ART
NOW ON VIEW: The Stars We Do Not See: Australian Indigenous Art – Denver Art Museum The Stars We Do Not See: Australian Indigenous Art is the largest exhibition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art ever presented in North America. This landmark exhibition is the product of an unprecedented cultural partnership between the National Gallery of Victoria (NGV) in Melbourne and the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., and the Denver Art Museum will be its second venue. Organized by the NGV especially for North American audiences, the exhibition features more than 130 works by 142 artists, several of whom worked collaboratively, drawn exclusively from the NGV’s world-leading collection. These works are designed to elicit a sense of awe, while introducing visitors to the art, resilience, and depth of the world’s longest continuous cultures. Through a rich display of iconic masterpieces—many of which have never before left Australia—The Stars We Do Not See charts watershed moments in Indigenous art from the late 19th century to the present. The exhibition introduces audiences to customary forms and styles in Indigenous Australian art, including the conceptual map paintings of the Central and Western Deserts, ochre bark paintings, and experimental weavings. It also highlights the work of new-media artists, who build on tradition with groundbreaking works in neon, video, and photography.
NOW ON VIEW: ANA MARÍA HERNANDO: SEGUIR CANTANDO (KEEP SINGING) – MCA Spanning the museum’s 2nd floor galleries, MCA Denver presents Ana María Hernando: Seguir cantando (Keep Singing). Ana María Hernando presents new and recent work rendered in her signature materials: tulle, textiles, paintings, and works on paper to explore how color, song, and poetry are potent emblems of strength, persistence, and rebirth. Hernando is a multidisciplinary artist whose work focuses on the feminine, using empathy to make the invisible visible, and to question our preconceptions of the other and each other, including nature and the earth, their worth, and value. Since 2018, the Argentine Denver – based artist has transformed prototypically feminine material, tulle, into large-scale sculptures that appear to emerge from walls, ceilings, windows, or spring vertically from the ground. For Hernando, tulle alludes to a fantasy of complacent feminine fragility, which she rebels against, bringing the material forward in such bounty that softness becomes less a discreet quality and more a function of power, both formally and symbolically.
NOW ON VIEW: What We’ve Been Up To: People – Denver Art Museum What We’ve Been Up To: People showcases more than 60 photographs of people from the DAM’s collection that have not been exhibited in our galleries before. The exhibition features a rich variety of portraits, self-portraits, and candid scenes that touch on the joys and challenges of everyday life as well as personal relationships, solitude, and the way people see themselves and each other. Works by acclaimed artists hang side-by-side with photographs by unknown and emerging artists active between the 1890s and the present day. Individually, the pictures focus on the range of emotions and experiences that are part of life. Taken together, these photographs invite us to consider, despite our differences, all of the hopes, needs, fears, and joys that people hold in common.
NOW ON VIEW: NEW EXHIBITION – Space Gallery A selection of outstanding works by featured artists. Space Gallery – 400 Santa Fe Drive, Denver, CO 80204. Wed-Fri 11am-5pm. Saturday 10am-3pm. 303-993-3321 www.spacegallery.org
MUSIC
MAY 22: Echo & The Bunnymen – Mission Ballroom Echo & The Bunnymen is one of the most influential British bands in modern history. The tour will celebrate the songs that have brought the group twenty top 20 hits, including The Killing Moon, Bring On The Dancing Horse, Never Stop, Seven Seas and Nothing Lasts Forever and nine top 20 albums so far during their 40+ year career.
JUNE 6: Big Head Todd and the Monsters – Red Rocks Amphitheatre The Colorado-based band, formed in 1986, showed no signs of slowing down, delivering a show that feels timeless in an era where the music scene can often feel fleeting. After all these years, they’ve kept their edge, still playing with the same fire and passion they had when they first started. A night like this reaffirms their place in rock’s enduring legacy—because when you play with this much heart, like wine, it only gets better with time.
JUNE 10: Lord Huron – Red Rocks Amphitheatre To call Lord Huron’s live show a concert feels like selling it short. In truth, it is an experience on a level I have seen very few bands reach. The indie-folk act led by Ben Schneider creates a performance that feels almost comparable to a movie.
COMEDY
AVAILABLE NOW: Trevor Noah: Joy in the Trenches – Netflix From unexpected social media beef to a therapist’s truth bomb, Trevor Noah turns chaos into comedy in this hilariously sharp, playful stand-up set.
FILM
OPENS MAY 15: Obsession – In Select Theatres After breaking the mysterious “One Wish Willow” to win his crush’s heart, a hopeless romantic finds himself getting exactly what he asked for but soon discovers that some desires come at a dark, sinister price. Taking an icky conceit and twisting it to deviously crowd-pleasing ends, Obsession is dauntingly disturbing while also skillfully amusing and thrilling. It’s a fruitful slow panic that swells at a constant rate from grounded in reality, and multiplied over and over until “wrecked beyond belief” status is achieved. It’s steady, tight, and brutal, but nowhere near a slow burn. This is one of those movies that will stick with you for a long time, teaching lessons that we all really need to be careful what we wish for.
OPENS MAY 15: Magic Hour – In Select Theatres Charlie and Erin escape to the desert to navigate an unexpected and challenging new phase of their relationship. A Duplass Brothers Production starring Daveed Diggs (Hamilton) and Katie Aselton (The League). A South by Southwest premiere. Oh, it’s that kind of film, viewers might think. Well, let’s see where it goes. Where it goes? Somewhat bumpy, but refreshingly honest and very much a return to the kind of filmmaking that kickstarted Aselton’s own directing career.
OPENS MAY 22: The Salt Path – In Select Theatres The profound true story of husband and wife, Raynor and Moth Winn’s 630-mile trek along the beautiful but rugged Cornish, Devon and Dorset coastline. After being forcibly removed from their home, they make the desperate decision to walk in the hope that, in nature, they will find solace and a sense of acceptance. With depleted resources, only a tent and some essentials between them, every step along the path is a testament to their growing strength and determination. THE SALT PATH is a journey that is exhilarating, challenging, and liberating in equal measure. A portrayal of home, how it can be lost and rediscovered in the most unexpected ways. There’s something of the generosity of spirit and gentle humour of David Lynch’s The Straight Story in this celebration of the kindness of strangers, endurance of the spirit and the healing power of the wild.
OPENS MAY 29: Backrooms – In Select Theatres After a therapist’s patient disappears into a dimension beyond reality, she must venture into the unknown to save him. A24’s Backrooms is a highly anticipated horror adaptation directed by 20-year-old YouTube creator Kane Parsons, expanding his viral «found footage» series into a feature film. It promises to deliver atmospheric, liminal-space horror, focusing on psychological terror rather than jumpscares, with a unique Gen-Z, digital-age aesthetic, according to spicypulp.com. Don’t let the Backrooms’ single-digit-aged fanbase fool you, it’s actually pretty high-quality horror with lots of great tension.
THEATRE
MAY 16, 23 & 30: The Wild Bloom: Spring Performance Series – Union Hall The Wild Bloom is an immersive event series that transforms Union Hall’s visual art gallery into a dynamic stage for interdisciplinary, boundary-pushing work. On any given night you might discover a performance blending movement with poetry, an interactive improv group, or an unexpected, comedic guided meditation. By inviting audiences into participatory, socially engaged performances, The Wild Bloom deepens connection to the arts in a space designed for creative experimentation and cultural dialogue.
EVENTS
MAY 22-24: Star Wars: Return of the Jedi In Concert – Boettcher Concert Hall In the climactic sixth episode of the Star Wars saga, Luke Skywalker joins R2-D2, C-3PO, and Princess Leia to free Han Solo from Jabba the Hutt. As the Empire prepares to crush the Rebellion with a more powerful Death Star, the Rebel Fleet counters with a massive attack on the space station and Luke Skywalker confronts Darth Vader in a final dramatic duel. Watch the complete film unfold as your Colorado Symphony performs John Williams’ legendary score live. Stay for the credits, you’ll be glad you did!
MAY 28-31: Outside Days – Auraria Campus Outside Days is a celebration of outdoor culture and community, featuring incredible live music, inspiring speakers, adventure films, immersive outdoor experiences, the latest gear, wellness, and so much more, all at the Auraria Campus in downtown Denver. A gathering to celebrate the joy we feel when we head out our doors to be with our friends and family. We wanted to craft an event that would spur people to play and explore, to dance and let loose, to remember what it really means to be human. We put music at the center because of its power to create connection. We invited extraordinary athletes and artists and storytellers to come and fill us with awe. We screened adventure films that can transport us to other worlds. We built experiences that encourage us to keep our eyes and ears and hearts open to the wonder that’s all around us.
MAY 21-31: Fan Expo Denver – Colorado Convention Center The ultimate go-to event for sci-fi, horror, anime, and gaming event in Denver that attracts hundreds of thousands of people at the Colorado Convention Center. Every year, FAN EXPO Denver offers exciting family-friendly attractions, events, and world-renowned Celebrities! Previous Guests include John Cena, Brie Larson, Rosario Dawson, Hayden Christensen, Elijah Wood, Jared Padalecki, Andy Serkis, and stars from hit TV shows & Film: The Mummy, Scream, The Boys, Supernatural, the Office and many, many more. Everyone is a fan of something, and FAN EXPO Denver is a place to celebrate all things pop culture. It’s also a great place to buy a unique gift (or treat yourself!) with a huge show floor for shopping madness.
MAY 28 – JUNE 14: Freedom Plane National Tour: Documents That Forged a Nation – History Colorado Center History Colorado Center is one of only eight cultural institutions nationwide chosen to display a historic collection of remarkable documents from our nation’s founding. Traveling outside of Washington, D.C. for the first time, and never before been shown together, these original documents on loan from the National Archives provide a rare opportunity to encounter America’s founding history firsthand. See a rare 1787 secret printing of the U.S. Constitution in draft form with handwritten notes, an original engraving of the Declaration of Independence, and more consequential and significant documents whose content directly shaped our democracy.
JUNE 6: Summer Sessions – Riverfront Park Summer Sessions is a free outdoor music festival that brings downtown Denver together for an all-day kickoff to summer at Riverfront Park. Happening June 6 from 2–9PM, the event pairs live music with local food, cold drinks, and a laid-back riverside atmosphere in one of the city’s favorite green spaces. With past lineups featuring indie bands, DJs, and local talent, it’s become a go-to way to celebrate the start of festival season without spending a dime.
JUNE 6-7: Denver Chalk Art Festival – Golden Triangle The popular street painting festival in the cultural center of the Golden Triangle features more than 200 artists using the streets as a unique canvas, and then using chalk to create fantastic and colorful paintings at the viewer’s feet. These street paintings range from original artwork to reproductions of classics. DCAF is free to attend and encourages professional and emerging artists to participate.