Get reoriented with contemporary drawings

“Reorientation II” is a 2006 charcoal drawing by Steve DiBenedetto, which is included in the recently-opened exhibit “Drawings, Anyone? Recent Acquisitions from the Eleanor and Henry Hitchcock Foundation” at the Denver Art Museum. Octopi and helicopters are recurring images in DiBenedetto’s edgy worlds, which deal with ideas of change, destruction and human consciousness. Six other artists are included in this selection of contemporary drawings: Peter Saul, Alexander Ross, James Drake, Rebecca Horn, Barry Le Va and Joe Zucker. The drawings are in the third-floor works on paper gallery of the Hamilton Building. www.denverartmuseum.org.

“Braided Rugs: Then and Now” is an exhibit incorporating rugs from the Littleton Museum’s collection and contemporary rugs by members of the Rocky Mountain Rug Braiders Guild. It will run May 29 through July 5 at the museum, 6028 S. Gallup St., Littleton. Hours: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays; 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays; 1 to 5 p.m. Sundays. 303-795-3950.

Globeology, the 25,000-square-foot expansion at The Wildlife Experience, opens at 9 a.m. May 23, at 10035 S Peoria St., at Lincoln Ave., Parker. Enter through a Tropical Rainforest and continue through seven more biomes, biological areas, with animatronics, a waterfall and more. Circle the world close to home! Admission: $9, $8, $6, free under 3. 720-488-3300, thewildlifeexperience.org.

“Courtney Hershey Bress and Friends,” an Englewood Arts concert at 2 p.m. Sunday, May 24, will feature the principal harpist and five CSO colleagues: English hornist Jason Lichtenwalter, and the Zephyr String Quartet: Larisa Fesmire and Karen Kinzie, violin; Philip Stevens, viola; Judith McIntyre, cello. The premier of “Sonata for Solo Harp,“ written for Bress by friend and composer Wayne Lu will be on the program with works by Arnold Bax, Dvorak and Reinhold Gliere. Tickets: $10 adults, $5 under 18. 303-806-8196. Box office open at 1:30 p.m.

The Downtown Denver Arts Festival offers several hours of free entertainment for art lovers May 22 to 25. It’s located throughout the Denver Pavilions at 16th and Glenarm and features works by more than 125 local artists in painting, sculpture, metal, mixed media, wood, jewelry, photography… Hours: Friday, May 22: 4 to 8 p.m.; Saturday, May 23: 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Sunday, May 24: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Monday, May 25: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. For list of artists and m,ore information, visit DowntownDenverArts Festival.com

Arapahoe Community College Community Education offers a full menu of non-credit art classes throughout the year, culminating this year in a juried show of work by students and instructors in the Colorado Gallery of the Arts from May 29 through July 1, with a public reception from 5 to 7 p.m. May 29. Valorie Snyder of Littleton is exhibit coordinator and a longtime area art teacher. Pastel artist Deborah Bays is juror. Snyder says this it the first exhibit for many students, who work in drawing, painting, photography, sculpture and other skills. Gallery hours: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Mondays through Fridays and on May 30. For information about courses, see www.arapahoe.edu or call 303-797-4222. Gallery phone: 303-797-5649.

“Oklahoma,” Rodgers and Hammerstein’s American classic musical, opens at Town Hall Arts Center May 22 and runs through June 28. Bob Wells is director and Kelly Kates is choreographer. Performances: 7:30 p.m. Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays; 2 p.m. Sundays and Sunday evening, June 21 at 6:30 p.m. Tickets: $21 to 36, 303-794-2787, ext. 5 or www.townhallartscenter.com.

John Thornton of Littleton is the speaker at the May 23 meeting of the Wales, Ireland, Scotland, England Family History Society. His topic is the “Highland Games: History and Events.” Thornton has helmed the August 8-9 Highland Games in Highlands Ranch for many years and will talk about how the competitions developed. The W.I.S.E. Family History Society sponsors and provides volunteers for the Family History tent. The public is invited to the meeting at 1 p.m., May 23, Central Denver Library, Gates Conference Room, 5th Floor, 10 W. 14th Ave. Parkway, Denver.

Reminder to artists: June 30 is the deadline to register for the 2009 Western Welcome Week Arts and Crafts Festival, held Saturday, August 15 in Downtown Littleton. 303-794-4870, www.westernwelcomeweek.org, Littletonwww@aol.com.

Call for artists: The Third Annual Greenwood Village Arts Festival, sponsored Sept. 11-13 at Cherry Hills Marketplace, by Curtis Arts and Humanities Center, invites fine artists and craftsmen to exhibit their work. For application, call 303-797-1779 or www.greenwoodvillage.com.

Brule and the American Indian Rock Opera will appear at 7:30 p.m. Friday, May 22 at Palmer Ridge High School, 19255 Monument Hill Rd., Monument. Native American Indian dance is combined with contemporary Native American music in a Brule production that has drawn big crowds at Mt. Rushmore, sold out at Pikes Peak Center in Colorado Springs and aired as a PBS special. For ticket information, see the Palmer Lake Historical Society website: www.ci.palmer-lake.co.us/plhs. Tickets: www.trilakeschamber.com or at The Wine Seller and Covered Treasures Bookstore in Monument. 719-481-3282.

“We are PHAMALy” will be the final Stories on Stage performance for the season, at 1:30 and 6:30 p.m. June 7 in the Jones Theatre at the Denver Performing Arts Complex. Featured: a collaboration between the Physically Handicapped Actors and Musical Artists League and Stories on Stage to present fine actors reading great stories. In addition to stories, PHAMALy actors will perform selections from last fall’s studio workshop series: “Vox PHAMALIA: Tales from the Crips.” Tickets: $22, www.storiesonstage, 303-494-0523.

Tea and Treasures at Tablescapes 2009 is offered 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. June 4-6 by the Assistance League of Denver, which counts many south area women on its roster. The event is held at the League’s Historic Bosworth House, 1400 Josephine St., Denver and includes Victorian Tea, a table setting competition, decorated theme rooms, historic house tour and a gift boutique. Tickets cost $22 at the door or $16 if paid by June 1. Call Dona Gibson, 303-355-2470 or mail check to MHPA, c/o Gibson, 2301 Locust St., Denver, CO, 80207. Information about League community service: www.denver.assistanceleague.org.

Cherokee Ranch and Castle has announced its 2009 Performing Arts Series and 2009 Community Performances, opening with the Lamont Steelpan Ensemble, directed by Tom Miller, at 6:30 p.m. Friday, May 29 in the Castle Veranda Tent. The group will play a mix of happy Caribbean and Latin American music, based on music created in Trinidad on 55 gallon oil barrels. Tickets include wine, buffet supper, castle tour, concert and dessert and coffee with the artists. $75. Limited seating. For reservations, call 303-688-4600 Monday through Friday between 9:30 a.m. and 3 p.m. or leave name and number for a return call within one business day. For complete schedule, visit www.cherokeeranch.org/performingarts.

Auditions:

Young Voices of Colorado will audition kids who want to sing on June 18 and July 9 for the next season, which includes weekly rehearsals, semi-annual concerts, strong musical training, modest tuition. 303-797-SING, www.youngvoices.org, office@youngvoices.org.

For the 4th Playwrights Showcase of the Western Region will be 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. May 30 at Curious Theatre, 1080 Acoma St., Denver. Auditions will consist of group and individual improv games, followed by callbacks with directors as needed. Bring headshot and resume. To attend audition, call Elizabeth Parks, 303-914-6458, elizabethparks@rrcc.edu. Curious is partnering with Red Rocks Community College this year to produce this festival of 28 to 30 new regional works August 5 to 8. There is also a call for directors and dramaturges: contact Lorraine Scott, swtlgs@comcast.net, 720-280-2991. More on this event later.

Sampler