Employees from the city of Arvada, working in partnership with the Arvada Center for the Arts and Humanities, organized a citywide collection last week that filled three minivans with essential goods to help Ukrainian refugees now streaming into Poland.

The bounty, which included practical items including tents, sleeping bags, clothing, toiletries, diapers, bedding, first-aid items and more, is now bound for a flight to Poland via Chicago. 

The idea began among a group of five Arvada city workers who are of Polish descent. 

Colorado Business Committee for the Arts honors those who use art as a tool for resilience

“A lot of our employees have families who live in Poland, and they have all been deeply affected by the migration of so many Ukrainian people into Poland,” said Patty Carrico, Project Manager for the city’s Public Works Department. “The Polish community here set up a donation center, and when Tom Wisniowski, our Lead Building Maintenance Worker, announced the project to us, everyone got involved. The response was overwhelming.”

Arvada is a city of about 120,000 people, of which about 2,800 are Polish Americans and about 1,200 are of Russian descent, with no data available on the Ukrainian population there, according to zipatlas.com.

The original plan was for Arvada’s City Hall to serve as the collection hub. By the time the week was over, donation centers were expanded to four locations across the city, and drivers had to make three trips to the Arvada Center alone just to collect everything brought there. 

Art theft forces RiNo gallery to shut down

“I think people are just so saddened by what’s happening and wanted to do something,” Carrico said. “This donation drive was a call to action. It gave people a way to participate.”

Rita Moreno is Denver-bound 

The Women+Film Festival returns to the Sie FilmCenter with the April 5 opening-night presentation of “Fire of Love,” a doc about the love story between volcano scientists Katia and Maurice Krafft. The fest runs through April 10 but the just-announced Women+Film Awards Luncheon takes place May 13 at the Denver Art Museum. The iconic Rita Moreno (both “West Side Story” films) will be on hand to receive the Inspiration Award. Carlotta Walls LaNier, who was the youngest member of the Little Rock Nine to enroll in the formerly all-white Little Rock Central High School in 1957, will receive the Impact Award. She’s the older sister of Denver megaforce philanthropist Tina Walls. Tickets go on sale March 18 at womenplusfilmfestival.org.

Two local actors are British award nominees

If you’ve heard of BAFTA, it’s probably in the context of what are known as the British version of the Golden Globes Awards. But the British Academy of Film and Television Arts also presents the world’s most prestigious global awards for excellence in games, and two local actors are among the 2022 BAFTA Games Awards nominees.

Erika Mori is nominated for Best Performer in a Leading Role for her body, face, and voice work as the playable lead of Alex Chen in “Life is Strange: True Colors,” a narrative-driven video game released by Square Enix. Han Soto of Boulder, who plays Alex’s long-lost brother, Gabe, is nominated for Best Performer in a Supporting Role. The game, released by Deck Nine Games of Westminster, is nominated for best animation and best narrative. 

Mori, born in Hawaii and a graduate of Colorado Academy, just starred in the Butterfly Effect Theatre of Colorado’s world-premiere stage production of “Fourteen Funerals.” She has previously appeared in plays staged by Colorado Springs TheatreWorks and Benchmark Theatre in Lakewood.

“True Colors” follows Alex Chen as she travels to fictional Haven Springs, Colorado, to reunite with her brother. Alex has long suppressed her “curse”: the supernatural ability to experience and manipulate the emotions of others. When her brother dies in a presumed accident, Alex must embrace her volatile superpower to uncover the dark secrets buried in this small town located somewhere near Carbondale.

The awards ceremony will stream live on April 7.

Buntport turns (out) 50

It is remarkable for any small theater company to produce 50 plays. But Buntport Theater, a miraculous collective of five friends from Colorado College, is about to present its 50th completely original ensemble play. (Simply put: No one puts more new plays out into the world than Buntport.) The milestone play is cleverly titled “❤️Richard,” described as “a comedy about ‘Richard III’ enthusiasts, Victorian undergarments and the lying liars who make theater.” It’s based, in part, on the alleged discovery of King R3’s actual body under a parking lot 10 years ago. If you say the title out loud, it’s “Heart Richard,” not “Love Richard,” and it runs April 8-30 at 717 Lipan St. 720-946-1388 or buntport.com. 

What to do, what to do … 

• Film: Where else but the Sie Film Center will you be treated to a month-long “Veekends Vith Verner (Herzog)” film series (Next up: “Aguirre, the Wrath of God,” March 19-20), then come back March 24 for “The Breakfast Club” and “Weird Science”? … 

• More film: The Denver Documentary Society presents its 13th DocuWest, Colorado’s only documentary film festival, from March 23-27 at the McNichols Building. The point of the festival, says founder Wade Gardner, is to confirm or disrupt viewpoints with stories about civil rights, music, the environment, democracy and other issues.” Go to denverdocsoc.org …

• Megashows: Did you know Billie Eilish’s mom grew up in Colorado? Maggie Baird graduated from Fruita Monument High School in 1977 and appeared in the Broadway revival of “The Iceman Cometh” before settling down and having famous kids in Los Angeles. Anyway, Billie is playing the Ball Arena on March 19. Last I checked the web site, there was literally only one seat left for sale …

• Live theater: The Aurora Fox is building the buzz for this weekend’s opening of the comedy “Hurricane Diane,” about a “butch suburban housewife gardener” who is actually the Greek God Dionysus in disguise and on a mission to get the mortals to restore the Earth to its natural state. It’s got an A-list cast including Jenae Burris, Shannan Steele, Emma Messenger, Karen Slack and Chelsea Frye. It runs through April 10 … 

• Music: Not into St. Patrick’s Day? Check out Y La Bamba at Larimer Lounge on March 17. The heart of the Portland-based band is inquisitive Mexican American singer-songwriter Luz Elena Mendoza, who is infused, they say, “with the emotionality of traditional música Mexicana and the storytelling of American folk.” …

• Comedy: Joe “Mr. D” Dombrowski is a comedian and kindergarten teacher best known for his viral social content where he humorously captures the chaos of elementary school. March 18-19 at Comedy Works South… 

• Art: Check out Denver Public Art’s virtual Women’s History Month tour, which celebrates Denver Public Art pieces by and about women dating back to 1898.

News you may have missed

We reported this week on the death of Denver jazz great Ron Miles … An art theft that has forced the RiNo gallery to shut down … A new COVID outbreak that has temporarily shut down three Arvada Center plays … And the winners of the 2022 Colorado Business Committee for the Arts Awards … 

And finally … 

Just announced: I don’t know about you, but I’m Tweedypated to learn that the Paramount Theater will be hosting a conversation with Wilco frontman Jeff Tweedy on April 7. He’ll discuss his career and his two books with emcee John Hodgman, along with an audience Q&A. I’d be first in line to ask Tweedy how he got into my head to write the classic lyric from “Radio Cure”: “Cheer up honey, I hope you can. There is something wrong with me.”