DIVA After Dark with DJ Danac

DJ Danac takes over the Denver Art Museum on Tuesday, October 20, for DIVA After Dark, a late-night session that runs from 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM in the Hamilton Building on Level 1. It's a companion to the DIVA exhibition, and the night adds a few things you won't find during a regular visit: a pop-up bar serving cocktails, mocktails, and light snacks, and a photo op to mark the evening.

To get the full picture, it helps to know what DIVA is. The exhibition was organized by the Victoria and Albert Museum in London and celebrates the radical power, creativity, and cultural impact of nearly 100 iconic performers. It spans the 19th and 20th centuries with divas like Josephine Baker, Sarah Bernhardt, and Maria Callas, and runs right up to modern powerhouses like Cher, Aretha Franklin, Lady Gaga, Dolly Parton, Prince, Rihanna, and Taylor Swift. There are around 250 objects on display, including show-stopping costumes worn by legends—one of Rihanna's Met Gala looks is among them, and Marilyn Monroe is represented too.

When the show came to Denver, the museum evolved it for an American audience. Rather than focusing on a single definition of what a diva is, the presentation frames costume and dress as a tool performers have used across time to demand visibility and ignite social change. That's the backdrop for the whole thing: a long line of performers using what they wore to make themselves seen and to push for something more. The exhibition is made possible by sponsors Joy and Chris Dinsdale, with funding from the Avenir Foundation Endowment.

DIVA After Dark is included with the purchase of a DIVA ticket, so you get the exhibition and the evening in one go. The museum highly recommends buying your ticket in advance. The cocktails, mocktails, and light snacks are available for purchase separately. It runs from 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM on Tuesday, October 20, in the Hamilton Building, Level 1.