ArtandCulture, Denver

The Aspen Art Museum is a non-collecting institution presenting the newest, most important evolutions in international contemporary art. Our innovative and timely exhibitions, education and public programs, immersive activities, and community happenings actively engage audiences in thought-provoking experiences of art, culture, and society. In 1976, a City of Aspen vote led to the acquisition and development of an out-of-use building at 590 North Mill Street that became the Aspen Art Museum’s first home until 2014. Built in 1888, the Hunter Creek Power Plant first served the city’s silver mining operations while also enabling Aspen to be the first city west of the Mississippi to have streetlights powered by hydroelectric energy. Supporting a recommendation that an art space would offer the most creative and adaptive community service, the City assisted efforts to rehabilitate the disused structure. By November 1977, the Aspen Center for the Visual Arts (ACVA) was incorporated within the state of Colorado, and in August 1978, the ACVA board selected its first director, Philip Yenawine. https://www.aspenartmuseum.org/about

Constructed in the late 1800s by business tycoon Jerome Wheeler, this opera house has been a major source of entertainment in the Roaring Fork Valley for more than a century. Today, this performance venue remains an Aspen gem, featuring Victorian architecture, beautiful decor and a stunning electric chandelier. The theater still hosts regular events ranging from concerts to film screenings to plays, and according to recent travelers, you shouldn't turn down the chance to catch a show here. Visitors love the small, intimate theater and say that it makes for a cozy atmosphere with great acoustics. The Wheeler Opera House doesn't offer tours, but travelers suggest stopping in for a quick peek, even if you don't have time to see a show. https://travel.usnews.com/Aspen_CO/Things_To_Do/Wheeler_Opera_House_61922/

Anderson Ranch is home to one of the most respected visual arts programs in the country. Located on a 5-acre historic mountain ranch in Snowmass Village, the Ranch offers over 140 Summer Workshops for artists of all ages and levels in Photography & New Media, Ceramics, Painting & Drawing, Furniture Design & Woodworking, Sculpture, Woodturning, and Printmaking. Summertime Children's and Teen Workshops are also available. The Ranch has art galleries with a full exhibition schedule and Art Works gift shop. The Ranch cafe is open in the summer for lunch. Winter and Spring Artist-in-Residence Programs are available for emerging and established artists to further their artistic practice. Field Expeditions and Studio Concentrations available. Public events are free and offered year-round. https://www.colorado.com/art-galleries/anderson-ranch-arts-center

Make this your first stop to discover Pueblo Indian culture. Enjoy our interactive permanent and rotating exhibits, meet artists selling their handcrafted works, conduct research in our Library & Archives, and experience our cultural dance program—a truly unique educational opportunity (see website for days and times). Travelling with a group? Take an in-depth guided tour, or schedule a frybread-making class. Browse books, original works of pottery, turquoise jewellery, textiles, and art at Shumakolowa Native Arts. Owned and operated by the 19 Pueblos of New Mexico, Shumakolowa has been a trusted source of authentic Native American art for more than 40 years. Pueblo Harvest, our on-site full-service restaurant, features an acclaimed menu that includes regional favourites, our award-winning Tewa Taco, and freshly baked Pueblo oven bread. Pueblo Harvest is known for extraordinary regional and Native-sourced, Pueblo-inspired cuisine that blends honouring legacy and history with exhibiting artistry and modernity. We source as many ingredients as possible from the pueblos of New Mexico and other tribal communities throughout the U.S. https://www.visitalbuquerque.org/listing/indian-pueblo-cultural-center/1086/

The Cell Theatre is Downtown Albuquerque's boutique home for live entertainment.Providing over 250 nights of performance each year, The Cell is home to: New Mexico's only professional Equity theatre company-- FUSION Theatre Company, the Screen Actors Guild "Conversations" series, the "One Night Stand Cabaret", and 150 nights of live all-ages music yearly. https://www.visitalbuquerque.org/listings/The-Cell-Theatre/927/

A Pueblo Deco picture palace, the KiMo opened Sept. 19, 1927. It was commissioned by the innovative Oreste Bachechi, who had envisioned a Southwestern style theatre for Albuquerque. Every detail of the theatre contains historical significance, making it one of the region's most valued cultural gems. The KiMo offers a variety of entertainment including film, theatre, and musical performances. https://www.cabq.gov/culturalservices/kimo

A world-class center for Hispanic arts and culture featuring an art museum, a state-of-the-art performing arts complex, a library and genealogy center, a restaurant and gift shop. Enjoy art exhibitions throughout the year and celebrate Hispanic traditions through various festivals and celebrations including Cinco de Mayo and Día de Muertos (Day of the Dead). The Center’s facilities are also available throughout the year for private and corporate events. The NHCC is part of the Department of Cultural Affairs. https://www.visitalbuquerque.org/listing/national-hispanic-cultural-center/1094/

The Crown Uptown Theatre offers a variety of shows and entertainment. They are also the premier facility to hold events - meetings, weddings, receptions https://www.visitwichita.com/listing/crown-uptown-theatre/25617/#

Constellation Studios is a worksite and gallery, and a creative destination for artists in Lincoln, Nebraska. In a professional studio, we mentor and educate, and we explore and celebrate interconnections between traditional and innovative print, paper and bookmaking. Events, activities, workshops are offered for community engagement. https://constellation-studios.net/

Lubbock Moonlight Musicals inspires audiences throughout the year with fun and exciting musicals at the Wells Fargo Amphitheatre located in Mackenzie Park. http://www.visitlubbock.org/visit/attractions/#artful_life

Beautiful architecture blends with memories of a time gone by at The Durham Museum. Making its home in one of Omaha’s most unique treasures, Union Station, The Durham Museum offers a fascinating look at the history of our region and offers a broad-range of traveling exhibits covering subjects ranging from history and culture, to science, industry and more through our affiliation with the Smithsonian Institution and strong ties with the Library of Congress, National Archives and the Field Museum. https://durhammuseum.org/our-museum/

Anyone serious about the visual arts has to head over to The Paseo, Oklahoma City’s historic arts district. The area is home to more than 22 galleries that feature the work of approximately 80 artists. The first Friday of every month, all the galleries are open from 6 to 10 p.m. for the monthly Art Walk. The district has grown rapidly over the past several years, and that trend seems to be continuing. New restaurants are going in, and more shopping options are popping up, making The Paseo a destination in its own right. https://www.visitokc.com/about-okc/okc-districts/paseo-arts-district/

The Civic Center Music Hall is owned and operated by the City of Oklahoma City and is nationally recognized as one of the country's premier acoustic performing arts facilities. Inside our doors are three theatres, a grand reception hall, multiple suites and smaller rental facilities. https://okcciviccenter.com/your-visit/about-us

The Oklahoma City Museum of Art, located in the heart of the downtown Arts District, has a permanent collection consisting of European and American art. The Special Exhibition Gallery offers visitors national and international exhibitions. The Noble Theater screens independent, foreign and classic films. The Museum Café offers French-fusion cuisine amid the metropolitan ambiance of downtown. http://www.okcmoa.com/

Fondly nicknamed the “Old Lady on Brady,” this 100-year-old theater is on the National Register of Historic Places and has played host to countless big-name performers, including Journey, Kansas, B.B. King, Will Rogers, Robin Williams and Randy Travis. Today, it anchors the bustling Brady Arts District and stands as one of the greatest monuments to Tulsa’s rich cultural heritage. http://www.visittulsa.com/listings/Brady-Theater/699/

I Painted That! is a BYOB social art studio in El Paso, Texas where local artists lead you stroke by stroke to paint your own work of art. Come alone or bring your friends. No experience is required and everything is provided. Bring your favorite drinks and snacks, and prepare to have your artistic side emerge. After the class, take your painting home with you. https://visitelpaso.com/places/i-painted-that-social-art

The Alexander Majors House is one only four surviving antebellum houses in Kansas City, Missouri, and is on the National Register of Historic Places. Built in 1856 for the family of Alexander Majors, the house served as both a family home and as the headquarters for Majors’ successful freighting company. The Majors House was built facing westward, overlooking what was then the Kansas Territory. Originally, the Majors House had nine rooms and nine fireplaces—one in each room. It boasts original floors of virgin white pine—non-existent today. The walls were originally plastered with white lime and hog-hair. The house’s main rooms consisted of an office, parlor, and dining room on the first floor, and three bedrooms and a family parlor on the second floor. Before the rear additions were constructed in the early 1900s, the Majors family’s kitchen was a detached outbuilding or lean-to. http://www.wornallmajors.org/explore/majors-house/

In 1856, the steamboat Arabia was traveling upriver to Montana with supplies needed for a small town on the Western frontier. The boat hit a snag in the Missouri River and sank near modern day Parkville. The Arabia was recovered more than a century later beneath a Kansas farm field with all of its cargo intact and in pristine condition. These artifacts are now on display at the Arabia Steamboat Museum, a one-of-a-kind establishment offering a fascinating glimpse into early Western life. https://www.visitkc.com/business-detail/arabia-steamboat-museum

The El Paso Museum of History is host to more than 16,000 sq. ft. of exhibition space featuring five galleries representing 400 years of U.S./Mexico border history. Two first floor galleries have featured traveling exhibitions highlighting the brilliant mind of Leonardo da Vinci as well as early Spanish exploration prior to the arrival of the Mayflower; borderland racing history, https://visitelpaso.com/explore/things_to_do/attractions/categories/museums/places

The sights and sounds of a uniquely American art form come alive at the American Jazz Museum. The Museum includes interactive exhibits and educational programs as well as the Blue Room, a working jazz club, and the Gem Theater, a modern 500-seat performing arts center. https://www.visitkc.com/business-detail/american-jazz-museum?cid=18602#sm.000184edndt4sfcyt9010c9rxvdb6

The El Paso Museum of Art (EPMA) houses a permanent collection of over 7,000 works of art from the Byzantine era to the present. Among the collection’s strengths in American, Mexican, and European art are Renaissance and Baroque masterpieces from the likes of Botticelli, Canaletto, and Van Dyck, as well as 20th century works by notable natives like Tom Lea. https://visitelpaso.com/places/el-paso-museum-of-art

Year-round, visitors can head to Independence, where they’ll find the National Frontier Trails Museum, an institution that offers an in-depth look at Kansas City’s trailblazing history, including insights into Lewis and Clark’s exploration through present-day Jackson County. https://www.visitkc.com/business-detail/national-frontier-trails-museum

The Jesse James Birthplace Museum contains the largest collection of James family artifacts in the world. Tour the home where Jesse was born and raised alongside his also-infamous brother Frank. Jesse’s grave site at Kearney’s Mount Olivet Cemetery draws thousands of visitors each year, as does the Jesse James Festival, which takes place each September. https://www.visitkc.com/business-detail/jesse-james-birthplace

See what a progressive farming community, spread across some 30 sloping acres, looked like in the mid-1800s. Missouri Town 1855 is composed of more than 25 buildings dating from 1820 - 1860. This living history museum uses original structures, furnishings and equipment. Also depicting the 19th Century lifestyles are interpreters in period attire, authentic field and garden crops, and rare livestock breeds. http://www.makeyourdayhere.com/missouritown

Altamira Fine Art specializes in the exhibition and sale of Western Contemporary artwork. The gallery offers an exciting, fresh take on life in our region, representing leading artists who are redefining the West. Genres include Modern Landscape, Abstract, Pop, Contemporary Western, Sculpture, Contemporary Native and more. http://scottsdalegalleries.com/galleries/altamira-fine-art/

The museum is owned by the City of Scottsdale and managed and operated by Scottsdale Museum of the West, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. It relies upon private support including tax-deductible contributions, memberships, exhibition and program sponsorships, and private hosting of events to fund its operation. http://scottsdalemuseumwest.org/about-us/mission/

One of the premier museums in the state! “Dinosaur Mountain” is the largest dinosaur exhibit west of the Mississippi River. See a constantly flowing 50-foot-high indoor waterfall and hear the thrilling roar of life-size, animated dinosaurs, including a saber-tooth cat and a Columbian Mammoth. http://arizonamuseumofnaturalhistory.org/plan-a-visit/mesa-grande

The Mesa Arts Center, owned and operated by the City of Mesa, is a unique, architecturally stunning, international award winning facility located in the heart of downtown Mesa. Arizona's largest arts center is home to four theaters, five art galleries, and 14 art studios. Guests, patrons, and students come to Mesa Arts Center to enjoy the finest live entertainment and performances, world-class visual art exhibitions, and outstanding arts education classes. http://www.mesaartscenter.com/index.php/visit/getting-here

The Heard Museum was established in 1929 by Dwight and Maie Heard and is dedicated to the portrayal of Native arts and culture. The museum has partnered with American Indian artists and tribal communities to highlight the world the art and culture of Native people. https://heard.org/

The Chandler Center for the Arts is a premier cultural resource that focuses on leading, advocating and advancing arts and culture in the greater Chandler area. https://www.visitchandler.com/listings/chandler-center-for-the-arts/23/

The Chandler Museum campus features both locally produced and nationally travelling exhibits exploring culture, history, and art; the East Valley History Center for researchers; educational programming in the new classroom; and more. Reopened in December 2018, the new museum boasts a new 10,000 square foot facility adjacent to the historic McCullough-Price House. The modern building is the centrepiece of the new museum campus and it was designed to complement the historic house, preserving and honouring the past while representing our progress as a community with a bright future. Visitors to the Chandler Museum also can see Infinite Shade. This sculpture, by artist Jeff Zischke, functions as a shade structure for the museum’s outdoor courtyard during the day and at night it is bathed in multicoloured light. Chandler Museum is an interdisciplinary learning environment where the community comes together to share its stories, preserve its cultural heritage and experience Chandler as a people and place. The vision of the Museum is to be the community’s principal resource to explore its people’s history, culture, and their place in the rapidly changing world of today. https://www.visitchandler.com/listings/chandler-museum/261/

Focused on the preservation of the Sonoran Desert, The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum will turn your idea of a museum inside out. Guests will experience a quintessential Sonoran Desert experience which includes: an unforgettable fusion zoo, botanical garden, natural history museum, aquarium and art gallery. https://www.visittucson.org/business/arizona-sonora-desert-museum?clientid=25386

Designed by renowned architect Philip Johnson (1906-2005), the Amon Carter Museum of American Art houses a preeminent collection of American art including painting, sculpture, and works on paper; it has been a Fort Worth institution since 1961. The collection spans early nineteenth-century expeditionary art to mid-twentieth century modernism and includes masterworks by artists such as Frederic Church, Stuart Davis, Arthur Dove, Thomas Eakins, Winslow Homer, Georgia O'Keeffe, and John Singer Sargent. The museum is one of the nation's major repositories of American photography and holds the archives of luminaries such as Nell Dorr, Laura Gilpin, Eliot Porter, and Karl Struss. https://www.fortworth.com/listings/amon-carter-museum-of-american-art/3652/