Denver, CO
Denver Art Museum workers vote to form a union, a first for an art museum in Colorado
Workers at the Denver Art Museum (DAM) voted to form a union on Thursday (7 March), making the institution the first unionised art museum in the state of Colorado as more cultural workers across the country organise in a trend that has accelerated since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Some 67% of workers at the DAM voted to unionise under the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees-Cultural Workers United Council 18 (AFSCME Council 18), which is made up of workers in New Mexio and Colorado. The employees, who named themselves Denver Art Museum Workers United (DAMWU), said in a statement that they won the election by a 120 to 59 vote, despite an “intense anti-union campaign” on the part of the museum’s upper management. AFSCME filed more than 12 unfair labour practice charges against the museum on behalf of unit members as a result, the union said.
“Our wall-to-wall union recognises the importance of all of us in making the museum a place where art connects, inspires and empowers,” Kit Bernal, a curatorial assistant at the museum and union member, said in a statement. “I am so honoured to get to work with all of my incredible colleagues across the bargaining unit and the museum to build a better present and future for the DAM.”
Next, the union will bargain with museum management for its first contract, a process that has taken more than a year at several other institutions where workers recently unionised. The DAMWU said in an announcement that the unit plans to address issues like staffing, career advancement, disciplinary processes and fair wages.
“The museum supports employees’ right to unionise and is grateful for all those who voted and exercised their rights in this process,” a museum spokesperson said in a statement. “The museum is committed to bargaining in good faith with the union toward a collective bargaining agreement.”
The employees at the DAM first announced their intentions to unionise in January. In a statement, Trudy Lovato, a gallery host at the museum and co-chair of the union organising committee, said many of her colleagues suffered from food insecurity and general economic anxiety.
“These folks have multiple jobs, roommates, have to worry about getting to work, parking (there’s no employee parking), not to mention the body-stress that comes with many positions, in many departments at our workplace,” Lovato said.
Museum workers across the US have increasingly elected to unionise since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, when falling visitor numbers resulted in layoffs and cutbacks. Workers at institutions including the Dia Art Foundation, the Hispanic Society Museum and Library and the Jewish Museum in New York, the Wexner Center for the Arts at Ohio State University in Columbus, and many others have undertaken (and in many cases completed) the process of forming a union.
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Jewelry is the easiest way to take your fashion sense from basic to unique in a matter of seconds. However, it can be hard to find unique pieces that won’t break or tarnish with the natural wear and tear of life. Here are some great Denver jewelry stores, moving from most affordable to more high end, for jewelry that looks good and lasts.
Affordable Gems: Gorjana
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Photo Courtesy of gorjana.com – Parker Mini Necklace, Parker Link Ring, Parker Huggies -
Photo Courtesy of gorjana.com – Crew Hoop Set -
Photo Courtesy of gorjana.com – Wilder Mini Alphabet Necklace
Location: 3000 E 1st Ave Space 180 in Cherry Creek
The best store for jewelry that won’t break the bank is Gorjana. Gorjana is a wide spread jewelry store found in many states with a Denver location in Cherry Creek. It has a mix of affordable (but still long lasting) pieces as well as a line of fine jewelry that is slightly more expensive but made with more durable metals.
They have a selection of necklaces, rings, bracelets, and earrings that are good basics to wear everyday and mix and match. If jewelry intimidates you, this is a great place to start and pick up some items you can wear with any outfit.
Mid Price Range: AS Jewelry Design
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Photo Courtesy of ASJewelryDesign.com – Double Bezel Gemstone Adjustable Ring -
Photo Courtesy of ASJewelryDesign.com – CZ Pavé Curved Disc Stud Earrings -
Photo Courtesy of ASJewelryDesign.com – Diamond Pavé Medium Bar Necklace, 14K
Location: 86 N Pennsylvania Street, Denver
Moving up in price slightly, but increasing in individuality is Ashley Schenkein Jewelry Design. AS Jewelry Design has a plethora of options. Ashley has created multiple collections of jewelry and also creates custom pieces. Prices start around 40 dollars and go up depending on materials used and the kind of design. She has a good mix of affordable pieces as well as luxury pieces if you are looking to spend a bit more. Another perk of her store is that she has permanent jewelry options.
Read Here: The Best Places to Shop for Men’s Accessories in Denver
Luxury Designs: Love Saro
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Photo Courtesy of lovesaro.com – Pearl in Majesty, Peach Moonstone and Pearl -
Photo Courtesy of lovesaro.com – Pearl in Magic, Labradorite -
Photo Courtesy of lovesaro.com – Courage, Emerald in Baby Gucci -
Photo Courtesy of lovesaro.com – Vintage 14K Citrine and Amethyst Ring
Location: 2702 E 3rd Ave, Denver
For luxury jewelry in Denver, a great shop is Love Saro. Specializing in permanent jewelry, this is a great place to go if you are looking for a design to last a lifetime. A mother-daughter-operated company that focuses on creating a shopping experience that is personal to each person who books an appointment. Love Saro has a bit of a higher price range since it is luxury, but these designs are guaranteed to last.
This brand has countless unique designs that will not only compliment but inspire an outfit. They even have designs that include “healing stones”, which are certain gems that are believed to bring good energy.
Whether you’re looking for a basic chain to mix with your existing jewelry or a stand out necklace that will start conversation, Denver has it. Stores like Gorjana, AS Jewelry Design and Love Saro are committed to providing shoppers with dependable jewelry that will last. Check out all these locations and more in Denver, you’ll be sure to find something you can’t leave without.
Denver, CO
Widening of Peña Boulevard gets green light for study phase as City Council support grows
Denver will spend $15 million to study how Peña Boulevard could be widened in hopes of accommodating more traffic to the airport after the City Council on Tuesday overwhelmingly approved a five-year contract.
The contract, with Lakewood-based Peak Consulting, will consider ways to widen the road west of E-470 as well as potential environmental impacts. The study, a requirement under the federal National Environmental Policy Act, or NEPA, is a precursor to an eventual construction project on the corridor.
The proposal highlighted differences among council members, some of whom see the widening as an intuitive step to ease congestion while others say widening roads doesn’t improve the problem in the long term.
With a 9-2 vote, support for advancing the project grew from a closer 7-6 vote on funding a year ago. Several council members who had opposed studying the widening supported the concept Tuesday.
“I have been going back and forth on this,” Councilwoman Serena Gonzales-Gutierrez said. “I agree that expanding the highway doesn’t necessarily solve the problem. … I am also concerned about what this means for residents in that area.”
She added that the council will still have a chance to vote on whether to approve any widening project — which would likely cost in the hundreds of millions of dollars — after the study is complete. While Gonzales-Gutierrez voted against a related matter in 2024, she voted in support of the study Tuesday.
Council members Paul Kashmann and Darrell Watson, who also had voted against it in the past, voted in favor, too. Council members Amanda Sandoval, Kevin Flynn, Jamie Torres, Amanda Sawyer, Flor Alvidrez and Stacie Gilmore all supported the 2024 measure and the one approved Tuesday.
Several council members spoke about the importance of improving the highway — not just for employees and travelers headed to Denver International Airport, but also for the residents who live nearby and use it for many reasons.
“For me and my neighbors, it’s our lifeline,” said Councilwoman Stacie Gilmore, who represents neighborhoods around Peña Boulevard.
Councilwomen Sarah Parady and Shontel Lewis have voted against advancing the project both times. On Tuesday, they said they opposed the contract because it wouldn’t include a study of ways to boost transit ridership on the A-Line, a commuter-rail train that runs from Union Station to Denver International Airport.
“These investments, or some combination of them, could allow Denver to escape the seemingly endless cycle of highway expansions that will inevitably fill up with more traffic,” she said.
Flynn, for his part, said he would like to see the A-Line studied separately.
The Peña Boulevard study process will include public engagement, scoping, analysis of alternatives, environmental effects and possible mitigation. Peak Consulting’s team will also perform some design work under the contract. An airport official said earlier that the process was expected to take less than the maximum five years.
Councilwoman Diana Romero Campbell abstained from the vote, citing that a family member works for one of the team’s subcontractors. Councilman Chris Hinds was absent Tuesday.
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