Over the course of five weeks in January 2018, artists of all mediums gathered at Anythink Brighton. Mentored by artist and adult guide Aria Marco, participants were given a goal for the duration of their time together: complete one finished piece, one that could be put on display or used in an artist’s portfolio.
Bread has been a major staple of the human diet for thousands of years – in fact, consumption of grains can be traced as far back as the Middle Stone Age. And while this simple combination of flour, water, salt and yeast can yield many different styles and types of the food, one thing is certain: bread has played in instrumental role in bringing people together.
On Aug. 25, 2017, construction workers struck something unusual. While developing a new public safety facility in Thornton, Colo., Saunders Construction hit what they would later learn to be the shoulder blade and horn of a dinosaur. By working with the Denver Museum of Nature & Science and the City of Thornton, they were able to unearth not just a couple of dinosaur bones, but the most complete Torosaurus (think Triceratops, but longer and thinner) in the world.
Here’s an exercise you can try at home: Put on a blindfold and try to read a children’s book. Think about what’s missing. The words, of course, but also other things that make a kids’ book so fun – things like the illustrations and creative layout design. What could be done to improve a children’s book so that kids who are visually impaired could experience the story?
After her U-Haul truck broke down on her way to Los Angeles from Kentucky, Hazel Miller made a life for herself and her sons in Denver. Since finding home on the Front Range, this soul and R&B singer has become a major fixture in Colorado’s music scene, performing with artists like James Taylor, Julian Lennon, Lou Rawls and Buddy Guy. We caught up with Miller to talk about her career and the risk involved in following your dreams.
For Brighton resident Donna Ignacio Mapps, transitioning to life in North America from the Philippines came with many challenges – a new language, new culture and meeting new people. Mapps had left behind her native Philippines for, as she puts it, greener pastures. A strong emphasis on hard work and education was placed on Mapps while growing up. Despite this, life in the Philippines was often difficult – not enough food to eat, outdated roads and houses, and deadly typhoons.
Playing: we know what it feels like and even what it looks like, but sometimes it’s difficult to find the words to describe it. To play is to have fun, to be free and express your creativity – mentally and physically – without any clear immediate objective. Humans at all ages, from babies to kids to adults, can benefit physically and psychologically from play. But why do we do it? Researchers have offered up a few theories.
Adams County is one of the fastest-growing counties in the country – and it shows no signs of slowing down. With so many entrepreneurs and creatives moving to Colorado, innovation and culture are thriving in our backyard. How can we ride this wave of cultural development in Adams County? The Adams County Office of Cultural Affairs (ACOCA) is developing a plan to do just that.
I was recently part of a discussion about Innovation Pavilions – a company that designs campuses that help companies and entrepreneurs thrive. The presenter was describing the need to bring value to cities through innovation, with goals of attracting millennials, entrepreneurs and corporations, delivering innovative programs and creating a modern-day workforce. He described the components of an Innovation Pavilion campus: a co-working space, makerspace, retail, a 21st century library and a STEM school.
