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November 1 — Font of Creativity
As Denver has grown in size and stature, so has its art scene, making it challenging for lesser-known artists to get noticed. Lynn Baker hopes to help ameliorate that problem with the Passion4Arts Showcase, which the Centennial resident will present at the Soiled Dove Underground. Vocalists such as Theo Wilson and TheVoice (pictured), plus artists including Donte Janae and April Tsosie, will join headliner Hazel Miller for an event that highlights local talent, particularly from people of color. The night serves as an introduction to Baker’s future project, a coffeeshop called Good Mornings Coffeehouse where artists can display pieces and lead art workshops. “I want to create a place where people feel like they belong,” Baker says, “but also where artists can thrive.”
November 3 — Girl Power
Everyone needs a wake-up call sometimes—or rather, a (verbal) smack in the face, as the Bitch Slap of Truth event at Exdo Event Center intends to provide. In what’s been billed as a TED Talk meets Saturday Night Live skit, five local female entrepreneurs will tell stories from their career struggles while encouraging lady business owners to woman up and find a way to succeed. We’re most excited for comic Elaina McMillan, but all the speakers will remind you that a woman’s place—when she’s not onstage—is in the startup accelerator.
November 13 – April 2 — Start Struck
You might have to wait until next year to see Star Wars: Episode VIII, but you can geek out about your favorite galaxy far, far away very soon. At the Denver Art Museum’s Star Wars and the Power of Costume exhibition, opening this month, check out concept drawings, storyboards, and more than 70 iconic costumes—including Vader’s cape and Amidala’s elaborate red gown—from all seven epic films.
November 17 — Ode to Adrenaline
Shortly after legendary stuntman Evel Knievel leapt into the national spotlight in the late ’60s, a fellow daredevil began making a name for himself in Boulder. Terry “Evil Cheesey” Chesebro, who died in August at 61, was a cult hero who jumped over lines of cars on Pearl Street with his motorcycle. To some, though, Chesebro was more of a nuisance than a legend; police arrested him for vandalism, shoplifting, and disturbing the peace. Undeterred, he continued his rabble-rousing until a few years ago, when early onset dementia meant a move to a nursing home. The decline in Chesebro’s health posed problems for Chris Leising and Jack Hanley, who had been shooting a documentary about the stuntman for nearly a decade. Their film was supposed to portray a bygone era of the People’s Republic through one of its iconic figures but has since transformed into an examination of how a divisive man will be remembered. See a rough cut of Evil Cheesey Rides Again on November 17 at the Chautauqua Community House, and stay for a post-screening Q&A with the directors.
