Modern Made Fun

“The mid-century-modern style has been near and dear to my heart since I was a little kid watching The Jetsons,” says hostess Dana Cain. “Modern design is so popular in Colorado right now, and it seemed like the ultimate thing I could do for Denver,” she adds, explaining the motivation behind last year’s first Denver Modernism Show, which drew nearly 3,000 attendees and 100 vendors from across the country. Returning at 10 a.m. today and continuing all weekend, this year’s version is bigger and better, with an expanded venue at the National Western Complex (4655 Humboldt Street) a three-day tiki lounge, a mid-century car show, a display of vintage Airstreams, a performance by Velvet Elvis (on the eve of the King’s death) and vintage-slide-show artist Charles Phoenix. While other high-end modernism shows have the merchandise, Cain’s baby carves out a place in the mid-century circuit with a fun wink and a shot at the tiki bar. “Other modernism shows are great and exciting, but they don’t have Airstreams, they don’t have art galleries, they don’t have car shows, and they don’t have tiki bars,” notes Cain. In addition to the bells and whistles, the meat of the show consists of the hundreds of vendors from across the nation selling mid-century, art deco, retro, pop and modernist art, furniture and objects of all sorts. Tickets are $5 a day. For more information, call 303-347-8252 or go to www.denvermodernism.com.
Sat., Aug. 16, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; Sun., Aug. 17, 10 a.m.-3 p.m., 2008