FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
CONTACTS:
Laura Holtman, Denver Museum of Nature & Science, 303-370-6407, pager: 303-266-8525, Laura.Holtman@dmns.org
Pauline Herrera, Denver Office of Cultural Affairs, 720-865-4309, Pauline.Herrera@denvergov.org
Watch Out! Dinosaurs Invade the
Denver Museum of Nature & Science’s
Parking Garage This Week
Two Large-Scale Sculptures Made Possible Through the City of Denver’s
Public Art Program to be Installed Beginning September 18
DENVER—September 17, 2008—Starting this week, visitors to the Denver Museum of Nature & Science will experience the wonders of the prehistoric world before ever stepping foot inside the Museum.
On Thursday morning, paleoartist Gary Staab will install two large-scale dinosaur sculptures—“Camarasaurus and Ceratosaurus”—that will be on permanent display in the Museum’s parking garage. These sculptures are the latest project of the Denver Office of Cultural Affairs’ Public Art Program.
To Staab, the canyon-like area next to the elevators in the Museum’s parking garage looked like the perfect place to stage an unexpected prehistoric scene. For this installation, Staab created a long-necked Camarasaurus (approximately 60 feet long and 34 feet tall) rearing up on its hind legs in a defensive position after being startled by a smaller predatory Ceratosaurus (approximately 17 feet long) on a ledge nearby. Camarasaurus’ head will pop over the top of the parking garage structure, visible to people walking in City Park and entering the Museum.
Each dinosaur sculpture is a full-scale model of what each creature might have looked like in life, drawn from Staab’s extensive knowledge of paleontology and his consultations with working scientists. Also, both fossils were first discovered in Colorado—Camarasaurus in 1877 near Cañon City, and Ceratosaurus in 1883 near Delta—giving them each a special connection to the state. Both dinosaurs lived in the Late Jurassic Period, between 155 and 145 million years ago.
Staab beat out dozens of other artists for the chance to create sculptures uniquely suited to the Museum. The artworks acquired through the City’s Public Art Program are selected through a public process that includes citizens, artists and design professionals. Each public art project is specific to its location and each selection panel is unique. Panel members are charged with identifying works that speak to a location, group of people or time in history. Each selection panel is asked to select works that represent Denver and identify artists that can create works of art that engage the viewer, inform the visitor an add vitality to Denver’s cultural landscape.
The panel members who recommended Staab’s commission at the Museum are Carla Madison, Alice Kelly and William Bowman (community representatives); Kate Davis (artist); Jacqueline Connolly (arts professional); Rick Tallman (Public Art Committee member); Giovanni Greco (Denver Commission on Cultural Affairs); Kirk Johnson (Chief Curator, Denver Museum of Nature & Science); and Helen Kuykendall, (Project Manager, Department of Parks and Recreation). The entire project will be realized for $132,000.
The basic shape of each sculpture is created using high density foam, reinforced by steel armature where the feet, heads, and tails connect. Then, the foam is coated with a quarter-inch layer of fiberglass resin, which creates a sturdy “exoskeleton” for the sculpture. Next, Staab applies a layer of sculpting epoxy and the fine detail of the dinosaur’s skin. This texture is based upon actual skin imprint fossils from dinosaurs of the same family to ensure the sculpture is as scientifically accurate as possible. Finally, Staab adds paint and washes to give the dinosaur a life-like look. Start to finish, the sculptures took about six months to complete.
Note to reporters and editors: You’re invited to join us between 8 and 9 a.m. on Thursday, September 18, to watch as a crane lifts the large Camarasaurus sculpture into place in the Museum’s parking garage. Once in place, Staab and his crew will attach the head and tail to the sculpture, and complete the seams. The Ceratosaurus sculpture will also be installed on Thursday, but a specific time for this installation it still to be determined. The entire installation process will take approximately three days, and Gary Staab will be available for interviews during the installation process.
About the Denver Museum of Nature & Science
The Denver Museum of Nature & Science is the Rocky Mountain Region's leading resource for informal science education. A variety of engaging exhibits, discussions and activities help Museum visitors celebrate and understand the natural wonders of Colorado, Earth and the universe. The Museum is located at 2001 Colorado Blvd., Denver, CO, 80205. To learn more about the Museum, check www.dmns.org, or call 303-322-7009.
About the Denver Office of Cultural Affairs
The mission of the Denver Office of Cultural Affairs is to advance the arts and culture in the City and County of Denver. For more information on the Denver Office of Cultural Affairs’ Public Art Program, please call 720-865-4313 or visit www.denvergov.org/publicart.
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DMNS-08-028
Many of the Museum’s educational programs and exhibits are made possible in part by generous funding from the citizens of the seven-county metro area through the Scientific & Cultural Facilities District.
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