Colorado Expression - magazine - September-October 2021

T H E

B E S T

O F

C O L O R A D O

L I V I N G

The Ballet Jewelry Creations Le French is Back

from Two Sisters

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O COLORAD expression WOMEN OF INFLUENCE SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021

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features

The Colorado Ballet’s Sheridan Guerin.

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Taking Flight

By Colleen Smith Boulder artist Ana María Hernando finds inspiration in birds, trees and nature.

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Curating

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By Colleen Smith Meet Nora Burnett Abrams, Museum of Contemporary Art Denver’s visionary leader.

Community

coloradoexpression . com sEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021

Ready to Dance

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By Joanne Davidson Colorado Ballet prepares for its 2021-22 season.

PHOTO: RACHEL NEVILLE

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Sister Act

By Lindsey Schwartz Siblings mix metals and stones in The Woods Fine Jewelry collection.

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departments In This Issue 08

Shot in the Dark

18

Social Calendar

22

Hot Tickets

24

Bits & Pieces

30

Public Persona

36

Nonprofit Profile

See who made the scene at fundraisers and social gatherings.

Entertainment events you don’t want to miss.

News of events and people around Colorado.

Nicole Jarman is the dynamic leader of HobNob Events.

Lauren Casteel leads The Women’s Foundation of Colorado with compassion and a sense of purpose.

Travel 58

36

Put these upcoming events on your calendar.

Getaways

By Elizabeth Hamilton Visit the Old Edwards Inn in Highlands, N.C., for history and outdoors adventure.

58 Sip & Savor

Golf

52

62

Teeing up a New

Flying Horse in Colorado Springs adds a second golf course.

Cooking Up a Life Dana Rodriguez gets ready to add a third restaurant to her culinary collection.

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Food with a French Twist

Sisters Aminata and Rougui Dia offer global-inspired fare at Le French.

Cover Photography by Jensen Sutta Cover design by Connie Robertson Laureen Y. Casteel, left, Kim Gorgens and Nancy Tuor, photographed at Le Bilboquet Denver. Makeup by Michael Moore; Nancy Tuor styled by Mariel.

VOL. 30, NO. 4, COPYRIGHT © 2021 BY WIESNERMEDIA, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. PERMISSION TO REPRINT OR QUOTE EXCERPTS GRANTED BY WRITTEN REQUEST ONLY. COLORADO EXPRESSION (ISSN # 1070-5066) IS PUBLISHED BI-MONTHLY (6 ISSUES/YEAR) BY WIESNERMEDIA, LLC., POSTMASTER: SEND ADDRESS CHANGES TO COLORADO EXPRESSION, 1780 S. BELLAIRE ST, STE 505, DENVER CO 80222. SUBSCRIPTION QUESTIONS: (888) 815-1436.

UNSOLICITED MATERIALS WILL BE HANDLED WITH CARE, BUT THE MAGAZINE ASSUMES NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR MATERIALS.

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From the Publisher

GROUP GroupPUBLISHER Publisher

Elizabeth ElizabethHamilton Hamilton ehamilton@coloradoexpression.com ehamilton@coloradoexpression.com ManagingEDITOR Editor MANAGING

SuzanneS. S.Brown Brown Suzanne

Operations Director

OPERATIONS DIRECTOR Lisa Buscietta

Lisa Buscietta

Design/Production Andrea Späth DESIGN/PRODUCTION EleanorRobertson Williamson Connie

Andrea Späth Photography

Pamela Cress PHOTOGRAPHY Joanne Davidson Pamela Cress Jensen Sutta

Jensen Sutta

Digital/Social Media

Misti Mills DIGITAL/SOCIAL MEDIA

Misti Mills Coordinator Events and Partnership Olivia Steiner

EVENTS AND PARTNERSHIP COORDINATOR

Production Manager Olivia Steiner Dawn Paul

PRODUCTION MANAGER

Contributing Writers Dawn Paul Katie Coakley Joanne Davidson CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Kim McHugh Georgia Alexia Benjou Cynthia Pasquale Katie Coakley LindseyDavidson Schwartz Joanne Colleen Smith Michael Ditchfield Danielle Yuthas Kimberly Field

JenAccount Hardie Executive Advertising Stephanie E.Wynant Richards Eleanor Lindsey Schwartz 828-231-8551 Colleen Smith sales@coloradoexpression.com

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WOMEN TO WATCH Simply Summer

Reflecting on artists, influencers, doers and makers who us to live life toitthe fullest Asmotivate we slowly return to normal, is time to dream a little bigger and celebrate the season

I

I remember my first ballet. The dance, music, costumes, lighting and scenic design told a truly magical story. That memory stays with me, and

t seems like it has been a long

I’m so looking forward to Colorado Ballet’s dream

time coming, but here we are.

season and Dana Benton’s performances that we

Almost back to what is familiar towrite about in this issue.

us all: a full, busy life of working,We also take the opportunity to tell the stories seeing friends, dining, shopping,of women who help shape Colorado. We proudly

traveling and grabbing as many hugs as wefeature The Museum of Contemporary Art Denver’s can. Much has changed over the last year, butNora Abrams, who nurtures collaboration and

creativity; trailblazer Dr. Kim Gorgens, helping

what has not changed is the eagerness to

people identify and overcome brain trauma;

enjoy all that Colorado and the summer offer.

Photo: Stephanie E. Richards

AAWIESNERMEDIA WiesnerMediaPUBLICATION Publication

From the Publisher

and Nancy Tuor, who was instrumental in the

This issue is packed with our perspective ontransformation of Rocky Flats. the beautiful, starting with the cover story. We PHOTO: JENSEN SUTTA

COLORADO expression

The article on Lauren Y. Casteel, who leads The

feature the lovely Pamela Flanagan, whoWomen’s Foundation of Colorado, provides insight personifies a purposeful, active life. Then weinto her journey and that of this vital organization.

One of the loveliest stories is about artist Ana are allowed a glimpse of a Denver penthouse offering glorious views and spectacular Hernando, who embraces the natural world art. One of my favorite things in this issue is María the list of mountain events, festivals

to inspire her. and one of the most mouth-watering is on restaurateur FIND THE VERY BEST and rodeos happening around the state. Summer wouldn’t be complete—especially OF COLORADO Dana Rodriguez. Sisters seem to be another theme on these pages. Chefs

this summer as we jump back into special occasions—without smart, stylish

Rougui and Aminata Dia share a love of food and cooking at Le French.

Stayfashion, in the know so photographed on location in Cherry CreekHecox Northdesign and the Denverorganic Country Sam Hitchcock and Shawn beautiful, jewelry that you can plan your next Club neighborhood. Ourmakes questwomen to bring you the very best alsoIled us to showcase feel strong and beautiful. certainly agree with that! outing with our monthly Soul Food Scholar Miller and hissocial latestcalendar cookbook, Black abounding newsletter.

Send your Adrian Glancing at the brings joySmoke, to my heart.

We can again email address to: info@ support nonprofits while enjoying special occasions in beautiful spots with barbeque recipes. It makes my mouth water browsing a few of his favorite coloradoexpression.com around the state. Even with so many incredible places to visit here, we

recipes, such as his mother’s banana pudding. As we find the balance between

also yearn for a change of scenery, so I am planning a stay at the Old

keeping close to home and branching out into the flow of life, I hope to see you

Edwards Inn & Spa, set amid the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina.

sitting at a table in Clayton Member Club and Hotel’s Of A Kind restaurant as you

Then I will return to a glorious Colorado autumn and blue skies. Hope to

celebrate the season. Itsee hasyou always been ourviewing missionthe to aspens encourage youturn to enjoy out and about as they to gold! the best of Colorado, so be curious, explore and stay safe.

Elizabeth Hamilton

ELIZABETH HAMILTON Group Publisher, Colorado Expression / Colorado Homes & Lifestyles

Group Publisher, Colorado Expression / Colorado Homes & Lifestyles

Penney Smith CUSTOMER SERVICE

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Shot in the Dark

ALL FOR A

GOOD

Denver Zoo Flock Party

CAUSE

The Flock Party was held June 26 at the Denver Zoo and featured a moveable feast of food, drinks, live entertainment and animal experiences.

Photography by Pamela Cress

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MORE PHOTOS FOR THESE EVENTS: coloradoexpression.com

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1 Kasia Iwaniczko MacLeod, Tasha Jones and Kenn Seaman 2 Paul Heitzenrater and John Farnam 3 Rebecca Wilson Macsovits, board chair, and Mac Macsovits, with Brian and Colleen Becker 4 Scott and Suzanne Beckley 5 Brooks Roughton and Dana Davis 6 Stephanie Donner, Marisol Erlacher, Andrea Fulton and Perla Gheiler 7 Meredith Coors and her sister, Michelle McCleary 8 Bert Vescolani, zoo president and CEO, with Marcela de la Mar, board secretary, John Fair, Willy Fair 9 Chris Ross, Ed Cannon and Nihad Heto 10 Noelle DeLage with Liz Kubié and Jake Kubie 11 Clint and Margaret Emmerich 12 Matt Keeney, left, and John Byers

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coloradoexpression . com sEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021

Shot in the Dark

ALL FOR A

GOOD CAUSE

Flower Girl presentation and Yellow Rose Ball The Central City Opera carried on a tradition that began in 1932 by launching its annual summer festival with the Flower Girl presentation and Yellow Rose Ball. The event, held June 19 in the Teller House Garden, honored both the 2020 and 2021 Flower Girls.

Photography by Joanne Davidson

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1 Grace McHugh, 2021 flower girl, and escort Michael Malley. 2 2021 Flower Girl Isabel Bragg, third from left, with family members Charlie, Trish, Madeline and Tully Bragg.

3 Escort John Walsh and 2020 flower girl Lillian Walsh. 4 Suzie Woodard with granddaughter Isabel Gutrich, a 2021 flower girl. 5 Escort Liam McDonnell and 2021 flower girl Natalie Kanouff.

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MORE PHOTOS FOR THESE EVENTS: 4

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Le Bal de Ballet The Le Bal de Ballet debutantes and Young Men of Distinction for 2020 and 2021 were honored together at this two-part, black-tie ceremony June 12 at the Sheraton Denver Downtown Hotel, benefiting Denver Ballet Guild and Colorado nonprofit dance companies.

Photography by Joanne Davidson

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1 Dominic Jablonsky, 2020 Young Man of

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Distinction, with his parents, Dan and Trina Jablonsky. 2 Emily Burkeholder, 2021 debutante, and her father, Jim Burkeholder.

3 Tessa Gervasini, 2020 debutante, and her father, Todd Gervasini. 4 Lucy Storey, a 2020 debutante, and her brother, Sam Storey, a 2021 Young Man of Distinction.

5 Judy Weisiger, 2021 chairwoman, and honorary chairwoman Christian Reid.

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Western Fantasy is an event benefiting Volunteers of America

CAT E RING BY EPI C U R EA N W E S T E R N AT T I R E

P ioneer S pirit of Colorado FOR MO RE I N FO R M AT I O N CA L L M I CHAE L JAME S AT 7 2 0 . 2 6 4 . 3 3 2 2 O R P U RCH ASE TABL ES A N D T I CK E T S O NL I N E AT W W W. W E S T E RNFANTAS Y. COM

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Shot in the Dark

ALL FOR A

GOOD CAUSE 1

Wooftop Party for a Cause Colorado Pet Pantry held its al fresco Wooftop Party for a Cause at X Denver on July 31 to raise funds to expand its operations that feed pets throughout the state.

Photography by Pamela Cress

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MORE PHOTOS FOR THESE EVENTS:

1 Amy Phelps and Pet Pantry founder and executive director Eileeen Lambert 2 Ross and Sharon Kelman 3 Sarah Cuiksa and Peter Boyer 4 Karen Gruber and Mike Stable 5 Jayson Arko and Veronika Permet 6 Tamra Palmiere and Roberta Himebaugh 7 Michele

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SHARE THE L THE VE SHARE L

Giving back to the community for over 60 years Trice is proud to partner and surround ourselves with organizations who enrich the lives of others in our community. With over 60 years of serving the Denver community, it is a blessing that we are able to help make a significant impact to these charities and be a part of making a difference in the lives of so many individuals in the Rocky Mountain region.

these lifetime lasting memories, friends, and partners.

The Trice team thanks each and every foundation including Volunteers of America, The Children’s Diabetes Foundation and so many more!

Giving back to the commun

Not only are we grateful to be a small part of life’s big moments, we are beyond thankful to create

Justin Klomp President Trice Jewelers

VE

Trice is proud to partner and surround ourselves with organizations who enrich the lives of others in our community. With over 60 years of serving the Denver community, it is a blessing that we are able to help make a significant impact to these charities and be a part of making a difference in the lives of so many individuals in the Rocky Mountain region.

Not only are we grateful to be a small part of life’s big moments, we are beyond thankful to create

A COLOR ADO EX PRESSION SPEC IAL SEC TION

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Social Calendar

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From Concerts to Comedy Shows, Nonprofit Groups Set Fall Fundraisers

Former U.S. Rep. Patrick Kennedy, nephew of late U.S. President John Fitzgerald Kennedy, shares his struggles with mental health at AllHealth Network’s annual fundraiser. It’s at the Cable Center and the $100 tickets include cocktails and heavy hors d’oeuvres.

303-730-8858 allhealthnetworkcelebration.eventbrite.com

By Joanne Davidson

17-18 There’ll be quite a racquet when National Jewish Health presents Serve It Up!, a doubles tennis tournament at the Denver Tennis Park, followed by an awards ceremony and reception at Cindy Farber’s home. Team entry: $1,000; tickets: $350 and $500 for the reception only.

303-728-6576 fisherj@njhealth.org

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The 2021 Cherry Creek Arts Festival poster features the mixed media artwork, "A Weight Lifted," by Amanda Outcalt of Washington, D.C.

SEPTEMBER 4-6 The Cherry Creek Arts Festival, with 250 national and international artists, 16 performing artists, children’s activities and more, opens at 10 a.m. daily at its new location: Creekside at the Cherry Creek Shopping Center. cherrycreekartsfestival.org

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10 Slip into those cowboy boots and Stetsons and head to Mile High Station for Mile High Q & Brew, an indoor/outdoor event featuring country music by LOCASH and food trucks serving BBQ fare. Proceeds go to Tennyson Center for Children. Tickets are $95 and $150.

720-855-3316 milehighqandbrew.com

coloradoexpression . com sEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021

The Denver Zoo’s Force of Nature Gala: Celebrating 125 Years of Love will honor the Schlessman and McNicholas families, whose multi-generational support has helped make the zoo one of Colorado’s most enduring cultural institutions. Their support helped create such popular attractions as Tropical Discovery, Primate Panorama and the Toyota Elephant Passage. Tables start at $5,000. gala.denverzoo.org

23 The 10th anniversary Fill a Plate for Hunger, benefiting We Don’t Waste, takes place at ReelWorks Denver, the former EXDO Events Center, and the $175 tickets include cocktails, dinner and live auction bidding.

720-443-6113, ext. 102 wedontwaste.org

25 The “Triple Threat of Comedy,” Frank Caliendo, Dennis Miller and David Spade, deliver the laughs at Bellco Theatre at this benefit for the Zarlengo Foundation.

General admission tickets start at $59.95; VIP tickets start at $125.

303-357-5633 zarlengofoundation.org general admission tickets: axs.com

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coloradoexpression . com sEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021

Social Calendar

OCTOBER 2 Rock to the music of REO Speedwagon at the 2021 Carousel Ball, to be held at the Hyatt Regency Convention Center in Denver and benefiting the Barbara Davis Center for Diabetes. Tickets start at $1,000 per couple.

303-863-1200 events@childrensdiabetesfoundation.org

Unveiled, a black-tie gala celebrating the Denver Art Museum’s Martin Building, is among the special events taking place in conjunction with the museum’s reopening and first look at its expansion. The gala is sold out, but tickets are available for Full Circle, an Oct. 22 “housewarming party” marking the 50th year of the Gio Ponti building. This event features cocktails, live music and “special activations.” . denverartmuseum.org

13 Leanna Harris, Jamie Sarche and Cary Chapman will be honored at the Faces of JFS, a fundraiser for Jewish Family Service of Colorado. Tickets for the dinner and program at Infinity Park Event Center go on sale Sept. 13.

720-248-4633 I jewishfamilyservice.org

16 The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band entertains at Western Fantasy, a dress-Western dinner and auction that raises funds for Volunteers of America Colorado.

720-264-3322 I voacolorado.org westernfantasy.com

21 The Women’s Foundation of Colorado’s annual luncheon can be experienced virtually or in person to hear author, athlete and Peloton instructor Robin Arzón at the Colorado Convention Center. For ticket and sponsorship information, email kaylynf@wfco.org

28 Diving into Depression, the 11th annual luncheon to benefit the Helen and Arthur E. Johnson Depression Center at the University

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PHOTO JENSEN SUTTA

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Guests enjoy entertainment at the 2019 Carousel Ball benefiting Children’s Diabetes Foundation and the Barbara Davis Center for Diabetes.

of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, will feature speaker and Olympian Missy Franklin, noon at the Seawell Ballroom at the Denver Center for Performing Arts. Ticket and sponsorship info: Melissa.staten@cuanschutz.com coloradodepressioncenter.org

NOVEMBER 3-14 It’s back! Following a one-year hiatus, the 44th Denver Film Festival resumes with showings of full-length films, documentaries and short subjects in the Sie Film Center and satellite locations.

720-381-0813 I denverfilm.org

4 National Jewish Health presents its annual Rev the Runway cocktail party and Neiman Marcus fashion show at the Mercedes-Benz of Denver showroom. Co-chairs Debbie Feiner, Jordan Feiner and Lisa Walko say that in addition to the style parade there will be bites from several of Denver’s top restaurants, “fashionable” cocktails, and a live DJ. Tickets: Clem Connolly at 303.728.6546 or connollyc@njhealth.org

coloradoexpression . com sEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021

6 Roaring in the New 20s is the theme for the annual Wags & Whiskers Gala, benefiting PawsCo. It’s at the Denver Athletic Club and features cocktails, dinner and silent auction bidding. 720-675-8758 I pawsco.org

12-14 Get a start on your holiday shopping by stopping by the Junior League Holiday Mart. It’s at the Gates Field House on the University of Denver campus, with specialty vendors from Colorado and beyond taking part.

303-692-0270 I jld.org

13 Actors John C. McGinley, Caterina Scorsone and Eric Dane are among the celebrities who’ll be taking part in the 2021 Be Beautiful Be Yourself Fashion show, a virtual benefit for Global Down Syndrome Foundation. bebeautifulbeyourself.org

19-DEC. 31 L’Esprit de Noel house tour to benefit Central City Opera will feature a free video tour of the historic McCourt Mansion with performances by Central City Opera touring artists.

Denver’s top florists and table designers will decorate the home. lesprithometour.com

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Hot Tickets

EVENTS

TO PUT ON YOUR SCHEDULE THIS FALL

In Town SEPTEMBER 3-5

Little Big Town, Paramount Theater The tour is a celebration of the band’s ninth self-produced album, “Nightfall.”

303-623-0106 ext. 3 I paramountdenver.com SEPTEMBER 5

Jonas Brothers, Red Rocks Amphitheatre Kelsea Ballerini will join the sibling trio on their “Remember This” tour.

720-865-2494 I redrocksonline.com SEPTEMBER 7

rock band, which will be playing a set from its ninth studio album “Thank You for Today,” among others.

720-865-2494 I redrocksonline.com SEPTEMBER 16 AND 18

The Eagles, Ball Arena The evening will include a full “Hotel California” set accompanied by an orchestra and choir, and followed by greatest hits. ballarena.com SEPTEMBER 22

Alanis Morissette with special guest Garbage and Liz Phair, Ball Arena

The Grammy Award winner’s “Love On” tour follows the launch of his second album, “Fine Line.” ballarena.com

The “Jagged Little Pill” anniversary tour will commemorate the album that has sold 15 million copies in the United States. Separate tickets for club level seating are available. ballarena.com

SEPTEMBER 7 AND 9

SEPTEMBER 27

Harry Styles, Ball Arena

PHOTO: DENVER ARTS AND VENUES

Red Rocks will host Jimmy Buffett and the Coral Reefer Band, Brandi Carlile with Colorado Symphony, and Lynyrd Skynyrd, among other big-name acts, in September.

special guests HARDY, Lainey Wilson and Dee Jay Silver. ballarena.com OCTOBER 15

AEG and 97.3 KBCO Present Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Paramount Theater The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band celebrates 50 years of Dirt with classic songs from its deep songbook as well as new favorites.

303-623-0106 ext. 3 I paramountdenver.com OCTOBER 20

Flogging Molly and Violent Femmes, Mission Ballroom The co-headliners will be joined by cover band Me First and the Gimme Gimmes as well as girl band Thick. missionballroom.com OCTOBER 31

Andrea Bocelli with the Colorado Symphony, Ball Arena The iconic tenor will perform a selection from his chart-topping album “Si” as well as traditional selection of arias, love songs and crossover hits. ballarena.com

Out of Town THROUGH OCTOBER 10

Jimmy Buffett and the Coral Reefer Band, Red Rocks Amphitheatre

Lynyrd Skynyrd, Red Rocks Amphitheatre

Parrortheads will not want to miss the Margaritaville experience.

720-865-2494 I redrocksonline.com

Rock & Roll Hall of Famers will play Red Rocks one last time on their “Farewell Tour. “ 720-865-2494 I redrocksonline.com

SEPTEMBER 11-12

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Carlile will be accompanied by the Colorado Symphony and Tanya Tucker.

720-865-2494 I redrocksonline.com

The band is back together for its 50th anniversary tour, which will be the first time in nearly 25 years that Tom Johnston, Michael McDonald, Pat Simmons and John McFee will perform together. ballarena.com

Brandi Carlile with Colorado Symphony, Red Rocks Amphitheatre

Doobie Brothers, Ball Arena

SEPTEMBER 13

Death Cab for Cutie, Red Rocks Amphitheatre

OCTOBER 2

Perfume Genius will open for the alternative

The Back in the Saddle Tour 2021 will include

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Jason Aldean, Ball Arena

coloradoexpression . com sEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021

Aspen Drift, Aspen Art Museum Sculpture, installation, painting and works on paper by artist Cerith Wyn Evans.

970-925-8050 I aspenartmuseum.org SEPTEMBER 3

Jackson Emmer and Sierra Ferrell, Vilar Performing Arts Center Carbondale-based country singer Emmer will perform selections from his latest album.

970-845-8497 I vilarpactickets.org OCTOBER 6

Jade Bird, Vilar Performing Arts Center Alternative artist Jade Bird will perform during this underground sound series.

970-845-8497 I vilarpactickets.org

Come Explore Belleview Station.

STYLE A Line Boutique The Nest Nail Spa Matthew Morris Salon

E AT Le French Tap & Burger Los Chingones

S W E AT YogaSix Orangetheory Barre3

Meet You There.

WWW.BELLEVIEWSTATION.COM Located just west of I-25 on the north side of Belleview Ave.

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coloradoexpression . com sEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021

Bits & Pieces

What’s happening in the West

By Danielle Yuthas

VISIT

ART MUSEUM EXPANSION Admission to the Denver Art Museum will be free on Oct. 24 for the reopening of the expanded campus. The Denver Art Muse-

um will unveil all eight levels of its iconic Gio Ponti-designed Lanny and Sharon Martin Building, formerly the North Building, as well as the new Anna and John J. Sie Welcome Center. The new Martin Building orig-

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inally opened in 1971 with seven levels and was one of the first high-rise art museums in the country and the only building in North America designed by renowned Italian modernist Gio Ponti. In time for its 50th anniversary, it has been fully restored and renovated, including the realization of Ponti’s original vision for the seventh floor to span both tow-

coloradoexpression . com sEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021

ers, which not only offers more gallery space but also stunning views. The Sie Welcome Center includes The Ponti restaurant, which is a collaboration with chef Jennifer Jasinski, and quick-service restaurant Café Gio, as well as an event space. Denver Art Museum members can preview the reinvented space Oct. 21-23.

PHOTOS BY JAMES FLORIO PHOTOGRAPHY, COURTESY OF THE DENVER ART MUSEUM

denverartmuseum.org/en/martin-building-events for more information on the opening celebrations.

What’s happening in the West

Cherry Creek Arts Festival This year, the Cherry Creek Arts Festival was moved from one big holiday of the summer to another. It was post-

Hello to Arms The Palace Arms, long synonymous with fine dining at Denver’s Brown Palace Hotel and Spa, has had a makeover.

The redesign, from furnishings to food, maintains the same feel of luxury that guests have come to expect from the historic hotel. The new menu by executive chef Kim Moyle offers seasonal

menus of curated steak and seafood, featuring prime cuts of beef by the ounce, accompanied by an awardwinning wine list and handcrafted cocktails.

Brown Palace Hotel and Spa, 321 17th St., Denver; 303-297-3111; brownpalace.com

poned from July 4th weekend to Labor Day weekend, so from Sept. 4 to 6, more than 250 regional and national juried exhibitors will participate in the 30th annual festival hosted by CherryArts.

The festival also includes immer-

PHOTO COURTESY BROWN PALACE HOTEL AND SPA

Visit cherryarts.org sive experiences, for information and visual and percherryartshop.org formance arts, to purchase artwork. art through food

by Denver’s culinary innovators, and activities for the whole family. In order to adhere to safety practices, the event is moving across First Avenue to the Cherry Creek Shopping Center.

Surf and turf carpaccio is among the items on the new dinner menu at Palace Arms.

Jazz Aspen Snowmass

PHOTO: LIZ LEVY

The Jazz Aspen Snowmass Labor Day experience Sept. 3-5 in Snowmass Town Park hosts Kings of Leon, Gary Clark Jr., Eric Church, Sheryl Crow, Larkin Poe, Stevie Nicks, Maren Morris and Yola.

JAS is an organization that aspires to preserve jazz and related forms of music.

Visit jazzaspensnowmass.org for details. Three-day passes and single-day tickets are available.

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Bits & Pieces

“Cockeyed happy” is how writer Ernest Hemingway described the anticipation of second wife Pauline Pfeiffer’s arrival when she joined him in Wyoming in 1928, and where they spent six summers together through 1939. It’s also the title of a new book

by Denver-based writer and editor Darla Worden, published by Chicago Review Press.

The little-known story of those six summers sheds light on Hemingway’s process and mindset through the different phases of

COCKEYED HAPPY

Ernest Hemingway’s Wyoming Summers with Pauline Ernest Heminway and his second wife, Pauline Pfeiffer, spent a number of summers in Wyoming from 1928-1939.

Darla Worden chronicles their adventures in her new book.

his writing and the evolution of his marriage. Hemingway and Pfeiffer, who was a stylish editor at Vogue magazine, escaped to Wyoming following the success of The Sun Also Rises. The writer loved Wyoming’s Big Horn Mountains, where fishing was a frequent pastime as he was finishing A Farewell to Arms. The couple also went riding and

hunting during jaunts to Sheridan, Jackson Hole and Yellowstone National Park.

They shared adventures from bear hunting to bootleg-liquor-fueled dude ranch parties during the summers that Hemingway worked on novels, short stories, a play and a nonfiction book in addition to writing letters to friends and editor Max Perkins.

Worden, a native of Sheridan, Wyo., has a fascination with Hemingway that was sparked when she was a teenager and visited the Last Chance Saloon in Big Horn, where she noticed a photo of Hemingway above the jukebox. Now editor-in-chief of Mountain Living magazine (a sister publication to Colorado Expression; both are published by WiesnerMedia), Worden also spent a summer following Hemingway’s footsteps in Paris, where she founded Left Bank Writers Retreat, which is hosting its next retreat in June 2022. Worden currently is working on her second book on Hemingway and also is the author of the novel Road Shoes and The Rusty Parrot Cookbook. Cockeyed Happy is available from a variety of booksellers, including Tattered Cover Book Store, Amazon and bookshop.org. Learn more about the author at darlaworden.com.

Now in its eighth year, The Denver American Indian Festival is a free and family-friendly gathering that will be held Sept.

25-26 at the Riverdale Regional Park on the Adams County Fairgrounds in Brighton. Dancers, drummers, singers, storytellers and vendors will participate from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day. The organization’s mission is to celebrate, preserve and protect the traditional cultural traditions and performing arts of the American Indian people. denveramericanindianfestival.org 26

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PHOTO: STAN OBERT

Denver American Indian Festival

What’s happening in the West

Colorado Mountain Winefest The first recorded wine production in Colorado started in 1890 when Gov. George A. Crawford planted 60 acres of wine PHOTOS: COURTESY COLORADO MOUNTAIN WINEFEST

grapes along Rapid Creek, above Palisade, which today is the home of Colorado Mountain Winefest. In its 30th year, Colorado Mountain Winefest will be held

For tickets to the 2021 wine festival with 35 participating wineries and cideries, visit coloradowinefest.com.

Proceeds benefit the Colorado Association of Viticulture and Enology.

Sept. 18-19. Colorado’s wine regions are among the highest in the world. The soil is similar to European soil because it is more alkaline than the acidic soil found in California’s wine country, making Colorado’s merlots more like Bordeaux.

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Watch a free video tour featuring the historic McCourt Mansion with performances by Central City Opera Touring Artists. Be inspired by Denver’s top florists and table designers as they decorate this spectacular home with the current holiday trends.

Visit lesprithometour.com for more information.

PRESENTED BY

sEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021 c oloradoexpression . com

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PHOTO: COURTESY ST. REGIS ASPEN RESORT

Bits & Pieces

A New Chef at St. Regis Aspen

150 Beavers

SUMMIT COUNT Y PARADE OF HOMES The 26th annual Summit County Parade of Homes will be held Sept. 18-19 and 25-26. Tour single, multifamily and remodeled homes in Colorado’s mountain resort communities.

Proceeds benefit the Summit Foundation, which provides leadership and resources to preserve the quality of life in the community.

Visit summitcountybuilders.org/paradeofhomes.html for tickets and more information. Sponsorships are available.

The St. Regis Aspen Resort has a new executive chef, Carlos Sierra, to oversee its flagship restaurant, Velvet Buck, Mountain Social Bar and Lounge, and the resort’s catering and private events. A native of Ecuador with more than 20 years of global expertise, Sierra held executive culinary positions throughout the Caribbean, and came to Aspen after serving as executive sous chef at the Ritz Carlton Grand Cayman.

His menus include such offerings as salmon toast, pork belly steam buns and “mountain” Benedict. The resort, a five-star luxury destination at the base of Aspen Mountain, is known for such amenities as its Remède Spa and concierge services.

970-920-3300; marriott.com/hotels/travel/ asexr-the-st-regis-aspen-resort

337 Angler Mtn. Ranch Road

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coloradoexpression . com sEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021

PHOTOS :COURTESY SUMMIT COUNTY PARADE OF HOMES

Fill a Plate for Hunger One in 10 Coloradans face hunger, and more than 25 percent are children. On Sept. 23, the nonprofit organization We Don’t Waste will host its annual Fill A Plate for Hunger fundraiser to support the mission to reduce hunger and food waste in Denver This year’s event will by recovering be held at 5: 30 p.m. at quality, unused ReelWorks (formerly food and delivering EXDO Event Center). it to shelters, soup kitchens, schools and Tickets, starting at $175, at fillaplate.org other partners.

What’s happening in the West

The EDGE Gets a Makeover The EDGE Restaurant in Denver’s Four Seasons Hotel went through a seven-month remodel and reemerged as a progressive American steakhouse with global influences, led by executive chef Simon Purvis. Fine aged cuts of meat are prepared to order and the restaurant PHOTO: COURTESY FOUR SEASONS HOTEL DENVER

also has a raw bar. One of three private dining rooms, the Butcher’s Block, is separated from the kitchen by a glass wall, providing a view into the kitchen for an immersive dining experience.

In addition to the original EDGE bar, new bars have been added to the lobby lounge and the EDGE Restaurant. 1111 14th St., 303-389-3050, edgerestaurantdenver.com

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sEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021 c oloradoexpression . com

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Public Persona

Nicole Jarman Whether she’s putting on a farmers market or a food and wine festival, event planner focuses on the big picture while also attending to every detail

NICOLE JARMAN IS THE KIND of person you want to have in charge from the very first planning meeting of an event to the moment the last guest leaves. Because while everything might be planned to the tiniest detail, you never know what might happen.

Mother Nature can play havoc with outdoor events. A global pandemic can not only postpone an event, but also require it to be reimagined from top to bottom.

Jarman is the founder of Hob Nob Events, a Denver-based company that produces everything from farmers markets and fundraisers to multiday festivals like Steamboat Food & Wine, which will be held this year Sept. 23-26. What sets her participation in such events apart is that she strives to create an authentic experience, not only for the festival attendees, but for the chefs and winemakers as well. She’ll have a chef and a butcher collaborate on a dinner at this year’s Steamboat event, for example.

She says her 15 years of producing live events and experiences is based on the platform of creating community. Her intentions?

“Curation, collaboration, community building and placemaking,” she says. Working with non-profit organizations is one of her key areas of expertise, and she has produced more than 1,200 events throughout Colorado that raised close to $5M. One of the groups that Jarman has worked with repeatedly is The Greenway Foundation. The group’s executive director, Jeff Shoemaker, deems her “the consummate professional.”

Through “her vision, attention to detail and unwavering commitment to highest and best quality results,” the nonprofit has achieved its goals each time, he says.

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coloradoexpression . com sEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021

PHOTO: KIM LE BROWN CREATIVE

By Suzanne S. Brown

THE DETAILS Nicole Jarman

Age: 40 Marital status: Divorced Children: Henry, 5 Career: Event producer Hometown: Tucson, AZ Website: hobnobevents.com

Colorado’s Top Personalities

Where do you call home today?

Where Cherry Creek meets Congress Park.

How do people describe you?

Oh, wow, I had to ask around on this one.

Passionate, detailed (sometimes to a fault), always looking to what’s next, affectionate, busy (I really need to stop using that word!).

Who do you most admire?

So many people, but recently I feel like I talk to more and more entrepreneurs who I’m in awe of, listening to stories of businesses that are building and growing and people who are creating. It’s so fun to see! Wine experts! And my mom. How can one person be so giving and supportive?!

What is your biggest fashion faux pas?

That I commit or dislike? I run around in my workout clothes way too much!

I have such a freedom to create and really think about how I touch every person at an event, from a chef to a patron to a sponsor, and how I make them feel. I try to create with that in mind.

executor. I also think it’s incredibly important to understand your purpose or goal or even theme with an event and stay the course.

It’s easy to get derailed by a tempting sponsor or a great cause that may not fit the mission.

What’s your favorite Colorado restaurant?

Potager is cozy and warm and welcoming and beautiful with a food ethos that is so important to me. I don’t go there nearly enough.

Do you think any of the protocols for outdoor events that were instituted during the coronavirus pandemic will become permanent?

“

It’s incredibly important to understand your purpose or goal … and stay the course.

— Nicole Jarman

What is one thing that you absolutely can’t live without?

My cellphone and some kind of beverage.

What one word describes Coloradans to you?

Adventurous.

What was your last major purchase?

My sweet English Cream Golden Retriever pup, Livy Noodle, who joined our family this past Thanksgiving.

Are you involved with any charities?

The Greenway Foundation has been a longtime friend and client. I sit on the board for Civic Center Conservancy, a place that I think is so beautiful and I care about dearly. I am also on the advisory council for Colorado Uplift.

What gadget can you not live without?

Well, I’d like to stop being so dependent on my Apple watch’s Move goal, but I haven’t mastered that yet. Otherwise maybe my tea kettle. I drink warm drinks all day long. And my AirPods; they are the best!

What are your hobbies?

Anything outside. I love hiking, working in the yard, biking with my son. I also could stay busy organizing things all day.

What is your most memorable Colorado experience?

My wedding. I had the most beautiful, snowy, February wedding in Telluride that touched so many iconic Telluride places.

What took you down this career path?

I tried to leave it once or twice, but kept getting pulled back. At this point in my career,

How did you get into the event planning industry?

It happened so organically I hardly know.

I moved to Denver in 2006. In 2007 I was talking with the South Pearl Street Association (not about events) and one thing led to another and I started managing the South Pearl Street Farmers Market. It was my first Colorado event and almost 15 years later, I’m still producing that market.

What are the keys to a successful event, whether it’s a farmers market, a wine and food festival or an athletic competition?

I’ve always said the tricky thing about producing events is being able to be a big picture thinker and visionary, but also to be detailed and focused. Those traits don’t always go hand in hand—the creative isn’t always the

I wish I had that answer. I think events will look different for awhile, if not always, but I don’t know that is all bad. I think we’ll have a much more thoughtful approach to how people are “touched” throughout an event.

Have you ever had Mother Nature interfere with your plans?

Oh, Mother Nature. This might be the toughest part of producing outdoor events. In 2013, I was producing Gala on the Bride in the middle of torrential rains and floods in the fall.

I’ve certainly had more than one farmers market operate in the snow and cold, and music festivals during which it rained so much we received a rain insurance claim. The list goes on. Although some of my favorite memories are the camaraderie that comes from working together fast as a team to make a plan.

What kind of events do you like to attend that you don’t have to produce?

After so many years of producing events, I generally like things casual and intimate.

Concerts in the park with a picnic, dinner at a friend’s, almost anything with wine. And I always attend the local farmers markets.

Suzanne S. Brown is the managing editor of Colorado Expression.

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Art Scene

TAKING Mixed media artist Ana María Hernando of Boulder finds

FLIGHT inspiration in birds, trees and the natural world By Colleen Smith

PHOTO: ROSEANNE COLACHIS

ANA MARÍA HERNANDO lucked out in lockdown. The artist spent much of COVID-19 quarantine in the south of France, where she was an artist-in-residence at the La Napoule Art Foundation.

“I was very lucky to be there, in the phenomenal chateau on the Mediterranean, in their gardens,” Hernando says.

Back home in Boulder, the multimedia artist is preparing for several exhibitions.

Most notable is her indoor show, “Fervor,” which opens Sept. 11 at Denver Botanic Gardens.

“The whole show is about a work I began about birds and sounds of birds. I’ve been paying attention to birds, trees; making the future about trees,” Hernando says.

“In my work, I love to make people intrigued about how other species, other Ana María Hernando signs the print edition of "Flowers for the Ñusta, II," a color lithograph with cutouts, at Shark’s Ink in Lyons in 2016.

beings, want to be alive,” she says. “How do flowers see the world? What is a bird’s perception of us? I love to see my work open that possibility and curiosity.”

The pandemic made an imprint on Hernando’s artistic understanding of life and death. “After last year and how the whole COVID experience was for the world, I saw how life keeps moving forward with or without us. The whole universe seems called to life,” she says. “When you see water coming down a mountain, the water will find its way down no matter what. That’s how I see life and the enormous intent for life to keep happening.”

Jennifer Doran, co-owner and co-director of Robischon Gallery in Denver, refers to Hernando as “a marvel.” “Ana María Hernando and her work often act as a kind of bridge,” Doran says. “As a seasoned artist born in Argentina and residing in Colorado, she embraces the importance of addressing cross-cultural realities while seeking to speak symbolically, through nature, to the best of human nature. Joy and abundance is her message, and beauty is her essential medium.”

Hernando’s mixed-media approach developed organically over the course of her career. “Since I was little, I loved drawing

THE DETAILS anamariahernando.com Ana María Hernando’s exhibition, "Fervor," opens Sept. 11, at Denver Botanic Gardens in the FreyerNewman Center. DBG’s art curator, Lisa Eldred, says, "We are thrilled to be able to present this multidisciplinary artist in a manner that highlights her various modes of working and engaging community: sculptural installation, embroidery, poetry and music. Her connection to the natural world and to people resonates throughout her body of work, making it a perfect fit for galleries at the gardens. An artist’s talk and a presentation of a documentary film will complement the exhibition."

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PHOTO: SEBASTIAN COLLETT

Art Scene

and painting, and I always wanted to be an artist. I always thought I’d be a painter. At that time, art was more divided. You couldn’t move so much from one material to another or, if you did, it would look as if you were not very serious, as if you didn’t know what you wanted,” Hernando says.

“When going to school, my major was painting, but I was doing other things, learning other things. I love painting, but at some point, my paintings began to come out from the canvas. I needed to make more environment, to expand,” she says. She studied art both in her native Argentina and at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, receiving a master’s degree, and the California College of Arts and Crafts in Oakland, getting a bachelor of fine arts degree.

For Hernando, working across mediums imparts a creative liberty: “I like that sense of freedom,” she says. “Different materials are like relationships for me. It’s a relationship to discover possibilities of material, and that you can only do it through time.”

Hernando is drawn to flowers as subject matter. “I love flowers, and I have been

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PHOTO COURTESY RACHEL BERKOWITZ

"Only The Air Was Heard," composed of tulle, wood, metal, is 120 inches tall and 260 inches wide, and was exhibited at La Napoule Art Foundation, Château de la Napoule in France, in 2020.

painting them for 25 years, but I’m a very bad gardener,” she says. “It’s the line of flowers I love and the abstract component and the way flowers are in the world—the reminder that they are for us about life and death.”

With her floral works, the artist hopes to lay to rest any notion of botanical art as namby-pamby. “I go back to the invisibility of paintings of flowers, seen historically as shallow, as not having much weight, as if those qualities are synonyms of the feminine,” she says. “Because of that attitude, I wanted to paint flowers and say, ‘Well, I disagree with you.’ I do installations of this and that, but I always come back to flowers when I paint. It feels like the ocean: infinite.”

For her trademark installations, Hernando often uses her favorite materials: organza and tulle. “I grew up sewing, and women in my family would get together in the afternoon to sew and talk,” she says. “My grandparents founded a textiles factory in Argentina, and I always loved working with fabric.”

"To Make a Place for a Bird to Land" was a site-specific temporary installation in at tree at La Napoule Art Foundation, where Hernando was an artist-in-residence in 2020.

coloradoexpression . com sEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021

The creative community

PHOTO: SEBASTIAN COLLETT

“

"Overflow," made of tulle, wood and aluminum, was another of Hernando’s works done while she was at La Napoule Art Foundation.

Fabric doesn’t have the longevity of stone … but it relates to the wind, the rain.”

— Ana María Hernando

About 20 years ago, Hernando began collaborating with cloistered nuns in Buenos Aires who embroidered her designs. “I began to focus on work that was historically women’s,” she says. “I focus on embroidery and knitting and all of that as a metaphor for taking care of others, the generosity of that giving that mothers and women have done historically.

That work has not been appreciated. It’s been seen as minor. In reality, it’s what’s upheld the world and allowed humans to keep going.”

Hernando’s fabric installations present an ethereal vision that is much lighter and more

interactive than typical sculpture. “When I do installations outside, they’re temporary,” says Hernando. “In sculptural work, people expect stone or metal—hard materials that I don’t use.

Fabric doesn’t have the longevity of stone. That component can be challenging, but the tulle or other fabric relates to the wind, the rain. They are in their own conversation with the elements and the changes happening.”

In addition to the DBG show, Hernando also is preparing for exhibits at the Biennial of the Americas opening in September at Museo de las Americas; Sun Valley Museum of Art in

Idaho opening in June 2022; a spring 2022 exhibition at Robischon Gallery; a work based on the memorial honoring victims of the shooting at King Soopers in Boulder; and a fall 2022 show in Boulder at Dairy Center for the Arts.

“I have different layers. My work is a lot about women, women’s circles, and I’m talking about that because I see how it’s a way of coming together to make things happen that is best for everybody,” says Hernando. “That’s underlining all of my work: an attitude about nature and each other and life.”

Colleen Smith, an avid gardener who shares the artist’s passion for flowers and fabrics, is a regular contributor to the magazine.

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PHOTO: SUSAN ENGLISH

Nonprofit Profile

Leading with Compassion

Lauren Y. Casteel curtsies with American Ballet Theatre principal dancer Misty Copeland at The Women’s Foundation’s 2016 Annual Luncheon.

The Women’s Foundation of Colorado’s CEO brings understanding and knowledge to her efforts to create gender, race and economic equity

By Joanne Davidson LAUREN Y. CASTEEL looked me straight in the eye and said: “I’ve had an extraordinary life, but I am not an extraordinary person.”

Anyone who knows Casteel, the president and chief executive officer of The Women’s Foundation of Colorado (WFCO), would beg to differ, for if ever there was an extraordinary person, it is she.

Daughter of the late civil rights leader Whitney M. Young Jr. and the late educator-author-racial equity advocate Margaret Buckner Young, Casteel grew up in the 1950s in segregated Atlanta. Her father was dean

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of social work at what is now Clark Atlanta University. It was there that Lauren Casteel received one of her first exposures to racial discrimination. Her father, despite having served as an Army sergeant of segregated troops in World War II, wasn’t allowed to use the GI Bill to purchase a home. In 1961, Young left the university to become executive director of the National Urban League.

He served 10 years, until he drowned while swimming during a trip to Lagos, Nigeria, where he was attending a conference sponsored by the African-American Institute.

coloradoexpression . com sEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021

Casteel moved to Denver when she was 20, seeking a fresh start after surviving a succession of personal tragedies that, in retrospect, prepared her well for the career path she followed. “When life hits you hard, you can be derailed and unable to see options— and for a period of time that was me,” Casteel said, referring to a violent sexual assault when she was 16, the deaths of her beloved father and grandfather when she was 17, and the passing of a treasured friend a year later.

Her fragile emotional state caused her to fail out of Swarthmore College during the

Inside Colorado’s philanthropic organizations

grant total to date. The foundation has created eight giving circles and 66 donor-advised funds, all of which help fulfill its mission of “catalyzing community to advance and accelerate economic opportunities for Colorado women and their families.”

Or, as Casteel puts it: “We use all the tools in our toolbox to get women ahead.”

One giving circle, the Women’s Impact Investing Giving Circle at WFCO, recently invested $125,000 to fund three social ventures led by and benefiting women: the Alamosa-based First Southwest Community Fund, which has helped meet the needs of rural Coloradans since 2015; the JEKL

Foundation for STEAM (Science Technology Engineering Art and Mathematics) Education, founded by physicist, mechanical and nuclear engineer Toi Massey of Denver; and Ruby’s Market, a multicultural artisan and food incubator at 1569 S. Pearl St. in Denver.

In the 2021 Colorado General Assembly, WFCO advocated on behalf of 22 bills important to its constituency.

Joanne Davidson spent 29 years writing about nonprofit organizations for The Denver Post and is now a regular contributor to Colorado Expression and Colorado Politics.

PHOTO: LAUREN CASTEEL

second semester of her junior year. “I just stopped. I shut down,” she said. Today, when she speaks to young people, particularly those of color, she tells them, “I am you,” to let them know that no matter the obstacles they encounter, they can succeed.

Arriving in Colorado, she enrolled at the University of Colorado Denver and earned a bachelor’s degree in communications.

(In January, her alma mater recognized her many accomplishments by selecting her to be an honorary doctor of humane letters.)

Communications degree in hand, Casteel advanced at a local television station under the mentorship of another equality-for-all pioneer, Beverly Martinez, before then-Denver Mayor Federico Peña tapped her to become his press secretary. After holding executive positions with the Hunt Alternatives Fund, the Buell Foundation and The Denver Foundation, she joined The Women’s Foundation of Colorado in February 2015.

Casteel said she came to WFCO “with a sense of gratitude … to work on behalf of gender, racial and economic equity for all,” her drive to succeed fueled by the knowledge that as a Black woman, “I can’t fail, or [I will] risk doors being closed for those who follow me.”

From the get-go, she has demonstrated leadership at WFCO that others in the Denver nonprofit world hail as intentional, inclusive, sharply focused, supportive and, perhaps most important, one with a keen understanding of the issues that women of all ethnicities face.

“Lauren is a truly inspirational, passionate, caring and effective leader,” said Gary Steuer, president/CEO of the Bonfils-Stanton Foundation. “And, just a good, kind, thoughtful human being.”

Arlene Hirschfeld, who was president of the Junior League of Denver in 1986-87, when that group helped start WFCO, praises Casteel’s “breadth of knowledge and storehouse of experiences.” She also admires Casteel’s ability to draw out the best in people.

During her tenure, WFCO’s assets have grown from $18 million in 2015 to its current $31 million, reflecting the success of prioritizing gender-linked investing. In 2020, the foundation granted nearly $2.2 million to nonprofit organizations, its largest annual

Lauren joins her daughter, artist Jordan Casteel, at the 2105 opening of her New York solo show, "Brothers."

THE DETAILS The Women’s Foundation of Colorado 1901 E. Asbury Ave. Denver, CO 80210 303-285-2960 wfco.org

The Women’s Foundation of Colorado’s signature fundraiser is an annual luncheon where speakers have included tennis player Billie Jean King and ballet dancer Misty Copeland. In the interest of COVID-19 safety, those taking part in the luncheon on Oct. 21 will have the option of hearing author, athlete and Peloton instructor Robin Arzón speak either virtually or in person at the Colorado Convention Center.

For ticket and sponsorship information, email kaylynf@wfco.org

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HOLLY ARNOLD KINNEY The sole proprietress of The Fort has been running the business since 1999 Photography by Jensen Sutta

The Fort was built in 1962 by the Arnold family and is listed on the National Registry of Historic Places and most recently placed on the NSDAR registry of Historic Places.

Located near Morrison in southwest Denver, it is a full-scale adobe replica of an 1833 fur trading fort called Bent’s Old Fort. The Arnolds turned it into a restaurant in February 1963, serving new foods of the Old West.

HOLLY ARNOLD KINNEY The Fort 303.697.4771 thefort.com Call or visit opentable.com for reservations Tours of the historic Fort are available from Tesoro Cultural Center at Tesoroculturalcenter.org a Colorado nonprofit.

Holly founded Tesoro Cultural Center in 1999 to educate the public about Bent’s Old Fort and the history of Colorado in the 19th century. Tesoro leads school and adult tours, hosts annual Indian and Spanish markets, holiday cultural events, and a historic lecture series.

The Fort restaurant specializes in the finest cuts of buffalo, elk and quail, and also serves vegetarian dishes, inspired by American Indian recipes. Guests enjoy a true taste of the history of the West, one bite at a time!

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InBank 720-552-8325 inbank.com marketing@inbank.com InBank is an Equal Housing Lender and Member FDIC.

CURATING COMMUNITY Museum of Contemporary Art Denver has spent 25 years as a place for discovery and engagement

By Colleen Smith / Photography By From the Hip Photo

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BURNETT

ABRAMS NORA BURNETT ABRAMS spent close to a decade working at the Museum of Contemporary Art Denver before being named its Mark G. Falcone Director in 2019.

Now, as the museum prepares to celebrate its 25th anniversary in 2022, she is both looking back on its accomplishments and guiding its future.

Abrams is celebrating the silver linings forged by the tumultuous events of 2020 and the first half of 2021. “Somebody gave me some good advice early in the pandemic: ‘Whatever group you’re working with, make sure there’s an optimist at the table,’ ” she says.

Odds are high that Abrams was that optimist. As Abrams, undaunted and resilient, reflects on the 25 years of MCA Denver, she emphasizes how the past 16 months sculpted its future.

“To live in the world now is to live in the world differently,” she says. “MCA Denver has always had a very broad understanding of creative practice. We’re not just paintings on the wall. We’re so much bigger than that.

Our values are even more clearly articulated after COVID-19 and all that happened. The murder of George Floyd and the catalyzing social justice issues were galvanizing moments for us as a staff, a board, as artists and members. We’ve really reconnected with our set of values, which propels us to approach our engagement with civic life and the creative process from a place of openness, curiosity, humility, creativity and energy.”

Energy is a quality that Abrams personifies. She credits artists and art for fueling her considerable enthusiasm. Prior to her roles at MCA Denver, she built an impressive curriculum vitae. She studied art history at Stanford University, where she got a bachelor of arts degree, and then at Columbia University, receiving a master of arts degree.

She went on to earn a doctorate from the Institute of Fine Arts at New York University.

A native New Yorker, she began her career at The Metropolitan Museum of Art and taught art history at New York University.

Abrams says the entrepreneurial spirit

of Colorado has contributed to her sense of creative freedom. “Culturally, Denver—and pretty much Colorado more broadly—is an environment in which risk-taking is supported and actively encouraged. That was not my experience on the East Coast,” she says.

“Here, barriers to entry don’t exist. It’s refreshing. Denver values adventurousness and thinking about the world differently.

That doesn’t create roadblocks. It’s wonderful,” she says. “I’ve been able to try out a lot as a curator and a director that I probably wouldn’t do on the East Coast or West Coast or places in between. The context we live in supports experimentation and thinking expansively through opportunities or challenges.”

Denver Art Museum director Christoph Heinrich recognizes the role of MCA in the Mile High City. “MCA Denver has had an important influence on Denver’s art scene and is a vital player in the creative tapestry in Colorado,” Heinrich said. “The museum’s presentation of local and international artists, alongside creative and engaging programs for all ages, has helped elevate the city’s reputation as a vibrant place for art and artists.”

Abrams visualizes an even brighter future for MCA Denver in the future. “I want to be networked across the city, but I want us to have a different presence in different parts of town: a pop-up event here, a school connection there, an online workshop,” she says.

“What makes MCA so special is not a

walk-through of our exhibitions, however thoughtful, wonderful and engaging. We also create other moments that are more lighthearted and accessible. We will continue to do both and be both.”

For Abrams, the past quarter of a century formed a solid foundation for the coming years of MCA Denver. “What I care a lot about as we enter our next chapter is that we harness all the goodwill we have developed and built up, and we really advance it to the city we are living in,” says Abrams. “I see this as an opportunity to connect with, engage with, learn from and champion many different stakeholders in this city and—yes— beyond. COVID-19 only reinforced this, and it’s far more embedded as we’re thinking of different ways to bring that to a reality.”

The museum, Abrams says, is “a place for people to come together in real and authentic ways; to connect with people you know and to meet new people.”

It’s also a space for discovery. “This is not a place that feels predictable,” she says.

“There’s nothing that’s expected, and great revelations and experiences emerge from that. As a non-collecting organization, we’re really close to what’s happening. We keep a finger on the pulse of what is happening in contemporary art and culture.”

Colleen Smith, based in Denver, writes about the arts for a variety of publications and has won numerous contests, awards and grants for literary arts.

THE DETAILS MCA Denver 1485 Delgany St. Denver, CO 80202 303-298-7554

Hours: Tuesday through Thursday, noon to 7 p.m.; Friday, noon to 9 p.m. ; Saturday and Sunday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

General admission is $10; members visit for free. Reservations are strongly recommended and can be made at mcadenver.org

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BRAIN TRUST

Research by a University of Denver professor on the connection between traumatic brain injury and crime

is bringing change in how inmates are screened and treated

By Lindsey Schwartz / Photography By Jensen Sutta

WHEN KIM GORGENS walks into a room, people notice. It is not just that she stands 6 feet tall, but her strong voice, confident projection and, most of all, the subjects she talks about command an audience.

Gorgens, who has a doctorate in clinical psychology, has spent the last 30 years studying human behavior, most recently at the University of Denver, where she is a professor in the graduate school of professional psychology, a behavioral health specialist and an expert on the brain. This summer, she stood next to Colorado Gov. Jared Polis and he signed into law a bill prompted by her research that expands brain injury screening for people in the criminal justice system.

Gorgens’ career and her fascination with human behavior began when she was an undergraduate at Southern Illinois University. In her first job, she worked at Menard Psychiatric Prison, part of a maximum security correctional facility in Illinois, where she evaluated inmates. “I immediately liked working with this population and exploring how the brain worked,” she said. She was hired by Denver Health Medical Center in 1997 and moved to Denver to work with patients who had substance abuse issues and were in psychiatric crisis.

In addition, Gorgens taught at Arapahoe Community College and Metropolitan State University of Denver, and now at the University of Denver. She discovered a love for working with graduate students and for researching and evaluating those who suffer from brain trauma.

In 2010, Gorgens gave her first TED Talk,

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discussing the brain’s response to injury in athletes, and she made a compelling case for putting helmets on kids. While this is a common topic of discussion today, her research and findings were groundbreaking. She went on to help draft and support the 2011 Colorado concussion law, which requires coaches of organized youth sports for children ages 11-18 to complete annual concussion recognition education.

Fast-forward a few years, to the day that Gorgens sat with friends at The Pioneer, a favorite happy hour location near DU. Gorgens and her colleagues wondered if trauma in the brain had an impact on crime.

If tested, would they find that inmates suffer from more brain trauma than the average person? With this initial thought, the team put together a plan and started screening inmates in the Denver County Jail’s Mental Health Transition Unit.

Their initial results were staggering.

More than half of the inmates screened had suffered moderate or severe brain trauma, and almost all the females who underwent the TBI screening had brain injuries suffered both before entering the system and/or once they arrived. To put that in perspective, approximately 8% of the non-incarcerated population suffers from TBI. Since 2013, Gorgens and her team have conducted neuropsychological screenings on individuals in county jails and have determined that overall, between 50% and 80% of the population in Denver County jails have traumatic brain injuries. That number jumps to more than 90% in the more vulnerable female

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population, where domestic violence is common. Trauma to one’s brain can make the organ look like those of retired NFL players who have experienced multiple concussions.

“The most important thing we did was send the report from our findings, one to the jail and one to the inmate, helping them both understand how to manage the brain injury. Empowering the inmate to take charge of their own mental health was critical,” Gorgens said.

This information was life-changing for Marchell Taylor, who went to prison in Denver for aggravated robbery in 2016.

Taylor was suicidal and had landed in jail three times in a two-year period. He said he was hearing voices and couldn’t make sense of the world. And then he was screened for, and found to have, a traumatic brain injury.

TBI, Gorgens said, affects impulse control, making basic tasks like keeping a calendar or making mandatory check-ins a challenge. If people on probation miss their check-ins, they can land right back in jail.

In 2018 Gorgens gave her second TED Talk, in which she discussed the high rates of TBI in the prison population and the revolving door of brain injury and crime.

Her research is changing the outcome for many. On Gorgens’ recommendation, a judge sentenced Taylor to eight years on mental health probation. He now successfully manages his mental health and runs a nonprofit organization called Rebuild your Mind. During the 2021 Colorado legislative session, he helped write–with input from Gorgens and sponsorship by State Sen.

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James Coleman, D-Denver—a bill that will screen inmates in the Department of Corrections for TBI. Gov. Polis signed the bill into law in July. Gorgens is hoping that the pilot program created by the new law will begin by screening inmates in the Denver Women’s Prison because of that population’s exceptionally high rates of TBI. Gorgens’ work with brain trauma is so revolutionary that it is easy to lose sight of her other qualities; the ones that take her beyond being an expert on the brain to an inspirational teacher and friend. It is her sisterhood of solid female friends that Gorgens said keeps her going through all of the heavy work. As a professor, she advises her students not to focus so much on the goal but to live in the moment. She tells them to “nurture your brain, sleep and eat well, and find good friends and keep them close.”

After a day of screening inmates, identifying brain injuries and teaching students about neuropsychology, she goes home to her family: a husband of 21 years and a 19-year-old son, who is now studying biology at the University of Denver. A good book or a zombie movie is what helps Gorgens turn off her brain at the end of a long day. Gorgens said she could talk about zombie, post-apocalyptic, sci-fi films all day long, with her favorites being Dawn of the Dead, 28 Days Later and “Black Summer.”

“What’s not to love?” she asked.

But it is Gorgens’ love for helping the most vulnerable identify and overcome brain trauma that is changing lives. And she said her efforts in this area have only just begun.

Gorgens will start working on the Colorado pilot program mandated by the new law, then she hopes to train people in other states in the Colorado TBI model. She was just awarded a grant to work on concussion research for young and retired athletes, and she plans to write a book.

And, yes, she is aware that her to-do list probably makes most normal brains spin.

KIM GORGENS

Lindsey Schwartz is an award-winning television prodcer and writer, having produced for “48 Hours,” “Dateline NBC,” and CBS News. In 2020, she wrote and produced two episodes of a series for MSNBC called “What’s Eating America.”

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TE AM EFFORT Whether cleaning up Rocky Flats or building a sustainable development in the Middle East, retired executive focused on collaboration and finding creative solutions to problems

By Cynthia Pasquale / Photography By Jensen Sutta

NANCY TUOR spent more than three decades and held various executive positions at the global engineering firm CH2M Hill, but one project in particular that she helmed gets more attention than all the others. Tuor helped orchestrate the cleanup and closure of the Rocky Flats plant near Golden, which was contaminated with 21 metric tons of weapons-grade plutonium used in the production of nuclear weapons.

The now-retired executive realizes that Rocky Flats may well define her career. “If people said that was the only thing I’ve ever done in my life, that would be just fabulous because it was such an amazing 10 years. It was the project of a lifetime,” she says. “The first few years were awful. I got bomb threats at home. But in the last six months there, workers would come in and want a big hug.

They had paid off their cars and credit cards

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TUOR

and had money in the bank to send their kids to college. It was incredibly heartwarming to develop those kinds of relationships.”

The plant, which had produced thousands of triggers used in nuclear bombs, was shut down in 1989 following a raid by the FBI, which was investigating potential violations of environmental law.

In 1994, the Department of Energy sought a new contractor to take over operations at Rocky Flats. At the time, Tuor was working for CH2M Hill, which provided consulting, design, construction and operations services. She was managing CH2M Hill’s southeast operation when a colleague asked her to join a new team—a joint venture between ICF Kaiser International Inc. and CH2M Hill—that was preparing a bid for the Rocky Flats contract.

“The plant had been shut down and, basically, nobody was working. There were seven cafeterias that were full every day with hourly workers playing cards or cribbage or reading the paper because the contractor couldn’t wrap its mind around how to get work done in that environment,” she says.

After Kaiser-Hill was awarded the contract, Tuor became a member of the 10-person executive team.

Twenty members of the Rocky Flats workforce and 20 people from the corporations put their heads together to determine how to move forward­—and quickly.

“They came back in eight weeks with a plan.

There were some really bizarre ideas, like shrink-wrapping the plutonium buildings and imploding them,” Tuor says. “That was never going to happen, but the bottom line is they stopped thinking the old way and started looking at this with a different set of eyes.”

The federal government estimated it would take 70 years and $36 billion to clean up the complex. Kaiser-Hill completed the project in 10 years at a cost of $7 billion.

The key to success, Tuor says, was to change the culture for the 6,000 workers at

the plant. Leaders were brought in who “led from the floor,” not from offices. Even the CEO could be found in the buildings where the work was being done, clad in protective gear like everyone else. Parking places reserved for VIPs were eliminated.

Incentive programs were put in place.

In a nuclear environment, rigid compliance to ensure safety was a necessity. “But we had to be incredibly creative, too, because much of what we did had never been done before. We were constantly experimenting,” she says.

Tuor managed different operations at the plant over the years, including the demolition of about 700 buildings. When the plant closed in 2005, she held the title of chief executive officer.

The workforce was incredibly proud of the role they played when the plant was operating, she says, believing their children didn’t have to go to war with Russia because of the work they had done. “Some might think that nuclear weapons are really ugly and wouldn’t want to be associated with them. But these people considered themselves Cold War warriors.”

Tuor says she learned while on the job, including at CH2M Hill, which was built around the power of team play. Nearly everyone who worked at Rocky Flats had “grit, determination and resilience. I liken Rocky to a stream trying to move through a course of boulders. Half of the time, the first route wasn’t there. You would have to find another way. It was transformative for me in learning how to look at different ways to get things done.”

After the cleanup was complete, Tuor returned to CH2M Hill, running one-third of the operations and heading to the Middle East as program manager for a sustainable town development in Abu Dhabi.

Before retiring in 2012, she helped set up the organization’s sustainability practice.

“The whole nexus of water, energy and food is something that is critical to our existence.

And we are not even close” to a solution, she says. “We’re still arguing about whether there is climate change or not.”

Tuor has given numerous public presentations on the transformation of Rocky Flats from a “bomb shop” to a wildlife refuge. This summer, she was asked to consult with leaders of Los Alamos National Laboratory, whose mission is to ensure the nation’s security through nuclear deterrence.

She serves as a board member for several entities, including the Colorado State University Board of Governors. “I’m so impressed with the institution and its leadership,” she says of CSU. “It’s been a real highlight of retirement to have the time to commit to something that is so critical to our future.”

When Tuor turned 70 three years ago, she gave up competitive horse jumping, something she had done since the age of 27, often participating in 20 or more events a year. “When you jump, you fall now and then. As we age, we tend to splat rather than bounce. Since I had all my parts working, I decided it was a good time to give up that phase of my life,” she says.

She did not grow up “horse crazy,” but “I loved the technical aspects of riding. I loved having that partnership. It was a great mind cleanser, especially after a long day at the office.”

Tuor still gets out her road bike in good weather, lifts weights, took up tennis last summer and plans to spend more time around the dinner table with friends.

Now that she has more time in between her board work, her desire to travel has intensified. Tuor revels in being in different countries and cultures. She’s considering a couple of safaris and a visit to the Nile in Africa. And the Peruvian food and mountains of Argentina are calling to her.

“I’ve got a lot of energy and I just like being out in the world.”

Cynthia Pasquale is a writer living in Denver.

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RE ADY TO

Colorado Ballet looks ahead; principal dancer Dana Benton calls it her "dream season"

DANCE

By Joanne Davidson

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T

FUN FACTS ABOUT DANA BENTON

HERE’S SOMETHING MAGICAL about ballet: The soaring music. The opulent sets and costumes. The sheer athleticism that is key to the grace with which the dancers move.

For 60 years—but especially since the 2006-07 season, when Gil Boggs was named artistic director—Colorado Ballet has continued to gain in importance in the dance world, winning new fans through programming that’s a mix of old favorites and bold new works.

Boggs, a former principal dancer with the American Ballet Theatre, is particularly proud that Colorado Ballet is considered one of the top five companies of comparable size in the nation, and that it emerged from the throes of 2020 on solid financial ground.

“When I arrived, Colorado Ballet was struggling,” Boggs said, adding that his first priority was to move it into the black. “If I’m going to sit through a performance, it better be good,” he said. “So we made sure we were putting a great product on the stage.”

It worked.

Soon, the company was receiving prestigious awards and invitations such as the 2009 Colorado Masterpieces Award, an honor that enabled the company to tour the state in 2009-10 as part of an initiative funded by the Colorado Council on the Arts: American Masterpieces, Three Centuries of Artistic Genius. In addition, Colorado Ballet was invited to participate in the highly acclaimed Vail International Dance Festival in 2011, 2015 and 2017.

Dana Benton dances the role of Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz in the upcoming season of Colorado Ballet.

Photo by Mike Watson

PATRONS SHOW SUPPORT “From a financial standpoint, we are solid,” Boggs said. “We’ve had five years of record ticket sales and revenue, and in 2014 we bought our own building, after years of leasing space near the State Capitol.

That’s a strong statement that we are here to stay.”

Patrons and donors, Boggs added, “really stepped up” during the pandemic, even though there were no in-person performances or fundraising events. An anonymous donor gifted the company $500,000, and a charitable foundation that asked its name not be used contributed $1 million.

A financial turning point for the ballet came earlier, in 2016-17, when ticket sales passed the $4 million mark for the first time and attendance

She has a "LITTLE FEAR" OF HEIGHTS, yet has no qualms about the flying that Dorothy has to do in The Wizard of Oz. "I’m OK when I’m all wrapped in. But I have had some anxious moments" when propelled into the air in other roles.

In season, "Most of us eat whatever we want because we’re working so hard and need all the nutrients. We’re more careful in the off-season, but I do have a sweet tooth and a PARTICULAR FONDNESS FOR CINNABONS and any gummy candy."

To stay in shape during the pandemic, she took advantage of the UNLIMITED VIRTUAL YOGA CLASSES that Colorado Ballet offered its dancers. She also did daily online workouts with her family in Canada.

During Colorado Ballet’s season, dancers meet at the studio every morning for a ONE-HOUR, 15-MINUTE CLASS IN MOVEMENT AND TECHNIQUE. Following a 15-minute break, THE COMPANY REHEARSES FOR THREE HOURS, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. An hour’s break for lunch is next, during which time many of them squeeze in A MASSAGE, A PILATES WORKOUT OR PHYSICAL THERAPY. Her frequent partner, fellow principal dancer YOSVANI RAMOS, ALSO HAS BECOME HER BEST FRIEND. "We mesh well together; there’s a lot of mutual respect. It is so helpful to have a partner who always has your back.”

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THE DETAILS Colorado Ballet Armstrong Center for Dance 1075 Santa Fe Drive Denver, CO 80204 303-837-8888 coloradoballet.org 2021-22 SEASON Giselle, Oct. 8-17 The Nutcracker, Nov. 27-Dec. 24 Romeo and Juliet, Feb. 4-13, 2022 The Wizard of Oz, March 11-20, 2022 Ballet Masterworks, April 15-24, 2022 All performances are at the Ellie Caulkins Opera House

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topped out at 87,000. Today, the company that the late Lillian Covillo and Freidann Parker started in 1951 as the Covillo-Parker School of Dance operates on a $7.8 million annual budget; and has 31 professional dancers from 11 countries, including Japan, Russia and Cuba, 150 full- or part-time employees and 125,000 patrons.

Ticket sales are strong for the 2021-22 season, which opens Oct. 8 with the masterwork Giselle. A classical ballet, this tragic romance was first performed in Paris in 1841. The Nutcracker, which opens Nov. 27, will have new sets and costumes that were made during the pandemic, replacing ones that date back to 1986.

PHOTO: COURTESY OF COLORADO BALLET/RACHEL NEVILLE

Jonnathan Ramirez and Jessica Payne perform in the Colorado Ballet’s production of Romeo and Juliet. Photo by Rachel Neville

TWO DECADES OF DANCE IN COLORADO After not being able to perform with the company for most of 2020, the dancers were excited to start preparing for the 2021-2022 season.

Dana Benton, one of Colorado Ballet’s three principal dancers, will perform the title role in Giselle. “It’s Gil’s favorite ballet, so no pressure there,” she said with a laugh.

“But this is truly my dream season.”

A native of Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, Benton will celebrate her 21st year with Colorado Ballet by starring as Juliet in Romeo and Juliet. It will be her first time in that role, offering her the opportunity to “dive deep into the dancing and the acting.”

She also will dance the role of Dorothy in her childhood favorite, The Wizard of Oz. “It was one of my favorite movies growing up. I’d dance around the house every time it was on.”

Benton’s formal ballet training began when her parents enrolled her in Canada’s National Ballet School when she was 9. She remained there until her graduation at age 18. After one season as an apprentice with the Alberta Ballet, Benton joined Colorado Ballet in 2001 as an apprentice dancer. Skill and dedication propelled her to the corps de ballet and, eventually, principal dancer.

She feels that spending the better part of a decade in the National Ballet School played a large part in getting her to where she is today. “You’re away from your family and

“BECOMING A PRINCIPAL DANCER WAS SOMETHING I’D ALWAYS DRE AMED ABOUT BUT DIDN’T KNOW IF IT WOULD HAPPEN.” — DANA BENTON

so you learn to grow up by yourself and become independent early on, which is great for this career,” she said.

Never once has she regretted her choice.

“From the time I was a child, I always thought ballet was so pretty,” she said. “And when I got to dance it, it was even better.”

The 39-year-old is the mother of Poppy, 3, and Felix, 1, and says keeping to a schedule is critical in managing her time and staying prepared to dance. “In the off season I try to get up before they do so that I can get my ballet and whatever else exercises in.”

She said she continues to enjoy both the challenge and the athleticism of ballet.

“You have to prove yourself at every stage: corps de ballet, semi-solo, solo and principal. There’s a lot of dedication involved. You have to prove you are able to do what’s expected of you. Becoming a principal dancer was something I’d always dreamed about but didn’t know if it would happen. I just kept moving ahead, and I’m glad I did.”

One of Joanne Davidson’s most treasured souvenirs from her days as The Denver Post’s society editor is the 1995 En Pointe Award–a well-worn pointe shoe mounted on a base of wood–given to her “In Appreciation of Your Support of Colorado Ballet.”

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cooking up a

LIFE

With two restaurants (and another on the way) and a spirits brand under her belt, Dana Rodriguez is determined to make a difference

By Katie Coakley / Photography By Joni Schrantz DANA RODRIGUEZ IS not afraid to tell it how it is. From promoting transparency in her businesses to proudly proclaiming that she cares more about making her employees happy than her customers (because if you take care of the employees, they’ll take care of customers), Rodriguez is a bright light in Denver.

After 20 years, she now co-owns and operates two restaurants; recently launched an eponymous tequila and mezcal brand called Doña Loca; and has plans to open Cantina Loca, a new concept designed to showcase her tequila brand, in LoHi in the fall.

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A CHEF’S STORY, FROM KITCHEN TO SPIRITS Rodriguez grew up on a farm in Chihuahua, Mexico, in a home without electricity or running water. She learned retail and butchery from her father’s businesses, but was looking for new opportunities. In 1998, Rodriguez emigrated to Denver and got a job as a dishwasher at the newly opened Panzano. There, she moved through all aspects of the restaurant, from dishwasher to prep cook, pasta maker and baker, before becoming sous chef.

With passion, intelligence and a strong work

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ethic, Rodriguez went on to become a sous chef at Rioja and chef de cuisine at Bistro Vendome, along the way learning what it truly means to run a kitchen.

In late 2012, she be came executive chef and co-owner of Work & Class in Denver with Tony Maciag. In 2015 and 2016, she received nominations in the Best Chef Southwest category by the James Beard Foundation. Rodriguez opened Super Mega Bien, a dim sum-style restaurant featuring Pan-Latin cuisine, with Maciag in 2018.

Then, in 2020, COVID hit the restaurant industry hard—and Rodriguez and her

THE DETAILS Work & Class 2500 Larimer St. Denver, CO 80205 303-292-0700 workandclassdenver.com

Super Mega Bien 1260 25th St. Denver, CO 80205 720-269-4695 supermegabien.com

PHOTOS COURTESY OF DOÑA LOCA

Doña Loca donaloca.com

Dana Rodriguez, left, created a brand of tequila and mezcal, Doña Loca, which is now served in 60 restaurants. Her restaurants include Work & Class, right, Super Mega Bien, and soon, Cantina Loca, which will feature her spirits.

businesses were not immune.

“In the restaurant industry, the damage on the brain, it was a lot,” she admitted. “Sometimes we will say, ‘Oh, we’re fine.

We’re going to make it work’ because it’s in our nature to always be fighters. But the reality is, like at one point, I almost got sick.”

Worried about how to pay her employees and keep everything above water, the decision was made to close the restaurants from December 2020 through May 2021.

Today, both Work & Class and Super Mega Bien are open again, but Rodriguez said that the struggle is not over. She’s predicting that it could take up to two years to get back on track; with rising costs for ingredients and the challenge of finding staff, it’s going to be a long, slow recovery.

But Rodriguez seems to have an inexhaustible supply of positivity.

“We always make it work,” she said.

“When the whole thing happened and we closed the restaurant, I go, ‘What can I do?

I’m going to start promoting the mezcal and tequila.’”

BRINGING THE FARM-TO-TABLE SENSIBILITY TO THE BAR Doña Loca is Rodriguez’s brand of tequila and spirits. It’s currently served at about 60 restaurants and can be found in 20 liquor

stores. It’s just another example of Rodriguez’s entrepreneurial spirit.

Rodriguez said that she loves being a chef and cooking for people, but she realized that though customers cared about the origin of their protein and produce, when it came to beverages they were less picky.

“They sit in a bar and … they don’t care what they put in their body based on drinks,” Rodriguez said. “It’s not like good food.

People don’t have that consciousness. People order the cheap (expletive) … or they order the super high-end because they think, ‘Oh, the most expensive must be the best, right?’

It made me think that people need education about sustainable drinks, too.”

Rodriguez returned to her native Mexico to work with a small, family-owned palenque (distillery) to produce Doña Loca mezcal and tequila. She went to many farms, visiting with the owners before she found the family that she clicked with, that were doing it the “right way.” Brothers Juan and Marco from Enrique Diaz Cruz distillery and Rodriguez were a match. From planting to bottling, the Oaxacan distillery makes Doña Loca mezcals in the traditional, artisanal way. The brothers are the third generation of distillers, and though some traditional methods—like using cow skin to distill—have been updated, the quality of the spirits remains exceptional.

It’s small batch in every way: The bottles are all handmade by local women and the labels are handmade from discarded plant material.

Currently, Doña Loca offers three types of tequila: blanco, reposado and añejo, each of which is aged for different lengths of time.

The mezcal comes from three types of agave varieties: espadín, tobalà and tepeztate. Each grows to maturity in five to 30 years; the result is flavors with a range of complexity.

Cantina Loca, which will be located at Zuni Street and West 29th Avenue, and which Rodriguez hopes will open this fall, will bring the story and flavor of Doña Loca to the forefront. Rodriguez said that her restaurants have open kitchens, and now she’s going to apply that concept to her bar.

Rodriguez said Cantina Loca will have food in the style you can find in Mexico City, but the focus will be on the tequila and mezcal tasting room, and on educating customers on the spirits. Guests will be able to watch videos of the distilling process, and bartenders will share the story of the people and the community that create the spirit that is being sipped.

“A lot of celebrities, they make brands of mezcal and tequila and they are never there to see how hard those people work, how poor they live—they can barely afford certain things. They do all the hard work and then here they [the other brands] sell the booze for a lot of money and (the people) don’t benefit from that,” Rodriguez said. “So I’m like, ‘There has got to be a better way to do things.’”

Education in the U.S. about how the product is made is one step; taking care of the people in Mexico who do the work and take care of the land are other steps.

The bottom line for Rodriguez is giving back to the communities in which she lives and works.

“When it comes to community, it’s like, ’What else could we do (to make a difference)?’ I need more hours in the day,” she said with a laugh. “But that’s the exciting part, right? It’s like, what do you want your legacy to be … . You know, you’re not going to change the world, but you can make little differences in some people’s lives. And that’s so important to me.”

Katie Coakley is a Colorado-based freelance writer who thinks all mezcals should be small batch. Her work has appeared in newspapers, magazines and online for such publications as Business Insider, 5280 and Outside.

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FRENCH FOOD WITH A GLOBAL ACCENT Sisters bring culinary compatibility and talent to their Denver kitchen

By Danielle Yuthas / Photography By Rachel Adams

Aminata Dia, left, and her sister, Rougui Dia, serve French classics as well as food that draws on their Senegalese roots and global travels at their restaurant, Le French. Opposite page, the menu features such traditional dishes as beef bourguignon.

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LE FRENCH IN Belleview Station is a taste of France that has found a home in Colorado. Chef Rougui Dia, who at age 29 was the first African American woman to hold the title of executive chef at a restaurant that has received a Michelin star, Petrossian 144 in Paris, co-owns Le French with her sister, chef Aminata Dia. Born in Senegal and raised outside of Paris in Neuily-Plaisance, the sisters learned traditional Senegalese and French cooking as well as dishes from a variety of other backgrounds from their mother, who discovered many of her recipes from their neighbors. Their father also played a role by taking them when they were young on early-morning market trips to find the freshest ingredients.

The Dia sisters built their careers separately. While Rougui Dia remained in Paris and was racking up accolades including the French National Medal of Honor, Aminata Dia came to the United States in 2000 with her husband and children. Aminata Dia started in San Francisco, eventually traveling to Denver and attending the Art Institute of Colorado (which has since closed). She then opened a catering business, AmiCuisine.

The sisters had always dreamed of being in business together and on a two-week culi-

nary trip in Brazil, they discovered they were compatible in the kitchen and hatched their plan to open a restaurant. Le French opened in 2019, had to close its doors due to the pandemic in 2020, but reopened in the spring.

The decadent pastries that were a childhood favorite of the Dia sisters are now the highlight of Le French’s offerings, which include breakfast, lunch and dinner choices.

Even the happy hour menu offers an opportunity to sample a small plate. The gourmet, casual-chic French bistro touts authentic modern Parisian cuisine with global influences and serves brunch on the weekends, indoors or al fresco. For those on the go, fresh salads, sandwiches, soups and baked goods can be carried away, boulangerie style.

The truly special dishes are on the dinner menu, including fromage, crepes, confit and of course, boeuf bourguignon. The buttery escargot are a rare find and will transport you to the Champs-Elysees. And speaking of authentic, do not skip the crispy frites.

The French are known for excellent libations, and the wine menu at Le French boasts six top Champagne selections.

The cocktail menu is a bouquet of cognac, absinthe, St. Germain and crème de cassis alongside fresh juices, spices and wildflower “caviar.” The crisp, light flavor profile of the

Kir Royale is a staple in international bars dating back to World War II. It’s named after Catholic priest Felix Kir, who helped 4,000 prisoners of war escape in Dijon, Burgundy. After Nazis confiscated Burgundy’s red wines, Kir began mixing black currant liqueur with Champagne to mimic the color of the beloved red wine and to keep spirits up. Another classic cocktail, the French 75, which was born of Prohibition, has been debated over the decades as to whether it should be made with cognac or gin. Le French settles the score by combining fresh lemon juice, sparkling wine and … gin. À votre sante’!

Danielle Yuthas is a Denver native whose byline has appeared in Franchising World magazine and Colorado publications. Yuthas took French classes in high school and college and is fluent in Champagne.

THE DETAILS Le French 4901 S. Newport St. Denver, CO 80237 lefrenchdenver.com

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FASHION

SISTER

ACT

Designing duo creates jewelry that reflects their love of the natural world

By Lindsey Schwartz Photography by Emma Beiles Howie

THEY HAVE ALWAYS had a fantastic sense of style, and they make it look effortless.”

That’s how Cat Tatman describes her childhood friends, sisters Sam Hitchcock and Shawn Hecox, creators of The Woods Fine Jewelry.

“We were all a little unconventional growing up in Boulder in the 1970s and ’80s, and Sam and Shawn made that look chic,” Tatman says of her friends.

Today, Hitchcock and Hecox have successfully blended their bohemian Boulder roots with diamonds, gemstones and metals to create a collection that you can find in more than 20 high-end stores across the country. They work with stylists for awards shows; have had their jewelry on the ABC-TV show “The Bachelor” and have a list of celebrity clients that includes Goldie Hawn, Charlize Theron and Sheryl Crow, to name a few.

When talking about their business, the two fall into a sisterly routine. One starts a sentence and the other finishes. “We felt like there was a lack of jewelry in the world that reflected the style of the clothing we wear,”

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Hitchcock says. “Not fussy or serious but easy, fun and organic.”

“Less is more,” adds Hecox, who likes to combine vintage with modern in what she wears. “Right now I am obsessed with finding handmade knit sweaters from various European knitters. Then you just need a pair of jeans, sneakers and a good bag. And, of course, a piece of jewelry.”

When the sisters started The Woods in 2005, they were both working in clothing retail, wholesale and manufacturing. Their first jewelry pieces, sold at Distractions (now Etc. Aspen), were a mix of pave´ diamonds with

THE DETAILS thewoodsfinejewelry.com The Woods Fine Jewelry can be found at Perch in Vail, Lawrence Covell in Denver and Etc. Aspen.

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wood beads. They took natural gems, set them in silver, and mixed in raw, natural elements. The response to their creations was enthusiastic, and stores began carrying their work. Today, their designs are manufactured in India at a family-owned factory.

In business, Hecox is the partner pushing the sisters out of their comfort level. Hitchcok is more thoughtful and deliberate. Their personalities, though, are similar, say friends and clients. “They are both funny and kind and generous,” says Tatman, who has been friends with the sisters since childhood.

Cathy Covell, founder of clothing store Lawrence Covell in Cherry Creek, says The Woods is the only jewelry that the boutique sells. “Shawn and Sam are not our typical vendors. They have become family.” Lawrence Covell has carried The Woods jewelry for about nine years, and Covell describes it as individual and accessible. The collection is priced from about $200 to $10,000. “Shawn and Sam have found the sweet spot of perfection.”

The designers are using a lot of sustainable and recycled metals such as brass

PHOTO: LINDSEY SCHWARTZ

Clockwise from above: sisters Samantha Hitchcock (left) and Shawn Hecox photographed at Etc. Aspen, which sells their jewelry designs; brass and diamond chain with pavé diamond pendant and earrings; brass and diamond chain with pavé diamond clasp and diamond sunburst pendant, and brass and diamond chain featuring turquoise heart pendant with 22-karat gold bezel; natural turquoise bead necklace with pavé diamond clasp and pendant.

Prices range from $440 to $1,480.

combined with diamonds and gemstones.

Post-quarantine, they looked for vibrant colors to mix with the metals and diamonds.

This fall, they say to watch for the pendulum to swing back to their roots, with earth tones and organic beads mixed with their signature raw diamonds.

The sisters say that what they like most is helping women feel beautiful, strong and empowered. They both have teenage children and want to show them that you can be your own boss, have passion for what you do and make a mark in the world.

Lindsey Schwartz is a regular contributor to Colorado Expression.

Getaways

HIGHLANDS

FLING Historic Old Edwards Inn and Spa in North Carolina beckons with luxury and pampering

By Elizabeth Hamilton Photography Courtesy Old Edwards Inn

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Just as the Colorado mountains attract vacationers who long for cool summer evenings and outdoor adventures, so does the high country of North Carolina. Among the more popular destinations in the southern Appalachian Mountains is Highlands. This mountain town was settled in the late 19th century, and between its historic charm and its proximity to such attractions as Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the Blue Ridge Parkway, it offers many reasons to visit.

One of the top places to stay in the region is the Old Edwards Inn and Spa on Main Street in downtown Highlands. The property was originally a boarding house known as Central House in the 1870s, and it changed hands numerous times before becoming Old Edwards and earning the prestigious Relais

Insiders’ vacation guide

Spanning almost four blocks in downtown Highlands, N.C., Old Edwards Inn and Spa features multiple dining options, a pool and a croquet lawn.

& Chateaux designation. Welcoming and luxurious, it regularly ranks among the top resorts in the South by such publications as Travel + Leisure, and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

When you check into the inn, the staff welcomes you with a glass of Champagne as you settle in to the most elegant lodging imaginable. You feel a sense of relaxation and quiet even though you are in the middle of town. Spanning almost four blocks in down-

town Highlands, there are several different entities under the Old Edwards Hospitality Group’s umbrella. The Lodge is in the middle of things, along with a pool and a croquet lawn. Accommodations include rooms, suites, cottages and full vacation homes. The inn rooms are decorated with period antiques, original artwork and Italian linens.

There are multiple places to eat and drink throughout the resort, with Madison’s being the signature restaurant. It serves farm-to-table fare and such Southern specialties as shrimp and grits, and liver and onions, as well as steaks and seafood. Old Edwards also frequently hosts special dinners throughout the year in its Chefs in the House series, such as the Laurent-Perrier Champagne dinner it hosted in late July and an annual Oyster Fest in September.

Facials, massages and body treatments are offered at The Spa at Old Edwards. Therapists use natural ingredients—some sourced from the property’s gardens—to soothe and pamper their guests with indulgent treatments like the Warm Wisdom Mud Mask.

Located 120 miles north of Atlanta, Ga., Highlands is the highest incorporated town east of the Rocky Mountains. Even for Coloradans who have climbed many mountains, these are a must-see. Located in one of two temperate rainforests in North America, Highlands averages 80 inches of rain a year.

Visitors come to experience the waterfalls and scenic views in every direction. When driving around, those who get a little motion sickness should plan to put their phones down and focus on the horizon. The twists and turns

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Getaways

Above, one of the three historic cabins at Half-Mile Farm. Below, a spacious cabin guestroom at Half-Mile Farm.

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in local roads make Berthoud pass seem like a walk in the park.

The season in Highlands is typically late May through Thanksgiving. Leaf-peeping season in the autumn is a great time to visit. And whether you vacation in summer or fall, from hiking in the morning to a round of golf in the afternoon, you will have breathtaking views to take in.

Just minutes from the bustle of downtown, Half-Mile Farm is the boutique little sister to the inn and lodge. This luxury country estate features 34 lovingly appointed guestrooms, with three stand-alone historic cabins, lush gardens, a mineral water pool and special Serenity Suite for spa treatments on-site. A chef-prepared breakfast is included with each room, as are complimentary hors d’oeuvres at social hour each evening. There is a canoe for paddling Apple Lake, or take a seat by the fire pit and just enjoy the bucolic surrounds.

A little farther down the road toward Cashiers is Glen Cove by Old Edwards, which

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offers “a lifestyle for generations.” This community is a newer addition to the properties and a private club. The residential property has 32 cottages and 17 five-acre lots with mountain and golf course views. Residences have 2,400- to 4,700-square-foot floor plan options that include three to six bedrooms.

These properties come with such extras as the fitness and wellness center. The Old Edwards Club is a five-minute drive from Glen Cove and owners can take advantage of all the amenities, including the golf course, pool and restaurants.

It’s no surprise that families return to Old Edwards every year, just as people do to Colorado’s dude ranches. The atmosphere is welcoming, and it’s a place where memories are made.

Elizabeth Hamilton is the group publisher of Colorado Expression and Colorado Homes & LIfestyles.

Insiders’ vacation guide

Award-winning golf awaits just down the road from town at The Club at Old Edwards, where guests can also enjoy al fresco dining.

THE DETAILS Old Edwards Inn & Spa 45 Main St. Highlands, NC 28741-8447 866-526-8008 oldedwardshospitality.com Rooms start at $375; suites, $460

ACTIVITIES Two of the more popular waterfalls in the area include Bridal Veil Falls, which drops 120 feet. In the winter, if it’s cold enough, it creates one gigantic icicle. Bust Your Butt Falls is a popular swimming hole with a place to jump off a boulder into the Cullasaja River. highlandschamber.org, click on Experience Guide Highlands Plateau Greenway features numerous hiking trails as it makes an easy, winding 5-mile path throughout the natural settings and historic sites in the area. Birding and scenic overlooks are just

some of the highlights of this hiking trail and you can jump on from several points in town. highlandsgreenway.com For trail rides and trout fishing, visit Arrowmont Stables and Whitewater Equestrian Center. arrowmont.com; funhorsebackriding.com Adventure tours of the Highlands plateau in an all-terrain vehicle are popular. One of the outfitters is overlandunlimited.com Blue Ridge Parkway features 469 scenic miles; blueridgeparkway.org

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Club Profile

Riding at a Full Gallop The first championship course at Flying Horse in Colorado Springs was designed

by Tom Weiskopf.

Below, the course’s 18th hole as seen from The Clubhouse.

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Flying Horse tees up its second golf course, enhancing the community’s impressive stable of amenities

By Kim D. McHugh

coloradoexpression . com sEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021

A new Colorado place to play

THINK OF GREAT PAIRINGS such as Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. Steak and lobster. Cowboy boots and blue jeans. Together, some things are exponentially better.

That includes the Club at Flying Horse and Flying Horse North, two remarkable golf courses just northeast of Colorado Springs.

Golf aficionados teeing up at Flying Horse North, the newest of the two championship courses, are immediately wowed on the first hole’s tee box, whose vista puts

Pikes Peak front and center. Playing 4,873 yards from the forward tees and 7,166 yards from the gold tees, the Phil Smith Signature Course rewards golfers not only with impressive views of Pikes Peaks but also a tapestry of rolling ranchland, hillsides and ravines covered with scrub oak, and forests dense with aspen and pines that create one of the most picturesque landscapes in Colorado.

“When I first walked the site at Flying Horse North in 2012, I was astounded at the raw potential of this property,” said Smith, principal at Phil Smith Design in Scottsdale, Ariz. “Simply put, it was my job not to screw it up! I couldn’t be more pleased with the final product.”

Smith, who worked for Jack Nicklaus for a decade and Tom Weiskopf for 14 years as

his exclusive golf course architect, definitely brought his A-game to the Flying Horse North layout, which had a soft opening in the fall of 2020 and debuted officially over Memorial Day weekend.

An Impressive Portfolio Avid golfers may be familiar with Smith’s collaborative efforts at Catamount Ranch in Steamboat Springs; Frost Creek (formerly Adam’s Mountain Country Club) in Eagle; The Yellowstone Club in Big Sky, Mont.; Snake River Sporting Club in Jackson Hole, Wyo.; Hualalai and Hokuli’a in Kona, Hawaii; and the Club at Flying Horse just down the road.

Club members, their guests and people staying at The Lodge at Flying Horse recognize by the third or fourth hole that this golf

THE DETAILS Flying Horse memberships range from allowing golf privileges at one or both courses to social, fitness and dining options. Golf and lodging can be reserved at either course for nonmembers, and the facility also hosts meetings and conferences.

PHOTO: FLYING HORSE CLUB

PHOTO: FLYING HORSE CLUB

Flying Horse North 15268 Allen Ranch Road Colorado Springs CO 80908 719-487-2620 flyinghorseclub.com/ northgolf2020

Members and guests at Flying Horse can enjoy such amenities as the Steakhouse in the Tuscan-style clubhouse.

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course is as golfer friendly as it is challenging. That said, Smith deliberately designed the course to say “bring it on” to scratch and single-digit handicappers but fashioned the layout so higher handicap players, those just taking up the sport and kids would find their rounds enjoyable each time out.

“I’m excited to see the members play Flying Horse North,” Smith said. “Nothing gives me more satisfaction than knowing people are having fun playing a course that I’ve designed. The game of golf is tough enough, and I hope I’ve designed a course that rewards risk and demands a fair penalty when necessary.”

Further illustrations of the course’s playability are its wide, well-manicured fairways, many of which play downhill, which often results in tee shots rolling an additional 15 to 40 yards. Though fairway- and green-protecting bunkers may seem visually intimidating, a well-struck ball takes those out of play, while Smith’s “potato chip” greens, whose contouring resembles the popular snack, create generously sized landing zones.

An Array of Member Benefits There are numerous ways to belong to the club, ranging from a membership allowing golf privileges at one or both courses, to social, fitness and dining membership tailored to non-golfers. Currently, the Flying Horse community is the setting for most amenities, including the magnificent Tom Weiskopf-designed course that opened in 2005 and a stunning clubhouse. Its athletic club has a 25-yard lap pool, a seasonal adult pool and splash pools, dozens of state-of-the art fitness machines as well as a Yoga and Pilates studio. Indoor basketball, volleyball, pickle ball and red clay tennis courts are especially popular in winter, while five outdoor tennis

“

PHOTO: EJ CARR/EJCPHOTO.COM

Club Profile

courts invite fair weather play. Collectively, the facilities provide more than 90,000 square feet of recreational, relaxational and socially interactive gathering space.

“The Athletic Club and Grill do a great job in the summertime with poolside service and, of course, our high-end steakhouse is extremely popular,” said Jake O’Dell, director of golf. “The Tack Room is our members-only dining area where you can have breakfast, lunch and dinner, and we recently introduced a food wagon that serves golfers at Flying Horse North.”

Golf and lodging can be arranged at either course for non-members hosting a corporate retreat, wedding and/or reception, non-profit fundraiser golf outings, or enjoying a stay-and-play at The Lodge at Flying Horse. The AAA Four Diamond Designated property features 48 luxuriously appointed

I hope I’ve designed a course that rewards risk and demands a fair penalty when necessary.”

— Phil Smith

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The first hole at Flying Horse North, which opened earlier this year, has views of Pikes Peak.

The course rewards golfers with a tapestry of rolling ranchland, hillsides and ravines.

rooms and suites. There also is nearly 7,500 square feet of meeting space with eight conference rooms. A lodge expansion, scheduled for spring 2022, will introduce 56 more rooms and suites, as well as a restaurant, lobby bar and 3,600-square foot ballroom.

Flying Horse’s amenities make it a onestop place for the whole family to come and enjoy so much,” said Wendy McHenry, general manager. “We have golf and golf lessons, tennis camps, cooking and cartooning classes for kids, and those types of activities continue through the winter.”

It is definitely a club with plenty of giddy-up.

Kim D. McHugh, a Lowell Thomas awardwinning writer, is a long-time contributor to Colorado Expression. When playing Flying Horse North, he was wowed by views of Pikes Peak and equally thrilled seeing his tee shots travel downhill those extra yards.

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YEARS

IN CHERRY CREEK

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