Ruminations

Tracing the Past, Shaping the Future

September 25–November 23, 2025

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Memory, with its fragmented and fluid nature, shapes how American artists interpret cycles of change, revolution, and return. Ruminations considers how artists working since around 1980 have looked to the past to make sense of the present and anticipate the future. In exploring shifting ideas of selfhood, cultural inheritance, and artistic innovation, the exhibition also reflects on the complexities of American identity – how personal histories intertwine with national narratives, and how the tension between individual and collective experience shapes artistic expression. Through material experimentation and conceptual inquiry, these artists prompt us to reconsider the past’s enduring presence in contemporary experience and imagine what comes next. 

Ruminations is the result of a collaborative effort by 21 students in the University of Denver’s Winter 2025 Curatorial Practicum course. Through a fast-paced, immersive process of research and discussion, these emerging curators explored key ideas in postwar and contemporary American art, ultimately selecting objects from the University Art Collections that resonate with the exhibition’s themes. Many of these artworks come from the generous donations of John Madden and Dean Ambrose, whose patronage has enriched the collection and made exhibitions like this possible. Their contributions not only provide a foundation for scholarly engagement but also allow students to experience firsthand the impact of curatorial decisions on shaping artistic discourse. 

Artists featured in the exhibition:

• John Baldessari
• Jonathan Borofsky
• Carroll Dunham
• Sam Francis
• Viola Frey
• David Hockney
• Vitaly Komar
• Roy Lichtenstein
• Alexander Melamid
• Ana Mendieta
• Duane Michals
• Harland Miller 
• Robert Rauschenberg 
• James Rosenquist 
• Fritz Scholder 
• Jennifer Steinkamp
• Donald Sultan 
• Fred Tomaselli
• Kara Walker
• Andy Warhol 
• Fred Wilson
• Terry Winters
• Lisa Yuskavage

Student Curators:

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Join us for the opening reception on Thursday, September 25 from 5-7 PM.