Author Ralph Ellison, whose novel Invisible Man became an instant classic, provided important insights into an array of subjects, from the craft of fiction and homegrown American idioms of jazz and blues to the 21st-century political movements that still define our nation. But University of Colorado English Professor and New…
Three years ago, on the anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation, President Obama symbolically passed the intent of that document forward with the creation of Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month, an observance meant to increase awareness of worldwide injustices and give recognition to agencies battling them. “Around the world, millions…
One day, we’re all going to die. But, according to local geo-dreamscape artist Gemma Bayly, this prognosis isn’t so grim. In her enlightening exhibition, You Are Going to Die and That is OK, Bayly skillfully explicates the notion that death doesn’t exist. “It’s a condition of the space-time continuum and…
Sometimes the most interesting theater experiences in Denver are bare-bones productions: a handful of actors and an interesting script can spark the imagination in ways elaborate tech often can’t. Today, Rachel Fowler, Bill Hahn and Gabra Zackman — three of the area’s finest performers — will open Tomorrow in the…
Michael Paglia visits Robischon Gallery and Vertigo Art Space in this week’s review, taking in two group shows. The work at Robischon focuses on six artists and an artist pair, all of whom are working in some way that is related to conceptual abstraction. The show at Vertigo is a…
#4: Adam Lerner There’s not much one can say about Adam Lerner that would truly do him justice. He runs MCA Denver with nothing resembling an iron hand: He’s funny, impossibly smart, steeped in culture and a natty dresser, and he has a knack for surrounding himself with people of…
There have been rumors about trouble among the Denver Comic Con ranks. But today, DCC co-founder Charlie La Greca posted the following letter on a new Save Denver Comic Con website. Hello my name is Charlie La Greca. I am a cartoonist, lifelong comic fan, and lover of all things…
We first spotted Skilogik at the SIA Snow Show in January, where its burnished wooden planks stuck out in the forest of bright technical fabric and fiberglass boards. Led by Coloradan David Mazzarella, the company makes skis that double as works of art, hand-tooled with designs ranging from mountain landscapes…
#5: Kim Shively One of Westword’s newest crop of MasterMinds (all of whom will be honored this Saturday at Artopia 2014), Kim Shively expresses herself in images, rather than words, as a video artist and technician who’ll take on any subject matter, from Wesley Willis to Lucha Libre wrestling, not…
The eighteenth annual Rocky Mountain Cluster Dog Show took place this past weekend. Full of furry friends doing fun tricks, this event at the National Western Complex was a must-attend for dog enthusiasts. Our photographer Danielle Lirette was there to catch all the tricks and adorable pups. See also: Super…
#6: Nora Burnett Abrams Nora Burnett Abrams makes exhibits happen, and that’s not easy: As curator at MCA Denver, she can’t just pick up artists at a supermarket. Instead, it’s about developing a relationship — with a little detective work on the side — and getting inside each artist’s head…
I used to have this recurring dream where I was walking along a strip mall in my grandparents’ neighborhood of Mayfair/Hale. I was always heading to La Bola, a Mexican restaurant we used to go to when I was a kid. I would walk up to the door in broad…
Travis Conklin is an artist who explores a variety of mediums. As co-owner of F4D Studio, he photographs, films and creates beautiful imagery through his lens. But with Conkwear, his clothing company, Conklin has found a new way to share his art. What started as a way to get his…
A tattoo artist, teacher, writer and musician, Dave Regan likes to keep busy. Originally from Baltimore, he has lived in Colorado for almost five years and currently works at Landmark Tattooing. He also writes for Tattoo Artist and Tattoo Culture magazines. In his latest article, he chronicles his motorcycle road…
#7: Tricia Hoke Tricia Hoke is first and foremost an artist, but hers is an artistry that translates into the folds and drapes of her ingenious clothing designs, which morph into different style configurations with the slightest inside-out turn or flip of fluid fabric. As a dance costumer, she’s unparalleled,…
#8: Jose Mercado A Greeley native who left for schooling and a chance at the limelight in L.A., Jose Mercado returned to the state after garnering praise and awards on the stage in California. He took a job teaching theater at North High School in Denver, and his future path…
For the act’s last show, local fixture Bop Skizzum decided to go all out at the Nerd Prom. Great music, thick-rimmed glasses and bow-ties filled the Gothic Theatre for the band’s farewell show, and Ken Hamblin was there to catch the action. Keep reading for a peek at the prom…..
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. Suzanne Heintz, a local local photographer and self-proclaimed spinster, recently saw her…
#9: Nikki Pike Nikki Pike is a poster girl for the new artist: She doesn’t do just one thing, she does it all — from performance to sculpture to installation to multimedia and cross-disciplinary works to art as activism. The former instructor at Rocky Mountain College of Art + Design…
If you spent too much money on your sweetheart (or yourself) this Valentine’s Day weekend, you can still go out in Denver this week. Dance your black heart out at goth night, go to the zoo or catch a live podcast taping — all for free. As always, you can…
A man designing for men was once a rarity in the fashion business, but Denver has several male-focused male designers — including Shawn Regan, owner of Primary Ties, a men’s neckwear shop that is wrapping itself around the stylish men of Denver. We recently caught up with Regan to talk…
VSA Colorado /Access Gallery is bringing something very special indeed to Santa Fe Drive this month. From 5 to 8 p.m. on Friday, February 21, the gallery will open a show featuring original pieces by youth with disabilities, created through the Artworks Corporate Art Venture, a program benefiting kids who…
