The Arvada Center for the Arts and Humanities is one of the shining lights of Colorado’s cultural scene. As an exhibition venue, it’s very large and includes space not just for art exhibits, but also for theater, dance and art education. And the exhibit program is a standout, thanks to…
There are many storied blocks in Denver, but none has more stories than the1400 block of Larimer Street. This stretch is only a few steps from where Denver got its start in1858 on the banks of Cherry Creek, just down from the confluence of the South Platte River, where gold…
It’s difficult, maybe impossible, for small, local bookstores to compete with the Amazons of the world. It’s just as hard for local authors with a smaller audience to compete in those marketplaces against the Stephen Kings and Dale Carnegies. Faced with those realities, Longmont based author and financial professional Ron…
When I read about plans to demolish the 115-year old building currently housing the Tavern Uptown, I had to drive by and see the structure again for myself. It is a stately piece of real estate on East 17th Avenue — one that I had walked, biked and driven by hundreds…
Clyfford Still Museum director Dean Sobel has a vested interest in Brad Cloepfil’s Portland and New York-based Allied Works Architecture: The firm designed the museum’s building, which utilizes natural light in the galleries in groundbreaking ways. But the Still Museum shows just a slice of how AWA as a team creates…
The intimate artist cooperative Spark Gallery is hosting three small solos. Installed in the east side of the space is Lydia Brokaw: Life Here…but a Different Reality Over There, which is made up of sculptures employing natural materials that are sometimes altered, like the gold-painted milkweed pods used as elements…
Rocky Mountain Aerials is a photo company that goes where very few photographers can. High above the city in a tiny Sesna 182 plane, RMA founder and photographer Jeff Perry captures unreal images of the very real Mile High City. RMA was founded in 2013, and has been flying high…
Oscar has morphed into Olive and Felix into Florence in The Odd Couple — The Female Version, Neil Simon’s 1980s take on his 1960s hit play, The Odd Couple, which morphed into a movie with Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau and then a sitcom featuring Jack Klugman and the inimitable…
From the beginning, the idea behind the Mayday Experiment was to try to change the conversation from being about “whether or not climate change exists” to “how can we be more sustainable regardless”? Because whether you believe in climate change or are among the very few who still deny its…
Is it in honor of its subject that the high-flying doc Being Evel indulges so often in hilarious overstatement? “He opened the door and invited people to buy a ticket to watch truth,” one talking head insists, somehow keeping his face straight. Another speaks of how in the early 1970s…
Nima Nourizadeh’s American Ultra is a bloody valentine attached to a bomb. It’s violent, brash, inventive and horrific, and perhaps the most romantic film of the year. Jesse Eisenberg and Kristen Stewart star as Mike and Phoebe, two West Virginia stoners blissed out on weed and each other. “We’re the…
Niche fans of Harry Potter, Firefly, Lord of the Rings, Doctor Who, Game of Thrones and Supernatural gathered over the weekend at the 2015 Myths and Legends Con for an in-depth weekend of exploring their favorite fictitious worlds through games, panel discussions and cosplay. These images from photographer Danielle Lirette…
The Meininger family decided to do something amazing with the Biemedia wall facing the Meininger Art Supply store at 499 Broadway. Equipped with a grant from the city, Judd Meininger reached out to some of the most talented artists in Denver, and commissioned seven of them to create side-by-side works on the…
“Poetry can be dangerous,” said Jalâl ad-Dîn Rûmî, “especially beautiful poetry, because it gives the illusion of having had the experience without actually going through it.” But poetry can also be provocative, entertaining and amazing, as three literary events this week will show. Anne Waldman, Eleni Sikelianos and Roger Green Syntax…
Exuding giggly lovability as well as a zen-like center of calm, the comedic persona of Ron Funches is completely sui generis. Like a human Pokémon, Funches is almost cartoonishly adorable — so it’s no wonder he’s found a home doing voiceover work for animated shows like Bob’s Burgers and Bojack…
You can find art all over town — not just on gallery walls. In this series, we take a look at some of the local artists who serve up their work in coffeehouses and other non-gallery businesses around town. “I’m seventy,” says artist Bob Johnson. “I worked at everything: I…
Enjoy the great outdoors while you can: This week’s free events include a showing of adventure films outside in Boulder. But you can also catch a free film indoors at Mutiny Information Cafe, as well as a free event combining comedy/wrestling/craft beer. Check out the Westword calendar for more events,…
Hank Troy is taken aback. It’s just been pointed out to him that he’s created musical accompaniment for silent films a decade longer than the Silent Era itself lasted. “Hmm, I never thought about that,” says the gentle, friendly musician. “I’m going to have to think about that one!” Tonight, Troy…
In a world gone mad for superhero movies, what chance does the light spy caper have? When a whole city can be blasted to smithereens thanks to special effects, a picture that’s actually shot in Rome doesn’t hold a candle. Are modern audiences ready for the stylish, artfully ridiculous delights…
The big fashion event of not just this month, but perhaps this decade is the Nieman Marcus Denver 25th anniversary celebration, Then, Now, Next, which runs from 6 to 8 p.m. tonight at the store in the Cherry Creek Shopping Center, which is also turning 25….very, very quietly. The bash…
The runaway success of RuPaul’s Drag Race has put the spotlight on the subculture of drag queens, introducing the world to dozens of talented performers who have battled it out for seven seasons for the honor of being crowned the “next drag superstar.” Many of these personalities have crossed Denver…
Alternative ideas and alternative spaces both play a part in new gallery shows this week, proving that you never know where you’re going to find topnotch art in Denver on a Friday night. Here are some ways to enjoy new work and shop till you drop at the same time…
