Art on the Streets

tanjabrittonwriter 61 Comments

One of the obvious features of downtown Colorado Springs is its public art. Similar to other American communities, suburban spread in the 1970s and 1980s resulted in a lackluster city center. This dilemma was addressed in the early 1990s when the city council adopted an action plan that led to the formation in 1997 of what became the Downtown Colorado Springs Partnership with its goal to revitalize and beautify the town core for residents, visitors, and business owners alike.

Two years later, the Downtown Ventures arm of the organization introduced the first annual Art on the Streets initiative, thereby beginning what has become a highly appreciated and eagerly awaited homage to public art each summer. The program, now in its 25th year, “celebrates the power of art in public places while turning the streets of Downtown Colorado Springs into a yearlong outdoor sculpture gallery.”

Each year, artists interested in participating submit their proposals and a jury selects who gets to install their art. In the first year, 20 artist revealed 20 different sculptures. This year, 12 new works were selected from 70 proposals. What started with sculptures alone has meanwhile expanded to include murals and additional art forms.

The city purchases at least one of the annual entries and private individuals and businesses may choose to purchase others. Of the more than 300 artworks exhibited since the program’s inception, over 50 have become permanent. Add to these private and corporate art displays and it is easy to imagine how the heart of Colorado Springs has been transformed into the outdoor art gallery envisioned by the plan’s creators.

I admit to feeling disappointed when my all-time favorite, Artemis, the owl, fashioned from stained glass, fiberglass, and epoxy and on display from 2019-2020, was not purchased and flew again from its perch. I hope this year’s Snowy Owl will get to stay.

In the past, I have presented several murals created as part of the Art on the Streets program, but today’s post is dedicated to some of the sculptures that have captured my imagination. As always, I hope they will capture yours as well.

To enlarge a photo, click on it. To read its caption, hover cursor over it.

Bison americanus by Richard Jagoda, 1999
I have been dreaming to be a tree by Byeong Dee Moon, 2017
You, Light as a Cloud by Byeong Doo Moon, 2018
You, Light as a Cloud by Byeong Doo Moon, 2018
Artemis by Kasia Polkowska & Kyle Cunniff, 2019
Artemis by Kasia Polkowska & Kyle Cunniff, 2019
Mariacha Galaxy by Jeff Glode Wise, 2022
Mariacha Galaxy by Jeff Glode Wise, 2022
Snowy Owl by Stephen Landis, 2023
Snowy Owl by Stephen Landis, 2023
Bloom II by Kasia Polkowska, 2023
Casey the Terrific Tire Caterpillar by Kyle Cunniff, 2023

PS: I ‘m taking a break from blogging and wish all of you a pleasant September and October, if I’m not back by then.

61 thoughts on “Art on the Streets”

  1. It’s great to have this event to look forward to each year, although sad when – at the end of the season – you have to say goodbye to a personal favourite like Artemis. It’s a very inspiring initiative!

    Enjoy your break, Tanja. I hope you will be collecting more stories and photos to share with us when you get back to blogging again.

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  3. Casey really *is* terrific! Thanks for sharing these photos of beautiful art. Artemis is stunning! Can’t believe they let that beautiful creature go.. what were they thinking? Hope your break from blogging is refreshing, Tanja. All the best xx

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    • Thank you, Liz, I’m glad you enjoyed some of the displays. Casey is very popular, especially with children, as they are encouraged to climb or sit on her which not a lot of art installations do.
      I also appreciate the good wishes for my break.
      I hope you and Nigel will enjoy your springtime while we will revel in our autumn.
      Tanja

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  4. What a wonderful program in your city. I agree it’s great to have this event to look forward to, although bittersweet at the end of the season.

    Wishing you a good break and of course continued health and happiness.

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    • Thank you for your visit and comment, dear Takami. This is a fun annual event and I always enjoy walking around town to look for the new exhibits.
      I appreciate the good wishes and look forward to stepping away for a while and, I hope, to return with renewed enthusiasm.
      Take care,
      Tanja

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    • Thank you, Steve. The two owls are very different and while the Snowy Owls is very realistic, Artemis was rather more imaginative. I wish I could have bought her and let her live in our garden.
      I have visited and enjoyed the website of Artemis’s creators and like their creations very much.

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  10. Tanja – Love the Art on the Streets! Such fun sculptures. Your photos really did the artwork justice. Hope you have a wonderful break from blogging. Will look forward to new and interesting posts when you get back! -Jill

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    • Thank you, Pit. I think the people who came up with this idea really cared about the city and their vision has become reality.
      I hope you will finally get to enjoy some cooler temperatures and maybe even some rain. I’m keeping my fingers crossed for you.
      Best,
      Tanja

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      • We’re still hoping for the cooler temps. Today and tomorrow it’s going to be 104! 😒 Thanks for keeping your fingers crossed, though. From Wednesday on we’re supposed to have a cooler spell [lower 80s] and maybe even some rain.
        Have a great weekend,
        Pit

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  17. Somehow, I’ve developed a real love for caterpillars, and the one you’ve shown here is splendid! I do love urban art, at least if it’s as well done as what you’ve shown. The sculpture titled “You, Light as a Cloud” reminded me of the Alaskan Curlew sculpture on Galveston Island. If forced to choose one as a ‘favorite,’ I think that would be it.

    I was going to mention to you that Home Free, the group that the two opera-singers on my blog belong to, are on a European tour now (or soon), but in on December 7, guess where they’re going to be? Colorado Springs, at the Pike’s Peak Center for the Performing Arts. The full schedule is here. Given your extended break, it occurs to me that you might have a chance to hear them in Germany. They’re going to be performing in Berlin, Hamburg, Munich, and Cologne.

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    • Caterpillars are fantastic creatures, it’s always a treat to come across one and guess what kind of butterfly it will turn into.
      And it’s easy to see why the sculpture of the curlew on Galveston Island is your favorite, I still hope to lay my own eyes on it one of these days.
      Thank you for the additional information on Home Free. Travel plans are up in the air right now, but if we are in Colorado Springs in early December, attending a concert might be a holiday treat.

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  21. Die Kunstwerke sind wirklich alle faszinierend und jedes einzelne ist ein wunderbarer Blickfang. Mein Favorit ist aber auf jeden Fall die Schnee-Eule, denn ich liebe Eulen und die Schnee-Eule ist für mich eine der schönsten und geheimnisvollsten überhaupt.
    Liebe Tanja, ich wünsche dir einen schönen Nachmittag und bleib gesund!
    Grüße aus der Spätsommersonne…🌺
    von Rosie

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  22. I love public art. We have quite a lot of embellished walls in Vienna, thanks to street artists from around the world. I love many of the sculptures you are showing here.

    Enjoy your blogging break, and I look forward to when you’re back.

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