One Cent Day At The MCA

This past weekend I visited the Museum of Contemporary Art Denver. The first Saturday of every month, Colorado residents can get into the museum for one cent, and since they currently have a photography exhibit that is part of Denver's Month of Photography, I decided that the price was right to pay a visit. The photography exhibit features a series of portraits, along with interviews of the subjects, taken by photographer Narkita Gold. She moved to Denver from Nashville, and wanted to capture Black life here in Denver, along with understanding her own place in it. The portraits are very good, and each person's story is pretty fascinating. Virtually all of these stories are very positive about their lives and experiences here in Denver, making for a very upbeat experience.

I very seldom visit the MCA, even on one cent days. Except for the photography, most of the exhibits are pretty far out there (or cutting edge, if you prefer). You usually walk around the galleries and just ask yourself: what? why? However, I do like the building. It was designed by UK architect David Adjaye, and features a lot of windows looking out over the neighborhood, and a truly wonderful rooftop deck, which can be seen in the photograph on the right. The reflective glass on the right surrounds a very pleasant cafe, with outdoor tables on two sides. It is definitely worth a visit to the MCA Denver just to see that building. And ponder the state of contemporary art.

The Month Of Photography's Final Weekend? Not By A Long Shot...

I spent this past Saturday afternoon visiting various art galleries participating in Denver's Month of Photography. Since March was now over, I was hoping some galleries still had those exhibits up. Many did, and I was very surprised to find that the Museo de las Americas (seen in the photograph on the left) recently announced the opening of still another major photography exhibit. If I had known this before, I could have attended the opening reception the previous night (the First Friday Art Walk for April). In addition to hobnobbing with Denver's art community, I could have gotten in for free. As it was, I was more than happy to pay the $5 admission fee (the senior rate, that I am now always given without even asking - so sad). And it was definitely worth it. I would have even paid $6 to get in. 

This exhibit, titled La Nueva Cara (The New Face) features works by not only well known Denver photographers and other local contributors, but also photographs by such famous photographers as Sebastiao Salgado, Imogen Cunningham, Denver's own Hal Gould, and Yousuf Karsh. The famous Karsh portrait of Ernest Hemingway can be seen on the right side of the photograph on the right. This is obviously THE major exhibit of The Month of Photography, and so I am not sure why it is taking place in April instead of March. But regardless, it is definitely worth seeing. Be sure to catch it if you can. It runs through April 17th.

McGregor Square Is Open!

McGregor Square, a major mixed use real estate venture next door to Denver's Coors Field, is now open, although a lot of businesses have yet to move in. I biked past it yesterday afternoon, and was pleasantly surprised to find that it is a pretty cool venue. There was a huge television screen, showing the Colorado Rockies game, seen in the above photograph on the right, and tables and chairs in the middle of the square where people can order drinks and sit and watch the game. There is even a small grassy berm on the left where people can sit, just like at many ballparks. The Tattered Cover Bookstore, where I worked as the bookkeeper before retiring back in 2018, plans to open a store there next month. I just hope they plan on applying for a liquor license. It looks like a sure bet to me.

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter Everyone! And yes - I am indeed using the same picture that I use every Easter. It is the only photograph I know for sure was taken on Easter Sunday. It is of me on the back porch of our home in the South Side Brainerd neighborhood of Chicago, when I was at my most charming best. Back then our family celebrated every Easter morning with an Easter egg hunt. My sister Susan tells me that since our father Nelson was the one who hid them, he usually wound up finding the most chocolate eggs during the hunt. He would put them in a circle on the smoking stand by his chair, and eat them one by one as he read his library books. I myself don't remember those particular details, but it does seem to be a bit of an unfair advantage. But that's just me.

Coors Field Or Dodger Stadium? Hard To Tell

This is Opening Weekend at Denver's Coors Field. But when I biked past the ballpark early yesterday evening, it seemed more like Dodger Stadium. What appeared to be several thousand non-social distancing Dodger fans marched toward the ballpark behind a banner celebrating their 2020 World Series championship, as seen in the photograph on the left. What I want to know is whether these fans traveled here from L.A. to see the game, or if they are simply some of the roughly 20 million Californians who have moved to Denver over the past couple of years?

When they reached the front of Coors Field, they held a sort of pep rally for their team, as seen in the photograph on the right, and then went into the ballpark. Considering their number, I have to wonder whether any Colorado Rockies fans - those that are still left, that is - were able to get tickets to the game? You do have to admire those Dodgers fan's enthusiasm, however.  I also noticed that kind of passion among St. Louis Cardinals fans at bars and restaurants, back when I traveled to Columbia, Missouri for software training for the DU Bookstore. As for Denver fans, it is very telling that the lead sports story each night on all the local news programs concerns the Denver Broncos football team, no matter the time of year. Three months until draft day always beats out the baseball scores in this town. Sad.

The Terminal Bar, Old And New

I walked through Denver's remodeled Union Station on the way to the light rail train home a while back, and took the photograph on the left of the Terminal Bar, which is named after the original Terminal Bar, located a few blocks away down 17th Street. There are a number of upscale shops and restaurants, as well as an upscale hotel, inside Union Station now, and the original waiting room has been transformed into a living room style open space to sit and enjoy your food and drinks. And you can order your drinks at the Terminal Bar through what was once the ticket counter for the station, and then sit wherever you like.

The original Terminal Bar, as I have mentioned in previous blogs, was located in what was then a very sketchy area. Jack Kerouac used to drink there, and is said to have rented a room on the second floor. The building is now the home of Jax Fish House and Oyster Bar, specializes in sushi, and can be seen in the photograph on the right. I am pretty sure that Jack Kerouac was not a sushi kind of guy, and I suspect if he was still around today, he would ditch the room on the second floor and move somewhere else. And I also suspect he wasn't very picky. He once bought a house in Lakewood, Colorado, a suburb just west of Denver, and convinced his family to move there, which they briefly did before realizing what Lakewood was really like. Once they left, Kerouac sold the place and moved to San Francisco. A very wise choice indeed.

Happy Opening Day!

Today is Opening Day, the start of the major league baseball season. And unlike last year, fans are being welcomed back into the ballparks, including Coors Field, home of the Colorado Rockies, which will allow 21,363 fans through the turnstiles. I have not attended Opening Day for the past 4 years, due to the insane cost of those tickets. However, I was very surprised to see that this year, ticket prices are actually pretty reasonable, probably an incentive to come to the ballpark during a major pandemic. As for me, perhaps I will attend next year. The photograph on the left, by the way, was taken on Opening Day in 2016. Since Opening Day ceremonies at Coors Field haven't changed in over 25 years, I think it will suffice for today's blog.

The photograph on the right was taken exactly 20 years earlier, back on Opening Day in 1996, and shows, from left to right, myself, my sister Susan, and brother-in-law George.  This was the year after Coors Field opened, a season where the Rockies made the playoffs for the first time in their history. Expectations were high that Opening Day, as opposed to this year, when the Rockies are predicted to have the worst record in all of baseball. Since attendance at Coors Field averages close to three million people every year, no matter how good or bad the team is, there is unfortunately no incentive for management to improve the team. No wonder the announcer at the ballpark always refers to Colorado Rockies fans as the greatest baseball fans in the world. It sounds so much better than calling them the greatest chumps in the world.