Art's Impact On Society

Art reflects life. It is a portrait of history, whether it is history of the current moment or an event in the past or something of the imagination. Art has captured an event, clarifying its existence and representation to society. The portraits of the French Revolution by David, Benjamin West's portrayal of the death of General Wolfe and Poussin's recreation of the Rape of the Sabine Women all strive to provide a version of historical events. Society, in turn, can accept or reject these portrayals of true events.

Sometimes, as in the case of Goya's depiction of the French behavior during their conquest of Spain, art inspires a deep hatred of a certain nationality.Art encapsulate a country's culture during that time period. Rembrandt, Rousseau, Monet, Hogarth, Whistler, Jan Steen, Frans Hal and Breughel depict for their generation the world as they see it. They affect future society by providing concise, if sometimes imaginative, depictions of daily life. Brughel the Elder paints peasants, Jean Baptiste depicts lower-class life and Daumier's subjects in "The Third Class Carriage" are not the lofty work of Gainsborough. The wit and graphicness of Hogarth in "The Rake's Progress" or the imposing work of Thomas Eakins' "The Gross Clinic" provide historians with clues and pictures to a vastly different way of life.

Art has encouraged feelings of patriotism and national pride. Goya's, "The Third of May, 1808," the Americans portrayal of their revolution and countless other artists across the centuries have provided an impact extending beyond the work. Depictions of Washington crossing the Delaware, and portraits of battlefields, at home and abroad, are scenes that inspire society. These works also remind the public of their past, what has been sacrificed or accomplished and what they can aspire to in the present or future.

Artwork has allowed us to glimpse lives and lifestyles. At one time, dressmakers in the colonies used the artwork found in magazines and depicted in reproductions of paintings to create the latest in fashionable clothing. In the same manner, George Caleb Bingham with his painting "Fur Traders on the Mississippi" allowed Europeans a glimpse of another life. The art works by the Jewish artists trapped in the concentration camps of World War II preserve for all time the horrors of war and the inhumanity inflicted by one race upon another. Art has also been a medium to help spread a culture. Art of propaganda during war is a classic example. Posters urge people to support their troops. Marketing ploys ask consumers to buy locally or purchase a specific product.

Colorado-a Destination For Arts Lovers

The Denver Art Dealers Association represents Denver's top art dealers and fine art galleries. Exhibitions provide the first glance of new works by young and establishing artists as well as present work by neglected artists and widely known masters.

A comprehensive guide to arts and culture in the Pikes Peak region of Colorado. The site offers a large database of arts and cultural events, as well as listings of arts classes and workshops, organizations, venues, individual artists and performers, public art and more.

The stunning new Frederic C. Hamilton wing at the Denver Art Museum was designed by famed architect Daniel Libeskind, and hosts "Artisans & Kings: Selected Treasures from the Louvre."

In Grand Junction, the Western Colorado Center for the Arts opened its "Masterpieces of Colorado" in August. This unique exhibit features more than 60 paintings of Colorado landscapes by artists from the late 19th century to the present, including Thomas Moran and Vance Kirkland.

The Aspen Art Museum has world-class exhibits of contemporary art housed in an historic brick building on the scenic Rio Grande Trail. The museum offers educational workshops, gallery tours by prominent artists, and art talks.

The Lab at Belmar, in Lakewood, combines elements of a museum, think tank and public forum. Focused on contemporary art and culture, The Lab offers international art exhibitions, lectures, performances, symposia and publications. Currently on view at The Lab is "Heads," Fang Lijun's large-scale installation consisting of 15,000 sculpted heads, cast in bronze and covered in gold leaf.

The Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center's new 48,000-square-foot wing, which opens in August, will host an exhibit of nearly 50 photographic portraits of the late Mexican artist Frida Kahlo by famed photographer Nickolas Muray.