Role-Reversal Nonsense Dominates in Viva la Liberta

From Dave to The Dictator, politicians-replaced-by-doppelgängers has long been a favorite comedy device — yet never has it been employed for more torturous faux-funny business than in Roberto Andò’s Viva la Libertà. Squandering all the goodwill he engendered with 2013’s superb The Great Beauty, Toni Servillo stars as Enrico, a…

Now Showing: This Week’s Art Options

Brilliant. If you have any interest in modernism or fine craft — even if you aren’t particularly interested in jewelry — you’ll find something to marvel over at the Denver Art Museum’s winter blockbuster Brilliant: Cartier in the 20th Century. The show is a visual marathon, with so many things…

Now Playing: This Week’s Theater Options

Beets. A thoughtful historical play by local writer Rick Padden,Beets is set in Berthoud, Colorado, during World War II, when German prisoners were sent to this country and many ended up working in American fields. On first hearing that prisoners will be sent into the beet fields, Fred Hunt, a…

Skye Gibson Releases Spring/Summer 2015 Collection

Sherissa Skye Gibson recently released her second collection of womenswear, made right here in Denver at the Fashion Design Center. She launched Skye Gibson Designs just last year, in June; we recently caught up with the designer to find out what inspired her new line of luxurious dresses and separates…

The Ten Best Comedy Events in Denver in February

By the time February settles in, Denverites have already plowed through their Netflix queues and ordered from every restaurant within their delivery radius, so by now everyone is ready to face facts and brave the dreadful climate for a chance to get out of the house. Between its centerpiece romantic holiday, historical significance and the odd leap year, February is a month for going about one’s business and pretending bot to be miserable. However, since nothing salves the weary valves quite like a truly hilarious joke, Westword has compiled a list of fancy-tickling comedy shows to keep readers giggling all throughout this short, bleak month. With a flourishing of new local shows, visits from comedy legends of past and present and even a smattering of Valentine’s Day themed entertainment, there are more reasons than ever to spend the winter laughing in the dark with strangers, trying to forget how lonely we all are.

Get Your Hands on Arty Paper at the Foothills Pop-Up Shop

Two Hands Paperie, a Boulder-based retailer that specializes in paper wares, was the perfect fit for Beyond Words: Contemporary Book Art, the show at Foothills Art Center through March 22. “This is our first time doing a pop-up shop,” explains Ro Medina, outreach director at Foothills Art Center. “It seemed…

Last Words From Jessica Hernandez, Killed by Cops

Before seventeen-year-old Jessica Hernandez became a household name after she was shot to death by Denver officers while in a stolen car, she was part of Art From Ashes, a local program — and MasterMind Award winner — that works with at-risk youth through creative-empowerment workshops. Here are two of…

The Mayday Experiment: Attack of the Killer Mold

I was making another interminable hardware-store run after one of the heavy rains that had been slowing our progress on the tiny house last summer. Even though I was often up late working, Philip Spangler, my friend from graduate school who was helping me build the tiny house, was generally…

Elitch Lanes Will Move to Western Bowl in Arvada on May 18

When Cal Eichinger learned that the building on Tennyson Street housing Elitch Lanes had been sold, he didn’t waste any time. Right away, he started looking for a new location for the beloved neighborhood bowling alley — and in May, right after the original Elitch Lanes closes, a new Elitch…

Seven Films to See at the Denver Jewish Film Festival

When programming a film festival that caters to a particular segment of the population — be it black, Asian, gay, Latino, Christian or Jewish — organizers endeavor to find films that speak from many different voices to tell the group’s collective story. But they also must be careful not to…

Another 100 Colorado Creatives: Colin Ward

#38: Colin Ward Colin Ward lives to create, juggling disciplines with grace at Rhinoceropolis, one of Denver’s most successful DIY arts spaces (it celebrates its tenth anniversary this year). No prima donna, the musician, producer, composer, performer, percussionist, painter, video artist, curator and events designer seeks to bring talented people…

Five Best Places to Watch Documentaries in Metro Denver

If you’re looking for the truth, Colorado’s a great place to be. Our state’s documentary directors have made movies that brought home Oscars, became Sundance selections and won prestigious festival awards, and movie programmers work tirelessly to bring the best of contemporary and historical nonfiction films to local audiences. Here…

LOHAS Apparel Takes Pride in Eco-Friendly, Colorado-Made Products

LOHAS Apparel, a new eco-textile clothing and accessory company based in Denver, strives to promote a lifestyle of health and sustainability, and its designs offer a modern and sleek take on eco-friendly products. “We take pride in our Colorado-made products and the reduction of our carbon footprint,” says Anna Smith,…

DU Senior Conor Dowdle Paints History in a New Light

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. “I paint thick, and I really like the physical aspect to painting,”…

Ten Best Film Events in Metro Denver for February 2015

Whether you’re planning to find warmth in February through God’s light, red-hot porn, global-warming anxiety or athletic burn, thaw out at one of the Denver area’s movie theaters. This month programmers will be reflecting on everything from Judaism to wolf extinction to ultra-endurance racing on local screens. So put on…

Three Things to Do for Free in Denver, February 2-5

Since you’ve already sent off your rent check (if not, remember that we’re a month into 2015), you’ll want to save money this week — but still have fun. Over the next few days, you can check out some hot art, meet a brilliant writer and hustle your way into…