Behind the Scenes of the Knife Fork Spoon Exhibit (Members Only)
August 25, 2026
This is a Members Only tour. Tickets for DAF Members will go on sale Tuesday August 4 at 4pm MT. To join us, become a member here. Membership will be verified upon ticket purchase.
Join the Denver Architecture Foundation for an exclusive, behind-the-scenes exploration of the recently opened Knife Fork Spoon: Everyday Tools, Extraordinary Design at the Denver Art Museum, led by the exhibition curator Darrin Alfred.
As the Denver Art Museum’s Curator of Architecture and Design, Alfred has built a national reputation for revealing the extraordinary stories embedded within everyday objects. Knife Fork Spoon reconsiders one of the most familiar elements of daily life—flatware—as a lens through which to explore innovation, craftsmanship, culture, and design. Featuring approximately 150 flatware sets spanning more than a century, the exhibition traces the evolution of these humble objects from handcrafted silver to digitally fabricated contemporary works by internationally acclaimed architects and designers.
During this exclusive members-only tour, Darrin will share the inspiration behind the exhibition, the fascinating stories of its objects and designers, and the curatorial process he underwent to bring the exhibit to life. This intimate experience will show how thoughtful design shapes even the most everyday moments of our lives.
About the tour guide: Darrin Alfred has been the Curator of Architecture and Design at the Denver Art Museum since 2007. His curatorial projects at the Denver Art Museum include The Psychedelic Experience: Rock Posters from the San Francisco Bay Area, 1965-71; Pattern Play: The Contemporary Designs of Jacqueline Groag, and Potters of Precision: The Coors Porcelain Company, among others. More recently, he co-organized the exhibition, Serious Play: Design in Midcentury America, in conjunction with the Milwaukee Art Museum.
Alfred previously held curatorial positions at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and the Heinz Architectural Center at the Carnegie Museum of Art. He has published essays on the design practices of Fernando and Humberto Campana, AG Fronzoni, Ali Tayar, and Bjorn Wiinblad, among others. He holds a Master of Landscape Architecture from the University of Colorado Denver and a bachelor’s degree in Architectural Studies from the University of Pittsburgh.
Accessibility: The Denver Art Museum is a fully accessible space. Please review all accessibility information here.
Refund policy: The Denver Architecture Foundation is a nonprofit educational organization. Ticket sales support the Foundation in continuing to provide quality events to the public. We are unable to provide refunds or credits for any reason less than 48 hours prior to the event.
Please note that DAF tours take place rain, snow or shine. If your tour includes an outdoor portion, please dress for the weather. DAF staff will contact all attendees directly should a tour be cancelled for any reason.
Photo courtesy of the Denver Art Museum.