The Dream Tree

I've traveled to many places around our country, both large and small. There are some small towns where Walmart seems to be the hub of activity. I mean, when you don't have much in the way of museums, theaters, etc...I guess Walmart is the place to be. One thing I haven't seen at many Walmarts, though, is an art installation. The Wal-Mart in downtown Englewood, however, happens to be adjacent to the Museum of Outdoor Arts. So, ladies and gentlemen, I give you what may be the only Wal-Mart that is part of a museum.

The display called The Dream Tree is on the west side of the store. It was created by a local artist named Todd Siler. The artist says the piece is "a mosaic of motivational thought that inspires action." It certainly isn't what you'd find at the average Walmart, I'll give you that.

The piece is located a block or so away from the other displays the make up the Englewood campus of the Museum of Outdoor Arts. Next time you're checking out that museum, be sure to venture over and see it. Or, pop over to view it before you step inside to stock up on cat food or peruse the bin of six-dollar blu-rays. It's located at 601 Englewood Parkway in downtown Englewood.

Museum of Outdoor Arts - Down Englewood Parkway

A few posts back we took a look at some of the pieces that adorn the courtyard at Englewood City Center as a part of the Museum of Outdoor Arts. Well, there's actually much more to see if you head east down Englewood Parkway from the courtyard. Let's take a look.

Marzocco Lions

Three Gossips by Harry Marinsky

Stargazer by Madeline Wiener

Marble on my Mind by Madelin Wiener

Porcellino
Note: A duplicate of this statue can be found in front of one of the office buildings at the museum's display in Greenwood Village.

Museum of Outdoor Arts - Englewood Station

We've taken a look at the Museum of Outdoor Arts in some previous posts, but there's a lot more of this museum to experience. It exists in several different locations around the Denver area, and, despite its name, it does include some indoor galleries. Though, with the world being what it is right now, the indoor portions of the museum are currently closed. However, a visit to the museum's downtown Englewood location still gives you the opportunity to see many interesting pieces that are out in the open. Here's a look at a few of the pieces you can experience.

Resistance by Leslie Temple

I'm afraid I don't have the title or artist of this piece, but we'll just call it what I'm sure most kids call it...Giant Watermelons.

Bagatelle by Barbara Baer

Duo by Lin Emery. This sculpture changes its look every few seconds as it moves with the wind.

Bathroon People by Andy Miller

Mujer Del Lago by Tom Ware

Brooklyn Bridge by Red Grooms

Two Open Treapezoids: Excentric V by George Rickey

Horizon by Amy Laugesen

These pieces can all be viewed in the courtyard of the Museum of Outdoor Arts at 1000 Englewood Parkway in Englewood.

Art at Plaza Tower One

Plaza Tower One is one of the tallest buildings in the Denver Tech Center. I remember marveling at how huge the thing was when it was going up in the late 90's. Like many of the other business centers that surround it, Plaza Tower One also hosts a few exhibits that are part of the Museum of Outdoor Arts.

Let's begin with the unique water feature that resides near the entrance of building. It kind of resembles the pages of a book opening up. I also appreciate the reflective qualities of the piece.

A few feet away sits a marble sculpture of a bear that is, oddly enough, simply called, Bear. It was created by Beniamino Bufano around 1980. Given the fact that bears do occasionally wander into the Denver metro area from the high country, this is the way I much prefer encountering these fantastic creatures.

You can take a look at these works of art, as well as the impressive building, at 6400 S Fiddler's Green Circle in Greenwood Village.

Roaring Elephant

Here is another piece that is a part of the Museum of Outdoor Arts display in the Denver Tech Center. This sculpture/fountain is called Roaring Elephant, and it sits in a space just south of 6399 S Fiddler's Green Cir in Greenwood Village.

The bronze sculpture was created in 1990 by artist Daniel Ostermiller. It's based on a fable about an elephant and a mouse. You can spot this life-sized elephant quite easily while driving by, but you'll need to get out of your car to get a look at the mouse. He sits at the edge of the fountain and is a bit bigger than your average mouse, to be honest.

While you're checking out the fountain, right nearby you'll find a wall that serves to hide some of the unsightly power boxes behind the building. An artist has gone ahead and painted some Colorado mountain scenes to pretty things up a bit. 

Tuscany Plaza - Museum of Outdoor Arts

Denver has many great museums, but one of the most unique is the Museum of Outdoor Arts. It actually exists in several different locations, and focuses largely on outdoor sculptures. That also means you don't even need a ticket! One of the locations is right in the heart of the Denver Tech Center in Greenwood Village. Marjorie Park (adjacent to Fiddler's Green Amphitheater) is the centerpiece of this branch of the museum, but right now the park is being renovated. It's closed to the public. Luckily, several of the office buildings in the area also have displays, such as Tuscany Plaza at the intersection of Greenwood Plaza Blvd and Fiddler's Green Cir.

Three works can be found at Tuscany Plaza. The most prominent is a bronze statue of Mercury; a recreation of a sculpture found in Florence Italy which dates back to 1564. He's an impressive sight, standing guard of the building which houses the international headquarters of Red Robin.

Closer to the building you will find a sculpture of two horses. Titled "Of One Heart," it was sculpted by Gorge Carlson in 1984. He was inspired to create this piece after seeing a draft horse competition at a rodeo. Given our region's western heritage, this is a very appropriate addition to this courtyard.

The final piece is titled "The Fence." This site-specific sculpture was created by Carolyn Braaksma and Andrew Dufford in 1988.  This piece, in particular, is interesting in how it interacts with the architecture of the building behind it.

You can check out all of these sculptures for yourself at 6312 S Fiddler's Green Cir in Greenwood Village.