Self-quarantining may drive some people crazy, especially if they were just starting to plan out their spring travel destinations. But the power of the internet allows us to stay connected and explore the world from the comfort of our couches. Which is why we have put together a virtual street art tour of murals from all over Colorado — from the Eastern Plains to the Rocky Mountains and beyond.
Eastern Plains
Who: Some Girls and a Mural — Staci Beauford, Kayla Ravenkamp, Audrey Sayles
Where: In and around Limon
Fun facts: Staci Beauford was asked to paint an American flag after she painted one on her own family’s barn, and after that the mayor of Limon commissioned her to paint a large grain elevator. With a project that big, Beauford asked for some help, and “Some Girls and a Mural” was born. The three now have a mission to paint every grain silo or elevator on the Eastern Plains. Read more about their journey here.
Rocky Mountains
Granby
Who: Mike Graves, Pat McKinney, Pat Milbery, Detour, Rather Severe, Rumtum, The Worst Crew, Robin Munro
Where: Main Street, Granby
Fun Facts: These murals (and a few more that are not pictured) were painted in the summer of 2019 during the RKY MTN WALLS festival, organized by Denver-based street artist Pat Milbery. Although Milbery worked with the town manager at the time, Aaron Blair, the reception of the murals in the town was not completely welcoming. After several town meetings and the creation of a public art committee, the town manager stepped down and moved away from Granby. Fortunately, the murals remain on the walls, for now, greeting visitors to the town with pops of contemporary color and urban design.
Fraser
Who: Mpek, Verse, Skye Walker, Fraser Public Arts Committee
Where: Fraser
Fun Facts: The Fraser Public Arts Committee started its first mural festival in the summer of 2019 and has plans to continue hosting them annually. In the meantime, the Fraser PAC has invested some money into the commissioning of murals on other buildings, like the one on Camber Brewing.
Southern Colorado
Pueblo
Who: Matte Refic, Creatures Crew, Tuke and more
Where: Pueblo
Fun Facts: Pueblo used to be one of the most saturated cities in Colorado when it came to street art, especially graffiti. For years, the Pueblo Levee Project was famous for being the largest continuous mural in the world at three-miles-long, according to the Guinness Book of World Records. The project was started in the 1970s when students started painting over existing graffiti at night. Now, the city is looking at refocusing on murals and repainting the levee. But until then, graffiti reigns supreme.
Antonito
Who: MFK and other graffiti crews
Where: Off of Highway 285 at the south end of Antonito
Fun Facts: Antonito might not be the final destination on a road trip, but it’s hard to overlook its quirkiness. Not only is this railyard south of Highway 285 a gold mine for Instagram photos, but it’s also a showcase for old school train car graffiti. Some of it is old, some of it is new.
Front Range
Fort Collins
Who: Lindee Zimmer, Aaron David Best, Aleo Art, Brooke Anderson, Patrick Maxcy, Chris Warren, Armando Silva and many more.
Where: Find a list of locations on the Fort Collins Mural Project website, here.
Fun Facts: Founded by now Denver-based artist Lindee Zimmer, the Fort Collins Mural Project is the main source for street art in Fort Collins. Zimmer and her team focus on the motto that “every wall deserves art.” Each year, the festival brings a new group of artists to paint walls throughout the city, offering stipends to the artists and fresh art to local businesses and organizations.
Boulder
Who: And Art Space, Patrick Maxcy, Chelsea Lewinski, Grow Love, The Designosaur, LMNOPI, Lindee Zimmer, Armando Silva, So-Gnar Creative Division, Koko Bayer, UC Sepia, Max Coleman and more
Where: At various locations throughout Boulder, see the map here.
Fun Facts: Boulder had surprisingly few murals until last year when Leah Brenner Clack started commissioning murals through her art consultancy firm And Art Space. Through her hard work, the festival Street Wise was founded in 2019, and an impressive roster of artists kicked off the first year. The North Boulder art district is another hotbed for murals in Boulder, operating as many art districts in Denver do and encouraging the private commissioning of street art.
Greeley
Who: Lina Sanchez, Alex Paozols, Eleanor Yates, Armando Silva and more
Where: Downtown Greeley
Fun Facts: Armando Silva painted his first mural for the town of Greeley in 2011, and has continued to paint murals all over since — he’s one of the most seen in this northern Colorado city. But he wasn’t the first. Greeley started a public art program aimed at commissioning murals in 2009 and has since finished over 25 walls with dozens of participating artists. You might not expect Greeley to have a good street art scene, but it definitely has some gems to offer.
Colorado Springs
Who: Kim Carlino, Mauricio Ramirez, Kim Polomka, RTD Crew and more
Where: Mostly Downtown Colorado Springs
Fun Facts: Just last year, the annual outdoor art exhibition that Downtown Colorado Springs hosts, called Art on the Streets, started accepting mural submissions. The annual exhibition asks mostly sculptors to apply to have their work shown in the public sphere and then auctioned off. With the addition of murals, the urban landscape will start changing more every year.
Denver
Who: Casey Kawaguchi, DINKC, Grow Love, Pichi&Avo, Elle Street Art, Shepard Fairey, Pol Corona, Patrick Kane McGregor, Birdcap, DAAS, Jerry Jaramillo, Mr. June, London Police, Jaune, Will and Chris Kreig, Luis Valle, Anthony Garcia, Chris Haven, Sandra Fettingis, Anna Charney, Alex Pangburn, R0melle, AJ Davis, Koko Bayer and so many more.
Where: Mostly found in one of Denver’s art districts, especially RiNo.
Fun Facts: Denver is home to several annual mural festivals — CRUSH Walls, ColorCon and soon to be Babe Walls — as well as a central hub for the state’s street art scene. Many artists move from different locations in the state to be in Denver in order to elevate their careers as a muralist. RiNo Art District is the most saturated neighborhood in the city when it comes to street art, with over 300 murals adorning walls and alleys in a 30-block area. Other spots to check out are the Art District on Santa Fe (and perhaps the birth place of the Denver mural scene), Westwood, 40 West Arts District and LoDo.
Check out these previous articles below for more photos and information relating to Denver’s street art scene.
CRUSH Celebrated 10 Years By Letting Local Artists and Their Opinions Shine
See How 8 Murals Came to Life at CRUSH 2019
[Photos] See What You Missed From CRUSH 2018
14 Women Street Artists You Should Know in Colorado
24 Denver Restaurants, Breweries and Bars with Epic Murals
Casey Kawaguchi is Turning Heads in Denver With His Expert Freehanded Street Art
After a Decade in Prison, An Influential Denver Graffiti Writer Finds His Groove Again