Give your gray matter a workout at the Washington Park Recreation Center, 701 S. Franklin St., with mental exercises to help the brain function on a stronger level, held Fridays, 11a.m.-noon, Feb. 5-26. Ages 50+. Info: Darlene, 303-698-4962.
Want to practice meditation? Learn to Meditate teaches the basics, Sat., Feb. 6, at Avalokiteshvara Buddhist Center, 1081 Marion St. Teachings, guided meditations, discussion and refreshments included in $30 fee. Coming March 6 & 7: Buddha Maitreya Empowerment and Retreat. Buddha Maitreya is the manifestation of the realization of the loving kindness of all the Buddhas. $70. General Program Buddhist Meditation classes held Wednesdays, 7p.m., & Sundays, 10:30a.m. Also: daily chanted prayers, advanced study programs and free stress-buster meditation. Call 303-813-9551 or visit www.meditationincolorado.org.
Transform writing into a nourishing ritual for your spirit in Writing the Sacred: A Daily Practice of Writual, a month-long writing course at MoonDance Botanicals, 601 Corona St. Participants spend 15 minutes daily writing at home then meet each February Saturday (10a.m.-noon) to share, respond and engage in Writual. $100. Other offerings: Valentines Potions – Do-It-Yourself, Feb. 13; Self-Care in the Wise Woman Tradition, Feb. 17-March 10 (four Wed.); Botanical Happy Hour, 19; Botanical Spa Party, 24. For times, cost, registration: call 303-263-7275, or www.moondancebotanicals.com.
Spend a Saturday with local writers in the Colorado Authors Series at Schlessman Family Branch Library, 100 Poplar St.: A Touch of Romance: Writing Historical Women’s Fiction in the 21st Century with Leslee Breene, Feb. 6, 11a.m.; Orange Mint and Honey novelist Carleen Brice, 20, 11a.m.; and Mario Acevedo, author of the soldier-turned-P.I. Felix Gomez series, 27, 2p.m. Travel Tales: India recounts a trek to Mumbai, Pune and the Arabian coast, Thur., Feb. 11, 1p.m.; Latitudes Book Club meets Sun., Feb. 21, 3p.m. (check reference desk for titles). Info: 720-865-0000 or www.denverlibrary.org/calendar.
Make a lampshade or a heart pin in the back room of Caboodle Gifts, 1515 S. Holly St. Saturday classes: Mixed-Media Art, Make Your Own Stamped Cards or Basics of Polymer Clay, Feb. 6; Make a Shade or Polymer Clay Heart Pins, 13. View other class offerings or register at 303-759-3966 or www.caboodlegifts.net.
Looking for inexpensive materials and space to paint? Check out Open Painting at Canvas and Cocktails, 249 Clayton St., Tues.-Sat., 11a.m.-5p.m. Studio time, paint, brushes, palette and 16-by-20-inch canvas for $25. Walk in, public invited. Want to learn? Check out fun, themed class nights (Tues.-Sun., 6:30p.m., $35-40): Denver Skyline, Feb. 6; Singles Night, 10; Well-Behaved Dogs, 25. Info: 303-333-3288, www.canvasandcocktails.com.
See how future health care professionals are learning to integrate medical science with patients’ humanity in Ethics in Real Life: Will Our Future Doctors Be Able to Help Us?, Sun., Feb. 7, 2p.m., at the First Universalist Church of Denver, 4101 E. Hampden Ave., presented by Compassion & Choices of Colorado. Info: 303-693-0449.
People of all ages and levels of health can learn the slow, gentle turning and stretching moves of taijiquan (tai chi) at the Taoist Tai Chi Society’s new location: 1124 Santa Fe Dr. Sunday classes, 9-10:30a.m., start Feb. 7; Monday classes, 7-8:30p.m., March 1; and Wednesday, 10:30a.m.-noon, start March 3. The four-month beginning courses teach 108 movements and basic angles. Health Recovery classes held weekly. Visit www.colorado.usa.taoist.org or call 303-623-5163 for details.
From Lincoln’s legacy to the secrets of the symphony, there’s a free Active Minds lecture on almost everything: Water in Colorado plumbs the history, current challenges and future of the state’s precious resource, Mon., Feb. 8, 2:30-3:30p.m., at Springbrooke, 6800 Leetsdale Dr. RSVP to 303-331-9963. Celebrate the birthday of the nation’s arguably greatest president in Abraham Lincoln, Tues., Feb. 16, 11a.m.-noon (refreshments at 10:45), at Temple Emanuel, 51 Grape St. RSVP Jodi, 303-388-4013, ext. 307. Tattered Cover, 2526 E. Colfax Ave., hosts a look at the life of politician, publisher, inventor and diplomat Benjamin Franklin, Tues., Feb. 23, 5:30-6:30p.m. Delve into the world of the symphony and discuss ways to enhance your appreciation in What Makes an Orchestra Special?, Wed., Feb. 24, 10a.m., at Malley Senior Center, 3380 S. Lincoln St. RSVP: 303-762-2660. (Parking lot passes available.) For other free Active Minds presentations, visit www.ActiveMindsForLife.com or call Zane Robertson at 303-320-7652.
Buzz Box: The New Think Tank for Small Business kicks off Mon., Feb. 8, 5:30-7p.m., at 1290 Williams St. Mile High Business Alliance invites local entrepreneurs and small-business owners and employees to monthly events to share ideas, resources and strategies for solving business challenges. MHBA provides resident entrepreneurs, marketing experts and occasional special guests who share their skills in finance, marketing, procurement and sales. $20/$10 members. RSVP: 303-872-5646. Info: www.milehighbiz.org.
Discuss and debate how food choices affect your health and the natural world in Conscious Eating at Transition Denver’s next Transition Tuesday, Feb. 9, 7-9p.m., at the Mercury Café, 2199 California St. Info: www.transitiondenver.org.
Denver Community Credit Union offers free classes select Tuesday evenings, 6p.m., at 1041 Acoma St.: Health and Wealth (Feb. 9) or Credit (23). Info/register at: education@denvercommunity.coop, or 303-573-1170, ext. 754. If you can’t attend: www.denvercommunity.coop (click on “Financial Education”) for online tools.
DU’s Bridges to the Future examines China’s environmental challenges with Elizabeth Economy, C.V. Starr senior fellow and director for Asia studies at the Council on Foreign Relations, Tues., Feb. 9, 7p.m., in Gates Concert Hall, Newman Center for the Performing Arts, at DU, 2344 E. Iliff Ave. Free, but RSVP: www.du.edu/bridges, or call 303-871-2357.
Denver rabbis discuss their favorite topics in Our Voices: Denver Rabbis Teach from the Heart, Temple Emanuel’s Seminars in Adult Jewish Education series, Wednesdays, 7-8:30p.m., in the temple’s Sisterhood Lounge, 51 Grape St. Rabbi Anat Moskowitz teaches Holy Time/Holy Space: The Jewish Concept of Time, Feb. 10, 17 & 24; and Business Ethics Through a Jewish Lens with Rabbi Jordan Friedman, March 10, 17 & 24. Continuing Jewish Studies offered Saturdays, 9-10a.m.: Pirke Avot: The Insights of the First Fathers of Judaism, 1st Sat.; Women in Judaism: Their Influence, Strength and Perseverance, 2nd; Reform Responsa: Applying Jewish Text to Modern Day Questions, 3rd; Gateway to Prayer, 4th; and Potpourri of Jewish Thought, 5th. Free, open to the community. No RSVP required. Info: Susie Sigman, 303-388-4013, ext. 325, sigman@EmanuelDenver.org.
Business need a boost? Check out Cherry Creek Chamber of Commerce’s presentations this month: Noodles & Company founder Aaron Kennedy’s topic is Relevance and Reinvest: Creating Wealth in Our Community at the CCCC’s Annual Luncheon, Wed., Feb. 10, at the JW Marriott in Cherry Creek North, 150 Clayton Lane. Limited seating. $65. Radio commentator Stephanie Lynn presents Achieving the Unachievable at Women of Cherry Creek, Feb. 9, 11:30a.m.-1p.m., at Toast, 222 Columbine St. Master networker Sarah Michel, CSP, presents But I Hate Networking! at the next Business Success Series breakfast, Tues., Feb. 22, 8-9:30a.m., at 101 Monroe St. RSVP for all events: 303-388-6022, www.cherrycreekchamber.org.
Go Container Crazy with globe-trotting hortiholic Dan Heims as he shows off unusual plants for containers, Wed., Feb. 10, 7p.m., at Denver Botanic Gardens, 1005 York St. Take away tips on how to design containers and small garden spaces, and maintain soil fertility and plant health. $22/$15 advance. Info/registration: www.botanicgardens.org, 720-865-3500.
The working artists of the 910Arts community provide a variety of inspiring art classes & workshops this month: Feb. 10 or 13 (four sessions, Wed. or Sat.) Introductory Mosaic Art for Indoor and Outdoor with Abbas or Roya Khajeaian, Studio 4 ($150, contact@kashikari.com, 303-825-9000, www.kashikari.com). On Feb. 20: Angels, Clay, Poetry & More with Michelle Soulé, Studio 202 ($110, michsoule@aol.com, 303-623-3703, www.souleart.com); Cultivating Creativity Workshop II: Finding the Way Back (collage) with Marsue Renee Todd, Studio 302 ($90, marsuerenee@yahoo.com, 303-623-0202); Monoprints at the Kitchen Table with Vickie Stevinson, Studio 301 ($45, vickies@stevinson.com, 303-831-8768). Feb. 27, Adventures in Paste Paper with Mary Jo Keller, Studio 9 ($45, bluebell@idcomm.com). Fun, Functional Floor Cloth & Place Mat Art (call to schedule) with Ginny Abblett, Studio 5 ($20, ginnyabblett@gmail.com, 303-913-5222); Flamenco Dancing for kids and adults, beginners through advanced, offered weekly with Maria Vazquez, Behind EventGallery (www.flamencodenver.com). All held at 910 Santa Fe Dr. Full schedule: www.910artists.com, 303-815-1779.
Byers Branch Library, 675 Santa Fe Dr. starts its Thursday Healthy Living series with Dessert Pizzas on Feb. 11, 6:30p.m., and three-week Vertical Window Garden project on Feb. 25, sponsored by Denver Urban Gardens and Arts Street,. Center for Visual Arts co-sponsored a community art project every fourth Monday (4:30p.m.) through May. Free. Adults, kids and families invited. Info: 720-865-0160.
The $8,000 tax credit for first-time home buyers has been extended to April 30 – learn how to use it at free public information sessions at Colorado Housing Assistance Corporation, 670 Santa Fe Dr., Thur., Feb. 11, or Tues., 16, 5:30-7p.m. The local nonprofit will serve up information on first-time home buyer programs and financing alternatives, as well as dinner. Register at www.coloradohousingassistance.org. Info: 303-572-9445.
Indulge in a double-header of doable art at A Good Day For Art’s AM/PM Workshop Day, Sat., Feb. 13: Artist Trading Cards in the morning, andProcess Painting that afternoon. Ages 17+. Materials included. “Bring a friend” discount. Info/registration: Nancy at 303-369-1952, www.agooddayforart.com.
Have fun and lighten your footprint on the land through classes by Denver Urban Homesteading, Saturdays at 200 Santa Fe Dr. Feb. 13, 2:30p.m.: Basic Chicken Keeping; Extend the Season With Cold Frames. Restore Your Wood Furniture, Save a Tree, 4:30p.m. Feb. 27: Intro to Permaculture, noon-5p.m. March 6, 2:30p.m.: Basic Chicken Keeping; Basic Goat Keeping; Extend the Season With Cold Frames. Restore Your Wood Furniture, Save a Tree, 4:30p.m. Info: 303-572-3122, www.denverurbanhomesteading.com.
Hear the history of Denver Health, from its origins 150 years ago as Arapahoe County Hospital to today in Getting Sick and Well in Colorado: The Origins and Emergence of Our Country’s Finest Public Healthcare System, the next lecture in the 2009-10 Anniversaries and Milestones series, Tues., Feb. 16, 1 & 7p.m., at the Colorado History Museum, 1300 Broadway. $8.50 nonmembers. History Colorado’s Shawn Snow shares the hidden history of Denver’s City Park and Whittier Neighborhoods in the next Last Friday lunch-time lecture, Feb. 26, 12:15-1p.m. Bring lunch or purchase at museum store; drinks & cookies provided. $4 members, $5 non. Reservations not necessary. A Chocolate-Lover’s Tea at Castle Marne showcases the preservation success story of this urban oasis of refinement, comfort and charm, replete with tea, scones and chocolate, Sat., Feb. 13, 1-3p.m., at 1572 Race St.; $50 nonmembers. Information: www.coloradohistory.org. Reservations required unless noted; call 303-866-4686.
Workshop for Women teaches how to drill, cut, build, finish and more through basic & advanced classes, with partner, Club Workshop, 999 Vallejo St., Unit 2: Tues., Feb. 16, Basic Power Tools; 17, Carpentry Basics; 18, Interior Trim Clinic. All 6-9p.m., $79 each. Call 303-284-6354 or visit www.workshopforwomen.com.
Mi Casa Resource Center For Women provides good, free advice on common legal problems every Legal Night, the third Tuesday of each month (Feb. 16), 5:30-7:30p.m. Attorneys are available to provide legal guidance in areas including housing, employment, credit problems, family law, immigration, etc. Held at Mi Casa, 360 Acoma St. Info: 303-573-1302.
Meet Tobias Rehberger, creator of Bert Hölldobler and Edward O. Wilson in the Rain – a maze of 10 miles of vibrantly-hued bungee cords – next in Denver Art Museum’s Logan Lecture series, featuring cutting-edge artists, Wed., Feb. 17, 7p.m. Doors open 6p.m., Sharp Auditorium, Frederic C. Hamilton Building, 100 W. 14th Ave. Pkwy. Reservations required. Look, touch and walk through Rehberger’s bungee maze as part of Embrace! Rehberger returns for the Lunch Box series, Thur., Feb. 18, noon. Meet in the Hamilton Building’s atrium; no reservations are needed. Info: 720-913-0150 or www.denverartmuseum.org.
Inveterate traveler and photographer Mike Holtby presents A Photographic Journey Through China, a slideshow showcasing the lives of its people, Wed., Feb. 17, 7p.m., at Seven Cups Chinese Tea House, 1882 S. Pearl St. Free. Majiang Nights held every Thursday, 6-8p.m. $2 to play; tea extra. Beginners welcome, instruction provided. Free, Friday afternoon tea tastings start at 3p.m.: Feb. 12, Yin Gou Mei (Silver Fishhook Eyebrow) green and You Le Ancient Tree green puer; 17, Golden Buds and Spring Dawn Keemun blacks; 26, Dragon’s Fog and Old Style Tie Guan Yin toasty green oolongs. Info: www.sevencupsdenver.com or call 303-777-CUPS (2877).
Celebrate the fusion of gardening & culinary arts in Denver Botanic Garden’s Bonfils-Stanton Lecture Series – The Feast in the Garden: Edible Landscapes and Regional Food Traditions – starting with Arab/American: Landscape, Culture and Cuisine in Two Great Deserts with writer, lecturer and conservation scientist Gary Paul Nabhan, Thur., Feb. 18, 7p.m., in the Gardens’ Mitchell Hall, 1005 York St. Nabhan explores the common heritage of desert dwellers of the Middle East and Southwestern borderlands, preceded by a social hour and tasting hosted by Slow Food Denver at 6p.m. An optional tour of Sacred Earth Garden (limited to 25) starts at 5:15p.m. For a complete listing of 2010 lectures, visit www.botanicgardens.org or call 720-865-3580.
A more intense, four-hour Mindful Yoga/Mindful Eating workshop returns to Pearl Street Yoga, 1550 S. Pearl St., Sat., Feb. 20, 2-6p.m. Erica Viggiano helps you connect with the wisdom of your body in this popular class. Sign up online. Yoga Wellness 365, is Sat., Feb. 27, 2-4p.m. Donation-only meditation group meets Fridays, 7-9p.m. Info/schedule: 720-203-4241, www.pearlstreetyoga.com.
Interested in taking a class at the Art Students League of Denver? Sign up for a free Saturday demonstration, 1-3p.m.: Feb. 20, Figurative Clay Sculpture with Andi Mascarenas, Meininger Fine Art Supplies, 499 Broadway; 27, Pastels with Doug Dawson, Whole Foods Capitol Hill, 900 E. 11th Ave. Limited space. Ron Hicks presents Putting It All Together: Painting With Oils in Demo and Dialogue, a live art demonstration/discussion, Sat., Feb. 13, 1-3p.m., at the ASLD, 200 Grant St. This monthly event showcases faculty artists at work. $7 nonmembers. ASLD provides beginning to advanced instruction for adults, children and teens, in drawing, painting, digital art, printmaking, sculpture, ceramics, fiber art and the business of art. Pre-registration required for all classes/events: www.asld.org, 303-778-6990.
Find help for completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) at College Goal Sunday, a national program held locally at Auraria Campus North Classroom Building, 900 Auraria Parkway, Sun., Feb. 21, 2-4p.m. The FAFSA must be submitted for a student to receive any type of financial aid, including grants, work study, student loans and many scholarships. Information: www.collegegoalcolorado.org.
Learn how the economic crisis has eroded public & investor confidence and what corporations must do as Peter R. Gleason presents Board Leadership in a New Environment, Tues., Feb. 23, 6-8p.m., at DU’s Daniels College of Business, Marcus Commons, 1st floor, 2101 S. University Blvd., next in the 2010 Voices of Experience speaker series. Free, but registration required: Kate Boyd, 303-871-3213, www.daniels.du.edu/newsevents.
High- and middle-school students and their parents can watch, listen, play and improve family communication through the fun Situational Communications format (like a family TV sitcom) with the Kaiser Permanente Educational Theater Program, Thur., Feb. 25, 6:45-8p.m., at the Hamilton Middle School Auditorium, 8600 E. Dartmouth Ave. Free, sponsored by the Hamilton Middle School PTSA. Info: 720-423-9500.
Fine fabric arts and fashion business basics are taught at TACtile Art Center, 7777 E. Hampden Ave. Make a fun scarf meshing silk gauze and merino wool roving in Nuno Felting, Fri., Feb. 26, 1-5p.m. Call for details, fees, other offerings. Registration/info: www.tactilearts.org, info@tactilearts.org, or 720-524-8886.
Authors read from their books and talk about the ins & outs of getting their manuscripts into print in The Story of the Book by Lighthouse Writers Workshop, Sat., Feb. 27, 7-9p.m., at Eventgallery 910Arts, 910 Santa Fe Dr. Cara Lopez Lee reads from They Only Eat Their Husbands, Phyllis Barber, Raw Edges and Jay Kenney, Great Road Rides Denver. Free. Info: www.910Arts.com, 303-815-1779.
Whether cookin’ or croonin’, Fresh City Life offers something for everyone at the Denver Public Library, serving up free cultural programming for adults all month. Visit the website to peruse and register for popular classes, which fill up early. Fall in love with love all over again in But Not For Me: Songs of Love with Reyna Von Vett, Sat., Feb. 6, 2p.m., in Schlessman Hall. Von Vett returns with songs of the hopes of Spring in For Your Winter Blues, Sat., March 6, 2p.m. Cooking Demos: The New Irish Cuisine features how-to, recipes and samples, Saturdays, 10:30a.m.-noon, in the Level B2 Conference Center: Feb. 27, Traditional Irish Baking; March 6, Irish Regional Classics; 13, Fresh and Seasonal: The New Irish Cuisine. Chef Jessica Gaydos prepares a menu fit for a president in Cooking Demo: Lincoln Eats, Sat., Feb. 6, 10:30 a.m.-noon, in the Level B2 Conference Center. Abe’s favorite recipes and samples included! Overdue Love Club – a singles night for intelligent people – meets Fri., Feb. 19, 6:30-8p.m., in Michelangelo’s Wine & Coffee Bar, located at 1 Broadway. Registration required: call 720-865-1206 or visit the Overdue Love Club page on the Fresh City Life website.\\ Harness the power of your own writing “voice” as a vehicle for expression and growth in The Power of One, February’s two-part WordShop: Creative Writers’ Space, held Tues., Feb. 9 & 23, 6-7:30p.m. WordNerds brings word nerds, bibliophiles and grammar freaks together monthly (Wed., Feb. 24, 5-8p.m.) to test their skill, learn new small words and meet like-minded friends at Novo Coffee, 1200 Acoma St., across from the Denver Art Museum Hamilton Building. Madame DeFarge’s Knitting Salon is offered each Monday (except Feb. 15), 5-7:30p.m., providing a social, no-registration-required gathering for free knitting, with instructors on hand for problems. Bring your knitting or any favored handwork and watch a free movie at KnitFlix, celebrating Lincoln’s 200th birthday with Abraham Lincoln (1930), Tues., Feb. 16, 5:30-7:30p.m. Dissect and discuss the cinematic works of Alfred Hitchcock with film critic Walter Chaw in Getting Hitch: The Films of Alfred Hitchcock, Tuesdays, 6-9p.m., in the Level B2 Conference Center: Feb. 9, Strangers on a Train (1951); 16, I Confess (1953); 23, The Birds (1963). Unless noted, no registration required, and all held in Level 1 Fresh City Lounge of the Central Library, located at W. 14th Ave. Pkwy. & Broadway. Info/registration: www.denverlibrary.org/fresh, 720-865-1205.
Louder Than Words Dancetheatre celebrates excellence in dance by creating art in motion, providing a home for movement performance, and facilitating a dialogue between artists and the community. The company rehearses and holds classes (modern, jazz and children’s dance, and Denver Youth Dance Theatre) at A Living Arts Centre, 2231 S. Platte River Dr. Open-door rehearsals on first Fridays, September-May. Info: 720-949-4480 or www.louderthanwordsdance.com.
It’s fun. It’s exotic. And perfect for the “dance-challenged”: Belly dance lessons for teens and adults! Also offering (for both teens and adults) Hatha yoga and beginning tap. Plus, a unique adult strength training class, using a process honed from years of fitness experience, numerous certifications and constant research. Small affordable classes with flexible scheduling held at a home studio in Wellshire East (near Colorado Blvd. & Dartmouth Ave.). Info: “J” at 303-388-7178 or jav0125@msn.com.
Learn & practice Spanish in coffee houses & homes around Washington Park in Spanish Conversation Class, with classes and groups structured to maximize practice. Advanced speakers and beginners welcome. Info: Carlos, 303-733-3964, ecmettler@gmail.com.
The Inner Connection Institute is a center for spiritual growth and psychic development, offering classes in meditation, healing and clairvoyance. Call 303-282-9439 for a free newsletter, or come by for the free aura healing clinic, each Wed., 6-7p.m., 4101 E. Louisiana Ave., Suite G-1 (entrance around the back of building).
Free Yoga on Sundays! at 10:10a.m. Beginning & intermediate yoga students welcome. Held at Washington Street Community Center, 809 S. Washington St. Info: MJ, 303-433-6280.
Meditation and Buddhist philosophy classes are held Thursdays, 6-8p.m., in Cook Park, using the Dalai Lama’s The Art of Happiness and Sogyal Rinpoche’s The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying. Call Deb Rosenberg, 303-695-0499, for location and details.
Don’t just learn, live Spanish through free social and educational gatherings of the Denver Free Spanish Network. Speakers of all ages and skill meet in homes, restaurants and coffee shops to share interest and learn. For dates & details, visit http://spanish.meetup.com/22/ or call Isobel McGowan, 303-964-9129, or Bruce McLarty, 303-733-7390.