Clyfford Still. For the opening of the Clyfford Still Museum, director Dean Sobel has installed a career survey of the great artist that starts with the artist’s realist self-portrait and features his remarkable post-impressionist works from the 1920s. Next are Still’s works from the ’30s, with some odd takes on…
Pee-wee’s Playhouse, a Saturday-morning staple for Gen X-ers who were, at the time, way older than the time slot’s intended audience, represented the pure, uncut mainstreaming of the late-1980s art scene in New York’s East Village. The first season was even shot on the upper floor of a former neighborhood…
There’s something startlingly noncommittal about many of the initial reviews of The Master that leaked out following the impromptu screenings that writer/director Paul Thomas Anderson organized in 70mm-equipped houses across the country, and later in response to the film’s official bow at the Venice Film Festival. This is perhaps the…
In the early decades of the twentieth century, millions of people fell ill with encephalitis lethargica, a disease that seemed almost supernatural or like something out of a fairy tale: These people froze. They experienced a suspension of all life and activity, becoming silent, still and comatose, sometimes for decades,…
The new, semi-gritty indie About Cherry is all about a semi-reluctant slide into the porn industry, and it’s also the first mainstream feature co-written by a busy porn actress, Lorelei Lee, otherwise famous for double penetrations and clothespin bondage. This shouldn’t strike us as very strange. Every screenwriter needs a…
A critic’s report from a film festival like Toronto, where something like 300 features were unveiled from September 6 through 16, can be something like a Rorschach test — or, at least, it can be something like the Rorschach test depicted in Paul Thomas Anderson’s TIFF entry, The Master, in…
There’s always something interesting on the walls of VSA Arts/Access Gallery + Studio, which provides classes, studio time and wall space to artists who live with some form of disability. A must-stop venue on Santa Fe Drive, VSA has a reputation — and a Mayor’s Award for Excellence in the…
Denver runners, rockers and residents are well acquainted by now with the hallmarks of the Sports Authority Rock ’n’ Roll Denver Marathon: the bands, the cheerleader squads, the tangle of road closings. But this year the local cycling scene will be part of the mix, too: The inaugural Rock ’n’…
When composer David Amram was commissioned by Woody Guthrie’s family to write a tribute to the folk legend, he experienced an intense bout of writer’s block. “I really believe in ecology, but I must’ve poured through a tree and a half of paper that hit the wastebasket without ever being…
If you’re familiar with Fitness on the Rocks — the annual free fitness concert at Red Rocks — then you might have a general idea of what to expect from the OMG! Fitness Concert today at the Denver Coliseum. “I worked at 24 Hour Fitness a long time,” says Alex…
Today, movies are often about overwhelming the senses with color and sound. But recent films like The Artist and Hugo have reminded audiences that the medium began with silent films, and in the beginning, the lack of sound wasn’t seen as an impediment. On the contrary, filmmakers like Charlie Chaplin…
Colorado governor John Hickenlooper envisioned a different kind of ride when his office announced Pedal the Plains last January. Unlike such scenic yet grueling multi-day mountain circuits as Ride the Rockies, this race was conceived as a way to give equal time to the oft-ignored eastern plains of Colorado, where…
Is your dog troubled? Does he bark incessantly, nip at guests or destroy prized possessions? Maybe he’s just bored. Fix that problem by taking him to the regional version of the National Dog Agility Championships, which might be the ideal outlet for your pup’s excess energy. “Your dog wants to…
Henry Ford’s gift to society was the bare-bones Model T, but his wife drove an electric vehicle, says Kim Tyrrell of the Denver Metro Clean Cities Coalition. “Women preferred them back in the old days because you didn’t have to crank them,” she notes. “They were the perfect car.” That…
Tom Mauser is no stranger to readers of Denver newspapers: His son, Daniel Mauser, was killed at Columbine, and Tom has been an outspoken activist for gun control ever since. He’s spent more than a decade talking about his son — and in his new book, Walking in Daniel’s Shoes,…
In the 1970s, the once-wealthy Uptown area was a graveyard of abandoned mansions and sketchy streets. But Uptown on the Hill, a registered neighborhood organization, or RNO, saw the potential to turn its main drag into “their vision of a safe, tree-lined avenue where people could work, live, eat and…
Standard Films will show its latest snowboarding film, 2112, today, and the local premiere marks a bit of a milestone, says Adam Schmidt, editor-in-chief of Snowboard Colorado, the presenting sponsor. “Twenty-one films! In the world of snowboarding videos, it’s the longest run there is. Here’s a snowboard film series that’s…
Launched several years ago by a bunch of bike-loving friends who liked to have fun, drink beer and wear silly outfits, the Denver Cruiser Ride has attained true critical mass. Every Wednesday from spring to fall, hundreds of Cruisers navigate the city streets donning wigs, boas and cardboard boxes, soaking…
The name Wayne White might not ring any bells, but the work of this illustrator, painter and puppet maker is immediately recognizable. His kitschy imagination has created well-known characters like Dirty Dog, Floory and Mr. Kite on the late-1980s children’s TV show/cult classic Pee-wee’s Playhouse, as well as moving art…
With autumn arriving on Saturday, many people are ready to sport new looks, complete with coats. One of them is local comedienne Kristin Rand, who has many humorous observations on Denver street style. Continue reading to learn Rand’s personal take on fashion, the best place to people-watch in the city,…
In this week’s art review, Michael Paglia takes a look at two local galleries that are combining cultures. Throughout the Denver Art Museum’s “El Anatsui” and Goodwin Fine Art’s “Yoshitomo Saito,” Denver art enthusiasts can experience both Asian and African influence from veteran and first time artists. Continue reading for…
Wayne White might be the most prolific and virtually unknown contributor to popular culture of the last four decades. But the illustrator, painter, sculptor and puppet-maker from Chattanooga is getting some much deserved exposure with the release of Beauty Is Embarrassing, a documentary about White’s life and still-evolving career. The…
