ART

NOW ON VIEW: Sustained! The Persistent Genius of Indigenous Art – Denver Art Museum Sustained! The Persistent Genius of Indigenous Art explores how Indigenous peoples’ resilience, diversity, and creativity have sustained them throughout time. The exhibition centers Indigenous voices, perspectives, and artistic expressions past and present, and is a celebration of Indigenous contributions to the arts and the museum over the past 100 years. Sustained! was developed in conjunction with a panel of seven Indigenous community members who, through a series of meetings, shared with the museum’s Native Arts curatorial team what type of exhibition would be meaningful to themselves and their communities. This exhibition combines historic and contemporary works from DAM’s permanent collection to investigate the ways in which Native people have been sustained by beauty, by connections, and by spirituality, tracing these themes through fashion, family, ancestors, and the reasons people gather, such as games, ceremonies, and dance. Focusing on the great diversity of Indigenous communities across the continent, this exhibition provides insights through objects including a beautiful dress by fashion designer Orlando Dugi (Diné), a pair of Jaatłoh4Ye’iitsoh or Earrings for the Gods by Eric Paul Riege (Diné), a breastplate made from gun shell casings that celebrates food sovereignty and providing for a family crafted by local community member Sid Whiting (Sičháŋǧu Lakȟóta), and a new work by Teri Greeves (Kiowa), among many others.

JANUARY 3 – FEBRUARY 23: Niza Knoll Gallery Celebrates 15th Anniversary – 915 Santa Fe Drive The new year marks 15 years since the opening of Niza Knoll Gallery at 915 Santa Fe Drive and they are excited to host a new exhibition and party in celebration! Gallerist Niza Knoll invited back a selection of artists who have exhibited over the years, including Peter Durst, Rick Dallago, Jerry De La Cruz, Bonnie Ferrill Roman, Howard Harris, Deborah Jang, Tyree Jones-Evans, Niza Knoll, Mike Keene, Charles Luna, Gayla Lemke, Leona Lazar, Topher Straus and Carol Warzel. The show offers a striking blend of styles and mediums in both 2- and 3-D. After an extended holiday break, they will reopen on January 3, 5-9 p.m. for the First Friday Artwalk. The public is also invited to the Anniversary Celebration on Jan. 17, 5-8 p.m., featuring music and song by Amanda and Keny of Quillion. The show will be on view through Feb 23, 2025.

NOW ON VIEW: Wild Things: The Art of Maurice Sendak – Denver Art Museum Wild Things: The Art of Maurice Sendak presents more than 400 artworks created by Maurice Sendak. One of the most versatile artists of the twentieth century, Sendak is best known for picture books, especially the award-winning titles Where the Wild Things Are, In the Night Kitchen, Outside Over There, and Nutshell Library. The exhibition’s title signals to all the beauty, whimsy, and mischief that his art inspired over his 65-year career. Visitors will see unique examples of Sendak’s timeless art, such as the final artworks for Where the Wild Things Are, and get a sense of his extraordinary skill and his deep understanding of the process of creating picture books and designs for the stage, television, and film productions. The show will include a wide array of drawings, paintings, posters, and mockups for books. It will also include set designs for the Where the Wild Things Are opera and the costumes for the live-action, feature-length film. Alongside Sendak’s work, Wild Things will showcase works by other artists that Sendak collected. 

THRU JANUARY 18: NEW EXHIBITION – Space Gallery Featuring works by MIchael Hedges “The Construction Series” and Guzzo Pinc “Songs About Nothing.” Space Gallery – 400 Santa Fe Drive. 303-993-3321 www.spacegallery.org

MUSIC

JANUARY 22: Frank Black: Teenager of the Year Tour – Paramount Theatre Frank Black is jazzed to jumpstart a 2025 tour, spotlighting the 1994 masterpiece Teenager of the Year, from start to finish. Dropped in May 1994, Teenager of the Year stands as the crown jewel of his solo stint and hailed by critics as the finest album the Pixies never penned. 

FEBRUARY 12: Foster the People: Paradise State of Mind Tour – Fillmore Auditorium Best known for their 2011 Billboard Top 100 hit “Pumped Up Kicks,” they recently dropped their third album Sacred Hearts Club in July. Foster The People puts on an amazing show. Their positive messages about love and unity, along with their upbeat lyrics and contagious charisma, are sure to bring people of all ages together, dancing and singing along to their songs.

FEBRUARY 14: Indie 102.3 Presents Kiltro – Meow Wolf Perplexiplex Kiltro’s sophomore album crystallizes those dreams and experiences into a post-rock manifesto of dazzling beauty. Its songs combine touches of shoegaze, ambient and neo-psychedelia with the soulful transcendence of South American folk – the purity of stringed instruments, supple syncopated percussion and elusive melodies.

COMEDY

AVAILABLE NOW: Seth Meyers: Dad Man Walking – HBO Seth Meyers: Dad Man Walking showcases the veteran comedian’s hilarious reflections on family, generational legacies, and why his kids provide the best material for his comedy. 

FILM

NOW PLAYING: Disfluency – In Theatres After flunking her final college class, Jane retreats to her Michigan hometown for one last, carefree summer vacation. She soon rekindles an old friendship with a single mother, teaching her sign language so she can reconnect with her son. Despite her best efforts, however, Jane can’t hide the traumatic secret that caused her academic failure. An Independent Spirit worthy directorial debut from Anna Baumgarten. Disfluency has all the warmth of Lady Bird and the urgency of Never Rarely Sometimes Always. It’s quietly confident, a reminder of the essential nature of storytelling. 

NOW PLAYING: The Last Showgirl – In Theatres The Last Showgirl, a poignant film of resilience, rhinestones and feathers, stars Pamela Anderson as Shelley, a glamorous showgirl who must plan for her future when her show abruptly closes after a 30-year run. It’s about the demands placed on women and how sometimes life gets the better of us. Shelly was with her head in the clouds and, after taking so long to come down, she realized that there was a lot she could have done. Anderson’s accomplishment here defies easy comparison. It’s not a comeback. It’s a beginning.

NOW PLAYING: September 5 – In Theatres During the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, Germany, an American sports broadcasting team must adapt to live coverage the Israeli athletes being held hostage by a terrorist group. Capturing the compromises, dedication, and human fallibility of the newsroom, September 5 is a worthy chronicle of a tragic flashpoint in broadcast media history. While the logistics of coverage are impressively and thrillingly managed, and the actors are good to the last drop of sweat, the ethical problems that give “September 5” its dramatic snap and contemporary relevance are harder to wrangle.

NOW PLAYING: Wolf Man – In Theatres From Blumhouse and visionary writer-director Leigh Whannell, the creators of the chilling modern monster tale The Invisible Man, comes a terrifying new lupine nightmare: Wolf Man. Golden Globe nominee Christopher Abbott (Poor Things, It Comes at Night) stars as Blake, a San Francisco husband and father, who inherits his remote childhood home in rural Oregon after his own father vanishes and is presumed dead. With his marriage to his high-powered wife, Charlotte (Emmy winner Julia Garner; Ozark, Inventing Anna), fraying, Blake persuades Charlotte to take a break from the city and visit the property with their young daughter. But as the family approaches the farmhouse in the dead of night, they’re attacked by an unseen animal and, in a desperate escape, barricade themselves inside the home as the creature prowls the perimeter. As the night stretches on, however, Blake begins to behave strangely, transforming into something unrecognizable, and Charlotte will be forced to decide whether the terror within their house is more lethal than the danger without.

THEATRE

JANUARY 22 – FEBRUARY 9: Back to the Future – Buell Theatre Great Scott! Back to the Future, the beloved, cinematic classic is now a Broadway musical with its destination set for Denver in 2025.  Winner of the 2022 Olivier Award for Best New Musical. The Musical is adapted for the stage by the iconic film’s creators Bob Gale (Back to the Future trilogy) and Robert Zemeckis (Forrest Gump) and directed by the Tony Award® winner John Rando. When Marty McFly finds himself transported back to 1955 in a time machine built by the eccentric scientist Doc Brown, he accidentally changes the course of history. Now he’s in a race against time to fix the present, escape the past, and send himself…back to the future. When Back to the Future hits 88mph, it’ll change musical theatre history forever.

EVENTS

JANUARY 11 – 26: National Western Stock Show – National Western Complex No city embodies the Spirit of the West better than Denver. And that’s on full display each year in January, during the National Western Stock Show, with more than 20,000 animals on display. The National Western is the world’s largest stock show and has grown massively since the first year the event was held in 1906. The show started at the turn of the century and quickly grew into one of the biggest fairs in the West. Today, the Stock Show is larger than life, just like the Old West. During the month-long event, cowboys and cowgirls from across the West and beyond pour into Denver to compete in rodeos, equestrian events, stock shows, BBQ competitions, and more. 

JANUARY 20: Cowboy Downhill – Steamboat Springs Steamboat celebrates its 49th annual Cowboy Downhill, one of the most unique ski racing events in Colorado. It invites competitive cowboys from all over to strap on their skis and race to the base. Cowboys race each other two at a time, with the best overall time winning. The Cowboy Downhill started in 1974 when world cowboy champion Larry Mahan and skiing Olympic medalist Billy Kid gathered ProRodeo stars from the Denver Stock Show to Steamboat Springs for ski races. Festivities start early on in the day in true Western style. Visitors can expect live music, Bud Light tents, Broncos cheerleader appearances, and even some 4H farm animals. Food and drink vendors will be on-site so you can grab a bite while you enjoy the races.

JANUARY 25: Chinese New Year Festival – City Auditorium Colorado Springs It’s time for the annual Chinese New Year Celebration in Colorado Springs. This year’s celebration of Chinese and American-Chinese culture consists of live performances, food vendors, and fun games. The Chinese New Year celebration originates from the lunar calendar that begins with the new moon. According to the traditional Chinese Lunar Calendar, this is the time that has passed since the Chinese Nation was said to be created; and it’s time to celebrate! There will be the main stage with performances such as a lion dance, Kung-Fu demonstrations, and traditional Chinese musical acts. “Chinatown” and “Taste of China” will be a village of food and product vendors to explore. Lastly, the “Teahouse” will be a smaller setting where visitors can learn to play mahjong or practice their calligraphy. According to the Chinese Zodiac, it’s the year of the Snake, one of the 12 animals traditionally associated with specific years. If you were born in 1941, 1953, 1965 1977, 1989, 2001, 2013, and 2025, you’re a snake too so it’s kind of a celebration for you.

FEBRUARY 1: Lake City Ice Climbing Festival – Lake City Ice Park Lake City’s Ice Climbing Festival is a terrific, low-key event for those looking to escape the chaos of the popular resort towns. Spend the weekend in a winter wonderland with various activities amongst the friendly Hinsdale County locals. Imagine standing against a big beautiful blue ice-covered wall watching the best climbers scale up it. It might seem overwhelming for beginners, but those who seek the thrill of climbing will appreciate the challenge or at least spectating others.  There will be men’s and women’s categories and other levels for participants to compete. There will also be awesome prizes in store for the best climbs which will be given at the award ceremony immediately after the event. 

FEBRUARY 14-16: Colorado Pond Hockey Tournament – Silverthorne The no-fuss and stress-free tournament will happen from Friday to Sunday, February 14th to 16th, 2025 in Silverthorne. There will be an exciting array of activities for players and spectators alike, and many family-friendly areas as well. There won’t be a shortage of great food and local beer to keep you going throughout the day. A player’s lounge will be open daily as a place for teams to gather and relax. Registration fees range per team and depend on when you submit your forms. There is a limit, so reserve your spot early. There’s a waitlist too, though no guarantee you’ll compete. There’s also a Broken Bottle League. More details here coloradopondhockey.com.