Welcome to Mad About Art!

Mad About Art! is an enthusiastic group of art lovers run by a volunteer board. MAA! offers monthly programming featuring unique art activities in the Denver metro area. Programs include artist studio visits, private collection tours, corporate art tours, and public art tours. There are also book salons and lectures. Social activities include member parties for holidays and special events. In addition, the MAA! Travel program provides small group excursions to national and international locations several times a year. Membership is $75 per household for a calendar year.

It is time to renew your Mad About Art! 2025 membership. Programming is well underway for 2025, with events you won’t want to miss. Click the link below to complete your membership renewal, then view your cart and pay. Membership dues are $75.00 per household for 2025. You cannot sign up for events until you renew your membership. So sign up NOW!

(Note: Any new members joining 9/1/24 or later are already considered paid for 2025.)

Scroll down to the bottom of the page to Join or Renew Your Membership
(Don’t forget to view your cart and pay after you have registered.)
Looking forward to another year of exciting art adventures.
Don’t delay; renew your membership today!

HAPPENING IN FEBRUARY 2025

Susan Smeaton
A Deeper Look: Frames Designed by and for Artists
Zoom Program

Wednesday, February 19, 2025, 11am-12pm

Suzanne has been studying frames and framing for several decades. During her long tenure at the noted gallery Eli Winner & Company in New York City, Suzanne pioneered the study and scholarship of American period frames. Her presentation will delve into the many artist who have designed frames for their own artworks. Focusing on the 19th Century to present.

Zoom Program
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84421630959?pwd=26xgrHZqEd1ZA3BMVbma0vHv7F35Sl.1
No cost to attend

Susan Smeaton

The Art of Theatre

Thursday, February 27, 2025, 11 am

Join us as we explore the artistic process of creating a Denver Center for the Performing Arts (DCPA) Theater Company production. Our time together will give insight into the artistic talent of set design, costume creation, and more. We will begin with a behind-the-scenes tour of the Theater Company studios and end with visiting the set of a current production. Our Host from the Denver Center for the Performing Arts will be Senior Director Of Development Caitie Maxwell.

We’re sorry, but this event has filled to capacity.

Location: 1101 13th Street, Denver, CO 80204. The parking garage is across the street.
The program is limited to 30 Members.
There is no cost to attend.
Optional Lunch: A no-host lunch will follow at the Four Seasons Hotel Edge Restaurant on the main floor at 1111 14th Street, Denver, CO 80202.

MAA Travel Program for 2025

Washington, D.C. and its Fabulous Museums amidst Cherry Blossoms
March 30-April 6, 2025
SOLD OUT

This not-to-be-missed tour of museums throughout the Nation’s Capital will introduce participants to the plethora of institutions such as The National Gallery, the Phillips Collection, the Freer Gallery of Art, the Smithsonian Museum of American Art, the Hirschhorn, the National Portrait Gallery, the National Museum of Women’s Art, the National Museum of African American Art, the National Museum of the American Indian, among others. Other venues will be added as available. You’ll experience extraordinary hotel accommodations, fine cuisine, and the lively, collegial, and witty banter of the tour’s guide, Dr. Timothy James Standring, Curator Emeritus, Denver Art Museum.

Swiss Museums, Hotels and Restaurants
October 4-15, 2025
SOLD OUT

Pack your lederhosen and Swiss-designed OnCloud sneakers for this fabulous tour of Switzerland’s scenic beauty and memorable museums in 2025 from the 4th to the 15th of October. This tour will travel through the playground of Europe by first-class Swiss passes to Zurich, Basel, Bern, Lucerne, and Geneva, as well as to little-known venues such as Saint Gall and Winterthur. You’ll experience stunningly new museums by world-class architects David Chipperfield in Zurich, Jean Nouvel in Lucerne, Mario Botta in Basel, and Renzo Piano in Bern and Riehen, luxuriate in extraordinary hotel accommodations, and dine at Switzerland’s finest restaurants. The tour’s guide, Dr. Timothy James Standring, Curator Emeritus, Denver Art, will enliven the 20 participants of this Swiss tour with lively, collegial, and witty banter.

UPCOMING PROGRAMS

February 19, 11 am: Suzanne Smeaton Zoom Lecture
February 27, 11 am: Set Design and Tour at the DCPA
March 25, 11 am: Melissa Conn of Save Venice will give a talk at the Denver Art Museum, followed by an optional lunch at DAM.
March 30-April 6: Washington, D.C. Trip. SOLD OUT
October 4-15: Swiss Museums, Hotels and Restaurants Trip. SOLD OUT

For any questions or concerns, please email us at ma*********@ya***.com.

 MORE OPPORTUNITIES TO ENGAGE WITH ART

Center For The Arts Evergreen 31880 Rocky Village Drive Evergreen, CO 80439 • 303-674-0056
Interesting exhibits and a ZOOM book club for members. The book club selections are fiction based on the art world with lively discussions which sometimes include the authors. For more information on the book club, visit evergreenarts.org/cae-book-club.

Crystal Bridges Celebrates Its 10th Anniversary https://www.townandcountrymag.com/society/tradition/a37911642/alice-walton-crystal-bridges-museum-interview/

Great Art Books of 2020:    https://apple.news/ADZZ5tDWJO8iZTWWX_UciZA

Google Arts and Culture:   https://artsandculture.google.com

Wiki Art Visual Art Encyclopedia: www.wikiart.org

National Gallery of Art:  The Art of Looking:   https://www.nga.gov/calendar/gallery-talks/the-art-of-looking.html

The National Gallery of Art provides an ongoing webinar series for members.  Visit   www.nga.gov

The Louvre Museum offers its entire collection online at https://www.louvre.fr/en/

Kino Now: Discover the masterworks of yesterday and new films destined to be classics tomorrow. Good source for viewing films on the subject of art and artists.  https://kinonow.com

As a follow-up to our visit with Skip Whitcomb, an interesting article on color theory:   https://publicdomainreview.org/essay/primary-sources?fbclid=IwAR1DYkfS52gGztKPid7m3r_QdkEhRUyAm_shHxRKUsb9Ig0AF8J346SdOT

Hybrid Programming

Our hybrid model of programming which offers both in-person and online events began with Covid but has remained popular even as health concerns ease. The 2023 Events list is updated monthly and designates locations, times, and requirements. Please watch your email for any last-minute changes.

Note: In-person gatherings may require proof of vaccination. Masking policy will follow public health guidelines and/or may be required at the request of the host.

Zoom Etiquette

Zoom programs allow us to “travel” to more places and stay safe during events such as Covid 19. Going forward, we hope to benefit from some tips we have learned along the way. While we love to see you on Zoom as does the speaker, adhering to a few common courtesies helps maintain the quality of our programs.  For example, once the speaker has begun a program, please remember to mute yourself if the host has not already done so. You will save us the interruptions caused by coughing, talking, etc. which temporarily bring your name up onto the screen. If you are multitasking, please also turn your video off.  Scenes of cooking, answering phone calls, exercising, and sleeping are distracting, sometimes embarrassing. Respect for all involved is the goal.  We appreciate your help in this endeavor.

JOIN AS A NEW MEMBER BELOW

DUES PAYMENT

Annual dues are $75.00 per household.  After completing the Membership Registration form, you will receive access to make your dues payment by debit or credit card. Membership cost is $75 per household for a calendar year.

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MAA! BOARD OF DIRECTORS 2025

President: Chad Skrbina
Past President: Hanne Lichtenfels
Treasurer: Stacey Wilson
Secretary: Kate McDaniel
Membership: Patty Horsch

Programs: Carol Whitley
Communications: Terry McCullough and Robin Schaefer
Travel: Helen Shreves
Nominating: Mary Willis

Check Out Our Video and Previous Programs Page

Here you will find videos from our recent and past events – just click the red video icon.