I’m excited to announce that part of our crew will be participating in Bordo Bello again this year! The dates have yet to be set for the event itself, but they’ve opened artist registration until the 4th of August and are actively seeking additional participants. They’ve got a ton of event related and sponsorhip information on their site as well as pics from the last few years events on their Facebook page. Make sure to follow Bordo Bello on Twitter for the day to day.

Musician, producer and label manger (ELM&OAK) Alex B spends a day with XLR8R in Denver, showing off some of the best places to eat, dig for records and catch a show. For more episodes like this, check out the XLR8R City Guide page.

Growing up on a diet of graffiti, hip hop, punk rock and mind altering experiences, Mike Scarano has found nourishment in many of the vices that most people shy away from. A Boulder/Denver native, Mike has been raised in design shops around town while producing waves of sound though his drums for bands such as Pena. Hella Knives, the artists first solo show, offers a chance for the unassuming public to peek into the intricate and humorous mind of one of Denver most talented artists. Having had the opportunity to look through his black books off and on for the past few years, I can honestly say that I have been anxiously waiting for this day to come. Mike will be showing 14 new paintings and 1 giant illustration, 5′x9′ on canvas… he’ll also have a few of his ‘Pee Wee’ letterpressed posters from last years ARTCRANK on hand. DJ Latenight Weeknight will be seducing ear drums and filling the space with good vibes throughout the eve. Despite there being 2 opening receptions at KAZE Gallery for the show, I strongly suggest running through early on the first night as the wall will be riddled with red dots come July 9th.

‘Hella Knives’ New works by Mike Scarano
OPENING RECEPTION : JULY 2ND & 9TH
KAZE Gallery : 3245 Osage St. Denver CO : 7-10 PM

Hesh Johnson has an adept ability to capture the raw energy, emotion and grit of a moment in a single frame. An ability tuned growing up in the working class Irish-American neighborhood ‘Southie’ in Boston. It is this environment that instilled a work ethic and empathy that is carried forward in his photography, systemically in output and approach. Shuffling through his book you will see Hesh’s real life experiences, frustrations, joys, hopes, and ambitions interwoven into the body of work he has diligently collected and captured over his career. A recent transplant to Denver, I’m very honored to have worked by his side in the past and extremely excited to have him now residing in Denver. I look forward to collaborating with him in one way or another sooner. Above are a few of my favorite images picked from his recently updated book, view more of Hesh’s work via his website.

“Ravi Zupa is Denver’s rare resident poet-painter, sculptor, film artist, activist & intellectual. Ravi self identifies as an anarchist, and these humanist ideas are at the center of all his work and DIY ethos. He is fully self taught and draws lessons from movements and artists who came before him. His works are as varied as his visual inspirations; the German Renaissance, Flemish primitives, Japanese Block art, Religious Iconography from Europe, Asia and pre-Columbian South America, & 20th century revolutionary propaganda. Ravi uses all these old myths, styles and imagery to tell the tale of modern “man” and his condition.

Ravi rejects academia and all pretensions and seeks to celebrate the “everybodyness” of art. With his work he aims to induce the same sense of frantic inspiration which inspires him when he sees a piece. He believes that art should be inclusive, and he puts this idea into practice. Ravi’s work goes beyond art, and he lives the epic battles of ideas found in his pieces in his every day life. It’s rare to find a visual artist with the mind of a poet, that draws from such a rich well of history & creates such a diverse body of work.” ~Tim Holland (Sole)

The Pyre, an exhibit of new works by Zupa, is directly inspired by a collaborative book project by the same name between the artist and renowned hip hop musician, Tim Holland, better known as Sole, founder of the Anticon record label. Though the work in this exhibit exists outside the narrative within “the Pyre” book, as Zupa puts it, “they are the direct result of the same fire and seek to convey the same skepticism, want, desperation, and optimism”.

“The Pyre” New Works by: Ravi Zupa
OPENING RECEPTION : FRIDAY JULY 2, 6PM
Illiterate Gallery : 82 S. Broadway : Denver, CO 80209

Above our a few snapshots I was able to sneak from within the PRESSED : Exhibition of Letterpress Printed Ephemera storefront located in the Denver Pavilions. The store is an extension of the show that took place in June at the Denver Art Museum and gives all that make their way through an opportunity to view some of the prints from the Hatch Show Print, Amos Paul Kennedy Jr, the Hamilton 10th Anniversary Show, Yee-Haw Industries, and a curated selection of other posters submitted to the exhibit. There are a handful of posters available for purchase mixed in with others for display, inquire with staff for any questions between the two.

PRESSED is slated to fill space in the Denver Pavilions through July 4th, when the posters will be taken down, packed, and prepped to hit the road as part of an ongoing traveling exhibit.

PRESSED : 2nd Floor : Denver Pavilions 500 16th St. Denver, CO 80202
PRESSED on Kickstarter : MATTER on Twitter

My wife Tran and I have been busy the past couple weeks building out a new space that will house our first pop up store. Having taken a few months off since closing down the permanent storefront we wanted this space to more accurately reflect our individual design aesthetic and personalities. The permanent storefront ended up becoming a quite repetitive and stale environment for us. The pop up model will allow us to pair what we offer with the space it’s being offered in. As a result the soft goods and accessories housed in this iteration of The Fabric Lab are the result of a curative process that ensured everything throughout is cohesive and presented in a more thoughtful way than we’ve been able to accomplish with past versions of the store.

I’m writing this post under the influence of excitement, anticipation, and a wee bit of exhaustion… I’m equally proud to announce the completion and simultaneously the opening of the new but temporary The Fabric Lab.

Please join us on June 12th as we open up the space to the public for the first time and celebrate our new home on Colfax in Denver. Postman will be plugging in and cranking out tuneage throughout the day, Tran and I will be in full effect with pregnant bellies up in your face. We are looking forward to sharing the fruits of our labor and the toils of our friends with you. The Fabric Lab Pop Up Store is tentatively scheduled to run through the end of September. Regular business hours will be 10PM TO 9PM DAILY.

The Fabric Lab Pop Up Store at Mod Livin’ : Opening Reception : June 12th :
5327 Colfax Avenue Denver, CO : 12PM – 6PM

The Denver No Coast Classic indoor time trial bike race & dance party is returning and taking grip on East Colfax this Saturday at Lost Lake Lounge. Video re-cap from the last No Coast Classic was posted up a month or so back if anyone is interested in revisiting or getting a preview of what to expect this time around.

Proper mustache twists are in order for Mr. Matt Scobey who rocked the poster/sign for the event… a one-shot hand painted beauty sure to make eyes sizzle!

The Denver No Coast Classic : Lost Lake Lounge : 3602 E. Colfax : Saturday June 5th : 9PM

“PROJECT HELLO is an idea and an event intended to provide a platform for Denver creatives to get together and expose their work to their peers while also providing a context for the community at large to unite, build, and shape a supportive creative artistic community in Denver,” says PROJECT HELLO creative director Sandra Fettingis.

My wife Tran and I are both super stoked to be participating in Project Hello‘s first exhibition taking place this Saturday March 8th at the TAXI Building in Denver. Tran is putting together an ambient fashion show and I’ve got a super secret snotty zine in the works… there will be a fairly varied mix of artists showcasing work that spans across multiple mediums… I hope to see a few friendly & familiar faces in the mix.

PROJECT HELLO PROGRAM: MAY 8TH
12PM: EVENT OPENS :)
1:30 – 2:30PM: Readings
3 – 4:15PM: “HELLO there fashion….” fashion show by Tran Wills
4:30 – 5:30PM: Readings
5:30PM: mjolniir DXP Performance
6PM: Modern Witch
7PM: EVENT ENDS :(

PROJECT HELLO EVENT LOCATION : Saturday, May 8th, 12-7pm
TAXI @ 3455 Ringsby Court, Denver, CO : www.taxibyzeppelin.com : google map

For one reason or another there seems to be a Friday out of every month in Denver that feels a little fresher than the rest. This Friday just so happens to be one of those extra Fresh Fridays that comes around every so often. Get out and give hi-fives to all those making it happen. Please feel free to drop other happenings in and around town in the comments.

1. Illiterate Gallery : The Illiterate Group Show : 6PM – ?! : 82 S. Broadway
2. Crema Coffee House : Sketch (Group Show) : 7PM – 11PM : 2862 Larimer St.
3. Indy Ink : Gangster Mathematics “New works from Adam Sikorski & Brian McFadden” : 7PM – 11PM : 84 S. Broadway Denver, Colorado