Many words evoke the romantic spirit of the cowboy across the West. Grit. Courage. Bravery. Relentless. Kemo Sabe, a top-tier western wear brand, also embodies these traits.

“Going through the tough times and coming out better, that’s The Cowboy Way,” says Kemo Sabe current owner and CEO Wendy Kunkle. “Failure is not an option. We are going to kick some ass.”

The luxury western wear brand was originally founded by Tom and Nancy Yoder in 1990. They had one mission: turn everyone into a cowboy.

Taking a stroll through the neighborhoods of Denver, you’ll find nothing out of the ordinary — cookie-cutter cul-de-sacs, quaint homes and quiet neighbors. But Netflix’s newest hit series How To Build A Sex Room proves that you never know what goes on behind closed doors — even in your own neighborhood.

Released earlier this month, the show has made waves nationwide, accumulating an outpouring of support for the show’s sex and body-positive nature. Though you may have seen it on Netflix’s top trending shows list, many don’t realize the show was filmed predominately in Colorado’s Front Range. Featuring the work of local businesses and the intimate lives of Denverites, How To Build a Sex Room transforms not only the homes of these couples but our understanding of the sex positivity movement entirely.

Long before we knew her as the Queen of Late Night, Amber Ruffin found herself living in the heart of downtown Denver. Doing her first run with improv group Second City, the comedian and writer spent one year in the Mile High, giving Ruffin her first glimpse of success.

“Denver was the best time I’d ever had. We had all just gotten those real, full-time comedy jobs,” she said. “It was the first time I ever really felt like, ‘Wow, this is what it’s like to not be terrified I wouldn’t make rent.'”

Now a writer for Late Night With Seth Meyers and host of her very own The Amber Ruffin Show on Peacock, Amber Ruffin will be making her grand return to Denver this Sunday with SeriesFest for a screening of her show at Red Rocks.

8 MIN READ

“It is only by selection, by elimination, by emphasis that we get the real meaning of things.” These words lie above a portrait of Georgia O’Keeffe at the Denver Art Museum (DAM), a subtle yet significant introduction to the work that graces the walls beyond it. Her words describe not only the methods by which she created her world-renowned artwork but how this beloved artist viewed the world as a whole.

On view from June 30 through November 6, 2022, Georgia O’Keeffe, Photographer explores a new side of her incredible artistic talents and inspires patrons to reframe the way they see the world around them.

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, but for photographer David Yarrow, that is not nearly enough. Opened this past July in Cherry Creek, Relévant Galleries showcases Yarrow’s infamous fine art photography. Featuring stunning collections of lifestyle and wildlife pieces, Relévant curates a head-turning display of his work and tells the epic stories that go along with them.

The Matterhorn is painted in hues of red, the grandiosity of the Swiss mountain evident even in 2-D. As I look further, I can make out the faint outline of human figures in the foreground, their colors blending with the landscape around them.

“I want the figures to remind the viewer how magnificent and large this mountain is,” said Noelle Phares. “They are only there to remind the viewer that the subject is the setting.”

This piece is a work in progress for Denver-based artist Noelle Phares. The message behind it, however, is far from that. Looking around her Lakewood studio, her pieces are all stunningly unique. However, between each of them, one thing remains constant: their ability to tell a story, one that you can’t help but need to hear.

Caroline Hafele walks blindly in Bécal, a tiny village in Yucatán. She had heard of a “magic little hat town” – the village itself built around a statue of a Spanish-style hat – and she had to see for herself. Traveling alone, she finds herself at this landmark, simply hoping to somehow meet the families that run the village. Befriending local kids, they guide her to the homes of the town millenaries.

Showing up at their door, they welcome her in warmly, as if they’ve been expecting her all along. They eagerly show her their creations, the craft these families have perfected over generations of hat-making.

In January of 2018, Steve-O road tripped from Los Angeles to Denver to debut his second stand-up special, Gnarly, at the Gothic Theatre. In true Steve-O fashion, he spent the entirety of that drive duct-taped to the side of a truck — a unique way to take in that famous 1-70 scenery.

Next week, he will be making a grand return to the Mile High City to debut his third comedy special — The Bucket List Tour — and he is certain it is going to be his craziest show yet.

Strolling down Larimer Street on a warm August evening, all business seemed as usual. But making my way up the side entrance of The Ramble Hotel, the faint vibrations of music became clear. On the rooftop garden, under the bright red hue of a neon Wish You Were Here sign, a packed crowd watched as Grammy-winner Eric Benny Bloom of Lettuce, Borahm Lee of Pretty Lights and Drew Sayers of The Motet played one of the most mesmerizing music sets I’ve ever seen. With the bar stocked with natural wine from Benny & Zoid Selections, the crowd danced with drinks in hand under the disco ball. Tucked away above the streets of RiNo was the soirée of the summer. But for Motherfunk Events, this was just another Friday Night.