CONNECTING WITH COMMUNITY
Community Creativity Contest – Home Together | Juntos en Casa.
Home Wanted, a collaborative which aims to develop policies to fund affordable housing in Boulder County, is currently hosting the Home Together project — a community-wide creativity contest. Draw. Write. Sing. Cook. Share a story. Choose a format (visual art, storytelling, photography, songwriting, video, multi-media or any means of expression) and use your creativity to share what being Home Together means to you, your family, your neighbors and your community. Collected submissions will be published as a digital community storybook, documenting our shared experience of being Home Together during this uncertain time. Submissions will be unveiled at a Community Facebook Live Ceremony. Submissions are due April 30, with a community unveiling in May. Contact danica@trestlestrategy.com, 303-579-6221.
THEATER
Boulder Ensemble Theatre Company’s Ghost Light Series. Ongoing, at BETC’s YouTube channel
BETC’s Ghost Light Series is brought to you by staff, members of the artistic ensemble, and friends of the BETC family. The first installation is a two-minute version of ‘OSLO’ — a Tony Award-winning play dramatizing the true-life, back-channel peace negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian Liberation Organization — using a model set and the artistic director’s son’s rubber dinosaurs. It’s a reminder to laugh… and support the arts.
ART
Longmont Museum Virtual Content:
Discovery Days @HOME: Weekly videos that you and your family can watch and craft along with. Designed for ages 2-6 with an adult (just like Discovery Days), but older kids may enjoy them too. These crafts involve supplies most people might already have at home, so you won’t have to go buy anything new. Staff post a new video weekly on the museum’s YouTube channel, youtube.com/c/cityoflongmont.
Online historic photo collection: Explore the Longmont Museum’s historic collection online in this searchable database. There are more than 5,000 images you can explore that show what life was like in Longmont throughout history, longmont.pastperfectonline.com.
360 virtual exhibition tours: Check out 360 tours, which allow you to click to guide yourself through current and past exhibits, move your mouse to look around, and, in many cases, even read the labels. These are best viewed on a computer rather than a phone. The museum will share a new exhibit each Tuesday morning on its Facebook page while the Longmont Museum is closed, facebook.com/longmontmuseum.
Thursday Nights @HOME: Facebook Live on Thursday nights at 7:30 p.m. featuring Art & Sip classes, live music and conversations with curators and artists. Simply visit the museum’s Facebook page at this time to start streaming this live content.
Museum of Outdoor Arts goes virtual.
The Museum of Outdoor Arts brings its exhibitions to your home with a handful of virtual tours from some of its recent shows including last year’s whimsical, immersive ‘Natura Obscura’; Dorothy and Mel Tanner’s light sculptures from their ‘Then & Now’ exhibit in 2017, Joel Swanson’s linguistic explorations in ‘Polysemic,’ and more. Visit MoA’s website for access to movies from the museum’s film program as well.
Denver Art Museum Online Collection.
Sort through the Denver Art Museum’s online collection via department, collection, culture, locale, country or medium.
GET OUTSIDE
City of Boulder Open Space & Mountain Parks
The organization updated its trail map to show which trailheads (historically) have the most use and which ones are wider than 6 feet, maps.bouldercolorado.gov/osmp-trails
MUSIC
eTown Radio Tapings.
eTown continues to share great music and compelling interviews during stay-at-home orders. Recent episodes include music from The Lil Smokies and U.K. artist Jack Broadbent, plus an interview with 17-year-old climate activist Xiye Bastida.
Face Vocal Band assembles a Virtual Choir in place of their Carnegie Hall Performance, submissions open until Sunday, April 12.
Face Vocal Band was slated to make their debut performance at New York City’s legendary Carnegie Hall on March 29. The vocal rock group was going to bring a 100-person choir in tow from their Face Academy of Music, but the performance was canceled due to public health concerns and social distancing. So Face came up with a new idea — to pivot and call for a digital mass choir performance. Face is enlisting the help of anybody who wants to participate in a virtual choir video performing the iconic hit “From Now On” from ‘The Greatest Showman.’ The project is for everyone. Singers are encouraged to record a horizontal video in a quiet, well-lit room with the lyrics and arrangement provided by Face. Fans and the general public can record homemade videos holding handmade signs, positive messages, smiles, or whatever they would like to showcase in 15 seconds. Submissions are open until Sunday, April 12. For further instructions and a message from the band, visit: facevocalband.com/virtualchoir.
The Big Dream Collaborative Concert. 8:15 p.m. Friday, April 10.
Calling musicians and performers to join in and share what you wish, and everyone else to just come and enjoy. This project has expanded from just music to include dance, circus and more. This week’s theme: ANIMAL FARM. Interpret as you will. Theme encouraged for all but not required. Donations welcome and encouraged but not required. All money will be split among the artists who sign up in advance. Message Diana Sabree (dianasabreen@gmail.com) to sign up for a seven-minute time slot.
‘The Ghost of Freedom’ — a live album by Silent Bear / Kahlil Kwame Bell Duo, available on major streaming platforms and for download at CD Baby.
Recorded Live at the New York Society of Ethical Culture concert hall on Sept. 6, 2019, local musician Silent Bear recently released an EP of stripped down social justice anthems.
“There’s a crack in the liberty bell,” the title track begins, “Where the ghost of freedom rings / There’s a big white house in the center of town / Where a fallen angel sings.”
“In this time of crisis, the healing power of music is very important,” Silent Bear wrote in a statement about the EP. “If this music can ease your mind and soothe your soul for a while then the effort and the expense has been all worth it. I extend my prayers to you for good health and protection in these trying times. May you and your loved ones be safe.”
CLASSES
Fabricate Boulder Online Classes. 4 p.m. Thursday, April 9.
Thursday Knit Nights at Fabricate are now online. Drop-in anytime between 4-6 p.m. to join in on lively discussions, stitch demonstrations, Q & As, and an opportunity to connect with others. Please RSVP at Fabricate’s website.
Lemon Sponge Cake Contemporary Ballet Dance Classes.
Enjoy a dance class straight from choreographer Robert Sher-Machherndl’s home to yours. Sher-Machherndl will teach modified ballet, contemporary ballet and an all-levels movement classes. One month of unlimited classes is $65, a block of 10 classes in $80 and a single class is $10.
KIDS
Zoom Music with Amy — ‘Bunnies and Barnyard Friends.’ 9 a.m. Friday, April 10.
Through live Zoom classes and videos, Amy Haywood entertains and educates youngsters with songs, musical activities, puppets, instruments and movement. Suggested donation is $5 a class, $25 for five classes. The next session begins April 13 and runs through May 1. Register at the link above. For extra information or questions, contact Amy Haywood, missamyh@gmail.com, 303-413-1711.
Tinker Art Studio Online Workshops.
Tinker Art Studio started this YouTube Channel to support homebound families and children during the coronavirus pandemic. Watch the videos and follow along to complete art projects, learn some new techniques, work with awesome materials, and enjoy creative time each day.
BOOKS
Trident’s Stay At Home Books and Coffee Mystery Bag (Boulder).
It’s a tough time for independent businesses, but you can help. For just $50, Trident will deliver a bag of mystery books right to your home. You’ll get four to six used books picked by the staff, based on your general recommendation of styles and genre — plus a bag of coffee or tea, your choice. Books will be delivered via bike to Boulder residents when the weather’s good. Those outside of biking distance only pay a $5 flat delivery fee for U.S.P.S. shipping.
Juniper Books (Boulder).
Get a curated set of three books sent straight to your door. Sets include topics like self-improvement, book-to-TV collections, dystopian, young adult, new literary fiction, middle-grade fiction, illustrated children’s books, mysteries and of course, pandemics.
Innisfree Poetry Bookstore & Cafe (Boulder).
Peruse Innisfree’s recommended poetry books and then purchase them right from its online store.
Barbed Wire Books (Longmont).
Just because this 5,800-square-foot corner of bibliophile heaven isn’t physically open doesn’t mean you can’t still get books from there. Kathe is still in the building from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. to answer your calls with questions and recommendations, and you can mosey over to Bookshop.org (bookshop.org/shop/barbedwirebooks) to buy books from Barbed Wire.
The Bookworm (Boulder) .
The Bookworm’s doors are closed to the public, but book requests can be emailed to boulderbookworm@gmail.com for curbside pick-up or mail.
HEAVY ROTATION by ANGELA K. EVANS
Bill Withers — “Lean on me”
The world lost a legend on March 30 week when Bill Withers died at the age of 81. But this iconic tune reminds us to reach out and lean on each other in trying times, including the one we currently find ourselves in.
Black Pumas — “Colors”
This Austin-based duo reflects on the diversity that unites us all, with their fresh, yet soulful sound, making us want to get up and dance, even if we’re home alone.
Alicia Keys — “Underdog”
Off the forthcoming album ‘ALICIA,’ there isn’t a better time for a quintessential empowerment ballad from this all-star as she implores us all to stand together and “rise up.”
Khruangbin/Leon Bridges — “Texas Sun”
Mixing the psychedelic, global funk of Khruangabin with Bridges’ soul-inspired, R&B lyrics, “Texas Sun” carries us on a whimsical journey through vast open spaces — though they may be inaccessible to us currently.
Beck — “Uneventful days”
Beck’s smooth melody and electric beats carry us through these “neverending days and neverending nights,” especially when, “Everything has changed, but none of it feels right.”
PODCASTS
Knowing: Robin Williams
Sure, we know Robin Williams. We know about the drugs and the alcohol, about the divorces and the untimely nature of his death. But wrapped up in all of that tabloid fodder was a man who struggled to feel worthy beyond his most recent achievement, a man with two half-brothers who still sometimes referred to himself as an only child, a brilliant, complicated, sometimes problematic man whose mind and body were hijacked by a form of dementia. Journalist Dave Itzkoff helps host Kristy Westgard flesh out the life of one of America’s most beloved comics, through the drugs and divorces and successes and commercial flops. Combining interviews with Robin’s family, friends and peers with Itzkoff’s deep research and insights, we get what feels like the truest depiction of a man who’d worked his way into countless hearts, us.macmillan.com/podcasts/podcast/knowing — Caitlin Rockett
Change Agent
Allene is 80, a widow, and in love for the first time since her husband died. Then she gets her heart broken. What’s an octogenarian with a broken heart to do? Allene’s story is just one of the many heart-warming, funny tales Charles Duhigg explores in Change Agent. Duhigg wrote a book called The Power of Habit, and ever since, people haven’t stopped coming to him with their problems. In each episode of this limited-run series by the New York Times, Duhigg and his staff find very different problems that ultimately have the same solution, from octogenarian romance to workplace productivity to online shopping addictions, nytimes.com/column/change-agent — CR
Scattered
Chris Garcia’s dad was a gentleman. When the Cuban immigrant would meet his son’s girlfriends he would say, “Soy Andres, a tus pies”: I’m Andres, at your service. He taught his son how to play baseball, and his craftsmanship skills rivaled those of MacGyver. In 2007, Andres started to act differently — he forgot names and put household items in strange places. Andres Garcia had Alzheimer’s. He passed in 2017, and his final request was to have his ashes scattered off the coast of Cuba. But there’s one problem: His wife, Chris’ mom, has vowed never to return to Cuba. As Chris tries to put his father to rest, he slowly uncovers a story about a man he wishes he’d known better, wnycstudios.org/podcasts/scattered — CR
Terrible, Thanks for Asking
Have you ever had the burning desire to tell someone the unfettered truth when they ask, “How are you?” If so, this is the podcast for you. Host Nora McInerny — well acquainted with grief after the death of her husband — creates a funny/sad/uncomfortable podcast centered on talking honestly about pain of all sorts: grief, addiction, physical ailments, lost love, embarrassment… if you’re a human on planet Earth, you’ll find comfort in this show, ttfa.org — CR
Floodlines
Vann R. Newkirk II creates an absorbing narrative about an event many of us think of as a natural disaster: Hurricane Katrina. But the disaster that seemed to start in New Orleans on Aug. 29, 2005 started well before the levees broke, and endured long after the wind and rain subsided. Floodlines explores race and class and our relationship with nature. With a pandemic currently enveloping every aspect of our daily lives, this thorough reassessment of the disaster of Hurricane Katrina is a prescient warning: Those who’ve pledged to help us sometimes leave us helpless, theatlantic.com/podcasts/floodlines — CR
TV AND MINISERIES
‘Self Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam C.J. Walker’ — Netflix
Nothing will stop Madame C.J. Walker as she tenaciously builds her fortune producing cosmetic and hair care products for black women. The series follows Walker (played by Octavia Spencer) from laundry woman to successful entrepreneur, briefly depicting her early life — the last of six children, and the only one born free. Based loosely on a biography by Walker’s great-great-granddaughter, A’Lelia Bundles, nothing will stop Walker in her pursuit, not the competition from another manufacturer, not society’s definition of beauty, and especially not men. She’ll do anything to leave a legacy for her daughter (Tiffany Haddish) and make Madame C.J. Walker a household name. — AKE
‘The Morning Show’ — Apple T.V.
In this sharp and timely drama, a popular broadcast news network is thrown into chaos when one anchor (Steve Carrell) is fired and outed for sexual misconduct. As the network scrambles to right itself, multiple manifestations of the #MeToo movement unfold — women (re)claim and fight over power, men scurry to protect and defend themselves, secrets bubble to the surface, America’s “values” are thrown under a microscope, examined and reexamined. When a new anchor, Bradley Jackson (Reese Witherspoon), fills the empty broadcast seat next to Alex Levy (Jennifer Aniston), nothing escapes scrutiny and old rules are thrown out to make space for a reckoning. — Emma Athena
‘Lindsey Vonn: The Final Season’— HBO
Since you can’t jump on your own skis right now, you might as well kick back and watch the greatest skier of all time work her icy, high-speed magic in the HBO Sports’ profile documentary ‘Lindsey Vonn: The Final Season.’ The four-time Olympian and World Cup record-holder hurls herself, again and again, down icy slopes at over 80 miles per hour, slaloms with borderline control in between course gates, soars over the crests of small hills, wins and sets records left and right — all as she chases dream after dream. But life and training don’t always go as planned. Over her 18-year career as the U.S.’s best downhill ski racer, Vonn’s ethos has boiled down to a simple message: If you’re knocked down, pick yourself back up, put in the work and come back stronger than ever. — EA
Unorthodox — Netflix
Playing Esther, a 19-year-old woman living in an orthodox Jewish community in the Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn, Shira Haas mines the well of emotions that come from the generational trauma of the Jewish people — as well as the trauma of being a woman in a faith that declares their primary function is to birth children. Esther is born into her orthodox life, abandoned by her mother at 3, required to marry a man she doesn’t know at 18, and then bullied by her in-laws when she fails to conceive a child in the first year of marriage. So she makes a bold choice to leave the only world she’s ever known. Primarily in Yiddish, Unorthodox provides brilliant commentary on what it means to be Jewish, female and human. — CR
Little Fires Everywhere — Hulu
Celeste Ng’s bestselling book makes for equally compelling television in Hulu’s adaptation starring Reese Witherspoon and Kerry Washington. Set in the late ’90s, the all-American Richardson family is living the suburban dream: four children, large house, few worries. When Mia Warren and her daughter Pearl move into a property owned by the Richardsons, superficially woke Elena Richardson can’t help but pry into the lives of her enigmatic new tenents. Tensions build as the lives of these two families become more and more intertwined, raising questions about what it means to be a “good” mother, the bonds between the family we’re given and the family we want, and whether meaning well is enough to absolve you of your sins against others. Sometimes a bit predictable in plot, there’s still enough emotional resonance, social commentary and ’90s nostalgia in this show to make it worth a watch. — CR
