The Biennial of the Americas is an international festivalofideas, art, and culture hosted in Denver, Colorado every two years.[1] According to its website, the Biennial strives to provide a platform for people from across the region to examine major issues impacting life in the Americas. With three main themes of ideas, art, and culture, the Biennial is designed to bring together experts and leaders from across North, South, and Central America in a variety of formats that include panel discussions, peer-to-peer workshops, art exhibits, outdoor architectural installations, and public parties.[2]
The 2013 Biennial of the Americas took place in Denver, CO from July 16- September 2. The latest Biennial of the Americas occurred in September 2019 in Denver on the theme of "Empathy in Action."
The 2013 opening week began on July 16 with the theme “Unleashing Human Potential: Reinventing Communities, Business, and Education”.[3] 'Ideas' events ran through the closing symposium on July 19, but art and cultural pieces remained on display through Labor Day, September 2.
Along with recruiting high-profile speakers, the Biennial commissions major artistic exhibitions throughout the city of Denver. Artists and architects from across the Americas participate in the programming.:[5]
The Biennial of the Americas’ 2013 exhibition, Draft Urbanism, was curated by Carson Chan, Gaspar Libedinsky, Paul Andersen, and Cortney Stell.[6] The exhibition brought together artists and architects from across the Americas to create site-specific art and architectural installations throughout Downtown Denver and in the historic McNichols Building. The exhibition explored the many meanings of the word “draft,” looking at the ideas of iteration, process, and the ever-changing urban fabric. In addition to last year's Draft Urbanism, the Biennial of the Americas will highlight Denver's cultural offerings with featured exhibitions, films, public parties, performances, and other events intended to explore the various cultures of the Americas during the upcoming festival as well.:[7]
The Biennial also organized a series of public festivals throughout Denver in tandem with organizations such as the Denver Museum of Contemporary Art, Arts and Venues Denver, the Center for Visual Arts, the Clyfford Still Museum, the Colorado Ballet, the Colorado Symphony, the Denver Architectural Foundation, the Denver Art Museum, the Denver Botanical Gardens, Denver Digerati, the Denver Film Society, the Denver International Airport Art Gallery,
the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, the Mexican Cultural Center, Museo de las Americas, Platte Forum, Santa Fe Art District, Su Teatro, Redline, Rino Arts District, and Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design.:[8]
Before becoming governor, John Hickenlooper served as the mayor of Denver from 2003 to 2011. During that time he developed a vision for an event that would celebrate the ideas and cultures of the Americas, believing that such an event would highlight Denver as a hub for bipartisan discussion. This idea developed into what is now the Biennial of the Americas.[12]
During the inaugural Biennial of the Americas in 2010, the Biennial welcomed national and international visitors during a month-long celebration. Programming included free musical performances by artists such as Juana Molina, and a number of artistic exhibitions across Denver.[13][14][15] Speakers participated in roundtable discussions that ranged widely by subject. Topics included education, philanthropy, climate and energy change, health, public and private collaboration, poverty reduction, trade, and women as “Drivers in the New Economy”.[16]
Roundtable participants included:
Artists that participated in the 2010 Biennial of the Americas included Felipe Mujica, Brigida Baltar, Jeronimo Hagerman, Lucia Koch, Santiago Cucullo, Clark Richert, Ronald Rael, Virginia San Fratello, Teddy Cruz, Nicolas de Moncheaux, Alexis Rochas, Joseph Shaeffer and Estafonia Peñafiel.[17]
