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Week of March 10, 2022
DENVER, COLORADO
A publication of
VOLUME 95 | ISSUE 16
Chicano Humanities and Arts Council leaving Denver for Lakewood Pioneering nonprofit is moving to 40 West Arts District
Colorado lawmakers introduce bill declaring Juneteenth a state holiday
BY BOB WOOLEY BWOOLEY@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
BY MATT BLOOM COLORADO PUBLIC RADIO
A staple of the Denver arts scene is leaving its home in the Santa Fe Arts District for the more affordable confines of Lakewood’s upstart 40 West. A longstanding fixture that helped usher in Santa Fe’s legendary First Fridays, the Chicano Humanities and Arts Council (CHAC) has signed a lease to take over the space currently occupied by 40 West Gallery at 1560 Teller St. in April. In turn, 40 West Gallery will relocate to a new building in the District. In 2018, CHAC was forced to move to a less trendy, far less walkable space several blocks to the south due to skyrocketing real estate prices the success of galleries like CHAC helped foster.
resent about 30 different cuisines. How it works is participating restaurants create a multicourse dinner based on three price points — $25, $35 or $45 per person. Menus were announced mid-February, and diners are able to search restaurants by location, price point, cuisine and amenities, such as minority-owned or vegan options available.
Colorado lawmakers have kickstarted the process of making Juneteenth an official state holiday, joining the federal government and many businesses that already observe it. On March 2, members of the Black Democratic Legislative Caucus gathered with supporters outside the state Capitol to promote SB22-139. The bill would add Juneteenth to the calendar of state holidays starting this year. “I think Juneteenth is largely seen as an African American thing, but it should be seen as something for the general population,” said Sen. Janet Buckner, one of the bill’s sponsors. “It should be something to be educated about and never forgotten.” The holiday commemorates June 19, 1865, when Union soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas and freed the country’s last remaining enslaved people more than two years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation. Juneteenth has been recognized by many Black communities, including Denver’s, for decades. President Joe Biden designated it as the 11th federal holiday in 2021, making it the first addition to the federal list since Martin Luther King Jr. Day in 1983. State holidays specifically impact the operations of government offices and public schools. Colorado’s effort to officially recognize Juneteenth stems from negotiations with the state workers’ union, which signed its first contract last November. The union, Colorado Workers for
SEE RESTAURANTS, P2
SEE JUNETEENTH, P4
SEE CHAC, P3
The future home of CHAC in the 40 West Arts District.
PHOTO BY BOB WOOLEY
Celebrating Denver’s culinary scene Denver Restaurant Week takes place March 11-20 BY CHRISTY STEADMAN CSTEADMAN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
Denver’s culinary scene is like a hidden gem nationally, said Justin Bresler, vice president of marketing for Visit Denver, but it’s something locals have always
known about. Denver Restaurant Week offers an opportunity to celebrate the local dining scene, and this year’s 18th annual event takes place March 11-20. “Denver Restaurant Week is always a time for chefs to show off their creativity,” Bresler said. “It’s a good time to visit an old favorite or try something new.” Nearly 200 restaurants are participating this year and they rep-
INSIDE: VOICES: PAGE 8 | LIFE: PAGE 10 | CALENDAR: PAGE 7
RISE OF THE MONARCHS
Scientists hopeful butterflies making a comeback
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