A Starter Set for Boulder Arts Week, Packed With Events and Performances

The annual Boulder Arts Week unfolds in all its glory for the third time starting on Friday, March 25, and the schedule includes dance, poetry, film, theater, music, art, classes, workshops and much more. Festival director Emily K. Harrison has created an umbrella concept that unites these diverse disciplines under a single banner, displaying art in venues conventional and unconventional across Boulder.

The eclectic, self-selecting participation means there are no “stars,” no headliners, no real top ten to hype. After all, the thrust of the festival is to encourage people to explore, to take chances, and to make up their own minds about what they experience. With that in mind here's a sneak peek of just some of the offerings at this year's BAW:
Owner/Manager at Claw and Talon Tattoo, 1695 Folsom Street, Boulder. Putting the emphasis on the word "artist," the five resident tattoo artists at this parlor will be displaying paintings, prints, drawing, sculpture and, of course, tattoo designs. Ongoing.

Whistle Stop F.I.L.M. Festival brings music and movies to Silver Sage Village at 1650 Yellow Pine Avenue. Art by local artists will be on display, Cindy Brandle and Laurie Dameron will play, and the short films will begin screening at 6:15 p.m. Friday, April 1.

Find Your Backyard is a multimedia performance that includes theater, comedy, live painting and more, featuring performers from around the country as well as Boulder riffing on the theme of what back yards mean to them. The results are hilarious and kinetic. The event is curated by A Trifle Manic and co-produced by the Boulder Fringe; check the BAW schedule for performance locations and times.

Tumblebones Contact Improvisation Collective Showing, Mini-Class and Jam takes place at the Boulder Circus Center, 4747 North 26th Street. This dance co-op has been around since 2001, and will demonstrate its creative process, then warm up the observers and include them in an open-participation dance session at 7 p.m. Saturday, April 2.

Keep reading for six more events at Boulder Arts Week.
Michele Castro at the Laughing Goat, 1709 Pearl Street. This Brazilian singer and instrumentalist has traveled the world, but has only called Colorado home for a short while. The Laughing Goat will be hosting numerous musical performances throughout the festival; Castro performs at 9 p.m. Saturday, March 26.

The Dairy Presents One Night Only: Conversations pairs musicians for duets ranging from American through Indian, Irish and French musics; dancers Valerie Morris and Alysha Perrin from Frequent Flyers have choreographed work to two of the pieces as well. The conversation starts at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 28 at the Dairy Arts Center, 2590 Walnut Street.

Rabbit Hole: David Lindsay-Abaire’s harrowing stage tragedy about the loss of a young child and its impact on a couple opens in the Loft Theatre at the University of Colorado; check schedule for dates and times.

The Beat Drags On will feature Naropa students dressed as Beat icons; they'll recite those icons’ poems on the stage of the Laughing Goat at 9 p.m. Monday, March 28.

The Kepler Story at Fiske Planetarium on the CU-Boulder campus will combine live performance and cutting-edge display technology to depict the life of the pioneering 17th century astronomer. The show was designed specifically to play in planetariums; check the BAW schedule for dates and times.

Soiree features the Gloriosa Trio, an offshoot of the Bolder Chamber Orchestra, performing the piece at Grace Lutheran Church, 1001 13th Street. Beethoven’s “Archduke” Trio and works by Piazzola and LeFrak complete the program at 7:30 p.m. Friday, April 1.

Boulder Arts Week runs from March 25 through April 2. For a complete guide to the events, visit boulderartsweek.org.