I’ve long thought of Denver as being the Rodney Dangerfield of American cities, because we just can’t get no respect. But ever since the Democrats announced they would hold their national convention in town, those of us who live here are starting to feel more like Sally Field, because it…
Although he moved away ten years ago, Gary Sweeney has a long and committed relationship with Denver. Sweeney is a conceptual artist with a taste for pop imagery, as seen in his best-known local creation, the pair of decorated maps titled “America, Why I Love Her” at Denver International Airport…
About Us… et al. In the West Gallery at the Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art is About Us…, put together by freelance curator Mark Addison, who brought in two dozen works of conceptual realism by a raft of internationally known artists in addition to pieces from his own collection. Addison…
It’s hot in the city — and it’s about to get hotter. Labor Day is the traditional kickoff to green chile season in Colorado and New Mexico, when vendors offering up to two dozen varieties line up along Federal Boulevard and other west Denver streets, roasting and selling their aromatic…
Observing the work of Mexican artist Gustavo Artigas is sort of like taking in reality TV. We watch intently, not without schadenfreude, to see how our fellow man reacts to diverse situations. The difference? There are no cockroaches, catfights or cash prizes involved…and Artigas’s work might just teach you a…
To borrow a phrase from the infamous 1968 DNC, the whole world’s watching. That’s why the City of Denver put its irons in the fire months ago to create Dialog:City: An Event Converging Art, Democracy and Digital Media, a public program showcasing commissioned works by renowned artists that doubles as…
First off, if you’re expecting some guy in whiteface trying to get out of an imaginary box on a street corner, forget it. The illustrious San Francisco Mime Troupe has spent most of its fifty-year history taking on issues in a manner that’s decidedly out of the box: Since the…
Mark Travis blazed onto the Denver art scene in the 1980s, and he exemplified the lifestyle of the classic artist-persona as made famous in fiction: He drank, smoked, did drugs and chased women while banging out one great painting after another. Although Travis first made a name for himself with…
Democratic Convention delegates can get a taste of Mile High history along with their music fix during the ninth annual After 5 Jazz & Blues Festival, which starts today and runs through August 29 in historic Five Points. The fest features both local and out-of-town musicians and runs the gamut…
How do you define democracy? How about with a film contest explicitly bound to the results of the popular vote? Cinemocracy Rocks! is a short-film festival for which more than 115 citizen reporters, activists and filmmakers submitted five-minute videos about democracy. The ten that garnered the most praise, interest and…
Tonight at the Supreme Court Cafe and Nightclub, 1550 Court Place, forget John Lennon and think John McCain. At Karaoke Convention ’08, part of a week-long project by artist Daniel Peltz for Dialog:City, you won’t find “Faith” or “Papa Don’t Preach” on the playlist. Keeping in the spirit of the…
When the Denver 2008 Convention Host Committee decided to display The American Presidential Experience: A Non-Partisan Tribute to Presidential History in a parking lot at Invesco Field at Mile High, they didn’t realize Invesco would be making some history of its own as the site of Barack Obama’s acceptance speech…
The infamous “Don’t ask, don’t tell” policy on gay service members could be extrapolated into a slogan for the Iraq War, where the media and Congress didn’t ask the hard questions and the Bush administration didn’t tell much of anything resembling the truth. Now, in Jeff Key’s one-man play The…
Full disclosure: I have a thing for firefighters. I don’t know if it’s the hoses, the washboard abs or that whole rescuing-people-in-danger vibe — but what I do know is that a hot firefighter makes me weak in the knees. So you can bet I’m headed to the 2009 Colorado…
“We are the people of this generation,” wrote Tom Hayden in 1962, “bred in at least moderate comfort, housed in universities, looking uncomfortably to the world we inherit.” After college, Hayden continued his activism from the streets of Chicago and Newark and a seat in the California State Legislature. He’s…
Whether participating firsthand at the Pepsi Center or in front of the TV, convention-watching, what do we all need when the DNC closes up its smoke-filled rooms for the night? Comedy! Luckily, the town will be overflowing with it, but self-proclaimed liberal Jewish political comic Scott Blakeman hopes his nightly…
There are a lot of parties scheduled around the Democratic National Convention, but none are quite as inclusive as the Unity Dance ’08 party tonight at Tracks, 3500 Walnut Street. Sponsored by Babes Around Denver and Tracks, the fest welcomes gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender folks — and their straight…
For those who prefer to start their day with a couple rounds of downward-facing dog and warrior poses instead of brunch with eggs Benedict and bloody Marys, this weekend’s two big yoga festivals should prove to be mighty enlightening. The Yoga Rocks! Mountain Fest begins at 7 a.m. today at…
Even before Colorado became the 38th state in the Union, in 1876, the “state” fair had already dug in its spurs, showcasing bovine beauties and bucking bronco riders, wonder tonics and handicrafts. Nowadays, nearly half a million people round up the buckaroos and head to Pueblo for its eighty acres…
What with all the beautiful people, political powerhouses and talking heads invading the city during the Democratic National Convention, it’s natural for some of us locals to feel a little left out. Where’s our DNC party, you might be asking yourself? At Floyd’s 99 Barbershop, that’s where. Rock the Vote…
There are so many cool events going on throughout the city during the Democratic National Convention, and Dialog:City is at the forefront. Take tonight’s performances of Throwaway/Runaway and Stand Up for Democracy as an example. Not only are the performances themselves don’t-miss examples of Denver’s cultural life, but they’re also…
Slide show Click on the slide show to view the hot denim fashions from last Saturday’s Teen Vogue and Silver Jeans grand opening party…
