Welcome to Week in the Arts, a curated list of upcoming exhibitions and events in the Roaring Fork Valley.

A new study shows that the arts contribute over $13 billion to Colorado’s economy every year.

Colorado’s snowpack is hovering at about three-quarters of average, which could mean low spring runoff.

T he sixth annual Apres Ski Cocktail Classic is underway. This year, the event that celebrates mixed drinks is mixing it up.

Adrienne Brodeur is Aspen Words’ executive director. She has a new memoir in the works. Brodeur gave Claire Woodcock a sneak peek into her writing process and what the new autobiography is all about.

The Green is the New Black Fashion Extravaganza opens tonight at the Carbondale Recreation and Community Center. The event features volunteer fashion models who walk the runway in original designs that incorporate reused materials. The show is a big hit in Carbondale, selling out five years in a row. Claire Woodcock went to the first, full-cast rehearsal to get a behind-the-scenes peak.

Changes to the Basalt whitewater park are nearly complete, just in time to protect fish.

On Tuesday, Democrats and Republicans gathered to caucus. It’s the first step in determining who will be on the ballot this November.

Last week, Aspen School District raised teacher salaries by more than 5 percent. The district said this is meant to improve teacher retention and, ultimately, students’ experience in the classroom.

At a meeting Tuesday, Pitkin County Commissioner Greg Poschman said he’d like to see real efforts to eliminate plastic.