In Photos: First Friday at Belmar's Block 7

 A warm evening after a week of cold and snow brought out the crowds to Belmar's Block 7 last night for this month's Friday Art Walk. It's a lot of fun and a great chance to talk with the artists. In my case, I talked to Ina Gustafsen and Kristin Rankin of InK Jewelry talked about their line of earrings, necklaces, bracelets and charms, while over at Julie Havel Fine Art, painters Jenny Wilson and Liz Latrup welcomed my wife and me to their two artist show. If you weren't able to make it the Art Walk, you should still stop by, as the galleries of Block 7 are really some of the best things about Lakewood's Belmar.

Gallery-goers outside iNk Jewelry

Artists Jenny Wilson (left) and Liz Lautrup (right)
at their show at the Julie Havel Fine Art gallery.

A triptych by artist Liz Lautrup

Lorena Garcia, US Senate Candidate, Meets with Lakewood Residents at Belmar's Block 7

Belmar's Block 7 Galleries have long hosted meet and greets by aspiring local politicians. The latest to turn out was progressive candidate Lorena Garcia, who came last Thursday night to the Valkarie to meet with Lakewood residents and listen to their concerns.  Garcia is running for the Democratic party nomination and hopes to face off against Cory Gardner in the fall of 2020. The thirty-six year old is a first-time candidate, but has a long history as a community organizer and advocate for social justice. Denverite describes her political views have as being in line with those of New York congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, while Westword notes she's running on a platform of economic equality and access to education and healthcare. If you want to learn more, there's lots about Garcia's policy preferences on her website.

It's a long road to the Democratic senate nomination, and although there are only a handful of declared candidates at this point, Garcia will likely have to face off against a long list of both establishment and outsider competitors before all is said and done. Time will tell if this newcomer's campaign catches fire, but Garcia is hard at work at the face-to-face, retail politics that a candidate needs in order to win. 

In Photos: First Friday on Block 7

In Photos: First Friday on Block 7