The Museum of Contemporary Art Denver could hardly be in a better position as it undertakes a search for a new executive director and chief curator, board president Mark Falcone said.  

The Denver Art Museum's new wing dropped jaws when it opened in 2006. What's the perspective now?  

The Colorado chapter of the American Institute of Architects annually pays tribute to the best designs from its more than 2,400 members statewide.  

Amid the jumble of art on view in "Colorado 2002," a juried exhibition at the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center, the fresh vision of one young artist stood out: Tsehai Johnson.  

With its recently announced plans to acquire and overhaul a historic building at 2501 Larimer St., Plus Gallery hopes to enhance its visibility and cement its place among Denver's top-tier commercial art galleries.  

Talk about a one-two punch. Few Denver artists could match the abundant productivity, unwavering skill and expressive power that William Stockman has mustered in striking back-to-back exhibitions in less than 10 months.  

The inevitability of time. The fragility of life. The lure of light.  

The sign is vintage Route 66. It still hangs along old Route 66 in Albuquerque. It invites the weary traveler to drop by the Drive In Liquor Store.  

Viewers who missed the varied art happenings that took place amid the hubbub of the Democratic National Convention need not despair. Works by seven of the 10 widely known artists.  

Another impressionism show already? Yes, and no yawns allowed. The latest offering, which opens today at the Denver Art Museum, has a couple of elements that at least partially set it apart.  

Christoph Heinrich, the Denver Art Museum's new curator of modern and contemporary art, is one of two new members of the prestigious, sometimes controversial, Andy Warhol Art Authentication Board.  

They are photos Ansel Adams never intended anyone to see — tiny proofs taken with a handheld camera.  

Richard Serra, previously the arch-villain of art, has gone mainstream.  

Sometimes, it's just time for change. That's what Eric Paddock decided earlier this year, when he stepped down after nearly 26 years as the curator of photography and film at the Colorado Historical Society.  

It's the biggest decision an arts organization has to make: the selection of a new leader.  

The Museum of Contemporary Art Denver could hardly be in a better position as it undertakes a search for a new executive director and chief curator, board president Mark Falcone said.  

This is how arts philanthropy usually works: Big donor writes check. Big donor hands check to opera or theater or museum. Big donor shows up at next black-tie gala.  

Sam Gappmayer — executive director of the Sun Valley Center for the Arts in Ketchum, Idaho, since 2002 — will helm the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center, the museum announced today.  

Art-world hero or celebrity huckster? That question has swirled around Damien Hirst since he grabbed the spotlight in the 1990s as a leader of the rebellious Young British Artists, or YBAs, as they are known, and won the 1995 Turner Prize.  

New York and Los Angeles are not quaking in their boots. But make no mistake, Denver's visual arts scene is enjoying a dramatic upswing and getting noticed nationally.  

The debut of Denver Arts Week last year proved such a hit that the Denver Metro Convention & Visitors Bureau decided to make it an annual event.  

With concept often trumping craft and the entire medium regularly receiving death notices, revelry in the physical act of painting has hardly been a prized commodity in the contemporary art world for many years.  

As the United States prepares to elect the next president and chart a new political course, people of all kinds are seeking a voice in the process, and artists are no exception.  

Viewers who missed the varied art happenings that took place amid the hubbub of the Democratic National Convention need not despair. Works by seven of the 10 widely known artists.  

The sign is vintage Route 66. It still hangs along old Route 66 in Albuquerque. It invites the weary traveler to drop by the Drive In Liquor Store.  

In high school, Geoffrey Newton found an ancient craft that stoked his creativity. Now it's his career.

WATCH: A video of the blacksmith at work.  

My House: Two artists break the bonds of a Victorian home to stretch — indoors and out — in a Lakewood modern.  

That's the major issue that 4,000 artists and administrators will take on when they gather in Denver for the National Performing Arts Convention, which runs from Tuesday through Saturday at the Colorado Convention Center.  

Pop music: Call them brave or stupid, but artists touring through Colorado during these wintry months are bold at the very least. Most of these acts are making it happen in passenger vans, putting their faith in front-wheel drive and the weight of five dudes and their equipment.  

Classical Music: The classical music world has begun to uncover often forgotten composers and musicians whose careers were ruined during the Nazi regime.  

Dance: From mixed repertory programs to visits from international touring troupes, here are just a few worthy dance events taking place in the coming months.