This weekend, a difficult conversation comes to the stage in Boulder, a Diné textiles exhibition opens in Durango, and an assortment of museums offer free admission for the summer.
Read on for your weekly arts and culture recap, plus find things to do and places to be.
A play that teaches audiences how to have hard conversations about the crisis in Gaza takes the stage
History is like a gumbo, where everyone's perspective is a different ingredient.
“When you look in, do you see the carrots? Do you see the potatoes? Do you see the shrimp? Do you see the spices? Okay, good. We hope to have everything in the gumbo,” said Bud Coleman, director of "The Israeli-Palestinian Conversation."
The play features characters on both sides of the war and humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
Julia Halaby is a Palestinian-American who plays a character named Rema.
“She's a Muslim Palestinian who obviously has a great urgency, a message she's dying to deliver,” Halaby said.
In her performance, Halaby draws inspiration from her lived experience.
“Most people don't know what it's like to repeatedly have people say that your identity is too controversial,” she said.
Ami Dayan is an Israeli-American playwright and performer. He wrote “The Conversation” and plays a character named Ariel.
“He's an Israeli, been living in America, lost his aunt and his uncle in October. He used to be a peacenik all his life, but that changed his attitude and it's now pretty much an ‘us or them’ for him,” Dayan said.
In the play, these characters engage in a moderated conversation with others to better understand each other’s positions on the issue.
Many people involved in the production see art as one of many vehicles for change.
“I have visited politicians' offices, I have written pieces, I have attempted to get pieces published, I have gone to the streets and marched, I have silently vigiled,” Halaby said. “We need to take every possible avenue we can to educate, bring awareness, open discussions, all of that in order to help alleviate the suffering and the pain associated with this [conflict].”
Elise Collins, who plays a facilitator in “The Conversation,” is passionate about the fusion of social justice and artwork.
She has a background in playback theater and Theater of the Oppressed work.
“People say art imitates life, but I do believe that life also imitates art,” Collins said. “If I witness how actors as characters are able to listen respectfully and listen with curiosity, it takes this idea of having this conversation from being this thing that can never happen … to something that I've seen modeled … and because they can, I might be able to as well.”
“The Israeli-Palestinian Conversation” is on stage at the Dairy Arts Center in Boulder through Saturday, May 31. Future shows targeting other controversial issues, including abortion, immigration and the emotional toll of politics, are being planned for the future.
Diné tradition and experimentation on display in textiles exhibition, “From the Fringes”
Weaving and tradition are intertwined. But even traditional artists working in traditional mediums break artistic norms.
"From the Fringes: Diné Textiles that Disrupt" is an exhibition featuring weavings from Fort Lewis College’s Center of Southwest Studies collection, alongside pieces by Diné weavers Venancio Aragón, his mother Irveta Aragón and Aragón’s students from Diné College’s Navajo Cultural Arts Program. Venancio Aragón curated the collection.
“Na'ashjé'ii Asdzáá (Spider Grandmother) and Na'ashjé'ii Hastíín (Spider Man) instructed the Diné that if we continue to bring beauty into the world with our looms, our children would never be hungry, unprotected from the elements, or without a way forward in life,” Venancio Aragón said. “This exhibition celebrates four themes of weaving that inhabit the fringes of Diné textile studies and honors the technical and aesthetic achievements of our ancestors.”
The exhibition highlights a range of technical and aesthetic oddities that disrupt and complicate traditional perspectives and interpretations of Diné textiles by Western scholarship. By showcasing historical work alongside contemporary pieces, “From the Fringes” seeks to celebrate those techniques within the Diné textile repertoire that have been overshadowed and understudied, while emphasizing their artistic innovation, experimentation, and the cultural, personal, and intergenerational significance of weaving within Diné communities — past, present, and future.
“From the Fringes” opens on Thursday, May 29, with a reception from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. and will be on view in the Center’s exhibition gallery through November 13, 2025.
Free admission to museums on Colorado’s Eastern Plains all summer long
Ever ridden a historic carousel, been to a telephone museum or seen Saddleland? Now’s your chance! Eleven small museums and attractions across Colorado’s Central Plains are offering free admission from Memorial Day through Labor Day.
Participating museums and attractions include:
Arriba Museum
Arriba, Colo.
Open Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Other times by appointment only. Call 719-768-3371 or 719-768-3434 to inquire.
Bailey Saddleland Museum
Simla, Colo.
Open by appointment. Call 719-541-2736 or 719-740-0658 or 719-760-0773 to inquire.
Cheyenne Wells Old Jail Museum
Cheyenne Wells, Colo.
Open from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. on the following dates: May 25 and 31, June 8, 14, 15, 21, 22, 28 and 29, July: 5, 6, 12, 13, 19, 20, 26 and 27 and August 3, 9, 10, 16, 17, 23, and 24. Also open by appointment. Call 719-767-5865 to inquire.
Elbert County Museum
Kiowa, Colo.
Open 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., Thursday through Sunday or by appointment. Call 303-621-2229 to inquire.
Flagler Hospital Museum and Hal Borland Room
Flagler, Colo.
Open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Second Central School Museum
Flagler, Colo.
Open by appointment. Call 719-765-4603 to inquire.
Kit Carson, Colo.
Open Thursday through Tuesday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Kit Carson County Carousel Museum
Burlington, Colo.
Open every day, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Carousel rides are 25 cents each.
Limon Heritage Museum & Railroad Park
Limon, Colo.
Open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Group tours and other times are available by appointment. Call 719-775-0430 or 719-775-8894 to inquire.
Lincoln County’s Hedlund House Museum
Hugo, Colo.
Open by appointment only. Call 719-775-1055 to inquire.
Mountain States Telephone & Telegraph Museum
Wells, Colo.
Open from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. on the following dates: May 25 and 31, June 8, 14, 15, 21, 22, 28 and 29, July: 5, 6, 12, 13, 19, 20, 26 and 27 and August 3, 9, 10, 16, 17, 23, and 24. Also open by appointment. Call 719-767-5865 to inquire.
A bonus, paid attraction:
Old Town Museum
Burlington, Colo.
Open Monday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Tickets are $6 to $10, children under 3 and military are free.
Things to do in Colorado this weekend
Thursday, May 29
- “Space Out” at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science – An adults night at the museum, where guests can catch up on the newest developments in space exploration with an exclusive lecture by Dr. KaChun Yu, learn about gravity and spectroscopy and “spacewalk” through Space Odyssey. Tickets are $25, $20 for members.
Friday, May 30
- "Absolute Rubbish: Growing Season" in Denver — A "trashion" show at Meow Wolf, hosted by Alisha Sweeney with musical acts DJ Blaque Gurl, Humble Abode and Ana Luna. General admission is $46.75 with VIP and after-party options available.
- “Beats & BYOB” in Denver – A SoFar Sounds concert in RiNo, featuring undisclosed artists in an undisclosed (until 36 hours before showtime) location in the RiNo Arts District.
- Denver Municipal Band concert and ice cream social at the Band Shell in City Park on Friday, May 30 at 6 p.m. Free and open to the public.
- “Rest Awhile” in Englewood – An exhibition that reflects on how oftentimes, it's the carefree moments in life that are relished most. Opening event with artist Amanda K. Snyder at SeeSaw Art Gallery from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Free and open to the public. Exhibition on view through Aug. 3.
Saturday, May 31
- HearseCon and Morbid Curiosities Carnival in Aurora – An event featuring custom and vintage hearses, over 100 vendors, music, entertainers and more. 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Stampede Mesquite Grill & Dance Emporium. Tickets are $23.18.
All weekend
- Outside Festival and Summit in Denver — Two days of live music, film screenings, yoga, climbing, gear demos and other festivities. Bands include Khrunagbin, Lord Huron, Sylvan Esso, Trampled By Turtles and more. There's also a huge lineup of guest speakers, including action and adventure sports stars and industry experts.
- Women + Film Festival in Denver – A three-day event screening outstanding features, shorts and documentaries celebrating female filmmakers and stories of women on the screen. Tickets for individual events, including a luncheon with Julia Styles, can be found here.
- “Songs and Stories from the Frontlines of Hope” in Boulder and Denver – A concert from the internationally acclaimed Jerusalem Youth Chorus: an ensemble of Israeli and Palestinian youth from East and West Jerusalem who are raising their voices for peace, equity, inclusion and justice. Concerts are Saturday, May 31, at 7 p.m. at Mountain View United Methodist Church in Boulder and Sunday, June 1, at 4 p.m. at Park Hill United Methodist Church in Denver. The Denver performance will be preceded by a behind-the-scenes workshop at 2:30, during which the singers and directors shed light on their collaborative process.
Next week
- “Art on Parade” Outdoor Sculpture Exhibit in Northglenn – Artists loan their works for one year and park visitors can vote for their favorite starting June 2. The sculpture with the most votes will be named "The People’s Choice" and purchased by NAHF for permanent display in Northglenn. Additionally, all sculptures are available for purchase by the public. Voting ends on November 7.
All month
- “Not Another Black Art Show” in Denver — The show aims to create a space that abandons imposed meanings behind black art and embraces nuance within the work. The show, curated by Tyree Jones-Evans, features six Black artists. An artist reception takes place Saturday, June 7, from 6 to 9 p.m. and an Artist Panel takes place Friday, June 20, 1 – 4 p.m.
- “Science Friction” at the Sie FilmCenter in Denver – A Pride Month film series honoring queer, trans, and binary-breaking visions in science fiction cinema. The lineup includes “Cloud Atlas,” “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” “Vegas in Space,” “The Rocky Horror Picture Show,” and many more. Tickets are $15.
- Catawampus, a new exhibit at the Children’s Museum of Denver at Marsico Campus, is now open. It will be on view for the next 15-18 months during museum hours, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily.
- Divine Rest Nests: An Invitation in Boulder – An immersive exhibition at the BMoCA inviting audiences to experience the concept of rest as resistance and the reclamation of imagination and dreams. Runs through Sept. 1.
Some groups mentioned in the Colorado Arts Spotlight may be financial supporters of CPR News. Financial supporters have no editorial influence.
How we pick our events: The Colorado Arts Spotlight highlights events around the state to give readers a sense of the breadth of Colorado’s arts and cultural happenings, it is not — and can not possibly be — a comprehensive list of all weekly events. Entries are not endorsements or reviews. Each week’s list is published on Thursday and is not updated.
