Arts

The 9th annual Aspen Fringe Festival kicks off this weekend. For the festival’s artistic directors, politics play a major role in this year’s presentations.

This week on Curated, the Aspen Fringe Festival returns to the valley after a divisive election season. While mainstream entertainment hides behind feel-good themes, the festival connects the dots through to the current state of Trump’s America by featuring its first female playwright.

Harriet Levin Millan’s first book, How Fast Can You Run is based on the true story of a South Sudanese refugee. She spoke this week at Explore Booksellers.

Chavisa Woods is the author of Love Does Not Make me Gentle or Kind, The Albino Album, and Things to Do When You're Goth in the Country.  Love Does Not Make Me Gentle or Kind was a Finalist for the Lambda Literary Award for Debut Fiction. Woods was the recipient of the 2009 Jerome Foundation Award for emerging writers.

Aspen Fringe Festival begins Friday. Arts reporter Claire Woodcock spoke with the festival’s artistic director David Ledingham who  says that the recent election cycle has become the festival’s focal point.

In the valley, people are passionate about their roundabouts. Along with improving safety and traffic flow, roundabouts are also used as defacto gallery spaces. But with new public art popping up in these places so are questions and complaints.

Esteemed jazz musician Ron Carter is conducting a residency at the Aspen Middle School this week.

This week on Curated, a sculpture was installed in Carbondale’s roundabout. The artist looks back and gives insight into the process for other sculptors. Plus, Basalt unveils a new series of temporary public art installations as a symbol of unity to the community.

Big news on the status of Willits Center for the Arts came out of a town council meeting. Plus, a new series of public art installations has people wondering: Is Basalt becoming the valley’s new mecca for the arts?

Last week, Aspen Words announced its anticipated public events schedule for Summer Words.

This week on Curated, an improv troupe masters the art of long form storytelling, a writer and comedian finds humor in Aspen living and a professor from the University of Colorado at Boulder breaks down the behavioral psychology of humor across cultures.

Max Winter is the author of the novel Exes.  He is a graduate of UC Irvine’s MFA program, and a recipient of two Rhode Island State Council on the Arts Fellowships in Fiction. He has been published in Day One and Diner Journal. He lives in Providence, Rhode Island, with his wife and son.

Dr. Peter McGraw is a professor in the business department at the University of Colorado at Boulder. His most recent research examines what makes things funny. Claire Woodcock spoke with him on the big secret behind humor.

Today on Curated, we cover Colorado Creative Industries, from work-live space installation programs to the NEA keynote speech at this year's summit, to an interview with CCI's executive director Margaret Hunt. 

Peter Heller is the author of the novels The Dog Stars, The Painter, and Celine.  He is a longtime contributor to NPR, and a contributing editor at Outside Magazine, Men’s Journal, and National Geographic Adventure.