedy. Starring

John Wayne, Kirk Douglas and Howard Keel (image
source). According to John Wayne, the fight scene in
the saloon was his  500th on-screen fight. Just three years
earlier, Wayne had undergone major surgery involving
the removal of his left lung and several ribs, requiring
the use of an oxygen mask during
the early production phases.

"High Noon" (1952) by Fred Zinnemann
Staring Gary Cooper, Grace Kelly,
Thomas Mitchell (image source).
"High Noon" deviated from the standard 
western motifs of violence, action and
picturesque landscape shots because of its
focus on the emotional and moralistic
problems of the plot. The Soviet Union
criticized the film as "a glorification of
the individual"; many American leaders
such as Ronald Reagan, Dwight Eisenhower
and Bill Clinton favored this movie.

"Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" (1969) by George Roy Hill.
Starring Paul Newman, Robert Redford, Katharine Ross (image source).
In 2003, the United States National Film Registry selected this film for
preservation as being "culturally,  historically, or aesthetically significant."
William Goldman also won the Academy Award for Best Original
Screenplay for the film.

Whiskey for My Men, Beer for My Horses — new date!

Fri., August 17 | 6 - 9 p.m.

Non-members $25 (FAC Members $20) — $5 discount if you wear a big-ass belt buckle

Tickets online, Box Office 719.634.5583, or at the door

Wild Horses

On view in the first-floor galleries

General museum admission $10
Free for FAC Members

10 Songs for Summertime

Jason Miller of The J. Miller Band

Jason Miller, the man behind the rhythm guitar, vocals, and songwriting of The J Miller Band, answers a few questions about beer and whiskey and talks about his top 10 songs for summertime. The J Miller band will be playing at the FAC's third annual Whiskey for My Men, Beer for My Horses fundraiser on Friday, June 29 (6-9p) Fri., Aug 17.


Are you a beer or a whiskey kind of guy?
    Beer first, Whiskey later!


What type of beer or whiskey is your favorite?
    I love Compass IPA from Bristol Brewing and Jack Daniels.

What is your favorite thing to do in Colorado Springs during the summer?
    Tube in Deckers and just be outside pickin' guitars!

Jason Miller's 10 Songs for Summertime to get you in the mood for WHISKEY III.

1. Summertime — Janis Joplin
Janis had one of the most powerful unique voices ever. Her dynamics in this tune send chills up my spine!

 2. Only the Song Survives — John Hiatt
"We rolled that Camaro like a Cowboy's cigarette out in the Highway in a puddle of beer, Hiatt writes like no other.

3. On the Road Again — Willie Nelson
Load up the wheels and take a road trip, it's a summertime must do.

4. Honky Tonkin' — Hank Williams
I love to go out pub crawling with my girl!

5. Rainbow Stew — Merle Haggard
Merle always makes me feel good with genuine lyrics and toes are tapping.

6. Jack and Diane — John Mellencamp
This goes back to my childhood! Tasty Freeze's, the midwest, the beach, Indiana was where i grew up right outside Chicago. I go back there every sumnmer in my own mind.

7. Six Days on the Road — The Flying Burrito Brothers
The trucker anthem has lived through many years! Our band plays this song and there is just something about an 18 Wheeler and the Highway.

8. At My Window — Townes Van Zandt
A lullabye of sorts. Makes me want to daydream all day.

9. LA Freeway — Guy Clark
A song about leaving the city for some dirt roads. I love dirt roads, especially the ones that I am unfamiliar with.

10. Don't it Make You Dance — Jerry Jeff Walker
In the country pick and sing a while. This song is the perfect party starter.



Whiskey for My Men, Beer for My Horses — new date!

Fri., August 17 | 6 - 9 p.m.

Non-members $25 (FAC Members $20) — $5 discount if you wear a big-ass belt buckle

Tickets online, Box Office 719.634.5583, or at the door

Public Free Day — Tues., June 19

From Honoring a Legacy.

Earlier this month, our spring multi-disciplinary project Resilience closed—which included Terry Maker: Reckoning and WPA-era photos in Introducing America—making room for the exciting upcoming summer exhibitions, which include works by Scott Johnson and James Turrell! Although those the Turrell and Johnson exhibitions do not open until July, there is a lot to see in the first floor galleries now:

Herbert Bayer, seven convolutions, lithograph, 1948
(image source). Bayer's works are featured in Convolutions,
an exhibition to complement the upcoming Johnson
and Turrell exhibitions in its exploration of space and light.

• 75th Anniversary
• Fantastic Menagerie: The Work of Jessica Freye-Cuebas
• An Enduring Vision
• Honoring a Legacy
• Eric Bransby's NEW Mural
• Raiding the Crates: Convolutions

Honoring a Legacy is one of the newest Permanent Collection exhibition, featuring a glimpse into the rich history of the FAC collection, which began as Alice Bemis Taylor's private collection of Native American and Southwest arts. This exhibition includes a selection of works highlighting richly decorated clothing, beaded moccasins, traditional tools and weapons, many of which are being shown for the first time.  

Guided tours with FAC docents will run throughout the day, starting at: 10 a.m., 11 a.m., 1 p.m., and 6 p.m. Also, demos by Bemis School instructors from will happen from 4-7 p.m. in the Glass Corridor. We welcome groups, but for 10 or more, we would still appreciate advance notice of your visit! Please call ahead: 719.475.2444. Every eight students high school and under must be accompanied by one adult chaperone.

Public Free Day — Tues., June 19
10 a.m. - 8 p.m.
Admission: FREE!

Under Transformation

 

The Fine Arts Center's entire second floor is closed while construction is underway for the James Turrell and Scott Johnson exhibitions opening July 14. The large, second-floor El Pomar Gallery is undergoing a massive transformation. What wondrous and amazing works will fill it?   

"Viewers may believe they've died and gone to heaven." -Westword

Be the first to experience something awesome. 

 

FREE MEMBERS PREVIEW 

Friday, June 13 | 5-7p

This FAC Members-only event will include a special presentation by artist Scott Johnson and Museum Director Blake Milteer. Not a member? Become a FAC Member and get free admission to the museum, invitations to exclusive events, discounts and more.

Scott Johnson & James Turrell

July 14 – Sept. 30

 

Creatures of the Land: Horses

In 1971, Congress declared “wild, free-roaming horses and burros living symbols of the historic and pioneer spirit of the West, which continue to contribute to the diversity of life forms within the Nation and enrich the lives of the American people.”

But here's an interesting fact: modern day horses are not native to North America. For unknown reasons, native North and South American horse species became extinct 10,000 years ago. No horses existed on our continent until Spanish settlers brought horses, specifically Andalusian horses, to the Americas during the 15th century.


Andalusians were considered a fine breed, traditionally kept by nobility and used for diplomacy. Known for being strong with long, elegant, thick manes and tails, Andalusians were often used as warhorses. 80 percent of Andalusians are grey, 15 percent are bay, and the other 5 percent are black, palomino, or chestnut.   


Horses brought over by the Spanish quickly became popular with Native Americans as they made daily tasks easier. They helped with transportation, hunting, and warfare.

The stallions and mares that escaped from the Spanish thrived on the land and formed wild herds from Mexico all the way to the plains in the United States. The Wild Free-Roaming Horse and Burro Act of 1971 protect wild horses from being captured.

The FAC is honoring western heritage in the Pikes Peak Region with their third annual fundraiser Whiskey for My Men, Beer for My Horse  and new exhibit, Wild Horses. Pieces by Luis Jimenez, Myron Wood, Lawrence Barrett, and Frank Mechau are currently on display in the Wild Horses exhibit.

Whiskey for My Men, Beer for My Horses — new date!

Fri., August 17 | 6 - 9 p.m.

Non-members $25 (FAC Members $20) — $5 discount if you wear a big-ass belt buckle

Tickets online, Box Office 719.634.5583, or at the door

Wild Horses

On view in the first-floor galleries

General museum admission $10

Family Adventure Day: Creatures of Air, Land, & Sea

Sat., June 30 | 10 a.m. -2 p.m. 

FREE!

Invite friends 

Turrell's "Twilight Epiphany" - by the numbers

James Turrell's skyscape, "Twilight Epiphany" at Rice University will open to the public on Thurs., June 14—almost a month before our very own Turrell exhibition premiers on July 14.

"Twilight Epiphany" is the first of Turrell's skyspace engineered for acoustics (but no music will be played during his light shows). "Twilight Epiphany" is located east of Rice's Shepherd School of Music, and Turrell will create additional light shows to accompany specific musical performances.

Each of Turrell's skyscapes are unique, especially in relation to where they are located, in this one, "you will see the sky be almost any color you like, in fact, quite some surprising tones,” he said. “If you take a photo of the sky in this skyspace, the color you see in the opening is not actually going to show up in your camera because in fact it is not there." This skyscape is designed for sunset and sunrise shows where lights on the ceiling's structure will change colors according to the sun's position, affecting the viewer's perception of the color of the sky.

120 seating capacity inside "Twilight Epiphany"
5184 roof area, in square footage
196 size of the opening in the roof that allows view of sky, in square footage
40 duration of show in minutes
2 shows daily
12 hidden state-of-the-art speakers (which will not be used for the show itself but will be available to Rice students
73rd skyscape Turrell has created

Below is the promotional video for "Twilight Epiphany".

Join us on July 13 for a Member's Preview of James Turrell's show in the El Pomar Gallery. For a little teaser, visit Convolutions, the Permanent Collection show on view now in the first floor galleries meant to complement the themes of space and light in the James Turrell and Scott Johnson exhibitions.

James Turrell | Trace Elements: Light into Space
Scott Johnson | Places Apart

July 14 – Sept. 30

Free Family Adventure Day: Creatures of Air, Land, and Sea

An excavation in Egypt reveals evidence of the earliest

collection of exotic animals. Image source

Did you know zoological gardens (zoos) have been discovered dating back to 3500 B.C.? Archeologist discovered remains of the oldest known zoo in Hierakonpolis, Egypt during an excavation. Exotic animals such as hippos, antelope, elephants, and baboons were kept in private collections. While many animals were kept in captivity were studies, there were also used for fighting in arenas for entertainment.

Now, there are over 355 zoos in the United States and over 600 million people visit zoos a year. The Cheyenne Mountain Zoo in our own Colorado Springs was founded in 1938 by Spencer Penrose (just two years after the FAC!).The animals in captivity help educate visitors about the importance of conservation and protection of endangered species. Over the last 10 years, the LA and San Diego zoos have been working together to strengthen the population of the California condor from less than two-dozen condors to over 170 condors.

This month's Family Adventure Day focuses on all types of animals. You will have the opportunity to make your own private collection of exotic animals out of clay, draw cats using charcoal, and create underwater scenes using watercolor and oil pastels. Also, enjoy artist demonstrations and a free tour of the FAC galleries at 12:30 p.m. 

Family Adventure Day: Creatures of Air, Land, & Sea

Sat., June 30 | 10 a.m. -2 p.m. 

FREE!

Invite friends