Accessible Arts

Arts institutes across Denver grant discounts and offers to students, making the arts easier to experience.

The idea of spending money anywhere as a student may seem daunting, especially when trying to experience the arts. The arts have a reputation of being expensive, which can drive the thought away from students with low budgets. However, many arts institutes around Denver provide student discounts and offers which make the arts more accessible to youth.

• The Denver Center Theatre Company offers many different opportunities for students to attend shows. Student night tickets are available for $16 online for Tuesday and Wednesday performances with the promotional code STUDENT. Student rush tickets are also available: when students show up at the Theatre Company box office one hour before any performance with an ID or MY Denver card, remaining seats are available for $10. Shows by the DCTC are performed in the Jones, Ricketson, Space, and Stage theatres. Upcoming shows include A Christmas Carol and The Nest.
• The Colorado Symphony offers discounts to both students and teachers: tickets can be purchased for $10 at the box office the day of concerts, or for $12 in advance with the promotional code LISTEN (both with a valid ID). Ongoing events include “Inside the Score,” where students can learn more about the composition of musical pieces, and “Symphony at the Movies,” where the symphony shows a film while performing its score. The Colorado Symphony organization said, “By attending, students and teachers can enhance their studies and life-long music appreciation.”
• The Denver Art Museum is free for everyone under 18 years old. Current and upcoming exhibitions include “Encounters with the Universe” by Kenneth Josephson, and “Standing Still: Photographs by Danny Singer.” Art teacher Leonard Fox said, “it’s important for students to expose themselves to the art in the real world to keep themselves current and understand the past. That exposure is like exposure from fine literature to mathematical theories; it’s important to build that base which allows them to move forward.”

In today’s ever-changing world, it is easy to get caught up in modern amenities, to keep up with trends and to forget to think critically about their importance. Art can tell stories and interpret meaning in a chaotic and complicated world, and when people concentrate on these things they can grow intellectually and spiritually. When experiencing art, people can empathize with the messages being embodied in art and can bring these concepts into their lives.

For more information on each of these arts institutes and details on upcoming shows and exhibitions, visit the DCPA, Colorado Symphony, and Denver Art Museum websites.