Denver Walls, a part of the globally recognized WORLD WIDE WALLS, is happening now in the RiNo Arts District. Originally started by Jasper Wong in 2010, the international event seeks to beautify cities across the world by building connections between local artists and their communities. The festival has come to cities like Honolulu, Seoul, Tokyo and more — making Denver the 25th city to host a WORLD WIDE WALLS festival. Discover the artists showcasing their work, where to find them and more about this inaugural Denver event.
“At its core, WORLD WIDE WALLS is about bringing together artists from around the world with local communities and specifically with local youth to help inspire the next generation of artists,” says Ally Grimm (a.k.a. A.L. Grime), a Denver-based artist who is spearheading the festival.
The festival runs from Sept. 22 to Oct 3 and features street art by 18 local and international artists across 17 walls throughout the RiNo Art District. Grimm’s own work will be featured at the festival in addition to renowned local and international artists like James Bullough, Detour, Kimchi Juice and more. You can find the complete list of featured artists and where in the district their work will be displayed here.
Something that differentiates DENVER WALLS from other WORLD WIDE WALLS events is the implementation of tech programming. In addition to large-scale murals, the event highlights the intersection between art and technology by featuring augmented reality installations and other ways to interact virtually with art.
“From the outside, Denver is this very earthy, nature-focused community, but in my mind, I see us as these quiet innovators,” says Grimm, “So we’ve implemented a ton of tech programming into our festival because I felt that it was true to our identity as Denverites to bring innovation and technology into the mix.”
One such innovation is in partnership with a company called COZ, in which viewers can tap their phones against chipped bronze plaques displayed next to the artwork in order to learn more about the artist. Each time a viewer taps their phone, they earn points that can later be exchanged for merchandise. This system rewards viewers for engaging with artwork and ties back to Grimm’s mission of using innovation and street art to strengthen the connection between artists and their communities.
DENVER WALLS will return annually to the RiNo Art District with a new cohort of artists each year. “This festival is so in line with our mission of keeping art accessible and empowering the community,” says Charity Von Guinness, executive director of RiNo Art District. “It benefits every part of the community, whether it’s helping small businesses, providing education to the public or resources for artists.”
Both Von Guinness and Grimm were very intentional about honoring the past, present and future of street art in bringing this festival to fruition. “We wanted to honor the roots of street art, the folks that are doing things locally today and folks that are pushing for what’s next in the world of street art,” says Grimm.
Throughout the festival’s 10-day stretch, viewers can walk around the beautiful RiNo Art District and watch the artists at work on their respective murals, which will all be completed by Oct 3. Additionally, an array of public events will take place the weekend of Sept. 29-31, including a secret paint battle, a street fair, pop-up gallery shows, artists panels and more. Certain events require tickets while others are free when you RSVP online.