Arts & Entertainment

Anyone who’s been paying attention knows that Cal Duran, an Indigenous, queer, Two Spirit artist inspired by the lore and spirituality of many cultures, has seemingly possessed the superpower to do everything, everywhere, all at once over the past year or two. Wherever big displays were needed for Día de los Muertos celebrations, Duran was there, providing monumental altars, ojos de Dios, calaveras and calacas built from clay, tissue paper and found materials, sometimes at more than one venue in a single day, like a shiva with multiple arms.

artbycal.com

Bored and broke? Number Thirty Eight is here for you, with free entertainment nightly. In the winter, the indoor stage hosts free live music almost every night; there’s also a trivia night and, on weekend afternoons, drag brunch bingo. The venue’s annual Bison Days event, which takes place during the National Western Stock Show, offers free local music and activities such as line-dancing classes. During the spring and summer, Number Thirty Eight’s large glass doors open to seamlessly connect the indoor space to a large outdoor patio complete with bar, volleyball court and impressive stage. What are you waiting for?

Denver sculptor Ira Sherman has had a long, lucrative career with his iconic kinetic, wearable sculptures, which have been collected by the Smithsonian Museum of American Art in Washington, D.C., and the National Ornamental Museum in Memphis, among others. In 2022, he produced his first exhibition in three years at Bitfactory Gallery with Ira Sherman: Revenge, Protection, Redemption, in which he displayed new, mind-blowing creations that each took six months to complete. These wearable prostheses respond mechanically to the wearer and provide commentary on humans’ relationships with intimacy and emotions. From sci-fi chastity belts to a contraption that can lift couples in the air, Sherman’s work is as fascinating as it’s ever been.

irasherman.com

Scott Hildebrandt didn’t know that when he made a miniature village as a Christmas gift back in 2008, it was the beginning of a flourishing artistic career. With a background in electrical engineering, Hildebrandt makes miniature displays that can light up and sometimes move. His diorama worlds are usually set in vintage vessels such as boomboxes or Game Boys, evoking nostalgia and eliciting smiles — so it’s no wonder that when Meow Wolf began enlisting Denver artists before it opened in 2021, Hildebrandt was asked to create an installation. After filling a hallway there with 200 dioramas, Hildebrandt now focuses on filling commissions, which have shot up — because unlike his art, Mister Christmas’s reputation is far from small-scale.

clevermisterchristmas.com

The concept of the divine feminine is seen throughout the paintings of Emily Kell, a Boulder-based artist who has made a name for herself worldwide with her visionary works. Inspired by her tarot practice, mythology and archetypal figures from mysticism, Kell creates portraits of feminine figures, often with a background of swirling stars. She’s also a poet, and created an alphabet she calls “moon scratch,” which is instantly recognizable in her oeuvre. While most visionary art is centered on ecstatic psychedelic states, Kell’s work is more about introspection and transitive moments. Her art was published in the 2018 book Women of Visionary Art, though her greatest accomplishment is likely the meaningful inspiration she passes on through her paintings.

emilykell.com

A leader in the psychedelic visionary arts movement, Android Jones creates work that illustrates the heights of a DMT trip, which has made him a trailblazer in digital art, virtual reality and NFTs. His internationally recognized work has been projected on the Empire State Building, the Sydney Opera House in Australia, and the Ghats in Varanasi, India, and he was a visual artist for the 2015 Fare Thee Well Tour with the remaining members of the Grateful Dead. But he’s also active in his home state, exhibiting a solo show at Threyda gallery last year. In January, Jones’s Lyons studio was destroyed in a fire, but he raised more than his asking price of $250,000 in a GoFundMe to replace the expensive tools used to create his art, as well as countless art books and priceless sketches. Starting fresh is difficult, but we have no doubt this seasoned artist will stay on top.

androidjones.com

While Threyda is normally accessed only by appointment, it opens its doors to the public on First Fridays and during exhibition openings. And when those dates come, be sure to go, because a night at this gallery is one to remember. Threyda curates only the most mind-melting artworks by visionary artists, including Android Jones, Morgan Mandala, Stephen Kruse, Seth McMahon and more. Whether you’re gazing at a perfectly symmetrical pattern meticulously rendered in oil paints or a digital work dripping with fractals, each piece found in Threyda’s rotating gallery is meant to be a catalyst for the type of transcendental experience you normally reach through psychedelics. Bonus: Opening nights and First Fridays often include live music, live painting and plenty of beverages.

878 Santa Fe Drive

720-523-3683

threyda.com

After fifteen years, RedLine is still going strong in its mission of fostering the next generation of Denver artists. Each year, its resident artists not only create magnificent works, but they engage with the surrounding community through RedLine’s array of programs, including Youth Art Mentoring, which pairs students with professional artists who work with them on a year-long project centered on social justice issues. And the artists often tend to continue giving back after their residencies; alumni include Denver art community leaders like muralist Thomas “Detour” Evans, collage artist Mario Zoots, and Anthony Garcia, who created Birdseed Collective, a nonprofit that implements arts-based community outreach programs.

Artist residencies lift up creative people by allowing them the time and freedom to make quality work. The terms may vary, but for established creators in the visual arts who maintain practices that focus on our relationship to the natural world, Land Line at the Denver Botanic Gardens is a lifeline, with an honorarium and nearly unlimited access to the DBG’s public spaces, collections and research materials. Artists who specialize in botanical illustration also have the opportunity to work with the School of Botanical Art & Illustration alongside the Gardens’ research and conservation team.

Denver is chock-full of arts organizations that have become a solid foundation for the future of the city’s art scene, and PlatteForum is dedicated to serving youth through its ArtLab program. Students, often coming from Title I schools, are given the opportunity to study in a year-long internship under the guidance of professional artists in PlatteForum’s residency program, which attracts creators from around the world. About thirty students are selected each year, and 95 percent graduate from high school and attend college. The program also provides its interns with mental health services, RTD passes, rideshares and a food pantry.

A denizen of Denver’s underground nightlife, Shadows Gather has been sneaking into clubs since before she was legally allowed in. And she continues to revel in the club scene, taking spur-of-the-moment Instax photographs of the raucous moments, faces and T&A of the queer and punk communities. She’s gained a big following on Instagram for her snapshots of rebellion that echo the stylings of influential New York photographer Nan Goldin. Her pics have also gotten her flagged on social media, however, given their subject matter, which ranges from a person sniffing poppers to someone doing a bump of blow off a blade. Each picture pulls you in and nudges you to unleash your own badass inner club kid.

Gallery 6 had quite the year in 2022, moving from its East Sixth Avenue venue on the edge of Cherry Creek to the heart of the Art District on Santa Fe, where it’s had a hearty reception since reopening in May. The space is far larger than the gallery’s previous digs, providing ample room for photography from the likes of Denver art-scene veterans Tony Eitzel, Dave Stephens, Kevin Schwalbe and Scott Wilson. Wilson is a co-owner of the gallery, and his stunning “Anger Management,” a photo that captures the ferocious beauty of a wild Mustang kicking up dust, nabbed him the Open Photographer of the Year honors at the 2022 Sony World Photography Awards.

918 West 8th Avenue

303-408-3486

denversartdistrict.org/gallery-6

Founded by director and curator Hugh Grant in 1996 and opened to the public twenty years ago, the Kirkland Museum isn’t just dedicated to its namesake, artist Vance Kirkland, but also to artworks by Colorado artists from multiple major movements, many of whom were contemporaries of Kirkland’s. Everything here flows together seamlessly, given that the museum’s layout is similar to a living space or series of salons. Here you’ll find highly creative sculpture, paintings, drawings, ceramics, fiber art, furniture and more. The entire collection, which also includes international works of decorative art, is worth a visit any time, but the current exhibition, Vance Kirkland’s Cosmos, which includes a never-before-seen collection from the influential artist, is a must-see before it closes on May 28.

What would you do after spending 999 days riding around the world on a bicycle? Jacob Lemanski took a hit of acid and decided to show the world his art: enormous, psychedelic ant farms. A former engineer, Lemanski used his savings to create Ant Life, a private event space that doubles as a gallery for his beloved ant farms as well as his other art, which includes luminescent light spaces, tapestries he calls “space screens,” clothing, beanbags and more. Lemanski has kept the spot booked and busy, hosting everything from wedding receptions to psychedelic mushroom events. He hopes to make Ant Life an established brand, and given that Colorado has legalized several psychedelics, he could well be on his way.

2150 Market Street

antlife.space

The Medusa Collective opened in January 2022 and has been mounting stunning exhibitions that showcase local artists ever since. Created by artists Amanda Wolf and Gina Ilczyszyn, Medusa is more than a gallery; it also has nine private studios for artists to rent, as well as an area dedicated to workshops. The next workshop will take place in May with visionary artist Emily Kell, who will lead a class on creating talismans. Opening nights for Medusa exhibitions, which sometimes include live music and fire performers, are always memorable.

7140 Hooker Street, Westminster

themedusacollective.com

Ready for takeoff? Wings Over the Rockies is full of cool artifacts, both historic and futuristic, that celebrate space and provide an ideal escape for technocrats and other geeks. But those who like to stay more grounded will find plenty of amusement opportunities here, too, including a great gift shop and an introductory video by none other than Harrison Ford.

7711 East Academy Boulevard

303-360-5360

wingsmuseum.org/

Most of the time you go to the Denver Art Museum to explore its widespread, awesome collection of art spanning centuries of creation. Other times, though, you could just be stopping in to purchase a present from the gift shop, because the DAM’s store is perfect for perusing when you aren’t sure what to get someone. There’s something for everyone here, including puzzles, books, posters, jewelry, sculptures, pins, mugs, shape-shifting toys, clothing, housewares and more. Need to buy something for someone who seemingly has everything? This is your one-stop shop for kids and adults alike.

Denver is rich in Latino history and owes much of its cultural fabric to that community, so what better way to get to know your city than to visit a museum that celebrates Latin American art? Whether it’s a First Friday in the Art District on Santa Fe or just a casual Saturday afternoon, the Museo is the place to see and learn about phenomenal Latin American art, from ancient to folk to contemporary. The nonprofit gallery mounts up to five exhibitions a year; its current display, Colombia: The Corn, the River and the Grave, open through August 19, explores how Colombian traditions are clashing with current conflicts around its natural resources.

Whether you’re going to a concert or just hiking around its majestic landscape, a visit to Red Rocks Park and Amphitheatre is an absolute must for tourists visiting Denver. And while you’re at it, here’s another must: visiting the Colorado Music Hall of Fame museum, located inside the Red Rocks Trading Post. There you’ll see ephemera from each Hall of Fame class since the organization’s beginnings in 2011, as well as exhibitions on Colorado musical institutions, including the famed Caribou Ranch studio and musicians such as John Denver, Judy Collins, Dan Fogelberg, Dianne Reeves and more. Be sure to also check out the Red Rocks Performers Hall of Fame in the Visitor Center at the top of the amphitheater for another awe-inspiring glimpse into the venue’s storied past.

17900 Trading Post Road, Morrison

303-672-1273

cmhof.org”>cmhof.org

We can’t say enough good things about the Museum of Contemporary Art, which revived the Northside’s historic Holiday Theater last year by signing a long-term lease to host productions there. And the museum has shown even more local love this year, celebrating RedLine Contemporary Art Center’s fifteenth anniversary with a blockbuster exhibition showcasing works from its alumni resident artists. It isn’t often you see an institution like this giving so much space and love to local artists, but the MCA is always quick to recognize Denver talent while also providing inspiration from international and national contemporary artists.

Take a walk around RiNo to see the street art that the Mile High City has become known for. You can always take the Denver Graffiti Tour (a two-hour paid, guided tour on weekends) to get to know the area, but a stroll down the alleys and streets works, too. From murals by national talents like Shepard Fairey to works by local legends such as Detour, Casey Kawaguchi, Anthony Garcia, Pat Milbery and more, the neighborhood is a rotating art museum in its own right. RiNo Art District has even mapped out the murals on its website so you can stay updated on what’s happening in the neighborhood and plan your trip.

After President Trump was elected, Motus Theater staged a series of monologues with UndocuAmerica about the immigrant experience. And in 2022, the theater company expanded on building that awareness with murals by artist Edica Pacha. Through a P.S. You Are Here grant, Pacha pasted portraits of immigrants around Denver, along with a QR code that directs viewers to corresponding monologues. The murals were unveiled in June to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the DACA program, although two of them, located at public libraries, had to be replaced after being vandalized. That hasn’t deterred Pacha, who told us, “This is why I continue to do art about these themes…to educate the greater community and bring greater perspective around these challenging issues.”

Twenty-eight-year-old muralist Markus Puskar was selected by the Denver Arts & Venues P.S. You Are Here grant program to paint a mural that engaged its surrounding community. The result, a collage of shapes and images that can be colored in by visitors with chalk found at the site was unveiled in August with an event that invited the neighborhood to begin filling in the black-and-white mural with color. A full-time social worker, Puskar wanted to build community with his artwork, too, and had seen success with a similar coloring-book event at another of his murals in Cherry Creek. More than half a year later, his mural at Sunken Gardens is often seen splashed with color.

The Art RiNo mural festival in September 2022 saw many impeccable creations, but one in particular stands out: the collaboration by street-art fixtures Jaime Molina, Jher and Jodie Herrera to honor the late artist and activist Alicia Cardenas, who was one of the first victims killed during the horrific series of shootings at tattoo shops and other locations around Denver on December 27, 2021. Herrera spearheaded the photorealist portrait of a beaming Cardenas, Molina created the abstract lettering spelling “matriarch,” and Jher, a close friend of Cardenas’s for decades, painted the marigolds and monarch butterflies, symbols of Cardenas’s Chicano heritage and of the soul finding its way home. The painting stands next to a mural painted by Cardenas herself.

Intersection of Larimer and 27th streets

When it comes to James Turrell’s Skyspace concept, a light-based phenomenon that has spread around the world at more than eighty sites, it’s the location that counts. Colorado’s, installed in the Red Butte Recreational Area East off Highway 24 last year by Green Box Arts, is not only the first in our state, but it’s also the first in the world to be built on a mountaintop. Turrell says that the altitude on the butte in Colorado causes the sky to glow a deeper blue color that increases its intensity and effect, which is meaningful in Skyspace-speak. We are very lucky, indeed.

Anyone old enough to remember the dog races at the Mile High Kennel Club remembers Rusty, the mechanical coursing rabbit, and the announcer’s eternal cry of “Here comes Rusty!” Mile High shut down the greyhound racing in 2008, and the track sat empty until Commerce City Urban Renewal bought the land in 2011; redevelopment plans broke ground in 2020. But what goes around comes around: In tribute to the land’s roots, local artists Los Supersónicos (aka Carlos Frésquez and Francisco Zamora) recently installed their rabbit sculpture, “Here Comes Rusty,” at the new Landing at Greyhound Park.

It’s just a few blocks east of Civic Center Park and the golden dome of the State Capitol, and a short city walk to either Cheesman or City Park. The intersection of Colfax and Pennsylvania might not be quite as colorful as it once was, when the Roslyn Grill stood where Prohibition is now, but it still offers its share of the weird. The meat-candy boneless ribs at Great Wall keep regulars coming back, and the Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception looms, Old World style, on one side of the street across from Nob Hill, which offers a whole other sort of salvation. It’s dirty, it’s delicious, it’s damning, and it’s divine. That’s Colfax.

Sunny Sunday afternoons bring swarms of people to Cheesman Park — picnickers, dog walkers, runners and Rollerbladers, sunbathers and slackliners. Whether you’re in a group or solo, there’s much to see, but perhaps the most entertaining to watch are the groups of flow artists who gather around the stately columns of the park’s neoclassical pavilion to practice their circus crafts. Watch jugglers hone their mind-blowing maneuvers while other artists create illusions with hoops, poi, staves and fans. These free-spirited folks prove that it’s just as much fun to play with toys as an adult as it was when you were a kid.

Wolverine Farm, a nonprofit entity, is like a tree where every branch carries a different kind of fruit. First and foremost, there’s a small, small press turning out esoteric journals and occasional stand-alone short works. But this is also a public facility with a congenial cafe, a coffee shop, a beer bar, a gallery and the Perelandra bookstore, named after C.S. Lewis’s sci-fi trilogy. On any given evening, there might be a concert, reading, lecture, market, open mic, workshop or technology-free gathering, giving the place a hands-on energy that’s a rare find these days.

316 Willow Street, Fort Collins

970-682-2590

wolverinefarm.org

You might think there are fewer and fewer reasons to go to the Pavilions anymore, but the Regal theaters up on the third floor have kept us going back, even as other tenants of the 16th Street Mall fixture come and go. Between the free underground parking, the comfy state-of-the-art seating and two floors of theaters — ranging from standard digital to RPX to the sense-shattering 4DX (don’t ever see a summer blockbuster again without it) — this place should be a lot more crowded than it usually is. Until it gets rediscovered by Denver (unlikely until the 16th Street Mall renovations are done), take advantage of the light crowds and the amazing experiences to be had. Let’s all go to the movies!

500 16th Street

844-462-7342

regmovies.com

A rollicking rampage of rebellion ensues in Glory Guitars, a memoir written by Meow Wolf public relations manager Erin Barnes under her punk-rock moniker, Gogo Germaine, and published by University of Hell press. In the book, which was released in October to rave reviews, Barnes confronts the good, the bad and the ugly while recounting her teenage years growing up in Fort Collins, where she and her girl gang snuck into clubs and hung out with punk bands, skipped class to drink out in open fields, partied hard and loved even harder. One read may inspire you to unleash your own inner Gogo Germaine, and maybe even get into a drunken Jell-O wrestling match with your best friend.

erinkbarnes.com

Kali Fajardo-Anstine became a household name in local literary circles and book clubs after her acclaimed short-story collection Sabrina & Corina arrived in bookstores in 2019. But its followup might fly even farther. Fajardo-Anstine leapt from that collection’s slices of Latina life to Woman of Light, a fully realized, five-generation Chicano family saga released last summer. Beautifully written, with an inborn knowledge of her subject, Woman of Light celebrates strong women in a culture built over centuries. Good news if you’re on a budget: The paperback edition is due April 18.

The Mile High City stars in too few major works of literary merit, which is why it feels so good when a book comes along that really gets Denver, right down to its roots. Local author Erika T. Wurth’s novel White Horse has been getting lots of positive national attention since its debut last fall, and that’s definitely one reason to check it out if you haven’t. But just for good measure, here are a few more: Do you recognize the titular White Horse bar — recently shuttered on West Alameda after years of beer-slinging? Do you have fond memories of bygone times at Lakeside Amusement Park and Casa Bonita? Have you ever wondered if that chill in the air is just the mountain air…or the ghosts you share it with? If you answered yes to any of these, this book is for you.

erikatwurth.com

One thing we hear constantly is that people miss “Old Denver” — whether before the swath of transplants or when the Denver skyline consisted of only a smattering of skyscrapers. The account @olddenver shares vintage photos of now-closed Denver spots, such as the Breakfast King or the 20th Street Cafe, as well as ones that have stood the test of time, like Lucero’s or Dandy Dan’s. Perhaps our favorite post is a carousel of images of Dandy Dan’s revolving signage with sage sentiments such as “Your wife calls it a problem. We call it a solution!”

One look at Aaron Tuleja’s account and you’ll be training to hike one of Colorado’s fourteeners. Tuleja takes stunning photos as well as drone footage from around the Rocky Mountains, giving us looks at the sun rising over the peaks of the San Juans, a luminescent blue Lake Haiyaha in Rocky Mountain National Park, and sweeping panoramas of the Continental Divide. In every post, Tuleja shows the natural wonders of the state, inspiring his followers to get outside and experience the beauty around them. Follow him when you’re ready to start planning your next adventure in the Rockies.

Affiliated with the nonprofit Colorado Street Art, which works to support Colorado muralists, the account @coloradostart began posting photos of art and graffiti around the state back in 2011. See works from Denver graffiti greats such as Tuke and Emit, as well as murals by the likes of Gamma Gallery, Sepia and Jeremy Burns. Get acquainted with some of the Mile High City’s longstanding artists who were painting the town before this account was even created. And if you see street art that moves you, be sure to post it with the hashtag #coloradostreetart so that @coloradostart can highlight it, too.

For more than thirty years, Comedy Works has been highlighting local and national comedians. Every Tuesday at its New Talent Night, the original downtown club gives nascent local comedians the opportunity to showcase their work; the evenings have included guest drop-ins from the likes of Josh Blue, Ron White and even Dave Chappelle, who has done several spur-of-the-moment secret acts at the spot, as have comedians Wanda Sykes and Dave Attell. And throughout March, Comedy Works hosts a March Madness-style tournament with newer comedians in Denver. Join the club for free through its website to receive texts and emails with the most up-to-date info about special events and secret shows.

Without Felony Misdemeanor, we would not have the Denver drag scene we know and love today. Not only has she been setting the standard for Colorado drag for decades, but she’s birthed a whole new generation of drag performers as the mother of the House of Misdemeanor. Every fourth Saturday of the month at 10:30 p.m. at X Bar, Felony hosts Cellblock M, where you’re likely to find your favorite Misdemeanors kicking and bucking alongside some of Colorado’s best up-and-coming talent (after all, Felony did give RuPaul’s Drag Race superstar Yvie Oddly her first-ever booking). DJ Blaque Gurl, who was recently named Best DJ at the 2023 DIVAs, keeps the party going between performances with hip-hop and R&B hits. Bring extra dollars for tipping, because the cast brings it every time.

After a fabulous renovation by Lonnie Hanzon, the intimate cabaret venue beneath the Daniels & Fisher clocktower on the 16th Street Mall celebrated its sweet sixteen last year with a bang. The space is perfect for a date night or a hang-out with friends, with lush velvet curtains in reds, purples, blues and gold covering the walls and minimalist dainty wooden tables. An escapist retreat, Clocktower Cabaret hosts music, burlesque, comedy, drag and dance shows, plus much more. Consider it Denver’s very own Moulin Rouge.

Need an unforgettable game to blow away your guests at your next event? Frick Frack Blackjack is a no-cash, no-limits, barter-style blackjack game in which all the dealers perform as comedic, paisley-clad carny characters who pull you into an epic, imaginative world where everything — except money — goes. Bring your weirdest, wackiest items to bet at this funfest, where you can win anything from an original Battleship game to a human tooth, and if you run out of items, not to worry: You can always bet your soul on the Willy Wonka-esque contract the dealers provide. While the game is constantly traveling around the country to music festivals, you can still find it at many events around Denver. Be sure to follow the Frick Frack Blackjack Facebook and Instagram pages to stay updated about game nights near you.

frickfrackblackjack.com

First it was Denver Comic Con, and then after San Diego Comic Con trademarked that name, it became Denver Pop Culture Con. But only for one year: FAN EXPO HQ bought the convention in 2021. No matter the name, the four-day summer event has remained a favorite for geeks in Colorado and beyond. Whether you’re into comic books, Lord of the Rings, superheroes, Star Wars, Star Trek, Dungeons & Dragons, cosplaying or all of the above, FAN EXPO is the convention of the year. In 2022, the con returned fully in person for the first time since 2019, and guests included all the hobbit heroes from LOTR (Elijah Wood, Billy Boyd, Sean Astin and Dominic Monaghan) and a spectacular set of Star Wars stars (Anthony Daniels, Ming-Na Wen, Katee Sackhoff).

fanexpohq.com

Named for the cryogenically frozen Grandpa Bredo, who was discovered in his grandson’s Tuff Shed in Nederland, this festival is wholly unique, just like Colorado. Although there was a brief period last year when Frozen Dead Guy Days seemed to be going the way of its namesake, it was revived, thank heavens, by Stanley Hotel owner John Cullen, who bought the festival after its former co-owners announced it was canceled. Although FDGD had to move to Estes Park and for the first time included fees (admission has always been free), we had only good things to say about the new iteration — though the lines remained as long as ever. Coffin races were still a major draw, but there was also a stellar lineup of music with quality Colorado acts, including the Kyle Hollingsworth Band and Break Science. Grandpa Bredo may still be in Nederland, but there were enough people dressed like him (as usual) that his presence was thoroughly felt.

frozendeadguydays.com

Where else? The Mayan has everything you’d want in an art-house cinema: landmark status, a rich local history, a surviving original design, a neon marquee and the smell of nearly a century’s worth of buttered popcorn. All of this legacy plus three screens of DLP digital projection and sound sits smack on Broadway in the center of Denver. The Mayan screens some of the finest little-movies-that-could, many of which too often get lost in the shadows of Hollywood blockbusters. Everything in us loves the Mayan: our eyes, our hearts, our minds. Long live all the Landmark theaters — but especially the Mayan.

In response to the lack of opportunities for trans and queer artists, Below the Concrete formed last year to showcase work from that community through DIY house shows whose location is revealed only to those who email or message the collective on social media. The group has now grown so much that it offers satellite shows from its members, emphasizing the success of Below the Concrete’s mission to connect like-minded artists. And the works shown in its exhibitions serve as evidence of how DIY still incentivizes fine art, with compelling creations in myriad mediums, including fashion, sculpture, poetry, dance, painting and more.

belowtheconcrete.wordpress.com

Each year in April, the much-esteemed Aspen Film Shortsfest is one of just four Oscar-qualifying short-film festivals in the country. In 2022, Shortsfest selected 77 films to screen out of 3,000 applicants from around the world, and winners included director Joanna Quinn’s Affairs of Art, which went on to be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film. This is far from the only Shortsfest film to be nominated for an Oscar, proving that its jury is dedicated to showcasing high-quality and moving works year after year.

aspenfilm.org

The Denver Fringe Festival has done well for itself, especially considering that its first two iterations, in 2020 and 2021, occurred during the pandemic. The four-day celebration of the performing arts hosted its first fully in-person festival in 2022, at venues scattered across RiNo and Five Points, with forty unique shows produced by local creatives. Attendees get to see everything from cabaret and burlesque to aerial and circus arts, musical theater, magic shows and more. Endeavoring to be as inclusive and fair as possible, the curation process is open-access, meaning nearly every submission is accepted, and if there is not enough space for all applicants, a lottery, rather than a jury, is used to approve works. Even better, 70 percent of the festival’s proceeds goes to the artists themselves.

Comprising only disabled performers, Phamaly Theatre Company produces stirring plays that allow people traditionally shunned from the industry to collaborate and share their talents. It was the subject of the 2021 documentary Imperfect, which followed director Regan Linton as she endeavored to put on Phamaly’s production of Chicago during its thirtieth season in 2019. And in 2022, Phamaly was recognized at the Colorado Theatre Guild’s annual Henry Awards, where the company’s five founders were given Lifetime Achievement Awards. The theater partnered with Su Teatro last fall for a riveting, immersive performance of The Rocky Horror Show, and is currently presenting Spring Awakening at Northglenn Arts until April 8.

Flamboyán Theater founder Jon Marcantoni, who is a playwright, fiction writer, editor and all-around theater honcho, knows firsthand how hard it is for playwrights of color to get their plays read, let alone produced and staged before an audience. Articulate and resourceful, Marcantoni knew he had the chops to help. The result is the Emerging BIPOC Playwrights Project, a fully realized program in collaboration with Control Group Productions. Now in session, the project explores basic training in theater and is trailblazing new ideas about staging a play.

flamboyantheatre.com/emerging-bipoc-playwrights-project

On the wings of a fifty-year anniversary, Tony Garcia and his intrepid crew at the Su Teatro Cultural & Performing Arts Center were able to accomplish a miracle: The company, which began by performing in the streets of Auraria and the Westside, was able to pay off the mortgage on the old Denver Civic Theatre, a venue it had been working out of since 2010. With Su Teatro’s typically humorous touch, the theater invited the public to a toast and a mortgage-burning — or at least the acting out of one — in January.

Whether partnering with Aurora’s 5280 Artist Co-Op to tell a story about Black female homesteaders in Flyin’ West or bringing Kate Hamill’s edgy adaptation of Pride & Prejudice to the stage last year, Firehouse Theater Company regularly offers a mix of classic theater and newer productions, many of which center on the stories of marginalized communities. Operating out of the John Hand Theater (and former firehouse) on the Colorado Free University campus in Lowry, the space feels intimate and accessible for budding actors in a way few theaters do, while still offering a mesmerizing live experience. It all started with John Hand, but after his death in 2004, his sister, Helen, stepped in to lead this still-fledgling organization — and the rest, as they say, is history.

While most immersive experiences fail to engage all five senses, OddKnock Productions hit every mark over the summer with its sophomore immersive theater production, From On High. It took place in an abandoned warehouse in RiNo, where audiences were immediately immersed in the ’80s office environment of a corporation called BANR, whose ultimate goal is world domination. A satire that produced as many laughs as it did deeply moving moments, From On High was a unique take on capitalism that beckoned audiences to return for repeat viewings. The group hasn’t put on a production since then, but we’re hoping to see more this year.

oddknock.com

Control Group Productions performed its first experiential theater production ten years ago, and has consistently banged out two shows a year since then, even keeping the arts alive during the pandemic with live performances you could watch from your car. And last year, the troupe put audiences on wheels again for its production of The End, in which participants rode on a bus and visited post-apocalyptic sites. Control Group never fails to put the audience straight into the story, immersing everyone in its plotlines and guiding them through its always-entertaining narratives.

Artists Mel and Dorothy Tanner began experimenting with immersive experiences decades before it hit the mainstream, starting in Miami in the late ’60s. Although the Tanners have both passed away, their legacy is kept alive at Lumonics Light & Sound Gallery, which opened in Denver in 2008, by Marc and Barbara Billard, along with archivist Barry Raphael, all of whom were part of the Tanners’ collective. Lumonics Immersed is meant to be a healing experience, in which the Tanners’ light sculptures pulsate to soothing music by Marc Billard. The $20 immersive happens every Saturday from 8 to 10:30 p.m., and provides a mind-expanding, unforgettable experience.

Denver is becoming an immersive art destination, and that’s all thanks to the work of local creatives seen in immersive experiences such as Spectra Art Space’s Spookadelia. After opening each fall for the past five years, Spookadelia‘s run time has been extended almost every year as the result of its unflinching popularity. The fifth iteration, which opened in October 2022 and is still running through the end of April after multiple extensions, riffs on Carl Jung’s philosophy of dreams, with playful art by local creatives, some of whose work can also be seen at Meow Wolf’s Convergence Station. Follow a narrative plot with clues throughout the installation’s dreamscape to uncover the name of the primary character, whose dream you’re walking through — or just poke around for the fun of it!

An absolute behemoth, Convergence Station comprises several different universes in which every nook and cranny bursts with art. Meow Wolf, which began as a renegade art collective in Santa Fe in 2008, landed its spaceship here in September 2021 to wild success, and showed how much it loves Denver in return by moving its Vortex music festival here last year. Now, subreddits have been dedicated to uncovering the myriad secrets of Convergence Station, though even the creative operators — the name for the character actors who roam the immersive playground — who have been there from the beginning tell us that they discover something new every day. And if you’d prefer the psychedelic experience without kids, Convergence Station hosts 21+ Adulti-Verse nights, as well as Danceportation concerts throughout the installation on select dates

The artists in this collective have always looked to the future, and IRL Art has been a trailblazer in the realm of NFTs, virtual art/reality and augmented reality. The underground gallery helps to facilitate sales of its artists’ NFTs, which include a mural by Denver street artist A.L. Grime, and it was the official art gallery for the cryptocurrency convention ETHDenver. IRL Art founder Annie Phillips was also an art steward for that conference, and even curated an exhibition of NFTs at the State Capitol that is on view through May.

2601 Walnut Street

870-213-7131

irlart.com

Another new art collective, Denver Digital Land Grab, formed this year and vowed to take over Denver with virtual- and augmented-reality art, doubling down with its slogan: “We are taking space. We are NOT asking permission.” The group was founded by Denver artists Corrina Espinosa and David Hanan, who were frustrated by the economic potholes artists suffered in the wake of the pandemic. Leveraging their skills with augmented reality, Espinosa and Hanan filled the city with digital art accessible by QR codes for their first exhibition, Manifest Dystopia, with each work commenting on the location in which it’s positioned.

digilandgrab.com