New Fort Collins Street Art Project Breaks Ground on Sunday
Fort Collins is known for a lot of things, namely the painted pianos around town and the crazy murals in Old Town.
Now, a new form of art is coming to the streets of Fort Collins, literally.
Starting on Sunday, Oct. 24, a total of three asphalt art projects that are "community-led and community-driven" will be installed in Fort Collins.
The first one being installed on Sunday will have its home between 9th Street and Lemay in the Andersonville neighborhood on Romero Street. The other two installations will be near Soft Gold Park, with installation scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 30, and one near Putnam Elementary School on Monday, Nov. 8.
The new art is being funded by the National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO) in the form of a grant. The project is not just meant to build community, but also bring beauty back to areas that were affected by the pandemic.
According to the release from the City of Fort Collins, the first mural will actually be designed and executed by a Colorado State University graduate, Luis Santacruz. The city will also be eliciting help from another local artist, Brian Barrett, for the mural by the elementary school.
These three murals are, hopefully, just the start of the project around town. According to the city's announcement, Fort Collins hopes to expand the program in the future.
As a way of building community, the City has even invited residents who live near the new installations to participate and help paint. Each installation day, the project will be worked on from noon to 5 p.m.
Volunteer signups for shifts are available online.
While the projects are being installed, there will be a few road closures:
- Oct. 24: Romero Street, between 9th and 10th streets
- Oct. 30: Hickory Street west of Ash Drive
- Nov. 8: Maple Street by Putnam Elementary
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