Updated at 11:17 a.m. on Friday, November 8, 2024.
When the students at Arapahoe Community College and the Colorado Center for the Blind open their 10th annual collaborative exhibition this week, they join a variety of Colorado artists, asking audiences to lean in a little closer.
It's a week where theaters push boundaries, event spaces transform into fashion runways, and classical music is reimagined. As the cold settles in, these cultural offerings invite us to explore not just art but community connections.
Arts and culture news
Nearly 40 artists will present work meant to be touched in an exhibition bridging the gap between blind and sighted communities.
The 10th annual Shared Visions show at Arapahoe Community College's Colorado Gallery of the Arts, combines works by students and alumni at both ACC and the Colorado Center for the Blind.
"The whole show can be experienced through touch," said Nathan Abels, ACC's studio art department program lead. "We have students experimenting with all kinds of textures, sounds and vibrations."
The exhibition includes ceramics, sculptural paintings and performance art. All artwork labels appear in both text and braille.
"It helps us connect as a community," Abels said "My students find all kinds of new ways of solving problems, new ways of experimenting with the medium."
The show features 15 ceramics students, 14 painting students and about 14 artists from the Center for the Blind, along with invited artists and alumni. One piece from the original 2014 exhibition will return for this anniversary show.
The exhibition runs through Dec. 4, with an opening reception Nov. 7 from 4-7 p.m.
Art: “Shared Visions" Exhibition Opening Reception (Nov. 7, Colorado Gallery of the Arts, Littleton)
This tactile and immersive exhibition, a collaboration between Arapahoe Community College and the Colorado Center for the Blind, allows visitors to engage with the artwork through multiple senses.
The Denver Theatre District (DTD) ARTcade returns with classic arcade games redesigned by local artists. Over 85 artists displayed 16 arcade games and Japanese Arts Network gachapon machines. Pinball, claw machines, and artist-customized games are included. Prizes include original paintings, stickers, cuddly toys, handmade jewelry, buttons, outfits, and more.
The entire Denver Theatre District spans a 16-block area of downtown and ARTcade is at 1555 Champa Street in Downtown Denver. Visitors younger than 13 must be with a parent or guardian.
Other Fun: ARTcade Immersive experience at the Denver Theatre District Thursday through Sunday, 12 p.m.–8 p.m. through Dec. 22. The exhibition is closed Thanksgiving Day.
Arts and culture events around the state
Front Range
Music: Swallow Hill Music’s first-ever BanjoFest (Nov. 9, Swallow Hill Music, Denver)
Grammy-winning banjo player Dom Flemons will showcase the history and versatility of the banjo, in addition to teaching a workshop on banjo songster and storytelling
Music: Dom Flemons Presents Black Cowboys (Nov. 10, Chautauqua Community House, Boulder)
Grammy-winning musician Dom Flemons will perform a concert in accompaniment to scenes from the iconic 1939 film “The Bronze Buckaroo.”
Music: Denver Municipal Band Veterans Day Tribute (Nov. 11, Armed Forces Tribute Garden, Westminster)
The Denver Municipal Band will play a tribute to veterans.
Theater: ”Raised on Ronstadt” (Nov. 10 and 17, eTown Hall, Boulder)
This encore performance of "Raised on Ronstadt," featuring live music, tells the story of how Linda Ronstadt’s music inspired a young girl.
Dance: Theatre Artibus' “Savoy Social: Salsa and Bachata” (Nov. 8, The Savoy Denver, Denver)
This event features a Salsa and Bachata class, social dancing, and storytelling that will be incorporated into an upcoming theatrical performance about Denver’s Curtis Park/Five Points neighborhood.
Fashion: Denver Fashion Week Fall 2024 (Nov. 9-17, The Brighton, Denver)
This multi-day event showcases a variety of fashion styles, including sustainable fashion, streetwear, and couture.
Northern Colorado
Theater: OpenStage Theatre & Company presents “Reefer Madness” (Nov. 2-30, The Lincoln Center Magnolia Theatre, Fort Collins)
This musical comedy, based on the 1936 propaganda film of the same name, follows the story of two clean-cut kids as they fall prey to the dangers of marijuana. Content Warning: Mature Themes. Mature language. Mature Situations. Viewer discretion is advised.
Festival: Second Saturday Creative Crawl (Nov. 9, various locations, Longmont)
This free monthly event allows visitors to engage in a variety of activities including live music, food, shopping, and art.
Southern Colorado
Art: Color Your World (Opening Reception Nov. 7, The Heller Center, Colorado Springs)
Featuring the whimsical pop art of Jeresneyka Rose alongside the works of three UCCS students, this show explores the power of color.
Music: "The Romantic Voice" (Nov. 8 and 10, Ent Center for the Arts, Colorado Springs)
The Chamber Orchestra of the Springs welcomes mezzo-soprano GeDeane Graham for a performance of classical Romantic-themed music by Felix Mendelssohn, Richard Wagner, and Adolphus Hailstork.
Theater: Springs Ensemble Theatre presents “The Thanksgiving Play” (Nov. 7-24, The Fifty-Niner Speakeasy, Colorado Springs)
This comedic play by Native American playwright Larissa FastHorse explores the complexities of allyship, appropriation, and the absurdities that arise when well-intentioned efforts go awry.
Theater: Pikes Peak State College (PPSC) presents “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” (Nov. 7-10, Centennial Campus Auditorium, Colorado Springs)
This cross-disciplinary musical by Pikes Peak State College, which incorporates music, theater, dance, and ASL interpreting, follows the stories of six adolescents navigating the ups and downs of competing in a spelling bee.
Western Slope
Dance: Fall For Dance (Nov. 8-9, Asteria Theatre, Grand Junction)
This 2-day event includes a performance of dance pieces by guest artists, faculty, community members, and students. World-renowned choreographer Bill Evans and master teacher Jenny Miller will create new pieces specifically for the students. This marks the first dance performance at the newly constructed Asteria Theatre.
Other Fun: TEDxGrandJunction 2024 (Nov. 9, The Art Center of Western Colorado, Grand Junction)
With its “All Things Awesome” theme, this event features a series of talks and workshops focusing on diverse perspectives on a range of topics.
High Country
Art: Coffee & Canvas: Painting like Bob Ross "Southwest Serenity" (Nov. 9, The Wright Opera House, Ouray)
This workshop provides a relaxing morning of coffee and step-by-step instruction as participants learn to create a Bob Ross-inspired landscape painting.
Other arts and culture events around Colorado
- Denverite Things to do in Denver this weekend
- KRCC community calendar for Southern Colorado
- CPR Classical directory of Colorado classical performance groups
- Indie 102.3 calendar
Some groups mentioned in the CO Arts Spotlight may be financial supporters of CPR News. Financial supporters have no editorial influence.
How we pick our events: CO Arts Spotlight highlights events around the state to give readers a sense of the breadth of Colorado’s arts and cultural happenings, it is not — and can not possibly be — a comprehensive list of all weekly events. Entries are not endorsements or reviews. Each week’s list is published on Thursday and is not updated.
Editor's note: A previous version of this story misidentified the name of the venue where Dom Flemons Presents Black Cowboys will be performed. It's Chautauqua Community House, not Chautauqua Auditorium.
