Through free events, cultural investments and public art, DAV expands access to arts and culture while supporting artists and activating communities across Denver.
DAV SIGNATURE EVENTS
DAV presents free and low-cost programming for residents and visitors to enjoy. We use proceeds from paid events at our venues, such as Red Rocks Amphitheatre and the Denver Performing Arts Complex, to make these events and other cultural programming possible and to improve access to art, music and culture for all.
PRESENTED BY COCA-COLA:
Over 6,444 movie lovers joined us in Sculpture Park for Sunset Cinema this year, celebrating “Notable Quotables” with five films. In fact, our July showing of "The Princess Bride" had our best showing yet with over 2,000 attendees.
PRESENTED IN COLLABORATION WITH DENVER FILM:
Film on the Rocks kicked off its 26th season with five events this summer, like "2001: A Space Odyssey" – this year we welcomed over 28,000 fans.
PRESENTED BY WHITE CLAW:
Experiencing one of the most awe-inspiring venues in the world from downward dog is pretty hard to beat. This year, we welcomed over 18,000 yogis across 10 sessions, including bilingual classes.
PRESENTED BY TOYOTA
This pre-season conditioning series hosted at Red Rocks is specifically programmed for skiers, snowboarders and winter sports enthusiasts – and got a serious facelift this season in partnership with Denver Parks & Recreation. We were joined by 1,400 outdoor enthusiasts across four sessions.
CULTURAL INVESTMENTS
In 2025, Denver Arts & Venues directly supported more than 125 artists and arts organizations through our programs and partnership that reflect the collective belief that the arts are central to a thriving and economically vibrant city.
DAV invested more than a million dollars in the arts, culture and creative sector through our programs and partnerships.
Five Points Jazz provides support for local, year-round programming that honors the history of jazz in Denver’s historic Five Points neighborhood, also known as the Harlem of the West, through a partnership with the Five Points Business Improvement District and through grants to 12 individuals and organizations that activated the neighborhood throughout the year.
The DENVER CREATES Fund focuses on projects that support the three commitments from Denver’s Cultural Plan: 1) Broadening access to arts and culture, 2) Cultivating the cultural community and 3) Supporting the economic vitality of Denver’s cultural sector. DAV supported 62 individuals and organizations through this program.
PSYAH is a community-led outdoor project series that aims to transform underutilized public spaces to honor heritage, build civic engagement and beautify Denver's neighborhoods. In 2025 DAV supported six new projects.
Arts in Society, a funding partnership with Bonfils-Stanton Foundation, Colorado Creative Industries, The Colorado Health Foundation, Bee Vradenburg and RedLine Contemporary Art Center is a collaborative grant-making program that supports the integration of arts and culture to benefit the civic health and well-being of Coloradans.
Equity in Arts Learning for Colorado Youth, in partnership with Bonfils-Stanton Foundation, Colorado Creative Industries and Think360 Arts, increases access to arts education for historically marginalized youth.
Leave Your Fingerprints Downtown, with Downtown Denver Partnership, supports local artists in creating interactive storefront installations that tell the stories of Denver's neighborhoods and bring new energy to 16th Street.
16th Street Performers Network, with Downton Denver Partnership, offers an opportunity to activate Denver’s downtown with musicians, artists, entertainers and performers of all kinds to surprise and delight pedestrians and bring vibrancy to downtown Denver through the arts.
CULTURAL COMMUNITY
DAV launched a new cultural plan in 2025.
On May 14, DAV launched the City of Denver’s new cultural plan, DENVER CREATES: A Collective Commitment to the Arts. Grounded in research and driven by community voices, this plan outlines three key commitments: broadening access, cultivating the cultural community and supporting the economic vitality of Denver’s creative sector.
DAV hosted a Digging into the Data event on Nov. 19 to highlight the data behind the new cultural plan. We’ll also continue to support the City’s new plan through programs that include: a bi-annual summit, speaker series, data shares, community offerings, impact teams and more.
DENVER PUBLIC ART
Denver Public Art manages a collection of more than 500 pieces of art, the Public Art tour program and public art partnerships across Denver. In 2025, our team hit record numbers with everything we added to our collection.
We installed 22 new works to our collection this year, including:
Three new pieces at the National Western Center – check out the artists talking about their work here.
“Talking Horseshoes” by Mary Williams, which was installed at The Urban Farm. Meet the art here!
And so much more! Check out all the new pieces on the Public Art Website.
Maintaining a collection of 500+ pieces is also a big responsibility – this year, we completed 22 maintenance projects to ensure our collection is in tip-top shape.
A mural recognized by many – this year, we completed a restoration of Emanuel Martinez’s “Confluent People”. Check out this Denverite article detailing the process.
We offered 12 new artist opportunities, ranging from acquiring existing artwork for the Lena Archuleta Library to design calls for Montbello Central Park. We received over 1,500 applications throughout the year.
We also offer free guided tours so that locals and visitors alike can get to know our amazing collection. This year, we had over 200 attendees.