Aurora's Benson Hotel has curated an exceptional collection of Colorado art
When you think about hotels, you don't always think about great art. That is not the case at the Benson Hotel in Aurora. The hotel has carefully curated an extensive collection of paintings and sculptures representing about 32 artists, most of whom are from Colorado. Each piece was commissioned to create an atmosphere.
"It's by Dan Young. It's called 'Sunrise on the Colorado,'" said Heidi Laursen, Director of Sales & Marketing at the Benson Hotel, said of a three-painting series that hangs on the second floor hallway. "For one, it complements the space perfectly. It creates a sense of calm."
That sense of calm is not an illusion. New research shows that just viewing art improves your health.
"That's engaging your brain, your pre-frontal lobe, and your thinking, higher learning processes. You're learning critical thinking. You're using your imagination, you're analyzing, so it is good brain exercise to be viewing art," said Shannon Robertson, Chair of the Flourishing Through the Arts & Science Council.
Robertson founded the council last December along with many arts stakeholders in the city, including, Arts Students League of Denver, Colorado Ballet, Denver Art Museum, Denver Center for the Performing Arts, Gallery 1261, CU Anschutz Center for Bioethics and Humanities, VISIT Denver, and Windows to the Divine. The Council is planning a series of events during Denver Arts Week to educate the public about the health benefits of engaging in the arts.
"This is revolutionary in some respects. Even though artists and art lovers have known this for millennia. But now for the first time, we have the data to show, so to speak, that we're right," Robertson explained.
She's referring to the growing popularity of Neuroarts, which uses the scientific method to study the impact that artistic experiences and creative expression have on the brain, body and well-being.
The Flourishing Through the Arts activities kick off with a free tour of the art collection at the Benson Hotel. The western-themed, Colorado-centric collection is a hidden gem in Aurora. It extends to every part of the hotel, including guest rooms, and sets the mood for your stay.
LINK: Flourishing Through the Arts Tour of Benson Hotel Art Collection
The guided tour is on Thursday, November 6, 2025, at 1:15 p.m. at the hotel. Denver Arts Week runs from Nov. 7 - 16, with hundreds of events and exhibitions from which to choose.
