Art is not just a painting on the wall anymore (though some may argue it never was). Today, what we consider art is as diverse as a subway station at rush hour. Due to the technological globalization of our world, a hybrid reality has been born—a place where the virtual and the natural blur.

What do you get when you mix Marxists, socialists and communists? A cooperative housing unit in the heart of Boulder known as Chrysalis. And what happens at coops after the collective gardening and cooking and cleaning gets done? Pure, enchanted creativity.

Goldilocks enters the three bears’ home with an excited curiosity; she sneaks around knowing she doesn’t quite fit in, but enjoys the exploration nonetheless. That interactive narrative is exactly what University of Colorado Boulder art school alum Donald Fodness seeks from his viewers.

She is not Banksy, but she is still badass. Amanda Marie Ploegsma’s first museum show — Purity & Credence — is on now at the Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art (BMoCA) and there is no sign of her badass-ness slowing down.

Astroland was an all-ages art and music venue for the community to have a place to convene and exchange ideas. It was also a venue for emerging artists — one of the few in Boulder supportive of all genres of music. Whether Astroland will re-open is still in question.

After a long, hard day at work, many people find themselves in front of a brightly lit screen, immersed in what they consider pure entertainment. To them, it’s a chance to let go, to forget about their troubles, to distract themselves from their boring existence on this planet. But if life sucks — for whatever reasons — perhaps instead of escape, one should look for inspiration. One way to easily and cheaply do that is through independent cinema.

This year, from Aug. 17 to Aug. 28, there will be more than 350 un-juried events at 15 venues throughout Boulder and Denver. The first 25 percent of the artists are automatically approved by early-bird registration; the other shows/artists are selected by a lottery no one auditions, no one specifically decides what goes on.

Our current society is obsessed with the visual — especially our entertainment — from film to print to contemporary art. We absorb so many images daily that we have prioritized one sense and left many of the others behind. But what about our other senses? Because it’s our era’s popular choice, most artists still seem to use sight as the main avenue to relay their messages to an audience. But not Boulder artist Jen Lewin. She wants to move you.

Anyone who has lived in Boulder for more than a few days has heard the term “too white,” as in, “This city is too white.” Yes, there are a lot of white people here (87 percent according to the U.S. Census), but why are large groups of white people in general bad? And would throwing in some people of color really fix the issue? Is it an issue that needs to be fixed?

He's been creating charged, yet pop culturally driven, art for more than six years. His most recent work will be showcased this Friday, June 10, at Installation Shoe Gallery in Boulder. The installation, called Rocket 88, is part of the store’s Fresh Fridays series that occurs at various times throughout the year.