Diva Watch 2015: Valerie Shearz Is a Cut Above

In Diva Watch, we’ll profile the passionate, diverse and fascinating performers who light up Denver’s drag community. We’re expanding on our Diva Dozen list from earlier this year by asking a series of questions to get a peek underneath the make-up. Meet Valerie Shearz, a Denver native who’s honed her…

Base Coat Grand Opening Celebrates the Non-Toxic Nail Salon’s New Home

When Tran Wills opened her latest business venture, Base Coat Nail Salon, in 2013, the concept was simple: offer customers and employees a safe, non-toxic beauty experience in a charming, art-minded environment. But less than a year after the longtime Colorado entrepreneur’s shop had found a home on Tennyson Street,…

Another 100 Colorado Creatives: Helen Littlejohn

#22: Helen Littlejohn As a western-states public affairs specialist for the U.S. Department of Education, Helen Littlejohn is all about people, 24/7, working vigilantly to bring educational opportunities to under-served kids. But she also boasts a creative side, both in her practice as an artist and jewelry-maker and as a…

I Dare You to Talk About Something Other Than the Weather

With the exception of yesterday’s torrential downpour that occurred late in the evening and temporarily turned Federal Boulevard into a river, I have yet to have seen a weather pattern over the last few weeks that was worth talking about. Yet, in this fourth week of May, as pools stay…

Get Fit, Stay Lit at Healthy Honeys Weed and Yoga Class

Weed is good for you. It’s true: Just ask Healthy Honeys creator Shannon Donnelly, the weed guru and yoga instructor who holds a Get Fit and Stay Lit class every weekend. Donnelly will show you all the ways to use cannabis for good, not evil, and tell you how smoking in…

Reader: Westword Writers Are Zero-Talent Morons

Bree Davies loves Denver, the town where she was born and raised; she frequently shares tidbits about the Mile High City’s past and observations on where it’s going in her Breeality column. And as she notes in the most recent installment, sometimes those stories are lifted without attribution by other…

Geekology 101: The Five Most Important Geek Film Franchises

Geek culture is big, but even in the vast, loosely defined ocean of “geek” there are a few universal touchstones. That’s not to say that everyone agrees on them — hell, if you can get five geeks together in a room who agree on more than two separate geek-related things,…

Another 100 Colorado Creatives: Nancy Stohlman

#23: Nancy Stohlman Nancy Stohlman is Denver’s flash-fiction poster girl: The author of a new collection, Vixen Scream and Other Bible Stories, and two novels, The Monster Opera and Searching for Suzi: a flash novel, she’s also contributed to four flash-fiction anthologies and helped found Fast Forward Press. And Stohlman’s…

Stop Sharing Stories From Websites That Steal My Work!

Whether you’ve lived in Denver for five minutes or fifty years, there’s a pride that comes with being a part of the Mile High City. I should know: I spend a great majority of my time as writer sharing my thoughts and feelings on the city that raised me. I’ve…

Diva Watch 2015: Janessa Befierce, Denver’s Best Drag Queen

In Diva Watch, we’ll profile the passionate, diverse and fascinating performers who light up Denver’s drag community. We’re expanding on our Diva Dozen list from earlier this year by asking a series of questions to get a peek underneath the make-up. Performer: Janessa Befierce Also known as: Josh Lucero Age:…

Street Style: Artist John Chacon on His Internet Look

We spotted artist John Chacon and his seafoam-colored hair on the corner of 13th Avenue and Sherman Street. “Soundcloud is my style inspiration,” he says. “I like looking at the Internet for fashion. I like Internet swag. My style mantra is that I should always express myself, including the way I…

A Brand-New Con: Colorado Anime Festival Will Debut in February 2016

The anime con scene has been thriving for well over a decade in Colorado, and after a casual conversation with a friend last year, Jinnie McManus — a longtime behind-the-scenes fest worker — was inspired to expand the scene even further, with another celebration of anime. When that friend later…

Five Best Places to Enjoy an Old-School Summer Night in Denver

Denver has many brand-spankin’ new places to eat, drink and have fun in the sun or on a balmy evening. But there are also plenty of great spots where you can enjoy an old-school summer night, including Lakeside Amusement Park, our Best Old-School Summer Night destination in the 2015 Best of…

Ten More Fashion Events in Denver This Month

May continues to spring forward with fashion-forward events, including markets, boutique openings and a knitting class. Here are ten more events guaranteed to keep you in style, in chronological order.  10) ILY| ILEY Grand Opening Party 6 to 10 p.m. Thursday, May 14 ILY| ILEY Boutique  2525 15th Street, Unit…

Another 100 Colorado Creatives: Christine Buchsbaum

#24: Christine Buchsbaum A gifted artist who uses photography — as well as film and video — to document staged scenarios and performance art, Rocky Mountain School of Art + Design graduate Christine Buchsbaum is now represented by Robischon Gallery. But as an artist/resident in the international La Napoule Art…