"Creative Class," Patricia Calhoun, February 18
Thank you, Westword, for all you do for the arts — and especially the MasterMind program. Reading Calhoun's "Creative Class" and the stories on the 2010 winners, and then meeting some of them at Artopia two days later, was really inspirational. It reminded me that with enough community support, creativity can thrive in Colorado.
Janet Feller
Denver
Well, let me start off by saying that Artopia 2010 was amazing! You all had me at drinks, but when I noticed that art, music, food and good times were enlisted, I had to go. We went upstairs to the galleries, which were inspiring, and being an artist myself, I had to walk slower than others so as to not spill my drink and also enjoy every inch of detail each individual artist had created. My boyfriend was excited to see he was part of Artopia: Near the very end of one photographer's gallery was a photograph titled "10th and Sherman," and in that photograph was a corner of a red Westword box taken slightly upwards towards the sky and a sloppy "Jerko" tagged on the side. My boyfriend almost saw a ghost, he was so smitten, and it was well worth my thirty bucks. When we left, we had such an uplifted spirit because of how well Artopia captures all types of artists and interpretations.
Mary Ochse
Denver
"Skate City," Melanie Asmar, February 18
Have you been to a roller derby lately? The whole thing could take place center-stage in a strip bar. Forget any two-drink minimum; you need at least two drinks before watching that mess. Otherwise, the constant whistling by the hundred or so referees will drive you completely fucking mad. And for as much talk of how violent it is, there is no violence.... I saw a poster with some roller derby girl with a bloody nose, so I went, and I did not see a single bloody nose. I saw a bunch of out-of-shape females wearing too much makeup and not enough clothes pant their way around a track as big as an eleven-dollar kiddie pool. The only thing violent about the night was the manner in which I tore through can of beer after can of beer.
Also, your Nick Pinkerton and Andy Thomas should be fired. In the same issue, Thomas's piece on Justin Townes Earle was it. He spent only three or four sentences actually describing the music; the rest of it was fucking drivel.
Pinkerton's review of Shutter Island was a complete waste of time. Is the movie fucking worth watching or not? After reading that crap, who the fuck can tell?
No one reads Westword for high-minded intellectual art faggotry; they read it to pass the time while they ride the bus, they read it during lunch because Chipotle doesn't have a fucking TV, they read it while they are unloading a turd.
Name withheld
Denver
"The Sunset Curse," Kiernan Maletsky, Playlist, February 18
Rise up, people! And get jobs at a shitty local paper and whine like babies from your cubicles! Rise up!
Fucking loser college boy.
Ethan Garton
Denver
"LOOK OUT," Lori Midson, February 18
From the piece on Panzano: "The woman whooshed through the doors and out into the snow, the words tumbling out of her mouth faster than a Ferrari flying down a stretch of straight asphalt."
Really? Please bring Jason back.
Mitch Ferguson
Denver
