Consider the hand. This isn’t just any sculpture. It’s the Giant Hand Carving at The Maven hotel. You’ll find it in the heart of Denver’s Lower Downtown. The Maven opened in April 2017. Its creators wanted to do something different. They turned hotel lobby design on its head.
Gerry Link is The Maven’s general manager. He calls the Giant Hand the hotel’s most iconic art piece. People say, “I’ll meet you at the hand.” It’s perfect for Instagram and Snapchat. Guests talk about it. They ask, “How did the artist create this?” “What inspired him?”
The Giant Hand makes people smile. What a great way to arrive at a hotel. The artist is Andrew Ramiro Tirado from Colorado Springs. His sculpture is called “The Quantifiable and the Ineffable.” It weighs over 500 pounds. Transporting it was quite a job. It needed a U-Haul and a forklift.
Tirado says the Dairy Block inspired the piece. It focuses on the maker and the handmade. It celebrates a kind of craft easily overlooked. Open hands show internal strength and courage. They imply a willingness to trust and to risk. They even suggest a willingness to suffer for others.
Tirado originally planned just one hand piece. But it became a series of large-scale hands. He crafts them from reclaimed wood. He uses other 3D and 2D media too. Hands are the tools. We use them to engage the world.
Martha Weidmann is the CEO of NINE dot ARTS. Her company curated the art for The Maven. There are over 400 original pieces by Colorado artists. The Dairy Block was once Windsor Dairy. It now features the hotel, office space, and a micro-district.
Weidmann says the Dairy Block committed to artists early on. Artists are the original artisans and makers. Tirado’s sculpture represents the Dairy Block’s creativity. He uses found pieces of wood and exquisite craftsmanship. The Giant Hand Carving has become a beacon. It beckons people to The Maven Hotel. It is one of Denver’s most exciting downtown spaces. So next time you’re in Denver, don’t miss the Giant Hand. It’s more than just art. It’s a symbol of creativity and connection.