Biennial of the Americas brings international festival and flair to Denver

July 8, 2015

From July 14 through 19, the Biennial of the Americas will host an international festival of ideas, art and culture featuring art exhibitions and performances by international artists, panel discussions showcasing leaders from throughout the Americas, the Biennial Pavilion (1550 Wewatta St.) and free evening festivals.

Artists, innovators and experts will explore the theme “NOW!,” examining today’s exceptional times in the Western Hemisphere. With more than 20,000 participants who attended the innovative four-day program of events in 2013, this year’s Biennial will bring together nearly 60 artists, speakers and international leaders from more than 25 countries to Denver.

The 2015 Biennial will promote action and inspire critical thinking through a combination of innovative workshops, world-class symposia and clinicas.  Additionally, the Biennial will integrate Denver’s vibrant cultural scene into the festival through numerous family-friendly performances and free public events.

Welcoming international leaders to the Mile High City, Denver invites the public to five symposium discussions at the Ellie Caulkins Opera House and Seawell Ballroom where renowned journalists including Tina Brown, Maria Bartiromo, León Krauze and Alicia Menendez will moderate conversations with experts and innovators in a variety of fields including education, technology, entrepreneurship, energy, trade, public health, natural resources and politics. These discussions will showcase the importance of various issues affecting the Americas and promise to be insightful and inspirational.

  • July 14 – Generation NOW!: New Leadership for a New World
  • July 15 – Women’s Leadership Luncheon: How women have shaped the workplace , philanthropy and global communities
  • July 15 – Business NOW!: The Case for a New North-South Market Vision
  • July 16 – Community NOW!: Legalization: The Next Phase in the War on Drugs?
  • July 17 – Special Panel of Mayors of the Americas: Government NOW!: The Return of the City-State

Visit www.biennialoftheamericas.org for a complete list of speakers and topics. Tickets are on-sale now and can be purchased by visiting www.biennialoftheamericas.org/buy-tickets/.

From July 14 and continuing throughout the summer, artists participating in the 2015 Biennial of the Americas will represent the entire Western Hemisphere that will feature new work by nearly 60 artists representing North, South and Central America and the Caribbean. The program will encompass visual art, music and dance in response to current issues and questions affecting the Americas NOW!. Participating artists’ work addresses specific situations where they live, as well as concerns shared across borders such as governance, environmental issues, technology, and social justice.

Among the works on view will be two major public commissions: Implant – a site-specific installation by Marcela Armas will be installed in both Denver and Mexico City, creating a visual dialogue between the two cities, and an abstract video work by Mexican artist Erick Meyenberg at the Denver International Airport, featuring students from a local high school drill team.

The main exhibition, titled Now? NOW! at the Museum of Contemporary Art Denver, is a group exhibition with new works by a number of artists including Robert Longo, André Komatsu, Karl Haendel, Adam Pendleton and Kari Altmann. Oíd el Sueño de una Palabra / Listen to the Dream of a Word at the Biennial Pavilion is a collaboration between Mexico City curatorial collective de sitio and Museo Comunutario de Valle de Xico, a museum in Mexico City created to protect the city’s artifacts.

For additional information and specific installations and exhibitions, images and timing, visit www.biennialoftheamericas.org.

Cultural festivals to encourage patrons to experience the diversity of the Americas through food, fun, music and more.

  • July 14, Biennial Opening Night Street Party and Celebration
    8–11 p.m., Biennial Pavilion (1550 Wewatta) .
    The Biennial of the Americas presents a vibrant evening street festival featuring music by Flobots and Making Movies and the opening of the exhibition Oíd el Sueño de una Palabra / Listen to the Dream of a Word, a project by de_sitio in collaboration with Museo Comunitario del Valle de Xico and Colectivo Xico Arte.
  • July 15, STEAM (STEM + Art) Day
    10 a.m.– 6 p.m., Biennial Pavilion (1550 Wewatta)
    The Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art will open its Biennial Poetry and Performance Cafe, Televisa Foundation Presents Great Minds in STEM, The Orange Economy presented by author Felipe Buitrago and Denver Museum of Nature and Science Presents Virtual Art Station Titan.
  • July 16, Community Day
    10 a.m.– 6 p.m., Biennial Pavilion (1550 Wewatta)
    Events and performances include: Resilient Communities Conversation at the BMoCA Poetry and Performing Arts Cafe, with participants from Motus Theatre, Los Dreamers, Café Cultura, Youth on Record, Picture Me Here and others.
  • July 17  Fútbol Friday 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Biennial Pavilion (1550 Wewatta). Conversation on soccer as development with the Colorado Rapids, One World Play, Inter American Development Bank, America SCORES, and Soccer for Success; guest lecture by Erick Meyenberg.
  • Fútbol Friday at Civic Center Park 1–4 p.m. Soccer in the park, futsal demonstration and clinic by Soccer for Success, Youth Skills Course hosted by the Colorado Rapids and Drop-in Soccer for Adults.
  • Biennial Night @ Civic Center Park Featuring Bomba Estéreo, 5 p.m.

The Biennial of the Americas partners with Levitt Pavilion Denver and Newman Center Presents to provide free performances, food and free events for all ages in Civic Center Park during Biennial Night @ Civic Center.

  • July 18, Performing Arts Day 10 a.m.–5 p.m., Biennial Pavilion (1550 Wewatta). Redline Performing Arts NOW! And Playground Ensemble “New Music NOW!” which is a performance of eight chamber music postcards thematically related to the Biennial, featuring young composers paired with professional composers. 

“We look forward to hosting another year of world-class talent and thought leaders from throughout the Americas in this year’s Biennial of the Americas,” said Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper. “These leaders will bring more than 25 different countries together to create a unique opportunity for patrons and speakers alike to discuss, question and work toward solutions that are affecting the Americas NOW!” 

 

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