BAR: THE KITCHEN
When it opened five years ago, The Kitchen, at 1039 Pearl St. in Boulder, was at the forefront of the college town’s exploding culinary scene. Chef/owners Hugo Matheson and Kimbal Musk run this sleek operation with love, serving up sustainable food in a woody, warm setting. The downstairs has a bar as you enter, two tiny patios and a community table that rules the center of the room. Everyone is welcome here. On the bare-brick wall is a chalkboard listing the purveyors and announcing the restaurant is 100 percent wind-powered and cooking oils are recycled into biodiesel fuel. Make no mistake: This place is very green. Upstairs is a hopping bar with interesting liquors, an impressive beer list and a fireplace.
GRILLED: DAVID DADONE
David Dadone, 39, was born and raised in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and still speaks with a lyrical accent. He studied at a bilingual school and went to college there to become an accountant. He moved to the Highland neighborhood eight years ago to be with his partner. Not exactly the direct route to becoming the director of the Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art, a position he took Feb. 1 after a stint as deputy director of Denver’s Museo de las Americas. He orders a shot of Cazadores Añejo tequila, takes a sip, then carefully mixes it with a glass of water.
BH: Do you always make your own drinks?
Dadone: I like to fix it myself. I make it the way I want it. I learned this from a friend who is a big tequila drinker. Now I am a good tequila drinker.
BH: Are you excited about this new job?
Dadone: It is very exciting. I am very happy. This is a great opportunity the community of Boulder has given me.
BH: How many people visit the museum in a year?
Dadone: About 25,000 come through. I would like to see more Denver people. One of my goals is to build a bridge between Denver and Boulder. It is only one hill, 30 minutes away.
BH: What’s the museum’s collection like?
Dadone: We do not have a permanent collection. It is always temporary, which is great. Some people think that museums should be collecting art, but I love the idea that it is constantly changing.
BH: How do you talk about contemporary art to people who are bewildered by it?
Dadone: You need to engage people in the conversation of art. It’s how you present the art.
BH: So why is a Brillo box a piece of art in a museum and a product in a supermarket?
Dadone: It is about the ideas that are behind the Brillo box. I knew an artist, she had a piece that was just a banana peel on the floor. The security guy had to come in every morning and peel a banana and throw it on the floor. It’s just an idea. Art is getting more and more conceptual every day. The idea behind it is that everything can be art. I like it when people think about art. Is it art? Is it trash? What is the message that the artist is trying to send people? How are they approaching it? What conversation is it generating? That is the most appealing thing to me, to generate conversations.
BH: What was your happiest time?
Dadone: When I was young in Argentina. The first two years in college.
BH: Where you studied accounting — why?
Dadone: I was 18 years old and had no idea what I wanted to do, and my parents said “Why don’t you become an accountant?” and I said “That’s a good idea. Why not?” So I did that, and for a few years I worked for the Argentinian IRS. In Argentina, you need to be very sharp when you choose a career. There are not as many job opportunities as we have here. You worry about 10 percent unemployment here; we always have 20 percent unemployment. But then I got tired of it and started to develop my artistic side.
BH: It seems that by accident you developed the skills that are perfect for this job. You’re an artistic accountant.
Dadone: Oh, yes. That is what I am so happy about. I think things were aligned in the right way. I always thank God.
BH: What would you change in yourself?
Dadone: I would say “no” more often.
BH: What’s your take on Boulder?
Dadone: I love Boulder. I would like to live here. It’s exciting with a great sense of community. Pearl Street unites the town.
BH: What do you fear?
Dadone: I am a sailor, and I love the water, but I am afraid of drowning.
BH: What is it you don’t like about yourself?
Dadone: Sometimes I am very straightforward.
BH: What don’t you like about others?
Dadone: Not being straightforward.
BH: Greatest extravagance?
Dadone: Collecting art. And I am an artist, very contemporary, very conceptual. Right now I am working on a series of scrap paper from the Sunday New York Times Magazine. The Louis Vuitton ads are very interesting.
BH: Do you exhibit your art?
Dadone: Only three times. I am fine with that. I am creating art for myself.
BH: What is your current state of mind?
Dadone: I am positive. This is the dream of my life to bring meaningful contemporary art to a community. I am honored to be here.
BH: What is overrated?
Dadone: Capitalism.
BH: When would you lie?
Dadone: I wouldn’t lie. I lied once and my mom found out.
BH: What do you dislike about your appearance?
Dadone: I wish I had more hair.
BH: What is your most treasured possession?
Dadone: Some new Carrot & Gibbs bow ties that are made here in Boulder.
BH: Where do you like to travel?
Dadone: Venice. I fell in love with Venice three years ago.
BH: Do you find it a sad town?
Dadone: No. I did not get that feeling.
BH: What do you consider the depths of misery?
Dadone: Being illiterate.
BH: Which writers do you like?
Dadone: Jorge Luis Borges and Pablo Neruda.
BH: No. 1 song on your iPod?
Dadone: DJ Tiesto.
BH: What do you dislike?
Dadone: Peanut butter.
BH: Motto?
Dadone: I like to live a full day, to enjoy every moment of my life. I am very happy.
BH: You seem happy.
Dadone: Thank you.
Interview conducted, condensed and edited by Bill Husted: 303-954-1486 or bhusted@denverpost.com.
