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Interview with Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper

bike paths, light rail, art for productivity

June 27, 2010
Written by Leanne Goebel

Labels: Biennials, Denver, Green Economy, Art Modern Contemporary, Contemporary art painting, Cultural criticism, News and commentary, art, architecture, Colorado Council on the Arts, Colorado Film, Creative Economy, Richard Florida

Editor's Note: "Culture first, commerce follows." So Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper told adobeairstream senior editor Leanne Goebel in Pagosa Springs. They met as Hickenlooper continued his campaigning for governor and talked about instituting a bike share program in Denver, and launching Denver Biennial of the Americas.

The Wesleyan trained geologist had Wynkoop Brewing Company and was an entrepreneur involved in selecting the Hamilton wing architect, Daniel Libeskind, who gave Denver its first controversial new museum architecture. Succeeding some of the LoDo infrastructure of Wellington Webb, this charismatic mayor is now a family man and liberal who is proud of the 80 percent energy savings the Denver LED traffic signals achieved, and the planning process for livable cities that looked at passenger trips treated as a watershed, a flow between pathways, shared use, and less impact on the environment. Being mindful, creative, healthy and prosperous lead innovators to choose Colorado. Imagine, Hickenlooper said, if all workplaces made the investment to animate workplace halls with art, the boost in morale and productivity.

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Alejandro makes this comment

Wednesday 28 July, 2010

I feel like there are a lot of people hating on Hickenlooper right now but that man has VISION. I was walking around the Civic Center / DAM and that place feels like you are somewhere worth being. These are the kind of things that Denver & Colorado need in order to become a better place
Leanne Goebel makes this comment

Wednesday 30 June, 2010

Nate, What tax hikes? Name them. The Denver budget has actually decreased under his leadership. They are doing more with less. His idea actually makes sense because it would create a larger market for creative industries (5th largest in the state). The more art that is purchased the stronger that sector becomes. Wouldn't it be great if businesses did it on their own, with only the suggestion? Just like buying locally supports other businesses. Why buy a cheap poster printed in China when you can buy a local artists handmade etching?
Leanne Goebel makes this comment

Wednesday 30 June, 2010

Andrew. I did ask Mr. Hickenlooper about the Liebeskind building and if he had any regrets (since he sat on the committee as a business person that selected Liebeskind). He told me he loved the building and wouldn't have done anything differently. He said this notion that we can only have white rectilinear rooms to show art doesn't make sense. ""It's change and a lot of people react differently to it and that's what art is supposed to do it's supposed to challenge the status quo."
Andrew Ciandi makes this comment

Monday 28 June, 2010

Selecting Daniel Libeskind as architect for the hideous DAM extension was not an accomplishment to be proud of. It was a mistake and the abominable leaky mess was there for three years to prove it. Just ask the people of Toronto who also have had their city blighted by another of the ego-driven Libeskind's miserable "creations".
Nate makes this comment

Monday 28 June, 2010

ART? Really Hick, you are talking about art? Maybe the walls are so barren because they cannot afford to buy art because of the new tax hikes that you have let pass by standing aside and not doing anything. And 1/10th of 1% spending on art? Make business pay for that and really all you have is another tax, the state or city pays for it and now we just add to the increasing deficit. I would have expected better business sense from someone who touts his business credentials.