Roundup: Arts and Culture Events at DU This Fall
A dancer performs with the Martha Graham Dance Company.
As students return to the University of Denver’s campus this fall, so do the countless arts and culture events that are open to the DU and Denver community each year.
From musical performances to gallery exhibits, there’s something for every arts and culture aficionado looking to experience all that DU has to offer. Read on to find out where and when to catch these events.
Newman Center for the Performing Arts
Now in its 21st season, Newman Center Presents will kick off its slate of fall events with “Dog Man: The Musical” on Sept. 8 and 9. The production follows the chronicles of Dog Man—part police officer, part crime-fighting dog.
Next on the fall docket is performances by the Martha Graham Dance Company on Sept. 22 and 23, part of the Center’s three-year celebration of Graham’s work and legacy ahead of the company’s 2026 centennial.
On Sept. 27, Okaidja Afroso will bring his talents to the Newman Center, performing “Jaku Mumor,” an a cappella collaboration that honors the musical traditions of the Gadangme fishermen of Ghana.
Sept. 30 will see virtuoso pianist Vijay Iyer, Grammy-winning vocalist Arooj Aftab and multi-instrumentalist Shahzad Ismaily share selections from their 2023 album, “Love in Exile.”
And the winner of the 2023 Grammy for Best Jazz Vocal Album and Best New Artist, 23-year-old Bronx native Samara Joy, will return to the Newman Center on Oct. 15. The New York Times described Joy’s voice as having “close precision” and “frothy power.”
Lamont School of Music
Lamont’s fall offerings will feature two guest artist recitals: guitarists Connie Sheu on Sept. 8 and Martha Masters on Sept. 9. Sheu is both a soloist and chamber musician whose playing has been called “excellent, ruminative ... scholarly” by The New York Sun. Masters has been a decorated performance artist for more than two decades, having first achieved international recognition when she won the Guitar Foundation of America International Concert Artist Competition in 2000.
On Oct. 10, Lamont will host an Indigenous People’s Day event with free admission, with more details to come.
And on Nov. 5, returning and incoming graduate students will perform “The Masters of Bel Canto,” presented by Lamont Opera Theatre.
Additionally, Lamont will host countless student performances this fall, ranging from symphony concerts to percussion ensembles. More details on those performances can be found here.
DU Theatre Department
Nov. 9-12 will see the DU Theatre Department put on “A Bright New Boise,” the story of a man who goes to work at Hobby Lobby seeking to mend fences and confront challenges of faith.
Museum of Anthropology
The Museum of Anthropology will host “INTO LIGHT Colorado: Changing the Conversation About Drug Addiction and Overdose” from Aug. 31-Sept. 22. The INTO LIGHT exhibit features portraits and written narratives of Coloradans who have died from the disease of drug addiction. After its original run in the Museum of Anthropology, the exhibit will be on display in the Anderson Academic Commons Oct. 2-20 and the Community Commons Oct. 30-Nov. 17.
Vicki Myhren Gallery
The current exhibition at the Vicki Myhren Gallery, “We Are Us: Drawings of Lee Conklin,” is curated by Scott Montgomery and runs through Sept. 13. The exhibit “casts new light on Conklin’s rich career and showcases his varied styles over fifty years.”
The gallery’s second fall exhibition will be “Gonkar Gyatso: Intimacy and Immediacy,” curated by Dr. Sarah Magnatta. It will run Sept. 28-Nov. 26, with an opening reception on the 28th from 5 to 7 p.m. at the gallery. This exhibition will showcase Gyatso’s small drawings on paper that address the COVID-19 pandemic and its subsequent implications.
Davis Gallery
There is one fall exhibition currently being showcased at the Davis Gallery, a student-powered initiative within the Vicki Myhren Gallery: “Psychedelic Legacies: Poster Art from the 1960s to Today,” curated by McKenna Gale. The exhibit will be on view through Sept. 21.