Vessel with bird-headed dancers. Maya, about 600–900 CE. Guatemala, Petén. Earthenware with colored slips. Denver Art Museum, Gift of Dr M. Larry and Nancy B. Ottis.

DENVER, COLO. — The 15th annual Mayer Center symposium, “The Ancient Maya: Dance, Writing, Art, will take place at the Denver Art Museum on Friday, February 19, in the Sharp Auditorium and Pre-Columbian galleries.

Organized by Dr Margaret Young-Sanchez, the museum’s Mayer Curator of Pre-Columbian Art, the symposium will delve into the ancient Maya, which created one of the New World’s most advanced civilizations. Recent advances in the decipherment of Maya hieroglyphic writing have led to breakthroughs in the understanding of Maya history, court life, rituals, and religious beliefs. Symposium speaker Matthew Looper will describe the work of the Maya Hieroglyphic Database Project, headquartered at the University of California, Davis, and also explore the meaning of dance imagery on Maya ceramics. Yuriy Polyukhovych’s presentation will focus on works in the Denver Art Museum’s collection of Maya art. Finally, the speakers will share new decipherments and interpretations with the audience in an informal gallery tour.

The symposium is in conjunction with the pre-Columbian installation on the fourth floor of the North Building), “Grand Gestures: Dance, Drama, Masquerade.”

To register online,
https://tickets.denverartmuseum.org/Selection.aspx?sch=206206.

The Denver Art Museum is at 100 West 14th Avenue Parkway. For more information, http://mayercenter.denverartmuseum.org or 720-913-0156.