Visual Arts

In the year and change that followed noir has continued its literary renaissance, and anticipation for a second set of live authorial readings of red meat crime stories has grown. Sadly, the year also witnessed the passing of organizer Cortright McMeel, a promising writer whose career was cut tragically short.

This years event, dedicated to McMeel’s memory, features readings from authors Christa Faust, J.L. Abramo, Norb Vonnegut, and Micheal Lion, with a live acoustic performance from Kristina Murray.

Dogs and their owners brought sexy back at the Mutts and Models Mardi Growl on Saturday, May 18, 2013, at the EXDO Events Center. The event was not just about flash and glamour; it also raised funds for PetAid Colorado, a nonprofit dedicated to at-risk pets. Continue reading for a…

Between last summer’s devastating wild fires, the Aurora shootings and other high-profile news stories, Colorado has had a rough year. It is difficult to find a way to express the emotions that these events have evoked, but the Damsel Dance Company is trying to do that by communicating Colorado’s fear…

Hundreds of local ink enthusiasts put their tattoos to the test at the Ink Slingers Ball and Tattoo Expo over the weekend. The eighth annual event took over PT’s ShowClub on May 18, 2013, as ink junkies competed for $2,000 grand prizes for the best sleeve, black-and-white, color and large…

The Five Points Jazz Festival had jazz fans of all ages dancing in the streets on Saturday, May 18, 2013. Local musicians, art, and street food filled Welton Street as soulful jazz filled the air from the morning through the evening. Continue reading for a few highlights, and visit our…

David Anfam, who’s been involved with the Clyfford Still Museum since it opened, has just been named senior consulting curator. The only scholar given access to the late artist’s collection by his widow, Anfam now plans to focus on realizing the museum’s goal of having a research center, as well…

When a single spotlight illuminated the bottle of Black Grouse whiskey resting on a bar stool center-stage, the 2,800 people in the audience at the Temple Buell Theatre rose to their feet, their deafening applause seemingly cheering the bottle of booze itself until Southern sass-man Ron White casually materialized out…

This week’s cover story, “Paging Doctor Bang Bang,” recounts the medical adventures of Denver Roller Dolls skater Kimmy Kimmy Bang Bang, a foot-and-ankle surgeon known professionally as Dr. Kim Wilms. The 32-year-old is the league’s unofficial in-house doctor, assisting skaters with the sprains and bruises that come with playing the…

A work constantly in progress, the Crochet Coral Reef is an installation of ten textile pieces at the Denver Art Museum, part of its summer exhibition, Spun: Adventures In Textiles. Through the project’s Denver Satellite Reef, museum visitors have a chance to contribute to the installation directly, by coming in…

Spun: Adventures in Textiles, this summer’s huge, campus-wide aggregation of exhibitions devoted to the textile arts at the Denver Art Museum, is definitely going to require more than one visit to absorb. In fact, DAM curators — every single one of them had a hand in putting the shows together…

Materialized, a group show featuring abstract works utilizing unusual materials, opens today at Robischon Gallery; it’s a continuation of the gallery’s Material Abstraction, which introduced the whole idea last summer. All photos courtesy of Robischon Gallery. See also: – Material Abstraction at Robischon is more than just medium – Best…

One of the things that keeps art interesting is the way it’s constantly flowing, with various currents periodically overtaking one another and, in that way, changing established ideas. Last year, for example, a series of shows launched by the Getty Center in Los Angeles, collectively known as Pacific Standard Time,…

It is a truth universally acknowledged that Jane Austen fans will find a way to experience her work — and now Denver has another option. After the Stage Theatre at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts sold out the entire run of Sense & Sensibility: The Musical, the troupe…

For this week’s review, art critic Michael Paglia visits Sandra Phillips Gallery and the Denver Art Museum, where he took in solo shows from two of the state’s best abstract artists, both of whom teach at the Rocky Mountain College of Art + Design. For his thoughts on both exhibits,…

In just more than forty years, video games have evolved from technological novelty to cultural staple. That transformation is chronicled in the Aurora History Museum’s “Growing Up Gamer”, a look back at the history of video games as home entertainment that documents not just gaming’s origins but its impact on…

The official start of summer is over a month away, but the unofficial start is upon us, with the release of the Film on the Rocks 2013 schedule. There’s certain to be some controversy over the selection, but as in years past, the Denver Film Society — led by FOTR…

Holy opportunity, Batman! Just in time for the second Denver Comic Con, Westword will publish its first Comics issue on May 30, 2013 — and we want you to be a part of it. We’re accepting submissions from any Colorado artist who’d like to create a cartoon about life in…

His Royal Highness Prince Harry spent the day on Sunday enjoying the Colorado scenery — and hopefully some of our best weed — while the Prince of Purple played two of his four shows at the Ogden with his new band 3rd Eye Girl (he plays two more tonight). And…

While many comics will play to their political or cultural bases, Ron White is virtually impossible to pin down to any one audience. First rising to fame through the Blue Collar Comedy Tour with Jeff Foxworthy and Larry The Cable Guy, he became a hero to conservatives with his pro-death…

The LIDA Project was named for a Soviet device that was supposedly capable of manipulating human brain-waves through the use of low-frequency radio, and for nearly two decades, this innovative theater company has offered productions that often incorporate technology in unusual ways. It latest effort is a modernized version of…

You really don’t have to celebrate Mother’s Day like everyone else. Modern moms are an independent bunch, and they may not want to spend their big day knitting by the hearth or enjoying whatever stereotypical pastime they’re supposed to prefer. Moms just aren’t like that anymore. Following are five places…

What could a fresh coat of paint, live music and a comfortable place to enjoy a meal outdoors do for a block in your neighborhood? Residents of Five Points could find out this Saturday, May 11, when Denver’s second Better Block project focuses on the 2400 block of Welton Street…