A Colorado native, Kristina studied art at the University of Colorado, Boulder, graduating with a BA in sociology. She went on to study art in the MFA program at San Diego State before eventually opting to focus on earning her education degree and K-12 teaching certificate, pursuing a career in education. She earned her master of education degree in integrating teaching through the arts from Lesley University, which combined her two passions, art and education. Working as an educator for 25 years in the Cherry Creek School District, Kristina brought art into her classroom daily, as she firmly... Read More

The Ogden has announced another fire lineup next weekend guaranteed to get you your funk fix. Pigeons Playing Ping Pong is headlining September 15th and 16th, bringing the best of both coasts with them. They’ll be joined by Lespecial on Friday night for a late-night groove fest. Saturday night will be a dance party of epic proportions with Portland’s Yak Attack. Pigeons Playing Ping Pong is a four-piece funk/jam band from Baltimore, Maryland. Hatched in a dorm room in 2009, they’ve spent the last decade racking up over a thousand shows in 44 states. Propelled by a relentless work... Read More

Predicting how the Denver Nuggets will finish in the NBA West may take a mathematical algorithm that includes statistical analysis of teams and players.  Or maybe chemistry, or the lack thereof, will provide a better answer.  Will Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, and the LA Clippers dominate as expected?  Is one ball enough for James Harden, Russell Westbrook, and the Houston Rockets?  Can Lebron James accept playing second-fiddle to Anthony Davis for the LA Lakers?  Welcome to the Wild West Kristaps Porzingis, Ja Morant, and Zion Williamson. With all the moves and roster overhauls, here’s a... Read More

Anything can be funny, right? There are two schools of thought, there. The first is the theory that anything has the potential to be amusing. Comedy is all about puncturing bubbles of pretention, going after targets that deserve skewering. As long as the joke teller is punching up instead of punching down, the only limitation is their imagination. The other school of thought is that some subjects are too sacrosanct to be mocked and to even attempt them is, at best, in poor taste. We wouldn’t dream of making fun of the Nazis, right? Ah…as a matter of fact, we would! There’s a long and... Read More

Walker Fine Art is an enthralling loft-style gallery in Denver’s Golden Triangle Museum District. The spacious venue hosts original group and solo shows featuring a variety of media, and focused on the latest trends in contemporary art. They’ve just announced their latest exhibition, Layers of Existence, which includes paintings and sculptures from six highly acclaimed artists. The group show aims to celebrate human differences through inner awareness and outward empathy and inspire audiences to contemplate the complexities of identity. Sabin Aell is a mixed media artist originally... Read More

It’s hard to predict the future, but after losing to the Indianapolis Colts and losing quarterback Joe Flacco to injury, the 2-6 Denver Broncos appear to be in familiar territory: a sputtering offense, questions at quarterback, a coaching staff without answers, and another season of disappointment.  General manager John Elway still insists that the team is built for winning now and is not interested in a rebuild. That’s always nice to hear, but with four straight losing seasons and not much of a game plan, the bigger question is what Denver will look like three years from now when Elway’s... Read More

Creative powerhouse Chloé Besson is traveling the nation and branding the world with her vision. That artistic passion, however, wasn’t always apparent to the Denver based artist and photographer.   Besson had spent most of her younger years traveling and growing up between France and Chicago, IL. She and her family were all admirers of art, and specifically of film.   “They just both independently liked it as a creative outlet. My dad always shot film and showed me how to shoot really gorgeous black and white film when I was really young. My mom did a lot of alternative processes and darkroom... Read More

October is known as “gig-tober” amongst performers because the modern incarnation of Halloween lends itself so well to dressing up and being dramatic; every troupe in town has a zombie-themed show running this month, and I’m here to talk about one of them. It’s Audacious Theatre’s Grimm’s Scary Tales. The production nicely represents the two things that humans fear: death and the unexplained (which arguably includes death). October is the season when we get to exorcise and process those fears in a way that involves slutty outfits and huge volumes of high-fructose corn syrup. How completely... Read More

The worst job I’ve ever held was working in an aluminum factory. I’d gone through a nasty divorce and needed a job immediately. The workers at the local aluminum factory were on strike, and the facility was hiring scabs. You didn’t need to be qualified, or even particularly intelligent. You just needed to be smart enough to not accidentally light yourself on fire. Being in a position of serious financial jeopardy, I immediately jettisoned my principles and crossed the picket line.* My job didn’t require much in the way of finesse or analysis. It was simple—I’d stand in front of a foundry... Read More

As black market vaping products, including THC products, have been increasingly linked to vaping illnesses, support of marijuana legalization has only grown. As marijuana is still illegal on a federal level, agencies such as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are unable to regulate products, even in legal states. Meanwhile, legal states are also struggling to keep up with regulation and safety for marijuana products. This is becoming even more of a problem as marijuana related products, including pre-filled vaping cartridges, are far outstripping studies about general vaping risks, and specifically... Read More