It’s the little things that help a community thrive, and that’s where ArtPlant artist residencies fit into Denver’s scene, spreading the wealth by creating an atmosphere of good will and collaboration. Last fall the program’s first resident, Kansas City installation artist Rashawn Griffin, took full advantage of the ArtPlant offer,…
Everyone loves Batman. The world’s greatest detective has managed to become the world’s most popular superhero over the course of his 75-year existence, all without any actual superpowers. Along the way, his bravery, his mission and his ability to hang with the heroes who can literally throw cars around like…
Last summer, Ivar Zeile and Ryan Pattie of Denver Digerati brought a quiet revolution to the Denver Theatre District’s giant LED screens: Between the ads and promos most often seen flashing on the screens, Zeile and Pattie’s curated series of short Friday Flash programs traded commerce for cutting-edge digital art…
We love Dixie — have since she invited us to Dixie’s Tupperware Party a couple of years back (the show returned last month), calling people up from the audience, improvising seamlessly, indulging in bawdy humor and sharing with us everything about her trailer-trash life. And we still love her now…
It’s a common trope among people who grew up in Colorado to express their preference for Lakeside Amusement Park over Elitch Gardens. Which is fine, your preference is your preference, however misguided. What really rankles my ankles, however, is when snarky Denverites try to argue that Lakeside is better than Elitch’s. Unless they have a vastly different conception of what the word “better” means, Elitch Gardens is the superior theme park by every metric that matters. I’m utterly convinced that Lakeside defenders are either clouded by nostalgia for a pre-Elitch era or are possessed of the knee-jerk contrarianism Coloradans sometimes develop around tourist attractions. Now that I’ve sufficiently trolled a healthy portion of the Westword readership, allow me to explain why I prefer Elitch Gardens, which opened for the season last week with the debut of a brand new ride.
Once upon a time, like twenty years ago, Lakeside and Elitch’s were comparable amusement parks of the turn-of-the-last-century persuasion. Yes, prior to being ripped out by its north Denver roots at West 38th Avenue and Tennyson Street and tossed carelessly into the Platte River area by downtown and rebranded as…
The 21st annual Furry Scurry drew a crowd of nearly 12,000 people and 5,000 dogs to Washington Park on Saturday for a fundraiser that collected nearly $1 million (and counting) for programs and services that help homeless pets at the Dumb Friends League. “We’re so proud to be part of…
#84: Joel Swanson Words and letters and the physical act of writing elegantly float through Joel Swanson’s world, where he explores and deconstructs their shapes and meanings in stylish installations. And he’s a busy man: Swanson started the year with a well-received solo at MCA Denver; now he’s off on…
Jason Boatman believes that dedication is one of the most important attributes of a good tattoo artist. Coincidentally, that’s the name of the shop that he owns with Sam Yamini, Andy Canino and Brian Thurow. Originally from Little Rock, Boatman has been tattooing for fourteen years and has been working…
Denver’s May the Fourth Be with You Star Wars celebration expanded to a three-day party this year, but Saturday’s blowout at City Hall was clearly the high point, with a sci-fi costume contest hosted by Andrew Novick that featured the spectacle of the masked marching band Itchy-O. Photographer Brandon Marshall…
You can find art all over town — not just on gallery walls. In this series, we’ll be looking at some of the local artists who serve up their work in coffeehouses and other non-gallery businesses around town. Rita Conway had been coming to Colorado to camp every summer since…
When I showed up for an advance screening of Focus on the Family’s documentary, Irreplaceable, about one man’s attempt to define what makes a family, I had a knot in my stomach. I was entering hostile territory. See also: James Mhoon on Focus on the Family’s new documentary and God’s…
Denver’s Art District on Santa Fe was in full bloom on the First Friday in May, with pleasant weather and lots of action indoors and outdoors all along the drive. With Space Gallery debuting its high-tech new space and food vendors and crowds filling the street, there were ample opportunities…
From an archaeology lecture focusing on an 1892 outhouse to a plant-themed art opening to a screening of Dawn of the Dead, this week is overflowing with fun, free events. Read on for more details of our three favorites; share information on other bargain deals in the comments section below;…
Denver entrepreneur, MasterMind and fashionista Brandi Shigley has teamed up with transformational speaker and coach Sahar Pazirandeh to take the WordLove Tour from Denver to California this month. For this transformational and inspirational program, the two women are joining their passions and voices to encourage other people to find and…
On Wednesday, Governor John Hickenlooper announced the route and three host communities for the third annual Pedal the Plains Bicycle Tour. Scheduled for September 19 through September 21, the three-day tour will take cyclists of all speeds and ages through Colorado’s northeastern plains, where they can discover the charms of…
First Friday comes but once a month, with an embarrassment of gallery riches: fresh exhibitions, pop-up parties, people-watching, performances and great art. Organized navigation isn’t always necessary to have a good time on First Friday; still, it doesn’t hurt to have some direction — especially since there are some don’t-miss…
Are you eager to go out this weekend but have an empty wallet? Fortunately, Denver is full of inexpensive entertainment, from a Cinco de Mayo fest to a birthday bash for the late, great James Brown. We’ve picked out ten of the best events in town, and none of them…
Patrick and Mike Liberty, the brothers behind Denver-based Akomplice Clothing, have created a new line that’s a testament to their commitment to youth culture. Akomplice partnered with Original Kids from Brazil on a collaborative T-shirt series that provided children in foster care a chance not just to create, but potentially…
Throw the roof rack back on your car and dig out your winter gear, because storms this week deposited deep powder on both Loveland and Arapahoe Basin, the last two ski areas standing in Colorado. Loveland got 31 inches from the storm, A-Basin got 17, and OpenSnow.com forecaster Joel Gratz…
Historically, the arrival of Mayday signaled a call for celebration, for dancing around maypoles and leaving fresh flowers on strangers’ doorsteps. This month in Denver, comedy fans find themselves presented with a May Basket full of sun-ripened giggle blossoms to choose from all month long.
The Queen May of the month is easily Comedy Works, with top-notch headliners at both clubs all through the month, including an ongoing visit from an increasingly less reclusive icon. Readers may in fact notice a suspicious absence of Dave Chapelle on this list, but those shows sold out mere hours after they were announced. As such, listing them here would be little more than a unnecessary reminder to all the Johnny-come-lately comedy fans missing out. By all accounts, his few late April shows have been fantastic and smug ticket-holders are in for a treat.
Fortunately, the calendar is packed with choice choices every week. Opportunities to see award-winning screen stars and living legends take the stage abound, along with conceptually novel local showcases– everything from improv jams to body slams, and even something for the moms (who deserve it).
#85: Kristin Stransky There’s a new kind of alchemy happening in the art world, a creative compound where art and science merge. At the University of Denver, it’s called Emergent Digital Practices, and Kristin Stransky, who teaches there, is at the forefront of the movement, making stuff that wouldn’t have…
