DENVER, CO.- The Denver Art Museum has commissioned WORKSHOP8 and Blue Spruce Design & Construction to transform its outdoor plaza with a participatory and site-specific installation that activates the museum’s entrance from May 31 through mid-September 2014. Bringing visitors together for a shared experience, the design teams created a series of urban campfires on Martin Plaza, which encourages guests to pull up a tree stump, relax on the plaza and exchange stories of summer with friends and family.

“We are excited to once again tap the creative community to craft a space by and for our visitors,” said Jaime Kopke, manager of adult and college programs at the DAM. “This partnership continues the museum’s tradition and commitment to engaging our community to ignite creativity in all of our guests.”

In November 2013, the DAM put out a call for proposals for an interactive installation on Martin Plaza. The museum selected the proposal by Boulder-based WORKSHOP8 and Blue Spruce because of its unique approach towards visitor engagement, plaza activation and utilization of reclaimed and recycled goods.

Project Overview: Summer is…From the breathtaking mountains to the lakes, there are many reasons to love summer in Colorado. The team realized many fond memories and friendships are formed around campfires through the act of telling stories. To evoke this same welcoming, familiar atmosphere, the design team created four campfire platforms with eight seats, each crafted from reclaimed beetle-kill pine donated by Wood Source in Thornton. Each campfire platform has rays made out of recycled climbing rope that extend beyond the wood and connect to light poles on the plaza. Throughout the summer, participants can write or draw what summer means to them on colorful tags and attach it to the rope rays. The installation will blossom throughout the summer as more people participate, adding their favorite representation of the season.