Below are a few of the more colossal pieces of public art to be found around downtown Denver, which you can explore via walking tour. For information on walking tours and installations not mentioned here, visit Denver’s Public Art Program. For a map of the sculptures mentioned below, click here.
Colorado Convention Center & Denver Performing Arts Complex Area
I See What You Mean, Lawrence Argent
14th St. and California St.
The curious, 40-foot-tall blue bear peeking through the window of the convention center is an oft-photographed installation that seems to have found its way into the hearts of many Denverites and visitors.
Dancers, Jonathan Borofsky
Speer Blvd. and Arapahoe St.
Two giant white figures prance toward the performing arts complex, perhaps on their way to see a show!
Antique Gold and Pale Aquamarine Chandelier, Dale Chihuly
Ellie Caulkins Opera House, 14th St. and Curtis St.
The undulating wisps of glass are unmistakably the creation of famed master artist Dale Chihuly, who manages to make the massive arrangement seem delicate and airy.
Man and Woman, Fernando Botero
DPAC Galleria, 13th Ave. and Curtis St.
A plump and impossibly proportioned bronze couple stand sentry near the Temple Buell Theatre.
Denver Art Museum & Denver Public Library Area
Big Sweep, Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen
13th Ave. and Acoma Plaza
A jumbo-sized broom sweeps enormous scraps of paper into a waiting dustpan.
Scottish Angus Cow and Calf, Dan Ostermiller
12th Ave. and Bannock St.
Mama and baby cows rest in the grass behind the museum, looking a bit like they’ve lost their way from the country.
Lao Tzu, Mark di Suvero
13th Ave. and Acoma Plaza
The angular reddish-orange steel sculpture is the perfect architectural complement to the surrounding library and museum.
The Yearling, Donald Lipski
W. 14th Ave. and Acoma Plaza
An average-size pony sits atop a not-so-average 21-foot-high red chair, inviting passersby to theorize about how he got there.
Civic Center Park & Wellington E. Webb Municipal Building Area
On the War Trail & Broncho Buster, Alexander Phimister Proctor
Civic Center Park, bounded by Broadway, Bannock, Colfax and W. 14th Ave.
A Native American warrior and a bronc-riding cowboy serve as reminders of Denver’s Wild West roots.
Tools, Donald Lipski
Webb building lobby, 14th St. and Colfax
A swirling medley of traffic cones, handsaws, hammers and mop buckets is the perfect example of everyday items becoming objets d’art.
Denver True, Larry Kirkland
Webb building lobby, 14th St. and Colfax
A 20-by-25-foot recreation of a plumb bob (an architect’s tool) hangs over granite-etched blueprints for the area surrounding the building.