Arts & Entertainment
This category covers dance , gallerias, shows, theater, and the like. All music see Music. Restaurants see food.
Denver art premiere for Stone and Williams, of Boulder,
0June 5, 2013
Artist Wood Worker Kerry Stoen and Visual Artist Patrick Williams will come together for a stunning night of Art, Friday, June 7 at CS Woods in Denver. This is a not to be missed, one night only show premiering the exquisite and visionary wood working of Kerry Stoen and the sensual, radically creative work of Patrick Williams.
Natural wood art
The pair met at a martial arts dojo a few years back which sparked an immediate creative kinship between the two, thus conceiving of a collaborative exhibition in a space outside of the box of the mainstream gallery scene. The show will premier a new collection of Stoen’s tables; supremely crafted, organically whimsical, imagistically daring pieces built by the hands of a master wood worker who has been making high end functional objects and installations for over 40 years.
radically creative art
Williams, an internationally collected artist whose work ranges from simple Japanese influenced Sumi paintings to technically brilliant, emotionally layered large scale figurative drawings,(and everything in between) has gathered together a sampling of his 38 years of art making. Williams’ large scale drawings and paintings will be installed on stacks of lumber in the warehouse.
He has always delighted in showing his work in unconventional spaces; raw, organic environments where “art and people can breathe together, movement and conversation less inhibited.”
CS Woods 4355 Monaco St. Unit A Denver, CO 80216
Reception with artists 3-8pm
Artists’ Press release
Related posts:
Fabulous Finds Spring Clearance Sale May 31 and June 1
0May 31, 2013
Red is always in style at Fabulous Finds
This Weekend Fabulous Finds will have a Spring Clearance Sale 2 Days only!
600 South Airport Road Longmont Phone 720-340-4152
Owner Clarissa Edelen will be having a
Trunk Show Featuring Jewelry and Accessories!
Refreshments served at 12:00.
Please come by and see the many fine items and surprises. Amazing staff to assist you.
See you there.
Related posts:
ALERT to Pearl St. Mall Patrons: Shoot’um up being shot in old Boulder Chimera building. It’s just a movie.
0May 28, 2013
ALERT
Date: May 28, 2013
From: Kim Kobel, PIO/Boulder Fire-Rescue & Police Departments, 303-441-3370
This evening, May 28, 2013, a movie production company will be shooting scenes inside the old Daily Camera building, located at the corner of 11th and Pearl. The movie production crew will be using several indoor pyrotechnics, and it’s possible that people near the building could hear some loud noises and see smoke coming from the building. The Boulder Fire Department will have personnel and trucks staged at the building to insure public safety. Boulder police will also be on hand.
The Boulder Fire-Rescue Department wants to alert the public ahead of time about what is happening at the old Daily Camera building, and to reassure the public that anything they hear or see this evening is being filmed as part of a movie.
Related posts:
Goonies to play Bohemian Biergarten Saturday May 25 Boulder
0May 24, 2013
The Goonies local Boulder 80′s cover band will be performing Sat May 25th at 11:00 P.M. at the Bohemian Biergarten on 13th Street in Boulder. There in no cover charge.
Owner Zednek Srom has it going on at the Biergarten. 80″s Rock, stellar craft beers, with a late night grill that sizzles the taste buds.
Has anyone seen my Wayfarers? Better get there early this place rocks!
Related posts:
Boulder Channel 1 broadcasts live from Boulder Creek Festival May 25, 26 27
0May 24, 2013
Watch Boulder Channel 1 at the Boulder Creek Fest this year, we have 3 separate broadcasts that take place at various times and locations throughout this Memorial Day weekend event, some live, some recorded and lots of things to watch from this and previous years that we have been to this always fun, annual event in Boulder. Sit Back and enjoy the show, and if your up to it, stop by the Boulder Channel 1 booth in media row.
Youtube
Justin TV
Watch live video from boulderchannel1 on www.justin.tv
UStream
Related posts:
CU News Team Boulder reports on BIFF
0February 14, 2013
Channel 63 CU News Team Boulder give a preview of the 2013 Boulder International film Festival
Related posts:
CU’s anti-violence production of ‘The Tempest’ to tour Colorado schools
0February 12, 2013
The Colorado Shakespeare Festival’s highly praised school anti-violence tour continues in spring 2013 with a new program based on “The Tempest” that focuses on themes of vengeance and forgiveness.
Created in conjunction with the Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence at the University of Colorado Boulder, CSF’s “Twelfth Night” anti-bullying tour has now been seen by more than 22,000 Colorado schoolchildren. That inaugural program examined the problem of bullying through the character Malvolio.
The new program explores the character of Prospero, who conjures a mighty tempest to shipwreck his enemies of old on his remote island domain. But even as he plots his revenge on those who wronged him years before, he ponders his actions and at the last moment turns to forgiveness instead.
“The rarer action is in virtue rather than vengeance,” Prospero says, renouncing all his schemes for payback.
“This is really about how to relate to other people and deal with conflict in your life. This performance and the workshops that follow focus on the importance of reconciliation and forgiveness as a tool for ending the cycle of violence,” says CSF Literary Manager Amanda Giguere, who co-created the program with Timothy Orr, interim producing artistic director.
During the program, four professional actors perform an abbreviated version of the play. The actors then lead the students in small-group exercises exploring alternatives to violence that are based on the latest research from CU-Boulder’s Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence.
The play emphasizes that there is always a choice between continuing the “cycles of revenge” and choosing not to retaliate, says Beverly Kingston, director of the center. She notes that 33 percent of American high school students had been in at least one physical fight in the preceding 12 months, according to the 2011 national youth risk behavior survey.
“You can see that in every one of those fights, someone had to make a decision to retaliate for some reason,” Kingston says. “Violence really begins with a decision and we all have a choice how we respond to difficult circumstances in our lives. That’s the message of this play.”
The new play makes use of Japanese bunraku-style puppets to represent some of the characters, including Prospero and his spirit servant Ariel.
In actor and stage manager Caroline Barry’s hands and animated by her voice, Ariel’s sea-blue face and colorful trailing veils seem almost to swim across the stage. With a few simple gestures — a thoughtful nod and touching foreheads with his spirit companion — the puppet Prospero becomes a fully-fledged character.
“We really want you to start imagining the actors’ expressions on the puppets,” says actor Crystal Eisele.
The new program debuts Feb. 12 at the Cole Arts and Sciences Academy in Denver. There are more than 40 schools on the spring schedule — and for the first time, a senior center — and Giguere expects to add more.
CSF’s innovative anti-violence school programs have received tens of thousands of dollars in grant funding and been featured prominently in print, online and television media across Colorado.
CSF’s anti-violence production of “The Tempest” is available for booking. For more information email csfedout@colorado.edu, call 303-492-1973 or visit .
CSF in the Schools: “The Tempest,” spring 2013 scheduled performances
February 12 (AM) Cole Arts & Sciences Academy – Denver
February 12 (PM) Denver Montclair International – Denver
February 13 (AM) Whittier Elementary School – Boulder
February 13 (PM) Angevine Middle School – Lafayette
February 14 (AM) Eagle Ridge Academy – Brighton
February 15 (PM) Flagstaff Charter School – Longmont
February 19 (AM) Westminster High School – Westminster
February 20 (AM) High Point Academy – Aurora
February 20 (PM) Clyde Miller P-8 – Aurora
February 21 (AM) Sunset Middle School – Longmont
February 22 (AM) Archuleta Elementary School – Denver
February 22 (PM) McGlone Elementary – Denver
February 26 (PM) Platte River Charter Academy – Highlands Ranch
February 27 (AM) The Academy of Charter Schools – Westminster
February 28 (AM) Douglass Elementary School – Boulder
February 28 (PM) Friends’ School – Boulder
March 1 (PM) Asbury Elementary School – Denver
March 5 (AM) Boulder Explore – Boulder
March 5 (PM) Gold Hill Elementary School – Gold Hill
March 6 (PM) Spangler Elementary – Longmont
March 8 (PM) Sacred Heart of Jesus – Boulder
March 13 (AM/PM) Timberview Middle School – Colorado Springs
March 15 (AM) Coal Ridge Middle School – Firestone
March 20 (AM) Thornton High School – Thornton
March 20 (PM) North High School – Denver
April 2 (AM) Escuela Tlatelolco Charter School – Denver
April 2 (PM) Force Elementary School – Denver
April 3 (AM) SOAR Green Valley Ranch – Denver
April 4 (AM) Woodlin School – Woodrow
April 4 (PM) Arickaree School – Anton
April 5 (AM) Dunstan Middle School – Lakewood
April 5 (PM) Bryant Webster Elementary – Denver
April 9 (AM) Northeast Elementary School – Parker
April 9 (PM) Henry World School – Denver
April 10 (AM) Lafayette Elementary School – Lafayette
April 10 (PM) Longmont Estates Elementary – Longmont
April 11 (AM) Niwot Elementary School – Niwot
April 11 (PM) Eagle Crest Elementary School – Longmont
April 12 (AM) OLLI West (Senior Center) – Denver
April 12 (PM) Horizon Community Middle – Aurora
Related posts:
Umba Fashion Extravaganza – Wed 1/23/13
0January 19, 2013
UMBA, Creative Co-op is hosting an energetic and eclectic display of unique local designers putting the FUN in function…. Music by N8Tron Come join this exciting gathering at Shine Restaurant in Boulder!
Jan, 23, 2013
7:30 doors open, 8pm show
Free event open to the public!
Check out these links for more info.
UMBA Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/UMBA-Creative-Co-Op/134547609932214
UMBA Website: http://www.umbafestivalclothing.com/
Shine Website: http://www.shineboulder.com/
E-mail: umbalovelight@yahoo.com
Music by N8Tron: http://www.n8tron.net/
Related posts:
News from Downtown Boulder
0December 20, 2012
Reply-To: info@dbi.org
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
IN THIS ISSUE
» News You Can Use
» New Businesses
» New DBI Members
» Gift Card Biz
» Upcoming Events
» News You Can Use
Happy Holidays from Downtown Boulder!
Downtown Boulder wishes you a happy and healthy Holiday Season!
BoulderDowntown.com
St. Nick on the Bricks!
Saturday, December 22 | 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. | Downtown Boulder Visitor Information Center
Santa will be visiting one more time with kids in Downtown Boulder! Join Santa and Mrs. Claus at the Visitor Information Center this Saturday from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. Arrive early, Santa has to head back to the North Pole at precisely 2 p.m.! Remember, photo ops are free!
DowntownBoulderHolidays.com
Downtown Boulder Gift Guide
Need the perfect last minute gift? Check out our Downtown Boulder Gift Guide. From beauty treatments and assorted food baskets, to an emergency Santa kit, there’s something for everyone on your list. Don’t forget about the Downtown Boulder Gift Card – accepted at over 180 downtown businesses!
View the guide here
Celebrate the New Year in Downtown Boulder
Downtown Boulder will be hopping this New Year’s Eve! We have compiled a list of Downtown New Year’s Eve parties, dinners and more. Find your perfect party to ring in the New Year!
Give the Gift of Music!
Looking for a special gift idea? How about tickets to upcoming shows at the Boulder Theater? Perfect presents for the music lovers on your list. The Boulder Theater wishes you all happy holidays and to celebrate the season they have given us some tickets to giveaway!
Wanna win? Here’s all you have to do, by Friday, Dec. 21, go to Downtown Boulder’s Facebook page (like us if you don’t already) and post a comment on our post that reads, ‘Hey Newsletter Readers, who do you want to win?’ Your comment should just be the name of either Marc or Habib & Eric. Winners will be drawn at random and notified by Friday, December 28. Good Luck!
01.17 – Marc Cohn
02.13 – Habib Koite & Eric Bibb
Ice Skating Lessons at One Boulder Plaza
Give the gift of ice skating! The Ice Rink at One Boulder Plazaoffers group and private lessons. Kick-off the New Year by booking lessons for your little one (or the kid at heart) today!
Click here for schedule and more information
Boulder Reusable Bag Design Contest
Calling all community members! Participate in Inspire Boulder’s Reusable Bag Design Contest by submitting your design that reflects the spirit of Boulder. A limited number of Free reusable bags will feature winning designs.
Contest is open to all ages and several designs may be chosen. Submit designs at InspireBoulder.com or email tobags@bouldercolorado.gov by Friday, January 4, 2013.
Click here for more information
Silhouette Conscious Fashion
The entire downtown Boulder business community is sending love and well wishes to Silhouette owner, Erin Carver who began a fight against brain cancer just three months after opening her store earlier this year. To allow Erin and her friends & family to be 100% focused on her fight, Silhouettewill be closing its doors.
Anyone who is going through chemotherapy and/or radiation can choose a FREE hat of their choice from the store while supplies last and the Silhouette staff hopes that you will stop by during their closing sale.
Silhouette Announcement
Play “Found Downtown” & Win a $25 Downtown Gift Card!
Think you know Downtown Boulder? Tell us where the photo to the left was taken and your correct guess will be entered in a drawing to win a $25 Downtown Boulder Gift Card. One winner will be chosen at random from the correct answers. One guess per person please.
Email your answer to info@dbi.org by Tuesday, January 1, with Found Downtown in the title. The winner will be notified on Wednesday, January 2. Congratulations to Courtney Harkins for being our last Found Downtown winner (Weekends).
» New Businesses
Retail Therapy
Contact: Lisa Gindy | 1638 Pearl Street | (303) 442-0682
Retail Therapy is a women’s clothing boutique as well as a blow dry and cosmetic bar offering the most current styles. Whether you are looking for a special outfit for a night out or a perfect pair of jeans, we’ve got something for you. One stop shopping for a complete look.
RetailTherapy.com
The Hub Boulder
Contact: Peter Begley & Greg Berry | 1877 Broadway, Suite 100 | (303) 219-0027
HUB Boulder is a physical home for entrepreneurs, professionals, and investors to collectively create positive impact. HUB Boulder will welcome members of Boulder’s distinct communities to a unique space optimized for collaboration, learning, and making change happen.
HubBoulder.com
» New DBI Members
PastaVino
Contact: Fabio Flagiello
1043 Pearl Street | (303) 955-8791
Paying homage to the traditions of healthy Italian cuisine, our kitchen executes classic dishes to perfection using only the best, organic and fresh ingredients, locally sourced, as well as direct from Italy. To complement the menu, we’ve carefully selected a distinguished variety of wines, including a biodynamic selection, from all of Italy, as well as reputable vineyards from around the world.
PastaVino.com
Jacob Joyce, Wells Fargo Bank
Contact: Jacob Joyce | 1242 Pearl Street | (303) 441-0355
Full service banking, mortgage, investment, and financial services.
WellsFargo.com
» New Gift Card Participants
The Downtown Boulder Gift Card is perfect for grads, coaches, teachers and anyone you really like! There are over 180 merchants and restaurants who accept the Downtown Boulder Gift Card. Here are the latest businesses to accept the card:
Arlene’s
Athleta
Beehive
Frasca Caffe
Nod & Rose
PastaVino
Retail Therapy
title nine
» Upcoming Events
Wednesday, Dec 19, 2012
Holiday Tea @ Hotel Boulderado
Kirk Knuffke Trio @ Laughing Goat Coffeehouse
Paint “Tetons” @ Posh
Pete Kartsounes @ Laughing Goat Coffeehouse
Wish List Wednesdays @ Athleta
Thursday, Dec 20, 2012
Curling Clinics @ The Ice Rink at One Boulder Plaza
Gogolab Trio presents: “A Very Bitter Christmas” @ Bitter Bar
Holiday Tea @ Hotel Boulderado
Mat Pilates @ Athleta
Register today to paint “Aspens” @ Posh
The People’s Abstract @ Laughing Goat Coffeehouse
Friday, Dec 21, 2012
DANNY SHAFER AND THE 21ST CENTURY @ Conor O’Neill’s Irish Pub & Restaurant
Face Holiday Show @ Boulder Theater
Holiday Tea @ Hotel Boulderado
Jeremy Mohney Quartet @ Laughing Goat Coffeehouse
Live Artist Demonstration with DD LaRue @ SmithKlein Gallery
Register today to paint “Telluride Valley” @ Posh
Shine, Hanuman Presents and Organic Twist present a special Solstice event led by Valerie D’Ambrosio @ Shine Restaurant and Gathering Place
The Colorado Project ‘Dawn of the Age of Aquarius’ Equinox Party @ Shine Restaurant and Gathering Place
WISH FULFILLMENT FRIDAY (aka Happy Hour with West Flanders Brewing) @ Athleta
Saturday, Dec 22, 2012
Downtown Dining Tour
Gingerbread Tea @ St. Julien Hotel and Spa
Paint “Lab on a beach” @ Posh
Paint “Mountain Buckwheat” @ Posh
Ramaya and Dechen Hawk @ Laughing Goat Coffeehouse
Register today to paint “Fresh Snow” @ Posh
The Christmas Revels @ Boulder Theater
The Dubwise Collective presents The World Revival party: a Reggae & Dancehall showcase @ Shine Restaurant and Gathering Place
Vinyasa Yoga @ Athleta
Closing: St. Nick on the Bricks
Sunday, Dec 23, 2012
Gingerbread Tea @ St. Julien Hotel and Spa
Opening: One Missed Call (2008) free screening @ 1313 A Salon
Paint “Owls” @ Posh
Women’s Songwriter Showcase @ Laughing Goat Coffeehouse
Monday, Dec 24, 2012
”So, You’re a Poet,” presents a Christmas Eve Open Poetry Reading @ Laughing Goat Coffeehouse
Closing: Artwork Holiday Sale @ Julie Kate Photography
Christmas Eve Dinner @ Oak at Fourteenth
Tuesday, Dec 25, 2012
Christmas Day Buffet @ Hotel Boulderado
Wednesday, Dec 26, 2012
Paint “Flatirons in Winter” @ Posh
Thursday, Dec 27, 2012
Mat Pilates @ Athleta
Patrick Lee Group @ Bitter Bar
Register Now to Paint “African Tree Sunset” @ Posh
Friday, Dec 28, 2012
Shine and Yoga Pod Present Urban Flow Yoga @ Shine Restaurant and Gathering Place
Opening: An Evening with Yonder Mountain String Band @ Boulder Theater
Cowgirl Radio @ Laughing Goat Coffeehouse
Closing: One Missed Call (2008) free screening @ 1313 A Salon
Register today to paint “Chautauqua Lookout” @ Posh
The Kinky Fingers @ Laughing Goat Coffeehouse
Saturday, Dec 29, 2012
Something Underground @ Shine Restaurant and Gathering Place
Gingerbread Tea @ St. Julien Hotel and Spa
Register today to paint “Sunburst” @ Posh
Steve Itterly @ Laughing Goat Coffeehouse
Vinyasa Yoga @ Athleta
Sunday, Dec 30, 2012
Gingerbread Tea @ St. Julien Hotel and Spa
Paint “Zebra” @ Posh
Monday, Dec 31, 2012
”So, You’re a Poet,” presents a New Years Eve Open Poetry Marathon @ Laughing Goat Coffeehouse
Closing: An Evening with Yonder Mountain String Band @ Boulder Theater
Closing: Holiday Afternoon Tea @ Boulder Dushanbe Teahouse
Closing: Holiday Portrait Discount! @ Julie Kate Photography
MIRACLE + WONDER @ Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art
New Year’s Bash with Neptune’s Only Daughter! @ Foolish Craig’s Cafe
New Year’s Eve Dinner @ Centro Latin American Kitchen & Refreshment Palace
New Year’s Eve Dinner @ L’Atelier
New Year’s Eve Great Gatsby Gala @ Hotel Boulderado
New Year’s Eve Prix Fixe @ Oak at Fourteenth
New Years Eve @ Frasca Food & Wine
Ring in the New Year with Jax @ Jax Fish House
The Goonies New Year’s Eve @ Conor O’Neill’s Irish Pub & Restaurant
Thrive in the Age of Aquarius @ Shine Restaurant and Gathering Place
Tuesday, Jan 1, 2013
Live Music from Dechen Hawk @ The Kitchen [Next Door]
MIRACLE + WONDER @ Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art
New Year’s Bash with Neptune’s Only Daughter! @ Foolish Craig’s Cafe
New Year’s Eve Great Gatsby Gala @ Hotel Boul
Related posts:
Boulder County to host Lavender Gala on Dec. 2
0November 21, 2012
Boulder County, Colo. – The Boulder County Area Agency on Aging will host the Lavender Gala – a celebration for Boulder County’s lesbian/gay/bisexual/transgender community age 60 and better and their friends, families, and allies – on Dec. 2 in Lafayette.
What: The 12th annual Lavender Gala
When: Sunday, Dec. 2, 1-4 p.m.
Where: Nissi’s Bistro, 2675 North Park Drive, Lafayette
Hors d’oeuvres are included in the $10 suggested donation at the door, a cash bar is offered, and there will be door prizes.
RSVP by Tuesday, Nov. 27 to 303-441-1585 or http://lavendergala.eventbrite.com. Festive attire is encouraged. Call 303-441-3583 or emailinfoLGBTelders@bouldercounty.org for more info, to donate a door prize or to arrange a ride.
“We want this event to break the isolation some elder LGBTs may feel, especially during the holidays,” organizer Nancy Grimes said. “Our musical entertainment includes lesbian trio Somethin’ About Lulu and dance tunes by DJ Susie Pringle. Jeffrey Kash returns as the hilarious Ms. Eda Bagel. Please come on out.”
The event is hosted by the Boulder County Area Agency on Aging and sponsored by the Aging Services Foundation, the Open Door Fund of The Community Foundation Serving Boulder County, The Jared Polis Foundation, The David Ensign Charitable Fund, The Fairfield County Community Foundation-donor advised fund, and Out Boulder.
For more information, contact Nancy Grimes at 303-441-3583 or ngrimes@bouldercounty.org.
Related posts:
Louisville Middle School Hosts 4th Annual “Souper Supper” November 14 to Benefit Sega Girls School in Tanzania
0November 8, 2012
LOUISVILLE, CO – Louisville Middle School (LMS) students are getting ready to host their fourth annual “Souper Supper” to benefit the Sega Girls’ School in Tanzania. The school-sponsored fundraiser will be held 5:00-7:00 p.m. Wed., Nov. 14, at 1341 Main Street in Louisville.
“This wonderful event allows for our community to come together during the Thanksgiving Season and give thanks for our beautiful school, all while helping children half way around the world receive an education,” said Lori Llerandi, art teacher at Louisville Middle School and board member for the Nurturing Minds in Africa organization.
Tickets are available for $5 each and can be purchased Monday-Friday from 8:30-11:30 a.m. at the school, as well as on the night of the event.
In addition to the sale of hand-glazed bowls from Lori Llerandi’s art students ($12 each), Tanzanian bracelets will be available ($5 each) and chances to win a variety of door prizes such as massages, spa packages, chef’s aprons and restaurant cards. Entertainment will be provided by Dave Crowder and Becky Bragg with some of their band members from “Bamboche” (African drumming) and “Chapungu” (marimba).
This year’s Souper Supper is being provided with delicious food by: Breadworks, Conor O’Neils, Huckleberry, The Melting Pot, Mimi’s Café, Old Santa Fe and The Sink.
Additional fundraising for the Sega Girls School is being provided by LoCo FroYo in Louisville which is donating 15 percent of all their sales (when the customer mentions the SEGA Girls School) each Friday during the month of November
Last year’s Souper Supper raised $5,600, which furnished a new dorm at the SEGA Girls’ School with 30 new beds, mattresses and linens for their new dorm room. Some of these girls had never slept in a bed before!
Related posts:
Boulder 24 hour Shoot Out top ten
0October 16, 2012
The Shoot Out 24 Hour Filmmaking Festival Boulder October 19-21, 2012 – 9th Year
Since the Shoot out is coming again we thought we would show you some of the top ten favorites films. Stupid but funny.
Tickets available for the Top 10 screening on October 21st at noon at eTown Hall. True to eTown’s 21-year commitment to green education and “doing the right thing”, eTown Hall, converted from an old church facility, is quite possibly the greenest music and media center in Colorado! This unique intimate downtown Boulder venue will be the host for the 9th annual Top 10 Film.
Related posts:
How A 22-Year-Old Boulder Woman Learned How To Fix Cars By Driving A ‘72 VW Beetle Across The West
0September 7, 2012
At 22 years old, Morgan Johnson knows the ins and outs of a few things. She’s lived in Oregon and Colorado, and she managed a King Soopers grocery store for a few years.
But when she decided to quit her job and give the Great Western Road Trip a try, she didn’t know anything about cars other than that they get you places and cost money to fix. But when she decided to buy a 1972 Volkswagen Beetle for a trip that would cover thousands of miles, she faced a sink-or-swim learning curve that’s an inevitable part of old Volkswagen ownership.
Now, she chatters about valve adjustments and wheel bearing tightness like an old hand. More importantly, she has joined the ranks of auto enthusiasts. Before, cars were just something that carried her to and from work. Now, she’s approaching full-on gearhead status.
A Volkswagen Beetle wouldn’t be my first choice for an epic road trip car, but those old German workhorses have the kind of charisma that can entice a young lady like Morgan Johnson into the strange world of auto enthusiasm. Needless to say, the car — packed to the gills with three or four passengers and all of their crap at any given time — broke down a lot during the trip. But with a little help from friends and strangers and by asking a lot of questions, Morgan’s understanding of how cars work grew considerably. But so did her appreciation for cars; bugs in particular.
I met Morgan and two of her travel companions when we were all stopped in front of Utah’s Great Salt Lake one evening this summer. It was nearly 10 p.m., and the sun was finally sinking below the horizon, turning the lake’s surface into an iridescent orange sheen. The only way to get to that part of the lake, as far as I know, is from I-80, so I was surprised to see an olive drab green Beetle, Colorado tagged and topped with a bulky, tarpaulin covered bindle, come trundling down the offramp toward the beach parking lot. I had to find out who was bold enough to take a road trip in a car like that.
Morgan and her friends, Johnny and Cherri, live in Boulder. They all explained, with that sort of fresh faced excitement you seen in young people caught up in an adventure, that they planned to drive all the way out to San Francisco, then up the coast through Oregon to Seattle. They didn’t really have any plans other than that, just a chunk of free time, a little bit of money, and a knack for finding things cheap on Craigslist.
By then, only a couple of days into the trip, they’d already broken down once, and were making their way ever so slowly due to the car’s limited capacity to carry a ton of weight.
The Journey Begins
Morgan had quit her job as a grocery store manager in Boulder just before the trip. She’d been working there for three years, and had always wanted to take a long road trip around the American West. She didn’t know much about cars, but she did know enough to realize that her rusted-out Jeep wasn’t going to cut it. But one day, when she was buying a saxophone from some guy off of Craigslist, she noticed that he had a lot of old Volkswagens in his yard. One of them — the army green one — was for sale for $1,600.
A lot of people would say that going from a rusted out, inoperable Jeep to a Volkswagen that’s been sitting around since 1997 is leaping from the frying pan into the fire. But Morgan said she was enchanted by the car — which she always refers to as “she” — and bought it with some money she’d saved for the trip. Mike, the Volkswagen nut who sold her the car, unwittingly became her on call mechanic as soon as he handed over the keys.
“I told her when she got it to drive it around for a few days before leaving on her trip, but she just took off,” he told me at a Volkswagen rally we all attended together a month later. “I’d say I got 200 texts while she was out driving the thing.”
“I sent him a lot of pictures of my finger pointing at something and asking, ‘What’s this part? How do I fix it?’” she explained.
The trip lasted about a month, and the trio (they picked up another person in California, completely stuffing the little car) saw a lot of amazing scenery. But they also met people they wouldn’t have met if they weren’t driving an old car that broke and made them stop and smell the oil filter. Here’s a breakdown of their itinerary, by geography:
- Boulder, Colo.: Morgan, et al hit the road, headed north through Cheyenne before hanging a left on I-80 toward Utah.
- Evanston, Wy.: The car’s fanbelt broke. Johnny skateboarded five miles to the nearest town, but everything was closed. But he met a lady who had a bunch of random fanbelts laying around. None of them fit, so they tied a piece of rope around the pulleys and drove it to someone or other’s friend’s house. The guy had a bunch of old Volkswagens, and they found a fanbelt that worked until they could buy a new one.
- Utah: They met me at the Great Salt Lake. We parted ways (because an old VW is the only car that my car can drive faster than) until later that night. They caught up with me and we camped next to the Bonneville Salt Flats.
- The Nevada Desert: Nevada in summer is hell on Earth. With all that weight piled into the little car, it began to overheat and lost power. So they parked under a bridge and slept there until it was dark and cool outside. Once they got up into Tahoe, the weather was cooler and the car worked OK.
- Sacramento/San Francisco: They went to Pride, crashing with some guy they’d found on Craigslist in the Castro. Morgan found out that one of the reasons the car had been overheating was because of the bag strapped directly to the roof. It blocked airflow to the engine, which is cooled by air. So Morgan bought one of those cool metal and wood roof racks on eBay and poor Johnny, who had been crammed in the back with all that crap for a little while, got a reprieve. They also got an oil change (I’d told them that because VWs don’t have oil filters, it’s a good idea to change it every 2,000 miles).
- Humboldt County/The Lost Coast: Three days of backpacking on the Lost Coast and a day spent tripping balls on mushrooms in a redwood forest were car-free, thus devoid of mechanical problems.
- Portland, Ore.: The car smelled like gas, and they found not one, not two, but three fuel leaks. The big filler hose and some of the fuel line were dry rotted. The filler hose was a specialty part, and Morgan ended up skating 10+ miles on a hot summer day trying to find the right one. Morgan noted that “Portland isn’t a good place to skate — the roads are shitty.” She also replaced the fuel filter and the distributor cap and rotor.
- Washington State: A friend wanted to take a different, more reliable car to Seattle, but Morgan said, “You haven’t experienced the bug yet. You gotta feel what it’s all about.”John Muir couldn’t have said it better himself, but the rest of the group voted to take the more reliable car.
- Oregon to Idaho: The car, of course, broke down again. This time, the battery cable was loose (for those of you who know bugs, good thing the damned thing didn’t catch on fire!) and there was another fuel leak from another dry rotted line. They used someone’s brother’s AAA card for a free tow to nearby Boise, Idaho. Morgan also had to fix some frayed wires in the dash when the lights stopped working. By this time, Johnny had strep throat, and Cherri had really bad poison oak from their redwood frolic.
- Evanston, Wy.: The car died and wouldn’t start again. The carburetor was leaking gas and the engine was running too hot. The tips in the pea shooter exhaust had completely melted. They took the Greyhound the rest of the way home, and Morgan and Cherri came back later to get the car with a Uhaul.
Although they’d had to tuck their tails between their legs and take a bus the rest of the way home (and Greyhounds in the West aren’t like those sleek new D.C.-to-N.Y.C. jobs, they’re bleak, Morgan wasn’t ready to give up on her bug. She talked Mike, the guy who’d sold her the car, into taking a look at it. The valves were way too tight, and she’d missed spotting a spark plug wire that had come loose. The thing had been running on three cylinders (one or two, if you count the cylinders with valves that were stuck open) for hundreds of miles.
But when Morgan, Cherri, Mike and I went to a bug rally a few weeks later, the car was purring (well, a clattery Volkswagen purr). Better yet, Mike had taught a man to fish, so to speak, and Morgan had a more thorough understanding of what those valves do, why they need to be adjusted, and how the car’s ignition and carburetion systems work.
“I learned a lot about engines and how they work and how to fix things,” she told me as we watched souped up bugs scream down the drag strip. “I was told owning one of these cars would make you learn how to have a lot of patience, and it really has.”
If you live in Colorado or Wyoming, don’t be surprised if you see a little army green bug chug up a gnarly hill near a trailhead in the middle of nowhere. Morgan isn’t afraid to drive her car and now, she knows its limits and how to fix it.
Of course, she only knows how to tinker with Volkswagens (and by today’s standards, a VW Type I scarcely qualifies as a car), but it’s a start.
Photo credit: Benjamin Preston; Morgan Johnson
Related posts:
Wrap your mind around this! photo origami CU Boulder
0August 27, 2012
CU-Boulder ‘photo origami’ proposal
wins $2 million NSF grant
The art of origami has inspired children and artists all over the world because of the amazing objects that can be created by folding a simple piece of paper.
Now an engineering research team at the University of Colorado Boulder has won a $2 million grant from the National Science Foundation to develop a light-controlled approach for “self-assembly” mechanisms in advanced devices based on the same principles.
Known as “photo origami,” the idea is supported by NSF’s Emerging Frontiers in Research and Innovation program, which supports interdisciplinary teams working on rapidly advancing frontiers of fundamental engineering research.
CU-Boulder associate professor of mechanical engineering Jerry Qi will lead the team developing the photo origami technique. Collaborators will include CU faculty Robert McLeod of electrical engineering, Kurt Maute of aerospace engineering sciences and Elisabeth “Beth” Stade of mathematics, along with Patrick Mather of Syracuse University.
The ability to transform a flat polymer sheet into a sophisticated, mechanically robust 3-D structure will enable new approaches to manufacturing and design of devices from the microscopic to centimeter scales, according to the team. Examples include using extremely low-weight, high-strength materials to create micro-electromechanical systems with complicated 3-D architectures that can be used for microscopic sensors such as antennas or microphones, and miniature robotic devices for environmental monitoring.
Present barriers to the development of folding and unfolding mechanisms stem from the lack of understanding of scaling laws that allow researchers to generalize results obtained at various size scales, the inability to easily cause matter to “reorient” itself to achieve the desired folding patterns, and challenges in automated, sequential folding.
To overcome these challenges, the CU team will make use of recent fundamental advances in the control of polymer architecture through light-triggered chemical reactions.
“One has to accurately control how much deformation a material should have in order to obtain a precise folding angle and to determine where to fold or stop folding in order to avoid interference in the folding path and form the desired structure,” said McLeod, who will use the interaction of light with material deformation to develop optical waveguide transistors.
In this new form of logic circuit, light triggers the deformation of a soft polymer, which in turn switches the light on or off. In this way, the optical waveguide transistor will enable a structure to be pre-programmed with a folding pattern through a sequential set of switching events controlled by the shape of an origami sheet.
In recent years, CU researchers and their collaborators have made significant progress in using light to control and alter the structure of a polymer. They are able to both bend and stiffen polymer structures and to develop new, soft, shape-memory composite materials through photo-initiation techniques. Shape-memory composites are “smart” materials that have the ability to return from a temporary, deformed shape to their original shape when induced by a trigger.
In addition, the team will work with the local school district to provide research and educational opportunities for K-12 students and teachers.
Related posts:
Coming to CU: High-tech hallucinogenic “Swarm Wall”
0June 4, 2012
June 1, 2012
A monthlong summer exhibit at the University of Colorado Boulder Art Museum will feature a dynamic new media composition based on innovative robotics technology.
Called “Swarm Wall,” the large-scale interactive piece displays changing fields of color, light and sound that are driven by a distributed form of artificial intelligence.
As many as 70 intelligent “nodes” behind the piece create a swarming effect when they detect movement and communicate it with one another. The nodes exhibit swarm behavior because each performs actions solely based on its own plan and the actions of its immediate neighbors.
The 42-by-12-foot installation is the first product from a new art and technology research group on campus. The group was launched by faculty members Michael Theodore of the College of Music, who received a $44,000 grant from CU’s Innovative Seed Grant Program last year to support the collaboration, and Nikolaus Correll of the computer science department.
Also involved in the Swarm Wall is Ken Sugawara, a visiting computer science professor from Tohuku Gakuin University in Japan who is an expert in animal flocking behavior, the inspiration behind the patterns the wall displays.
The seed grant, which Correll and Theodore say already has helped them attract additional funding, was the first step toward establishing an active lab where students, faculty and professional researchers from various disciplines collaborate on cutting-edge applications of artificial intelligence.
“We’re now calling it the ‘if’ lab because we want to see what happens if artists put engineers in front of tough problems,” said Correll, who is providing space for the growing group within his own robotics laboratory in the Engineering Center at CU-Boulder.
“We want to assemble some basic, inexpensive tools that students can use to explore and to develop new applications of robotics,” Correll said.
Scattered around the lab last week were a collection of small custom circuit boards, electronic panels, items resembling ping pong balls and various other components that are being used to assemble robotic devices.
An assembly of circuit boards connected with bright orange cables also was mounted on a partition in the lab in preparation for the installation of Swarm Wall. Small mechanical arms or flippers waved back and forth as the “brains” behind the Swarm Wall were tested. Sometimes the movement was synchronized, while other times a ripple effect would occur in response to some stimuli.
“Artistic exploration can help computer scientists and engineers to ask questions they wouldn’t have otherwise asked,” said Theodore, who also serves as director of the ATLAS Center for Media, Arts and Performance.
“The difference between arts and science is very diffuse; both want to discover new things,” Theodore said. “The cool thing about art is that we can explore systems that are not of interest to classical funding agencies, but might be so after maturing in a lab like the ‘if’ lab.”
Swarm Wall is one of four pieces in “Michael Theodore: Field Theory,” an exhibition of kinetic sculpture, sound, lighting and works on paper, running June 15 through July 14 at the CU Art Museum. The exhibition is free and open to the public. An opening reception will be held on June 15, from 6 to 8 p.m. For additional information, visitors may call the CU Art Museum at 303-492-8300 or go to http://cuartmuseum.colorado.edu.
