Art on the Streets 2024

tanjabrittonwriter 76 Comments

One of the immediately 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 26thyear, “celebrates the power of art in public places while turning the streets of Downtown Colorado Springs into a yearlong outdoor sculpture gallery.”

Each year, interested artists 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, 13 new works were selected from 100 applications. What started with sculptures alone has meanwhile expanded to include murals and additional art forms, and this year downtown was adorned with six murals and seven sculptures.

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.

It so happens that this year’s Art on the Streets program includes two butterfly entries which inspired me to follow last week’s Beauteous Butterflies with their artistic counterparts, plus their fellow creations. I have not included details about each design but here is a link if you desire more. If you happen to live or visit in the area, you can also scan a QR code which will take you to a map showing the location of the works of art. They are numbered 1-13 and I have presented them in the order they are listed on the map.

Thank you for joining me for the latest iteration of Art on the Streets.

1: “Lepidoptera” by Kasia Polkowska

2: “Kissing Camels” by Naomi Haverland. This is a playful rendition of a (the most?) famous rock formation at Garden of the Gods with the same name (https://gardenofthegodscolorado.com/kissing-camels-garden-of-the-gods/)

3: “Aloft” by Jacob Burmood. This piece started out as draped fabric which was transformed into metal through the foundry process.

4: “Colorado Butterflies” by Ian Stewart

Detail of the center of “Colorado Butterflies.”

5: “Space Cowboy” by Dominique Montaño

6: “Sun Kissed” a collaboration between Pikes Peak Region Poet Laureate, Ashley Cornelius, and visual artist, Jasmine Holmes

Detail of “Sun Kissed,” with the following text: We are the City kissed by the Sun–We are an affirmation of our ancestors and a declaration of hope for future generations– Colorado Springs unites and tends the fire in us–To Live Authentically

Detail of “Sun Kissed,” with the following text: There is Tesla coil electricity in the air–We are charged particles crackling with pride and passion–As we power this city–The unrelenting spirit of creativity dances–With the authenticity of humanity–May we never lose our magic

7: “Air Garden II” by Steven Buduo

8: “Seeds in the Wind” by Jodie Bliss. I was touched by the artist’s thoughts about her creation: “Seeds in the Wind” is the ninth piece in a nine-part series titled “A Journey of Growth and Transformation,” which follows the growth of a seedpod from a little bundle full of limitless possibility through the journey of accepting the calling, taking the leap, experiencing a fall (or many falls), stepping into forward motion, budding with gratitude, blossoming, and finally into spreading her own seeds to the wind so that they might land where they may, and begin their own unique journeys.

9: “Heart Centered” by Kerry Cesen

10: “Tuono” by Collin Parson and Jodie Roth Cooper. A boarded up building and Pikes Peak are visible to the west.

11: “Chroma Cascade” by Patrick Shearn, installed in AdAmAn Alley

12: “A Delicate Balance” by Paul Reimer

13: “Hope Always Floats” by Juan Morales. The artist seeks to evoke a sense of hope and inspiration, utilizing the timeless symbolism of the origami crane suspended gracefully over ethereal clouds.

🐪🐫🐪🐫🐪🐫🐪🐫🐪🐫🐪🐫🐪

Please let me know if you have a favorite creation. Thank you!

76 thoughts on “Art on the Streets 2024”

  3. Kudos to the City Council for laying the seeds of this festival of public art, and to the Partnership for nurturing them – such an inspiring, feelgood initiative.

    My favourites are “Colorado Butterflies” (I love butterflies, and the two red admirals – if that’s how they’re known in the US – wouldn’t be out of place in my own back garden), “Seeds in the Wind” (real food for thought here…I just wish I’d also seen the other 8 in the series) and “Tuono” (it’s a startling, uncompromising piece that says to me “You might think I don’t belong, but I am what I am, and I am where I am. Live with it!”).

    Thank you for sharing, Tanja. the world would be a much duller place without public art.

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    • Thank you for sharing your thoughts, Mr. P. The admirable red admirals have the same name in the UK and US and I only wish I would see them more often.

      I feel the same way as you about “Seeds in the Wind.” I tried to find the other 8 pieces online but had no success. Wouldn’t it be lovely to seem all of them displayed next to one another?

      I’m grateful for this program and look forward to the new installations each year.

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  4. Wonderful art and what a great idea to create an annual show that has brought a following. I like ‘A Delicate Balance’ but I really like “Colorado Butterflies” with the pupae of each butterfly in the background.

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  6. What a beautiful initiative of your city! All af these artworks are masterpieces, but the one that speaks the most to me, is definitely the „A Delicate Balance“, followed by the „Colorado Butterflies“ and on the third place I will put „The kissing camels“.
    I wish more cities would have such actions!
    Kindest regards,
    Christa

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  9. Thanks for sharing these Tanja. I think my favourite piece is “Seeds in the Wind” but “A delicate Balance” is a close second. I like what both of these works are saying and at the same time they are visually intriguing.

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  10. We visited Garden of the Gods in 2017 but I don’t recall seeing the kissing camels. Maybe they’d had a spat that day.

    Jodie Bliss seems an appropriate name for the creator of artworks extolling seeds in the wind. As many plants as I’ve seen releasing seeds, it never occurred to me to personify any in the way her sculpture does.

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    • I had the same thought about the name of the creator of “Seeds in the Wind.” I love her idea and only wish I could see all nine sculptures in her series next to one another.

      One doesn’t need to know about the Kissing Camels in order to appreciate Garden of the Gods, but many people like to hunt for the various rock formations people have given names to through the years.

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  12. I like the “Kissing Camels” (both the rock formations and the mural) as they familiarize me with Colorado Springs. I’ve always had a soft spot for street murals as for me they’re a reminder of how ephemeral art is (in the contemporary sense).

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  13. The “Seeds in the Wind”, Tanja, Hope Floats, and the quote from Sun-kissed! All of these are exquisite! The Space Cowboy. There are SO MANY amazing and gifted humans in our world. Thank you for sharing. I wish I had been there to see them with you! 🤍 I love the Garden of The Gods and and the Kissing Camels, too!

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  16. My favorites are the Kissing Camels and “Aloft.” I see so many things in “Aloft” — the bottom portion looks like an art deco flower, the curve of the upper portion reminds me of a dolphin leaping, and on the right, I see a female form emerging from the sculpture. Great fun!

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    • Thank you, Linda. You saw a lot in that sculpture, more than I did. But after reading your descriptions, I was able to relate to your impressions. What impressed me most about “Aloft” was that it started out as a piece of fabric. What a wonderful transformation!

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  17. Verbindlichen Dank, liebe Tanja, für die Präsentation dieser sehenswerten künstlerischen Ausdrucksvielfalt!
    Mir gefällt die Feder von Paul Reimer besonders gut.
    Die Kombination von Metall, das man eher mit Schwere und Gewicht assoziiert, und das luftig Schwebende der Konstruktion, ist absolut faszinierend.
    Konntest Du sehen, wie die Feder befestigt ist?
    Herzlich grüßt
    Ulrike

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    • Liebe Ulrike,

      es freut mich, daß Dich einige der Kunstwerke angesprochen haben. Du hast genau das über die Feder gesagt, was auch der Künstler ausgedrückt hat! Leider habe ich nicht darauf geachtet, wie sie befestigt ist, doch das hole ich demnächst nach und sage Dir dann Bescheid!

      Dir ein angenehmes Wochenende,

      Tanja

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      • Dann, liebe Tanja, warte ich gerne auf das Ergebnis Deiner Nachforschungen.
        Danke für die Wünsche für ein angenehmes Wochenende. Ich habe das ganze Wochenende Museumsdienst, aber das mache ich mit Vergnügen und habe dabei stets schöne zwischenmenschliche Begegnungen.
        Herzensgruß von mir zu Dir

        Liked by 1 person

    • Liebe Ulrike,

      gestern kam ich endlich dazu, mir die Federskulptur noch einmal anzuschauen. Sie ist auf der Rück- bzw. Unterseite an einen Metallpfosten gelötet, der in der Erde vergraben ist. Ich kann mir vorstellen, daß der Pfosten eingemauert ist, doch konnte ich das nicht eruieren, weil er von Pflanzen umgeben ist und die Erde dort mit Rindenmulch bedeckt ist.

      Ich wünsche Dir eine gute neue Woche.

      Herzliche Grüße,

      Tanja

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    • Liebe Ulrike,

      hier endlich die Antwort auf Deine Frage (ich habe schon vor einigen Wochen nachgeschaut, vergaß danach aber, Dir zu schreiben).

      Wie es aussieht, ist die Feder an einem Metallpfosten festgelötet, der in der Erde steckt. Ich denke mir, daß der Pfosten einbetoniert wurde, denn sonst könnte er entfernt und die Feder geklaut werden. Weil aber alles mit Erde und Mulch bedeckt war, konnte ich die unterirdische Konstruktion nicht untersuchen. Wenn ich angefangen hätte, zu buddeln, hätte bestimmt jemand einen Einwand gehabt. 😊

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  18. More cities should adopt a similar plan. Ours started a few years ago to add sculptures of swans (the city is known as the “Swan City”) and has now expanded the effort to murals.

    Love those butterflies.

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  19. The transformation of downtown Colorado Springs through public art is truly inspiring! The Art on the Streets initiative sounds like a fantastic way to celebrate creativity and community. With this year’s inclusion of butterfly sculptures, I’m curious, what are some of your favorite pieces from past Art on the Streets exhibitions, and what impact do you think this initiative has had on the local community over the years?

    Liked by 2 people

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  22. One thing about the murals that brighten up our towns and cities these days is how the objects on the art work stand out as if they were three-dimensional. Great colourful post, Tanja

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  23. Gosh, what an uplifting post. I wish there was more of this in the UK. It seems to be a little bit of an underground movement at the moment, but is slowly catching on. Favourite – Heart Centred, not so much for the actual artwork, but the message. Thanks for an interesting read 😀

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  26. I always enjoy your art posts, Tanja. And today, what’s not to love about butterflies? Even so, my very favorite piece is Tuona. Whew, that striking work against that amazing mountain, and then the seemingly tiny buildings , as well. Really mixes me up! I looked up “tuono” and got “the apache word for thunder” Yes?
    It would certainly seem to match the artwork.
    Cheers,
    Julie

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    • Thank you for your comment, Julie, I’m glad you enjoyed this year’s art exhibit.

      You are the first to like “Tuono” best, and you are right about the thunder reference. Here is the artists’ statement about their piece:

      “Tuono, a collaborative sculpture born from the artistic synergy between Jodie and Collin, transcends traditional boundaries to create a dynamic dialogue among form, space, and perception. This innovative fusion of their unique perspectives converges in a harmonious blend of materials, concepts, and craftsmanship.

      Drawing inspiration from the elemental force of thunder, Tuono captures the raw energy and unbridled power of nature.

      Through the interplay of light and shadow, Tuono invites viewers to explore the intricate layers of meaning embedded within its form. The artists’ collaborative spirit breathes life into the sculpture, allowing it to become a living, evolving entity that resonates with the shared vision of Cooper and Parson.”

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  27. I wish our nearby metropolis would invest more in beautifying the area. They have added some sculptures in the downtown area which are nice, but the colors these murals bring would be fantastic. Note, they did pay to have controllable/changeable lights installed on the main bridge over the water and then forgot to account for the cost of maintenance and now can’t even replace the burned out lights…and they wonder why the ruralites laugh at them. I like the pooch in the space suit!

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    • I also like sculptures but love murals. When done and placed well, they enhance every space.
      Sorry to hear about the problems with the lights on your nearby bridge. Some projects sound good on paper but don’t translate well into reality, or reality interferes with the ideal.

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