The Denver Community Museum (DCM) was a temporary, pop-up museum which ran from October 2008 – April 2009 in an unused storefront in downtown Denver. It was, in effect, an institution with an expiration date. Challenging the notions of permanent vs. temporary, past vs. present and fact vs. fiction the project aimed to examine the evolution of a museum and the roles of visitor participation.
The contents for each month-long exhibition were entirely community generated. A series of projects were announced – serving as calls for participation, which were open to all Denver area residents. These challenges posed a creative test, which individuals could interpret and solve as they pleased. Every month a new challenge was issued and the previous challenges’ results were displayed within the museum. As a result, each month a new community collection was created to be put on display.
The DCM’s exhibitions included: The Missing Map, Mummify Me, 29, My Little Mania, Bottled Up!, Wonder Room and Looking for Loci. Submissions came in all forms; ranging from objects and drawings to audio clips and writing. The museum was free both to visit and participate in. There were no size limits, age limits or skill level required and nothing was for sale.
To read more and see photos of all the artifacts visit the Denver Community Museum.