Community: What’s new (and ongoing ) this First Friday

NEW IN VISUAL ART

Jack Balas exhibit at the Museum of Contemporary Art Denver

New solo-exhibit and Artist-in-Residency at the MCA (with exhibitions coming up later this summer at Robischon Gallery). Balas specializes in painting and photography but is known for sculpture and writing as well. Interesting because of his diverse medley of interests which all seem to feed into each other and in a wider context of his work, have the unsettling (but familiar?) quality of a novelesque narrative. www.mcartdenver.org

NEW IN POETRY

Diesel Powered Poetry Readings

Another innovation of The Basics Fund (A chartered bus that raises health insurance money for artists). The driver parks somewhere in the Santa Fe Art District and if you find it, hop on for open-mics or sponsored writer readings. Readings begin usually after many of the galleries have closed (10pm-ish). Not interested in playing hide-and-seek with a forty-foot long bus? Call Dustin 303-579-6555 and he’ll tell you exactly where to find it. Every First Friday. Donate what you wish. www.thebasicsfund.org

NEW IN MUSIC

MMCIII and Dugout Canoe Tour Kickoff at Rhinoceropolis

On June 6th Rhinoceropolis features Bad Weather California, FissureMystic, and Slight Harp. But that only begins a vigorous music schedule this summer. Also coming up: Mute Era (Minneapolis), Recession, HOT WHITE & THIS NEW BAND (June 9th) and HEALTH and Pictureplane (July 14th). www.myspace.com/rhinoceropolis