Arts and Entertainment continued from page 44 as an organized date-night drop-off spot, a STEAM laboratory, a summer camp, a family disco and a hands-on art project workshop. But Junkyard Social is also a playground for adults, who are welcome to join their children on the jungle gym or just hang out with a cof- fee from the cafe. It offers yoga, live music and a grown-up storytelling group, and you can rent it for a party. Why go anywhere else? Best Arty Adult Playground First Friday, Art District on Santa Fe denversartdistrict.org/fi rst-friday Every First Friday of the month, the Art District on Santa Fe Art turns from a ghost town to a full-blown festival, with arts lov- ers walking the street to catch gallery open- ings and live painting, or just to see and be seen. You can drop some dough here, if you’re looking to start or expand your art collection, but just being able to experience the fruits of Colorado creatives’ labor — and be among others who appreciate the work — is enough to make for a fantastic Friday. Best Secret Corner in the 40 West Arts District Vance Street Art Hub 7310 West Colfax Avenue, Lakewood 40westarts.org/galleries The Vance Street Art Hub, anchored by cof- feehouse/cafe Mint & Serif, isn’t so much an arty block as it is a little taste of old Lake- wood’s mom-and-pop hospitality, though the cafe does host art exhibitions. It’s joined in the area by tattoo shop Solstice Ink, an outlet for anime fans called Otaku Attic, Pur- ple Greens Vape & Glass and, inside Mint & Serif, All Its Own, a purveyor of succulents, air plants and gifts. Stop by on First Friday, when the gallery receptions down the street become packed. Best Selfi e Experience Selfi e@Stanley Stanley Marketplace 2501 Dallas Street, Aurora 970-331-6905 selfi eatstanley.com In the age of TikTok and selfi e museums, Selfi e@Stanley aims for a better selfi e ex- perience. This one comes with more than MORE WOWS PER MINUTE A so fr rom the Oscar-winning oaring, comin ar ng-o -age go g writer o of- ospel dra of Moo ama onliight 25 selfi e stations, complete with backdrops and props to titillate imaginations, encour- age family reunions and birthday parties, and simply get friends together for an af- ternoon of stupid, silly fun for $20 a head. And because it’s located at Stanley Mar- ketplace, the fun doesn’t end when selfi e- snappers emerge: There’s food and drink, shopping and people-watching waiting. Best Creativity Incubator The Big Dream Creative Life Consulting thebigdream.life Diving into the entrepreneurial market can be scary for a newbie, but Diana Sa- breen has a coaching technique that’s so fun, clients don’t even notice how much they’re learning. Sabreen’s Boulder-based creative incubator, the Big Dream, not only offers one-on-one consultations to get you up to speed, but it also hosts group play- shops and retreats that immerse people in activities that demand creative think- ing and encourage team-building and interaction with fellow seekers. Coming up this summer in Boulder: the Imagina- tion Collaboration creativity accelerator, with speakers, workshops, performances and more. Ap A wildly theatrical reimagining of the classic tale of Don Quixote QUIXOTE NUEVO May 13 – Jun 12 • Tickets start at $30 The highly-anticipated, immersive experience co-created by Talking Heads frontman David Byrne and writer Mala Gaonkar Off-Center Presents Aug 31 – Dec 18 • Become a DCPA subscriber for pre-sale access to tickets starting May 6! denvercenter.org 303.893.4100 46 SEASON SPONSORS pr 22 2 – May y 29 • Tickets start a ck ta at $30 Best New Public Art DeWitt Godfrey’s “Eastgate” East 39th Avenue and Steele Street denverpublicart.org/public-arts/ eastgate If you’re driving along East 39th Avenue heading to Steele Street, you’ll see a curling ribbon of steel swirling in an arc overhead. No, it’s not an errant part of the Interstate 70 project; it’s a great piece of public art in- stalled in 2021. Denver Public Art commis- sioned the work from acclaimed sculptor DeWitt Godfrey, who took a stark depar- ture from the stacked, conical works he’s known for to create this cascading sculp- ture. But what makes the work so compel- ling is its metaphorical acknowledgment of its surroundings: The metal materials point to the industrial history of its envi- ronment, while the structure serves as a portal to discovering the potential of your surroundings. Best Way to See Street Art Denver Graffi ti Tour 2314 Broadway 720-443-4491 denvergraffi titour.com Sure, it’s nice to stroll the streets of Denver, whether you’re on an urban hike or just a mindless meander, and see all the wonderful street art and murals that grace this city’s walls. But it’s also nice to know what you’re looking at, the background of the artist who created the piece, and the history of the neighbor- hood in which you’re walking. And that’s what the Denver Graffi ti Tour delivers, at 10 a.m. every Saturday and Sunday, along with an acknowledgement of the gentrifi cation issues that many associ- ate with the murals. As co-owner Erin Spradlin told us last year, “We noticed it and were really bothered by that, so we started to speak about it in the tour and noticed people really responded to that.” APRIL 7-13, 2022 WESTWORD | BACKBEAT | MUSIC & VENUES | FOOD & DRINK | ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT | SHOPPING & SERVICES | CONTENTS | westword.com
