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December 2, 2021
DENVER, COLORADO
A publication of
VOLUME 95 | ISSUE 2
Collecting art is a ‘fabulous journey’ Denver artist O’Hagan talks painting, collecting BY CHRISTY STEADMAN CSTEADMAN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
“Art is the soul of a home.” This phrase struck Desmond O’Hagan the first time he heard it. “In a time when many things are mass-produced,” O’Hagan said, having art in one’s home “is the opportunity to own something that is one of a kind.” O’Hagan, of Denver’s Wellshire neighborhood, is an artist with a primary focus on using oils and pastels. He is naturally curious, he said, enjoys visiting art galleries and museums, and loves to travel. He describes his art as a combination of representational and abstract elements that include, and are inspired by, urban scenes, landscapes, interiors, architecture, figurative and capturing a moment. Influencers of his paintings include places across the U.S. and Europe, but Denver has always been a favorite of his, O’Hagan said. “Our downtown has so much character,” he said. “Since much of my art concentrates on urban and
Hancock cites ‘dangerous pressure on our hospitals’ BY KYLE COOKE ROCKY MOUNTAIN PBS
“September Rain, Denver” by Desmond O’Hagan. COURTESY PHOTO
interior views, I’ve always appreciated how Denver has renovated the older buildings and warehouses, which gives the city such unique and historical contexts.” O’Hagan, 62, moved to Denver in 1980 to study at the former Art Institute of Colorado. After
graduating, he landed a career in advertising doing graphic design, but decided to pursue a career in the fine arts — with much support from his wife — in 1986. Today, his art is in public-andSEE ART, P2
A head-scratcher: Why lice lurk despite COVID distancing Head lice are ‘definitely back,’ a professional delouser says BY RAE ELLEN BICHELL KAISER HEALTH NEWS
The Marker family of Parker opened their door on a recent
Indoor mask wearing required again in Denver
evening to a woman dressed in purple, with a military attitude to cleanliness. Linda Holmes, who has worked as a technician with LiceDoctors for five years, came straight from her day job at a hospital after she got the call from a dispatcher that the Marker family needed her ASAP. According to those in the world of professional nitpicking, Pedicu-
INSIDE: VOICES: PAGE 10 | LIFE: PAGE 12 | CALENDAR: PAGE 9
lus humanus capitis, the muchscorned head louse, has returned. “It’s definitely back,” said Kelli Boswell, owner of Lice & Easy, an Arvada boutique where people in the Denver area can get deloused, a process that can range from minutes to hours depending on the method and the infestation. “It’s a SEE LICE, P4
Denver Mayor Michael Hancock announced Nov. 23 that the City and County of Denver was implementing a mask mandate starting Nov. 24 that requires face coverings in most indoor settings for anyone ages 2 and up as a COVID-19 safety measure. “Absent additional statewide measures to address this current challenge, regional protective actions have become necessary to reduce the dangerous pressure on our hospitals,” Hancock said. The new public health order will last until January 3, 2022, and could be extended if necessary. Hancock called the order a “vax/ mask mandate,” because businesses and venues that require proof of vaccination against COVID-19 will not have to require masks. The mayor emphasized that the mask mandate would not be needed if more people had been vaccinated. “If other communities in Colorado and around the country took the affirmative steps we have taken around vaccines, the pandemic would be under control,” SEE MASKS, P11
TAPPING TALENT
Artists help to define local beer scene
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