DENVER.- Winter break is upon us, and temperatures may drop but kids are still full of energy. Burn off that energy at the Denver Art Museum where there is fun for the entire family during Winter Fun with Rhymes and Riddles from Saturday, December 18, 2004, through Sunday, January 2, 2005. The galleries and C-level are brimming with family-friendly activities that engage those of any age in art. Kids can spend the day solving riddles that will lead them to art objects throughout the museum or explore different galleries with our Family Backpacks. The Just For Fun Center, open everyday during normal Museum hours, has seven play stations ranging from a giant 3-D Maya puzzle to whimsical chairs you can decorate and put together. The Kids Corner gives kids the opportunity to express their inner artist and Eye Spy games (available on all floors) lets young art explorers take a closer look at the art. The exploration doesn't end there! The Museum's Discovery Library engages the entire family with hands-on activities from costume closets to CD-ROM computer stations. Families can enter a drawing to win great prizes when they visit the Museum during Winter Fun Weeks as well.

In honor of her feast day, the Denver Art Museum is highlighting paintings of Our Lady of Guadalupe in the Museum's 4th floor Spanish Colonial galleries Sunday, December 12, 2004 through Sunday, January 2, 2005. Visitors can view five different depictions of the Virgin of Guadalupe and participate in fun family activities. The Virgin of Guadalupe is the most beloved image in Mexican Colonial art. Ten years after the Spanish conquest of Mexico, she reportedly appeared in a vision to the Aztec Indian Juan Diego, who was made a saint in 2001. Her imagery is connected to Mexico's Indian religion, Mexican Catholicism and Mexican nationalism. Our Lady of Guadalupe is known for her healing abilities; it is believed that she ended a plague in 1737 and since then has cured the worst of diseases, including those thought to be incurable.

Tiwanaku: Ancestors of the Inca continues through January 23, 2005, with more than 90 pieces of amazingly well-preserved art work ranging from wood and bone carvings to gold and ceramic to textiles that are nearly 2,000 years old. Explore ancient Tiwanaku and the art that speaks to Tiwanaku life until their mysterious disappearance in 1100 A.D. through Museum docent-led tours. These guided tours are free with an exhibition ticket, and are offered in English on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays at 12:30 p.m. and in Spanish on Saturdays at 1 p.m. No reservations are required; meet in the elevator lobby.