The Great American Beer Festival Makes Its Way to Boulder →

By Tyra Sutak

Missed out on your chance to grab those coveted tickets to the Great American Beer Festival this year?

Huge bummer, dude. 

But don’t worry. Even though thousands of people battle it out on the interwebs each year to snag a ticket to the fest before they sell out (which happens in a matter of minutes), the GABF craft beer fun doesn’t stop at the walls of the Colorado Convention Center. Local breweries are updating their events calendars as we speak with craft beer-centric events, special tappings, and additional tour hours to celebrate GABF week and all that is good about craft beer.

Check out how these local breweries are celebrating GABF week this year:

Avery Brewing Co.

Oct. 1st through Oct. 3rd - Avery will be running brewery tours at 12 p.m., 2 p.m. and 4 p.m., with special tappings taking place at 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.  

Oct. 3rd - Great Avery Boulder Fest | The Fox Theater | 8:30 p.m.

Join Avery as they bring a little bit of the GABF to Boulder at this event that celebrates a local venue, locally-made beer, and live music by local bands. They’re busting out the big guns at this event, and dipping into Adam Avery’s own personal cellar along with favorite special tappings from the Avery tap room including: Rumpkin, Pump[KY]n, Bad Apple, Lillikoi Kepolo, Chai Brown, Out of Mind, Wet Hop Pale Ale, and GORED! The Magic Beans and Analog Son! are providing the live music. Tickets are $20 and can be purchased here.

Bru

Sept. 29th - The Art of Pairing Beer & Food |  6 p.m. 

Sept. 30th – Special Tapping – Loch Wee Heavy Scotch Ale | 6 p.m. 

Oct. 1st – 2nd Annual Steins & Staches | 7 p.m. 

$8 house pint pours in your stein. Contest for best facial hair 

Oct. 2nd – Special Tapping – 2nd Anniversary Ale | 6 p.m.

Complimentary hand built ale for GABF ticket holders

Oct. 3rd - Beer Dinner in the Brewery | 7 p.m. | $40 per person

An intimate 3-course family-style beer dinner

Oct. 4th – Special Tapping – Fresh Hop American Pale Ale | 6 p.m.

Oct. 5th - GABF Hangover Brunch | 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. | $22 per person

Entree & 2 hand built ales included in ticket price

Click here for more info on all of Bru’s GABF events. 

FATE Brewing Co. 

Now through September 28th- The folks at FATE feel bad for you for not snagging GABF tickets this year. But it’s cool. They’re giving a pair away! Click here for more info on how to win. 

Upslope Brewing Co. 

Oct. 1st - Special Tappings | 11 a.m. 

While Upslope has a lot going on in Denver during GABF week, they’re kickstarting festivities at their Flatiron Park location by tapping a Nitro Blonde Ale and the UpUpUpUp Local Honey Pale Ale— a collaboration beer with Freshcraft. 

Oct. 1st - The Perfect Pairing: The local cheese gods at Cured are stopping by the Flatiron Park tap room for a beer and cheese pairing.

For more info on both events.

Wildwoods Brewery

Sept 27th – Wildwoods is throwing down on September 27th with a big ol’ anniversary party to kick off GABF festivities. Enjoy special beers, live music from Caribou Mountain Collective, food from Blackbelly, and commemorative mugs.More info here.

How to Eat Healthy and Support Local Farms This Winter →

By Tyra Sutak

The cold weather months are quickly approaching—which means the clean-eating, buy local, organic food aficionados of Boulder can kiss the coveted weekly trips to the Farmers’ Market goodbye.

But we live in a very special place, where local chefs, restaurateurs, and farmers are working overtime this time of year to make sure that locally-grown veggies and produce still find their way onto our plates and into our kitchens this fall and winter.

For Chef Bradford Heap, the mastermind behind SALT the Bistro and its sister restaurant, Colterra, sourcing food from local farms year-round embodies his hopefulness for the future of food. His menus change throughout the year to reflect what’s in season. His kitchens are sans freezers to further support his commitment to serving his customers fresh, organic, GMO-free cuisine. He’s invested money and physical labor into local farms in hopes that his efforts today will allow his 10-year old twins to enjoy healthy, tasty food in the future.

It’s about knowing what’s in your food. It’s fully appreciating everything on the animal. It’s about having a larger respect for food and farming. Organic farming isn’t just for hippies anymore.” – Chef Bradford Heap

As the fall harvest season begins, Chef Heap and his team are busy planning and stocking up for the next few months. Working closely with David Asbury of Full Circle Certified Organic Farms—the largest organic vegetable farm in Colorado, the kitchens at SALT and Colterra are filled with chefs pickling, preserving, and curing freshly harvested finds. And it’s not just the farm-to-table movement they’re perfecting. It’s the farm-to-bar movement as well. Local berries end up in simple syrups and fresh herbs create depth to the prohibition era-style cocktails served at the bar. Taste the difference that locally-grown ingredients make at one of Chef Heap’s restaurants, or visit your local farm stand to stock up on your own harvest finds.

Tips from the Local Chefs & Farmers:

• Take stock, store up! Root vegetables, apples, pears, kale, and chard and just a few items in season this time of year. Buy in bulk and store in a cool, dark place for future use.
• Think outside the can. Consider pickling and curing your freshly harvested finds. Pickled watermelon rind and cured meats make a nice addition to a charcuterie board.
• Raspberries and strawberries are still at their peak this time of year. Fresh berries are perfect for preserving into jams and jellies.
• Eating locally is more than just enjoying fresh vegetables and fruit. Locally-made meats and cheese are available all year long.
• Don’t give up on your local farm stand! The folks at Full Circle Farms are serving the public year-round. Check out the hours for their Rocky Mountain Pumpkin Ranch farm store here: http://www.rockymtnpumpkinranch.com/.

Dating on the Brink of 30: Absolutely priceless…right? →

 Tyra Sutak

 May 31, 2013

We’ve all been there. It’s the end of the night and the apprehensive waiter or bartender neutrally sets the bill down directly in the middle of you and your date.

You make a half-ass move for your purse and your date fumbles around, pretending to forget which pocket he put his wallet in.

You both avoid eye-contact, but stare intently at each other beneath curious eyelids.

It’s kind of like the adult game of chicken. One of you will eventually crack and reach for the bill.

The financial aspect of a date can be a little tricky. You might be finishing up the best date of your life—or, maybe, your date showed up buzzed and ate the last two pieces of quesadilla off of your plate. Regardless, for many, the money side of the evening can be a determining factor in the overall rating of the date.

When women started burning their bras and demanding equal rights in the ’60s, the men in America tightened the grip on their wallets, vowing to do their part to further women’s rights by allowing the ladies to financially pull their own weight.

Over time, the rules of “who pays for a date” have changed, and we currently live in a world where anything goes. Some women still demand to be treated on the date. Other women are adamant about taking turns paying or splitting the check. And, on the flip side, some men – not wanting to be disowned by their mothers – grab the check before it even hits the table. And still other men consume three drinks for every one that his date orders and still feel comfortable offering to “just split it” when the pricy bill gets delivered.

No matter which category you fall in, always keep the following rules in mind:

1.)    If you splurge, don’t expect your date to. A small salad and a glass of wine is nothing compared to four scotch-on-the-rocks and a sirloin steak. If you ordered it, own it.

2.)    If you chose a $$$-rated establishment, be prepared to shell out a little more. Don’t expect your date to compensate for your expensive taste.

3.)    Always bring a little extra cash. Even you if came out the loser of the “let me get this one, no let me get this one” game, offer to at least cover the tip. Show that you appreciate your date’s generosity and vow to pick up the next one.

Dating on the Brink of 30: Exes and Ohs →

 Tyra Sutak

 June 7, 2013

When you run into an ex for the first time following a break-up, you want it to be perfect.

You want to be prepared.

You want to rub your awesome bachelorette-hood and exciting new life all up in their unappreciative face.

What you don’t want to do is run into your ex for the first time immediately following a torrential downpour and an epic mountain biking crash that leaves you and your shiny spandex covered from head to toe in mud and shame…

When it comes to encounters of the ex-factor—all bets are off.

Whether your life together was brief, or some serious “’til death do us part” vows were broken, seeing your former significant other for the first time since the split is never fun—which is why I completely condone temporarily blowing off every societal idea of what it means to be a “grown-up”.

If you stumble upon your ex for the first time in a grocery store, it’s totally appropriate to abandon your grocery cart or basket, mid-trip, especially if it’s filled with pints of Ben & Jerry’s Chunky Monkey. Abort operation “need frozen dinners and a 24-pack of toilet paper” and head for the exit.

If the first time you come face to face with your ex is in an establishment that serves adult beverages—weigh your options. How badly do you need that drink? Last time I saw my ex, I was at a brewery a good 10-15 minutes away from good beer-civilization. After considering all of my options, I decided that I needed that drink real bad, and casually strolled to an open seat farthest from the man that recently tossed my heart in a meat grinder. Unfortunately, that seat happened to be right outside of the only men’s restroom in the building. Rookie mistake. If you decide to take your chances at co-existing in the same place with your ex for a prolonged period of time, make sure you steer clear of the little boys’ or girls’ room.

If it’s a good day, you curled your hair and shaved your legs that morning, and you feel on top of your game—say “hello”. But, make it brief. Remember—you don’t owe your ex anything, and if you accidentally fling a bunch of mud in his direction once you finally get your bike upright and wipe the mud off of your sunglasses, that’s okay, too.

Mending a broken heart is far more important than acting your age

ALONG THE BANKS OF THE MIGHTY ST. VRAIN

My first day as a resident of Lyons, CO was pretty much the worst. I was six years old and starting my first day of first grade at Lyons Elementary School. I spent most of that day mean-mugging my classmates and hatin’ life. I was mad at my mom for making me wear a stupid dress. I was plotting revenge on my older sister for ignoring me on the playground, and I was researching ways to commit my dad to a mental institution for uprooting our family and moving us out to a hundred-year-old farmhouse in the middle of nowhere.

As time went on, that tiny little town grew on me. I made lifelong friends, and we spent our days wandering around town, buying candy buttons at Becky Jacobson’s store on Main Street and weaseling our way into pick-up games of basketball at Bohn Park. We blew up tubes and floated down the icy waters of the St. Vrain River in the summer, and gorged ourselves on ice cream at the Dairy Lite. As I kid, I used to play epic games of hide-and-seek around the Planet Bluegrass property long before it was ever a destination for world-class musicians. On warm days, I used to sprint out of my driveway and run down the winding Old South St. Vrain Road until I reached the bridge near the old Andesite Mine– always admiring the view for a minute before finally turning around to race the sun home.

Today, that bridge is gone—as are most of the places that make up my childhood memories. Washed away in the floods that struck the area a little over a month ago.

That first day of the flood, on September 12th, was the longest day of my life. It started with a frantic phone call from my sister at the ungodly hour of 6 a.m. She wanted to know if I was okay, and I couldn’t understand why. I was buried under a cozy fort of blankets and pillows in my bed in Boulder, blissfully unaware of the chaos building up around me. Completely clueless that my parents and grandma were battling massive walls of water, pouring over the banks of the nearby St. Vrain River and surrounding their home just outside of Lyons. I had no idea that my brother-in-law was attempting to make his way from his home in Lyons to his job in Boulder—only to find out that the one road connecting his two worlds had been washed away. As the day went on, the situation got worse. Phone lines went down, and communication with my family in Lyons became sporadic at best. My sister and brother-in-law were trapped on one side of the swelling river, and my mom, dad and grandma were frantically trying to reach higher ground on the other side. Random phone calls would contain frantic instructions.

“Call your sister and tell her we’re trying to get to their house!”

“Tell mom and dad the bridge is washed out and no one can get through!”

“A neighbor in a backhoe made the driveway passable and we got a car out and made it up the hill! Tell everyone we’re okay for now!”

At one point in time, my mom and dad were separated, leaving my mom safe at a neighbor’s house and my dad watching three foot high walls of water thrash through his property. When I finally got through to my dad that day, I couldn’t really hear what he was shouting at me; the sound of roaring water was so loud. I heard him yell my name a couple of times before the dial tone took over.  If you’ve ever lost a loved one, my heart goes out to you. If you’ve ever gone hours on end not knowing if your loved ones were alive—I want to hug you and buy you whiskey.

Around 8 o’clock that night, I finally confirmed the safety of my family in Lyons. Relieved and exhausted, I sat down to give my beating heart a rest, which lasted a few brief minutes before I heard the stern voice accompanying the flood sirens blaring along the banks of the Boulder Creek near my house. I thought the eerie sound of that siren was the most terrifying thing I’d ever experienced, until my power started flickering on and off and the sound of my neighbor screaming started echoing throughout my neighborhood. I sat alone, watching the streets surrounding my house morph into rushing rivers. Around 3 a.m., I finally tucked myself into a ball on my couch and prayed for morning.

I spent the next two days seeking comfort in groups and worrying about my family trapped in Lyons. I blankly stared at photos of blown out bridges and roads, crying residents, and empty patches of land where houses I had played in as child used to stand.  I listened to news reports of the decimation of the sewage plant and severe flooding of the only market in town.

It’s been a month, and the sight of rain clouds still give me goosebumps. The town of Lyons still looks like a total war zone. Hugs last a little longer now. The sound of the river can be heard from just about every part of town, and the break in my dad’s voice as he whispered, “I wasn’t sure if we were going to make it, T,” still echos in my thoughts on most days.

The water washed away so much that makes up the heart of Lyons, but it takes more than a natural disaster to destroy the spirit of the small town. Stories of heroism, friendship, and respect stick out among the rubble that covers the broken streets.

As a little girl, my grandma used to tell me that good things come in small packages.

Lyons might be small, but the good that resonates within it will rebuild it.

New bridges and roads will fill in the empty landscape in the area. Planet Bluegrass will reopen its doors. Tourists toting mountain bikes and sporting hiking shoes will once again fill the trails and local eateries.

If you can help, you should. There are so many ways to do so.

You can make monetary donations to the Oskar Blues CAN’d Aid Colorado Flood Relief Fund that I helped create in response to the flooding. To date the fund has already received nearly $200,000 in generous donations and over half of that amount has already been distributed to individuals and small businesses hit hard by disaster. You can grab a pair of gloves and a shovel and help with clean-up efforts. (http://hands.org/.) And you can keep the town of Lyons alive in conversations. Share the stories that you’ve witnessed and heard and the photos that you hold along to people that have already forgotten which county Lyons is a part of. Just because our TV screens are no longer saturated with images of angry rivers and sad looking buildings, doesn’t mean that the scars left behind have healed.

Lyons will never be the same. But it will always, always be home.

BOULDER CREEK FESTIVAL HOPES TO HEAT UP YOUR SUMMER CALENDAR →

 

By Tyra Sutak For the Camera

Posted:   05/16/2013 03:57:09 PM MDT

Updated:   05/16/2013 04:26:50 PM MDT

There’s so much to do at the Boulder Creek Festival that Kira Cassulo is virtually able to walk on water at the 2012 event. (Daily Camera File Photo)

If you goWhat: Boulder Creek Festival

When: 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Saturday, May 25, and Sunday, May 26 (exhibitor booths close at 7 p.m.); 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday, May 27

Where: Downtown Boulder along the Boulder Creek corridor, extending from Ninth Street to 14th Street between Canyon Boulevard and Arapahoe Avenue

Admission: Free

What: Boulder Creek Hometown Festival

When: 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 31, and Sunday, Sept. 1; 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday, Sept. 2

Where: Downtown Boulder along the Boulder Creek corridor (extending from 13th Street to 10th Street), Boulder Municipal Building lawn and Central Park lawn.

Admission: Free

Info: bceproductions.com

Despite the heavy snow that blanketed Boulder County in late April and early May, leaving most of us wondering if we would ever see warm weather and dry trails, summertime finally has arrived.

Well, maybe not by strict calendar standards but certainly in terms of the festival season.

Just ask the folks at Boulder Creek Events, who once again are gearing up to welcome summer back by staging one of Boulder’s more popular events.

In a tradition that spans 26 years, the Boulder Creek Festival marks the unofficial start to the summer in Boulder and a very busy local festival season.

Staged annually over Memorial Day Weekend, the three-day Boulder Creek Festival, originally conceived as “I Love Boulder Week,” encourages locals and tourists alike to emerge from winter hibernation and gather together to celebrate the unique and energetic Boulder spirit.

“It’s the quintessential Boulder event,” said Meg Denbow, director of communications for Boulder Creek Events.

Don’t let the “creek” in Boulder Creek Festival fool you. Even landlubbers can find something to do, as these 2012 festival-goers learned during a carnival ride. (Daily Camera File Photo)

“It’s as Boulder as it gets, and there’s something for everybody.”One would hope so, considering the festival offers such events as the signature Rubber Duck Race down Boulder Creek, a juried art show, 500 vendors, four performance stages with live music, a beer garden serving up cold beer from Avery Brewing Co., a wide variety of food vendors and a fishing derby and carnival rides for children.

And this year, one of Colorado’s favorite performers is returning to help close the festival.

Hazel Miller and her band will belt out jazz and blues tunes at the bandshell at 5 p.m. Monday, May 27, as the last musical act of the festival — and Miller can’t wait.

“The festival has such an amazing mix of demographic. It’s

Lynn Edelman enjoys some of the art that was on exhibit at the 2012 Boulder Creek Festival. (Daily Camera File Photo)

like everybody is represented,” the Denver-based singer said. “And the people are always, always ready to dance — and for a band, that is the greatest compliment in the world.”If the Boulder Creek Festival signifies the beginning of warmer months, Boulder Creek Events’ other anticipated event, the Boulder Creek Hometown Festival, is a sign of summer’s end. The Hometown Festival takes place Labor Day Weekend and consists of several little events within the overall event, including the Great Zucchini Race, Classic Car Show, Big Wheel 500 races and a crowd favorite, Chili Inferno Cook-Off.

Both festivals continue to grow and expand with each passing year, drawing thousands of people to the downtown area along the banks of Boulder Creek — a feat Denbow attributes to the BCE staff.

“I think that we know the community really well, and we respond to what the community wants,” Denbow said. “And we really, really love what we do. We have so much fun doing it that it’s sort of obvious when you go to the events that we’re having a blast ourselves.”

Jessica Lucas, center, a member of Longmont’s Dance Dimensions, helps entertain folks at the 2012 Boulder Creek Festival. (Daily Camera File Photo)

COLORADO’S SMALLER FESTIVALS CAN OFFER MORE INTIMATE VIBES AND MORE BANG PER BUCK →

 

Marquee Magazine

– May 1, 2013

By Tyra Sutak

While the financially inclined might be able to attend a mega festival every weekend of the summer, in today’s economy, finding events that are a little easier on the wallet is a top priority.

With that in mind, The Marquee has selected a number of Colorado events that might not have the world’s biggest headliners, but they also don’t have ginormous ticket prices, either. Many of these events end up having a much more down-home feel, are more family oriented, and offer the chance to discover the flourishing local talent.

Campout For The Cause

http://www.campoutforthecause.org

May 24-26

State Bridge

This event offers up great music and fun for the entire family. For the fifth year in row, Campout For The Cause has a killer lineup of local bands including The Grant Farm, The Congress, Whitewater Ramble, Mountain Standard Time, Zion I, Jaden Carlson, and many more. And though it’s been said that music is good for the soul, this festival strives to feed your soul by adding yoga and wellness workshops along with fun outdoor activities, like stand up paddling, to the mix. Over 20 artists are participating this year, in the event which supports a variety of philanthropic entities.

Capitol Hill People’s Fair

http://www.chundenver.org

June 1-2

Civic Center Park, Denver

One of Denver’s most beloved music events is back and celebrating its forty-second year. The Capitol Hill People’s Fair not only celebrates the local music scene, but celebrates diversity and the residents of Denver as well. Browse through arts and crafts by local artists and listen to a stream of music put on by local bands and musicians chosen from a live audition at The Celtic Tavern earlier this year. The lineup for this event is announced in May, so stay tuned to see who will be rocking this two-day festival benefiting the Greater Capitol Hill community and other local non-profit organizations.

LOHI Music Festival

http://www.lohimusicfestival.com

June 15

Lower Highlands, Denver, 32nd and Vallejo

The Lower Highlands area is the ‘it’ place to live in Denver these days, so not surprisingly this hip neighborhood has its own outdoor festival jam-packed with a lineup of some of the hottest local bands. Organized by Justin Picard, owner of the impressive local music blog Music Marauders, LoHi 2013 will feature The String Cheese Incidents’ own Kyle Hollingsworth and his band, with special guest Michael Kang, along with Toubab Krewe, Poor Man’s Whiskey, and the Garrett Sayers Trio. And when the music wraps up at the end of this single-day festival, the official Late Night party begins at Cervantes’ Masterpiece Ballroom.

Bluegrass in Paradise

http://www.bluegrassinparadise.com

July 6-7

Base Area at Red Lady Lift – Crested Butte

It’s all about strings and harmonies at the Bluegrass in Paradise two-day festival in Crested Butte. This mini-fest isn’t just putting on some great live music, they’re teaching festival-goers how to create their own sweet harmonies too, with a variety of musician workshops being offered during the festival. And if you have a mini Allison Krauss or Steve Martin on your hands, sign them up for the Bluegrass Kids Camp! Breathe in some fresh mountain air and enjoy free camping under the stars while you listen to bands like Boulder County favorites Bonnie & The Clydes, Barnstar!, the Nashville Bluegrass Band, and Drew Emmitt & the Paradise Bluegrass Band — featuring Sam Bush.

Royal Gorge Whitewater Festival
http://www.royalgorgewhitewaterfestival.com

June 21-22, 2013

Centennial Park – Cañon City

Listening to live tunes on the river is one of the best ways to spend a Colorado summer day, and the Royal Gorge Whitewater Festival along the banks of the Arkansas River is a magical spot. With the addition of a river stage this year, this festival is the perfect place to kick back but still enjoy the high-energy action of the USA Rafting R-6 Nationals and whitewater and adventure events happening on the river. Check out bands like James and the Devil, whose style of music has been dubbed “Rocky Mountain hip-hop and fiddlerock,” The Hitlist, and the “reggae-ish” group, The Highside Command.

Carbon Valley Music Festival

facebook.com/carbonvalleymusicfestival

August 3

Centennial Field – Dacono

In its sixth year, the Carbon Valley Music Festival has grown as large as the town’s symbolic water tower and draws crowds from all over with well-known performers from Colorado’s local music scene taking the stage each year. This year Carbon Valley will host The Samples, Face, Jeff Brinkman, and Jaden Carlson. Local beer and libations are served at this one-day festival, and if locally produced music and booze aren’t enough to draw you in, there’s also a fireworks show and loads of family activities.

DATING ON THE BRINK OF 30– DATING IS… HARD →

 

Posted by tsutak in Uncategorized and tagged with 303 Magazine, DatingMay 10, 2013

Dating as a teenager is awesome. You pass a note to the nearest boy without braces—as long as he doesn’t smell and only sports the average amount of hormonal acne that comes along with that weird phase between childhood and adulthood. If he checks the ‘yes’ box, you’re committed—like, seriously. You’re boyfriend and girlfriend, and you might as well start scoping out those $.25 vending machines at the mall for the perfect ring, because it’s pretty obvious that in no time you’ll be doodling your first name and his last name on a real wedding certificate and not just on your rad Trapper Keeper.

Dating in your early twenties is pretty easy, too. You accept when that cocky, loafer-wearing Sigma Chi from your Literature class invites you to his next house party. You down one too many jello shots and the next thing you know, you’re staying the night, attending formals and planning which city you both will settle down and pop babies out in after graduation.

But, dating on the brink of thirty—now that’s hard. It’s like you’ve failed at everything, and I mean everything, leading up to this point in your life. When you run into old friends, instead of inquiring about your amazing career as an astronaut, a doctor, a dispensary owner, or whatever other jobs 30-year-olds are employed in these days, they ask the question.

“So—are you seeing anyone?”

Instead of relaying the details of your latest Match.com date that ended with a high-five and a lonely walk back to your car, you lie through your teeth.

So where to start? Do you dive into the world of online dating with a sweet profile that includes an outdated photo and a gross exaggeration of your exercise habits? Do you cruise the local bar scene? Do you cave and say yes the next time your mom tries to set you up with your second cousin? He is twice removed…

Whichever dating path you choose, remember—dating is a lot like eating ice cream. Sometimes you give a new flavor a test run, and it’s awesome. And sometimes you take a chance and end up learning a really valuable lesson. But, no matter which flavor you choose, if you take it slow and steady, and savor the moment, you can escape the headache and skate through any icy patch with dignity in tow.

Frozen Dead Guy Days Mixes Top Local Music With Its Morbidly Fun Theme →

 

Marquee Magazine

– March 1, 2013

By Tyra Sutak

Known as one of the most unique and quirky festivals in the country, Nederland’s Frozen Dead Guy Days — the freakiest festival along the Freak to Freak Highway — has after 12 years become a world ‘renowned’ event.

The event pays homage to Bredo Morstol, who is frozen in a state of suspended animation inside a Tuff Shed above Nederland.

While Colorado’s “most frigidly fun festival” features outrageous events like coffin races, a polar plunge, ice turkey bowling, a frozen t-shirt contest, brain freeze contests, snow volleyball, a parade of hearses, the frozen salmon toss, and ice break dancing, the musical lineup provides three days of outstanding, free, Colorado-based acts in an extremely festive atmosphere.

The performances – which include everything from rock, blues and funk, to bluegrass, Americana and folk – are spread out over two stages during the day, the ReAnimate Yourself Tent at Chipeta Park and the Brain Freezer Tent on East First Street, as well as in the town’s bars and restaurants at night. Below are a few highlights of the lineup.

A complete schedule of events and musical acts can be found by visitinghttp://www.frozendeadguydays.org. All events are free, with the exception of the Blue Ball.

:: Power Lung Rangers ::
:: ReAnimate Yourself Tent ::

:: March 8 — 4:45-6 pm ::

Straight out of the streets of Boulder County, this 4-piece band is tossing funk, old-school rap and hip-hop into a bowl and mixing it up a bit. Led by smooth-talking MC, Heather Taylor, the Power Lung Rangers brings the lighter side of rap to the ReAnimate Yourself Tent on Friday afternoon.

:: Rocktin Grove ::

:: ReAnimate Yourself Tent ::

:: March 8 — 6:30-8 pm ::

This seven-piece band from Boulder meshes funk, bluegrass, some jazz, and a touch of salsa flair. At times, this cleanly harmonized band resembles the Avett Brothers — if the popular band had a horn section. Other times, the group sounds like someone gave Sly and the Family Stone a banjo.

:: Gipsy Moon ::

:: The Good the Bad and the Frozen Blue Ball ::

:: March 8 — 8 pm- 2 am ::

Fresh off their first gig at the Boulder Theater, the Nederland-based four piece string band will be performing in front of a hometown crowd at the traditional Blue Ball, where they will open for the ‘mystery headliner’ Billy’s Rock Billy. Gipsy Moon is quickly becoming known for their quick picking that they define as “Gipsygrass,” combined with rustic harmonies, the smoldering vocals of band member Mackenzie Page, and nature-inspired lyrics that create a place where backwoods music and old-timey jazz collide. A Gipsy Moon show should come with a complimentary starry night, a warm campfire, and a jug of something potent to sip on.

:: Horse and Sparrow ::
:: ReAnimate Yourself Tent ::

:: March 9 — 12:45-2 pm ::

This set marks the debut of Horse and Sparrow — a new project with current and former members of local Americana royalty Great American Taxi. Along with a crew of three other accomplished Front Range musicians, Taxi keyboardist Chad Staehly, and former Taxi drummer Jake Coffin utilize the Taxi sound as simply a jumping off point to explore musical regions that never appeared on Taxi’s routes.

:: The Zimmermans ::
:: Brain Freezer Tent ::

:: March 9 — 12:45-2 pm ::

The Zimmerman’s love Bob Dylan. Understatements aside, The Zimms, as they’re affectionately known, are a Boulder-based band that have been performing together since 2006, covering generation-defining tunes by Robert Allen Zimmerman, better known as Bob Dylan, along with some added hidden gems by the iconic rocker.

:: Highway 50 ::
:: Brain Freezer Tent ::

:: March 9 — 2:30-3:45 pm ::

U.S. Route 50 connects Colorado’s Western Slope to the Front Range in the same way that longtime local musician Al Laughlin and his Highway 50 band connect ska, reggae, pop, funk and jazz together. Founder of the popular ’90s band The Samples, Laughlin is still working the Colorado music scene playing keyboards and percussion with guitarist James Hambleton and a rotating lineup of familiar popular local musicians.

:: Fox Street Allstars ::
:: ReAnimate Yourself Tent ::

:: March 9 — 7-8:30 pm ::

The Fox Street Allstars take the best of ’60s funk and soul and ’80s rock music and jam them together to create a weathered sound that the band routinely performs to packed houses in and around the Denver area. Whether they’re twisting up a well-known cover song or performing a Fox Street original from their new album Tough Talk, the Allstars feature a refined cast of solid musicians that can tackle anything from barroom rock to country shuffle to smooth R&B.

:: She Said String Band ::
:: ReAnimate Yourself Tent ::

:: March 10 — 11 am-12:15 pm ::

Girl power is alive and well and thriving in the five-piece She Said String Band. Bluegrass through and through, this all-girl band will kick off musical festivities in Chipeta Park on Sunday morning with some good old fashioned picking and a stream of upbeat tunes. Lead vocalist Allison Weiss has a touch of Detroit rock in her voice, which tunes up nicely with the band’s on-point harmonies and mastered instrumentals.

:: Stereo Giants ::
:: ReAnimate Yourself Tent ::

:: March 10  —2:30-3:45 pm ::

Hailing originally from the high country of Colorado, the Stereo Giants fuse rock and the funk with raspy vocals and horn-driven instrumentals. Huevos, the band’s latest EP, is stacked with psychedelic guitar spliffs, funky horns, and a little hint of southern country music.

:: DeadPhish Orchestra ::
:: ReAnimate Yourself Tent ::

:: March 10 — 4:15 pm-6 pm ::

You can’t swing a dead anything in Nederland without hitting a Deadhead or a Phishhead, so the melding of the two super jam bands may just be the perfect fit for Frozen Dead Guy Days. Featuring the rhythm section of Great American Taxi, as well as three musicians who used to play together in the Phish tribute Phix, DeadPhish Orchestra jam together songs from both groups into setlists that end up featuring song segues like “Help/Slip/Frankenstein,” or “Scarlet Begonias/Tweezer/Slipknot,” and encores like “Dark Star > Harry Hood.”

Photographers salute Boulder’s open space →

 

By Tyra Sutak For the Camera

Posted:   03/02/2013 01:00:00 AM MST

This work by Milos Tomajko is among the images on display at “Lands Through the Lens.” (Courtesy photo)

If you goWhat: “Lands Through the Lens” photo exhibit in conjunction with Boulder County Parks & Open Space

When: Friday, March 8, through Friday, April 19. Opening reception 5-7 p.m. Friday, March 8

Where: The Dairy Center for the Arts, 2590 Walnut St., Boulder

Tickets: Photo exhibits are free

Info: 303-440-7826 or thedairy.org

Etc.: The Dairy also will offer three other photography exhibits and two films. The exhibits are “A Neurotic Erotic Alphabet” by Boulder’s Paula Sussman (Parents, it carries a PG-13 rating); “Sand & Snow: Inner Mongolia,” by 10 American photographers, and an “In-Focus Gallery” by Jim Steinberg, a Steamboat Springs-based travel and nature photographer.

The films are “Journal de France,” a self-portrait of photographer and filmmaker Raymond Depardon, and “Gregory Crewdson: Brief Encounters,” a documentary that offers unprecedented access to the photographer. There will be a discussion with a guest to be determined after “Journal de France” screens at 7 p.m. Wednesday. After “Gregory Crewdson” screens at 7 p.m. Thursday, local artist Angela Beloian and sibling filmmakers and still photographers Marco and Gonzago Corvo will lead a talk.

Boulder County is home to 97,000 acres of open space, much to the benefit of the athletic and outdoorsy crowd that calls the area home.

But it’s not just the thrill-seeking mountain bikers, the dedicated trail runners or the solitude-seeking hikers who routinely enjoy Boulder County’s bountiful open space land. BoCo’s art community is stepping outside the studio and hitting the trails to find creative inspiration and to immortalize the natural beauty of Colorado through their own eyes.

“We always hear a lot about the recreation community — mountain bikers and hikers — utilizing the open space, but there is another under-recognized group of open space lovers,” said Karen Imbierowicz, Boulder County Parks and Open Space partnership coordinator.

Through mid-April, Boulder County Parks and Open Space is teaming with The Dairy Center for the Arts to celebrate those outdoor-loving artists and National Photography Month by hosting an exhibit to showcase stunning photographs of the flora, fauna, farmlands, forests and residents of local county parks and open space land.

Nearly a year in the making, the “Land Through the Lens” exhibit will run March 8 through April 19 and will feature work by nearly 60 amateur and professional photographers of all different ages.

“Over 400 photographs were submitted, and of those, 100 were chosen,” Imbierowicz said. “There are a lot of landscape photos, but there are also some wildlife photos and some different types of artistic photos, as well.”

Photographs by 46 adults and 10 youth, chosen by Dairy Center photography jurors, will be on display in the nature-inspired exhibit. Five prizes will be given away in the adult category, including a People’s Choice award and a Commissioner’s Choice award along with three prizes for the top photographs entered in the youth category. All prize winners will be announced at the exhibit’s opening Friday. Along with the unveiling of the prize winners, opening night will feature light appetizers by Guillaume’s European Catering and desserts by Piece, Love & Chocolate. There will be an Artist Talk from 4 to 5 p.m., followed by the 5-7 p.m. reception.

All artwork will be for sale, and a portion of the profits will be donated to the Parks and Open Space’s sister organization, the Boulder County Parks and Open Space Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to creating opportunities for people to enjoy Boulder County’s open space.

RAW is spreading word of underground artists →

By Tyra Sutak For the Cameradailycamera.com

Posted:   02/22/2013 09:49:49 AM MST

February 22, 2013 4:59 PM GMTUpdated:   02/22/2013 09:58:54 AM MST

If you goWhat: “Discovery,” presented by Boulder RAW Artists

When: 6-10 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 24

Where: Absinthe House, 1109 Walnut St., Boulder

Tickets: $10 in advance, $15 at the door

Info: rawartists.org/boulder

Etc.: This is an over-21 event. Happy-hour food and beverage pricing will be offered 6-7 p.m.

Artists run wild in the city of Boulder, whether they’re sculpting fascinating pieces out of metal as commissioned centerpieces for city parks, hanging one-of-a-kind fine-art prints and stunning photographs on the walls of art galleries and local coffee shops or putting on myriad art-centric events to celebrate and share the talent housed within the city.

To that end, the Boulder chapter of the RAW Natural Born Artists Organization is throwing one heck of a big art show Sunday at the Absinthe House in downtown Boulder to promote and elevate the careers of 30 promising underground artists working in the area.

This will be anything but a typical gallery show.

“There’s going to be performance, there’s going to be art, there’s going to be food, there’s going to be massage, there’s going to be a fashion show — there are a lot of different things going on,” said Giulia Pecone, RAW’s Boulder Showcase director.

Started in Los Angeles, RAW has become a strong voice for underground artists looking to build their portfolios and make connections with potential supporters and buyers of their work. In the four years since the organization’s inception, RAW has expanded in the United States and now has a presence in more than 50 cities, including Boulder and Denver.

“There are a lot of really good artists out there who deserve recognition,” Pecone said, “and RAW is trying to bring that opportunity to people that

This work, from Ryan Forbeck’s “Seven Deadly Sins” collection, is part of the artist’s debut at a RAW event. (Courtesy photo)

have really worked hard to get where they are.”

Pecone and her team work diligently year-round to produce exciting promotional events for emerging local artists. Held quarterly throughout the year, each Boulder RAW art show showcases about 30 artists whose submissions have been chosen by RAW.

Unlike the serious and calm atmosphere found at most art shows, a RAW event is high energy and includes everything from live DJs, to fashion design, to film, to performance art, to photographers and mixed-media artists interacting with the patrons. Live artists will take their scheduled turn in the spotlight throughout Sunday’s show, while photographs and work by fine artists will be displayed all evening.

“A lot of artists and a lot of great people that live in Boulder do artwork, and we really want to represent them in a way that is showing them off in a professional way but also a fun way,” Pecone said. “There’s never a dull moment when it comes to a RAW event.”

FATE Brewing Company Brings a New Twist to Brewpubs in Boulder →

Tyra Sutak February 21, 2013

Walking into the FATE Brewing Company is like walking into the dining room that I wish I had. A contemporary casual place filled with warm colors, adorably organic centerpieces, good smells, friendly guests, and 30 draft lines streaming delicious local and nationally-brewed craft beer.

Located in the former Playa Azul restaurant space, tucked in the front of the business park at 38th and Araphaoe, FATE Brewing is making waves in its first month of existence on the Boulder craft beer scene.

It seems like FATE owner and founder, Mike Lawinski, thought of just about everything when he designed his first beer/food-centric venture. Fresh off of a 10 year stint with Boulder’s well-known Big Red F Company, Lawinski has branched out to create a stand-out craft beer establishment in the midst of Boulder’s biggest brewery boom. From the inviting and open floor plan, to the cost friendly better-than-bar-food menu, and those nifty little hooks on which to place your purse or jacket on installed on the underside of bar—FATE Brewing may be the new kid in town, but it’s giving the other beer bars and tap rooms in Boulder a good run for their well-earned money.

Although the in-house brewing part of FATE Brewing won’t actually produce products until late March, Lawinkski has creatively found a way to put FATE’s name in the local craft brewing scene without actually serving beer made in his own establishment. Teaming up with local breweries to create a variety of very palatable craft beers, like the not-too-sour Cherry Fate Stout brewed with the Mountain Sun Brewery, or the smooth Twist of Fate Rye Brown Ale created as part of a collaboration with Twisted Pine, FATE has found a way to stick the FATE name on locally brewed craft beers before the thick sheets of murky plastic have even been pulled off of the large glass windows to reveal FATE’s see-through in-house brewing operation.

On Sunday, the restaurant was full of brunch-goers and families, sampling items off of the new food menu and drinking specialty cocktails or one of the collaboration beers that FATE head brewer, Jeff Griffith created with the help of breweries like Twisted Pine, Boulder Beer, Mountain Sun and just about every other Colorado brewery that you can think of. On Wednesday evening, the hip, North Face-wearing, unnaturally fit, 30-something crowd of Boulder braved the snow and came pouring through the door for $4 beers and tasty discounted menu items at happy hour.

While the stacked draft line at the bar isn’t shabby, the food coming out of the FATE kitchen is holding its own as well. “This is the best Rueben that I’ve ever had,” said my brother-in-law, after digging into the house-smoked pastrami Rueben. “I wonder if I can make this at home?” said my sister, after tasting FATE’s flavor-filled pasta salad. “Mmmmm,” said my friend after devouring a spoonful of a FATE dessert special composed of a vanilla-infused buttery biscuit with a tart strawberry and orange compote. I echoed her sounds when it was my turn to sample a spoonful of the concoction.

And perhaps one of my favorite things about FATE Brewing—is the way they have a little something for everyone. Whether you’re a craft beer nerd and looking to geek out on specialty craft beers, just looking for a nice upscale twist on the typical bar food served with your local beer—or, if you’re like me, and schedule most of your meals around your favorite pro sports teams, FATE is just the place for you. Several very conveniently placed TV’s stream a steady program of relevant sports—the kind of sports that you would skip dining out for if it meant missing the big game.

With any new venture comes growing pains, and FATE is no exception. The service isn’t as consistent as a weathered establishment, but the staff is friendly, and eager to share whatever level of beer and menu knowledge that they possess.

Check out FATE Brewing for yourself at: 1600 38th Street (one block west of Foothills on Arapaho Road).

And for a full list of FATE food and beverages, click here.

Challenging Element: Oysters →

 

Tyra Sutak

Published on: February 19th, 2013

Shred or die.” That’s the saying Kyle Mendenhall, executive chef for the collection of The Kitchen Community restaurants, engraved on a silver tasting spoon—an heirloom from his grandmother.

I feel pretty confident giving an ingredient challenge to any chef with a utensil like that—which is how Mendenhall ended up with a Valentine’s Day-inspired ingredient,   not all too familiear to chefs in the land-locked state of Colorado: oysters.

It’s a solid base for so many Valentine’s Day dishes because of its sultry status as a popular aphrodisiac and the overall extravagance of the ingredient.

I called chef Mendenhall one afternoon to give him his challenge, and 24 hours later, I was sitting in the sun-filled, easy-going dining room of The Kitchen Boulder, savoring an elegant oyster quenelle. Champagne and heavy cream sauce. Topped with bits of red apple texture, blanaced by a touch of lemon. And then a complementary glass of Champagne to ease the rich, delicious dish.

By Mendenhall’s definition, a quenelle is “old school French cooking.” A mix of flour, butter, eggs, milk and fish, all mixed together and poached to create a delicate mousse perfect for anyone looking to discover what it truly means to indulge.

“When we serve oysters here, we serve them raw on the half-shell,” Mendenhall said when I asked him what elements made the dish challenging. “The real hard work is in sourcing the [ingredients], where they come from, and the quality of it,” which for Mendenhall, meant taking those quality, fresh ingredients that are the lifeline for The Kitchens’ rustic-style cooking and dressing them up to the nines. But it worked. The oyster juice added into the quenelle mixture and the whole oysters folded in created a strong, but not overpowering flavor for the dish.

The quality ingredients used in any menu item, regardless of how it’s prepared, is what makes a delightful dining experience at any one of The Kitchen Community’s three downtown Boulder restaurants; but the possibility of a decadent dish such as chef Mendenhall’s oyster quenelles is what really makes it special. Then again, I’d expect nothing less from a chef with an engraved tasting spoon.

The Kitchen is located at 1039 Pearl St., Boulder. thekitchencommunity.com.  

BIFF WINNERS GO HOME WITH BOULDER SOUVENIR

 

Posted by tsutak in Art Coverage, Daily Camera, Uncategorized and tagged with Boulder International Film FestivalFebruary 16, 2013

Alec Baldwin, Chevy Chase, Oliver Stone, James Franco and Martin Sheen are only a few elite members of Hollywood who have departed Colorado with a “Vielehr” tucked in their luggage after a trip to the Boulder International Film Festival.

Since the festival’s inception nine years ago, winners have walked off the Boulder Theater stage on awards night with more than just a trophy to represent their win — they also received a little piece of art and a little piece of Boulder.

Designed and created by Boulder-based artist Bill Vielehr, the “Vielehr” award is a smaller version of one of Vielehr’s signature sculptures — described by the artist as “drawings and wax cut up and cast into aluminum.”

“They’re models of ideas

“The Vielehr,” a sculpture that will be presented to award winners at the 2013 Boulder International Film Festival. (Courtesy photo)

that I would do for large sculptures,” said Vielehr, whose work is on display at several locations, including inside the Boulder Public Library and at the Charles A. Haertling Sculpture Park at Ninth and Canyon.

Trained as a figurative sculptor, Vielehr was always fascinated with drawings and markings. He began playing with textures and eventually developed his own way to present his unique abstract work.

Each year, Vielehr

produces about 12 awards

to be handed out to winners during the BIFF awards

ceremony. Much like Boulder and its beloved film event, each Vielehr is a one-of-a-kind creation, though the artist typically follows a general design each year.

“It’s pretty fun,” Vielehr said. “The winners are expecting an Oscar-like trophy and they get a piece of art.”

In the mid-1990s, Kathy Beeck, BIFF co-founder and former regional marketing director for the former Wild Oats Markets, helped develop a marketing strategy as a favor to her friend Vielehr.

Years later, Beeck reached out to Vielehr seeking a favor of her own: She asked him to sit on the board of directors for the newly formed Boulder International Film Festival.

During discussions leading to the inaugural festival, the board of directors threw around several ideas about the design of the awards to be given out at the festival and who could create something that would effectively represent the festival and Boulder alike.

“At a certain point, the light bulb kind of went off,” Vielehr said.

The board agreed Vielehr was the right person for the job, and highly respected actors and filmmakers have been making room next to their Oscars and Golden Globes for their “Vielehr” award ever since.

To learn more about

Vielehr and his art, visit vielehr.com.

Denver’s Own Rob Drabkin Celebrates His Birthday At The Bluebird Theatre On Friday →

 

By

Tyra Sutak

– January 17, 2013Posted in: Features, Slideshow Articles

Photo by Todd Roeth

Sometimes in life, you cross paths with people that you can’t help but like. The kind of genuine people that radiate positivity and throw sparks of life into a crowded room…the kind of people who make it impossible to be angry around.

Denver-based singer/songwriter, Rob Drabkin, is definitely one of those people.

Easily recognizable in the local music scene by his head of sky-high curly locks and infectious smile, Drabkin is kicking off the New Year by throwing himself his Annual Birthday Bash at The Bluebird Theatre tomorrow night.  For the sixth year in a row he’ll celebrate by performing a combination of new music, original songs from his previous five albums and, of course, a few of his favorite Paul Simon songs that he covers so well.  As many of his fans know, it just isn’t a Rob Drabkin show without a stripped down version of “Diamonds on the Soles of her Shoes”.

Having left a career utilizing his degree in science from Trinity University in 2007, Drabkin grabbed his guitar and set out on his own to pursue his musical dreams. “I woke up one day and decided that I really wanted to do music,” he said.

And “do music,” Drabkin did. He started playing open mic nights and coffee shops all over town, mastered the vulnerable art of performing acoustically, refined and developed his natural songwriting skills, and eventually worked his way up and on stages at The Walnut Room, The Soiled Dove, The Bluebird—and the mack-daddy of all venues in Colorado—Red Rocks Amphitheatre—where he opened forREO Speedwagon and STYX in 2012.

These days, Drabkin is definitely living his dream and has settled nicely into the singer-songwriter niche in Denver’s prestigious music community as the leader of a talented 5-piece band, performing a mix of energetic and soulful tunes with an “edgy-jam rock feel.”

His music is upbeat and carries a relaxed and positive vibe—which is an absolute mirror reflection of Drabkin himself.  With the recent release of his sixth album, he feels like he’s definitely hitting his stride as an artist and a musician.  “I’m really excited about this CD. It’s cool to see how the music has developed, how my voice has changed and how the sound has changed,” says Drabkin. “I feel very proud about sharing it.”

Like most people on their birthday, Drabkin will have family in the house on Friday night to celebrate with, but unlike most people on their birthday, his accomplished, talented saxophone-playing dad, Harry Drabkin, will be joining him on stage to add some jazz action to a few songs.

And his mom—well like any good mom celebrating her son’s birthday, his mom will be bringing cake—for everyone. That’s right, live music by the winner of Westword Magazine’s “Best Singer-Songwriter” three years in a row—and birthday cake by is mom.

Doesn’t get much better than that.

Drabkin will take the stage at the Bluebird following opening performances by the whimsical, classically-trained, all-girl folk band, SHEL, and a solo performance by singer-songrwiter, Dave Tamkin.

Advanced tickets for this show are $12.00 and $15.00 day-of

Birthday cake and smiles on the house.

New program aims to connect artists, patrons

 

By Tyra Sutak For the Camera

Posted:   01/04/2013 05:27:34 PM MST

Colorado is full of artists working with every type of media you can imagine.

There are artists who create jewelry out of polished gems and twisted metal, and there are those who transform blank canvases into images that eloquently capture Colorado’s pristine natural beauty. Poets, musicians, photographers, videographers, metalsmiths, painters, sculptors and carpenters also live and thrive in Colorado’s vibrant art scene.

The hurdle they sometimes face, though, is connecting with enthusiastic patrons.

The Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art and Denver Botanic Gardens hope they have created a plan that will ease that difficulty in 2013.

Simply put, the goal is to connect local artists with local art buyers.

The two groups have developed CSArt Colorado, closely following the successful Community Supported Agricultural farm share programs that connect local growers with local consumers and, in doing so, have garnered much attention in the local agricultural and restaurant scenes in recent years.

Community Supported Art Colorado, the program’s full name, also is modeled after a concept initially developed by the St. Paul, Minn.-based organization Springboard for the Arts.

Under CSArt Colorado, 18 artists who create a variety of media will be accepted to participate in this year’s inaugural program. Over the course of 2013, those 18 artists will each create 59 works of art that eventually will end up in the hands of shareholders who have purchased a $400 share of the program.

One hundred shares, divided into two groups (The Enthusiast I and The Enthusiast II) are available for purchase. Each shareholder will end up with nine pieces of art after they select three at each of three distribution events, which are planned for spring, summer and fall. Each artist selected to participate in the program will receive a $1,000 honorarium, as well as a share and, thus, three pieces of art. All told, the 18 artists will have created 1,062 works.

“The artwork will be on display at the distribution events,” said Jordan Robbins, BMoCA’s director of advancement. “One of the distribution events will be at BMoCA, one at the Denver Botanic Gardens and we’re kind of exploring doing the third one at a restaurant — probably a farm-to-table-focus restaurant.”

Each artist’s work will be exhibited at only one of the distribution events.

Artists who are interested in participating in the program should contact BMoCA or visit the CSArt Colorado website (http://csartcolorado.org) to complete an application. All submissions are due by Jan. 13.

Valerie Amend, digital communications manager at BMoCA, is looking forward to the impact that CSArt will have on the local art scene.

“The program supports artists by offering them a chance to create work,” she said, “but we’re also really trying to connect them with collectors and just really add to the developing art scene in Colorado.”

To learn more about purchasing a share or completing an artist application, visithttp://csartcolorado.org

Plight of Burmese refugees inspires artist →

 

By Tyra Sutak For the Camera
Posted: 12/29/2012 01:00:00 AM MST

Carmen Melton s “Reflexion” will be among the works on display during the “Our Neighbors, Ourselves” multimedia exhibit in Denver. (Courtesy photo)
If you go

What: “Our Neighbors, Ourselves” multimedia art exhibit

Where: CORE New Art Space, 900 Santa Fe Drive, Denver

When: Friday, Jan. 4, through Sunday, Jan. 20; gallery hours: noon-6 p.m. Thursday and Saturday, noon-9 p.m. Friday, 1-4 p.m. Sunday

Info: 303-297-8428, corenewartspace.com, artdistrictonsantafe.com

Etc.: To learn more about Project Worthmore, visit projectworthmore.org

A fortuitous meeting with one family in her community compelled Carmen Melton, a Denver-based artist, to take a closer look at the people and individuals around her.

And what she discovered inspired her to organize “Our Neighbors, Ourselves,” a multimedia art exhibit. The exhibit, benefiting local nonprofit Project Worthmore, runs Friday through Jan. 20 at CORE New Art Space in Denver’s Art on Santa Fe District.

Melton was first introduced to Project Worthmore when she met the founders, Frank and Carolyn Anello, at her daughter’s school. Project Worthmore is dedicated to providing support for the more than 2,000 refugees from war-torn Burma now living in the Denver area, and the Anellos’ work inspired Melton to offer support of her own.

“I’ve always tried to find a way to do something with my work that was more far-reaching — a special impact kind of thing,” Melton said. “It struck me that this was this thing that I wanted to do.”

After meeting several Burmese refugees and families, Melton decided to transform her upcoming art exhibit at the CORE New Art Space to show images and portraits of the Burmese people that have become her friends and neighbors. Through her many nationwide connections in the art community, Melton was able to encourage more than 50 artists to donate work, all of it interpretations of images of the Burmese people. The art is based mostly on photography featured on the Project Worthmore website done by Steve Gumaer, co-founder of Partners Relief and Development, a registered charity also focused on assisting the people impacted by the war in Burma.

Melton said the artwork donated for the upcoming show has been inspiring and is some of the best work she’s seen from artists who typically create custom artwork based on commissions.

“When you’re doing something that you know is going to be donated to a cause, you’re not worried about making it perfect,” Melton said. “People are freer to do their best work when they don’t have something imposing on them.”

All proceeds from “Our Neighbors, Ourselves” will be donated to Project Worthmore.

The exhibit will kick off during the Art District on Santa Fe’s First Friday Art Walk, 6-9 p.m., with light appetizers and drinks available.

Melton hopes that “Our Neighbors, Ourselves” will inspire others to take a closer look into their own communities.

“People don’t have to travel thousands of miles or pay thousands of dollars to do humanitarian work,” she said, “it’s right here in our own backyard. We just need to open our minds and our hearts to what’s going on around us.”

Disc Golf in NoBo

 

Posted on December 29, 2012 by Tyra Sutak, 8z Pulse Contributor

It’s official! NoBo has a new disc golf course, and despite recent temperatures below 20 degrees, the place is already hopping!

At the new Valmont Disc Park, located just south of the newly revamped Valmont Dog Park, disc golf enthusiast will find 18 holes that weave around the Valmont City Park, throughout prairie dog fields and alongside a few of north Boulder’s biking and walking trails.

The City of Boulder will be making several improvements to the course in beginning of 2013, but for now, grab your lucky discs and take yourself to Valmont and Airport Road where you’ll find the first hole and parking on the south side of the intersection for a day spent perfecting your throw on a mostly flat course conveniently located just outside of your own backyard.

For more info click here.

The Bolder Life: Ringing in the New Year with some Strange Americans →

 

Tyra Sutak

Published on: December 28th, 2012

When it comes to New Year’s Eve plans, I’ve pretty much done it all. I’ve done the house party bit. I’ve made reservations at absurdly over-priced restaurants. I’ve donned the little black dress and strappy heels and shivered my way through the cold, all for a glittery party hat and a complimentary glass of champagne at: an art gallery, a club, a bar, a hotel, a museum, my mother’s house… You name it and I’ve done it; which is why my previous plans for December 31, 2012 included sweat pants, fuzzy slippers and Ryan Seacrest. (Listen… don’t judge me.)

I was perfectly content with my asleep-before-midnight, leftovers-for-dinner, warm-socks-with-comfy-footwear NYE plans, until my friend told me about a local band playing a New Year’s Eve show at the Hi-Dive in Denver—he even sent over a few songs from the band’s debut album, A Royal Battle, to really seal the deal.

That band isthe Strange Americans, and they rock; there’s no doubt about it. The 6-piece Denver band classify themselves as Americana—which to me translates to an authentic road band that blends old fashioned honky-tonk music with bits of rock-and-roll all topped off with meaningful lyrics that transcend multiple eras.

I’m a country girl, and this type of alt-country music is kind of my thing.

Listening to the Strange Americans downloadable album this week made me crave a night filled with cowboy boots and Jack Daniels—two things I’ve never worn or drank on New Year’s Eve. I’ve also never rung in a brand new year while dancing along to  live music—so you can see how I was so easily coerced out of my fuzzy slippers funk.

Lately this band has been getting a ton of buzz in the prestigious Denver music scene, and you can expect to hear a mix of music this NYE that will have you and your New Year’s date breaking it down on the dance floor and tightly shuffling along together for an intimate slow dance in between Jack Daniels breaks at the bar.

The guys that make up the band are incredibly talented and genuine and their strong harmonies and appearances by the eerily soulful B-3 electric organ, the harmonica and the mandolin really take their music from really good, to really great.

Tickets are only $8 and are still available for the Strange Americans (featuring Face Man and the Outlet) New Year’s Eve show at the Hi-Dive, but they’re going fast—so dust off your cowboy boots and click this link to buy yours now. Doors open at 8:30 p.m., show starts at 9:30 p.m.

And if you’re plagued by the thought of leaving the Boulder County bubble (I’m not judging), but you look good in cowboy boots, occasionally consume whiskey, and you’re sad that Boulder County doesn’t have a true honky-tonk venue, but you’re really intrigued to hear what a less weathered version of Lucero blended with the unique sounds of a band like the Lumineers resembles—then you’re in luck. The Strange Americans are playing at Oskar Blues Homemade Liquids and Solids in Longmont on Saturday, December 29th. Show starts at 8:00 p.m.

I know, I know—you don’t even have to say it, I already know—and you’re welcome.

Have a safe and happy New Year’s Eve, y’all.

The Cynical Side of Santa

 

Posted on December 19, 2012 by Tyra Sutak, 8z Pulse Contributor

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So often, Christmas-themed movies, musicals and plays make their way into our Christmas traditions. We press pause on the unavoidable stress of the holidays and gather together to watch Macaulay Culkin triumph over evil to celebrate Christmas with his family. We furrow our brows when Scrooge refuses to help poor Tiny Tim, and we tear up, just a little, when Santa finally asks poor Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer to guide his sleigh.

This year, I’m bypassing the classics of Christmas past and pressing pause on the holidays for some new Christmas-themed entertainment.  The Boulder Ensemble Theater Company will be performing “The SantaLand Diaries”—the stage adaptation of one of David Sedaris’ hilarious essays recounting his stint as an elf working in a Macy’s Santaland, through December 24th at the Dairy Center for the Arts in Boulder. Tickets are $25 and can be purchased here. The show’s material is for ages 13 and up, so leave the little ones at home and be prepared to laugh! The show promises to sneak its way to the top of your favorite Christmas traditions.