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Art in Public Places – Celebrating 25 Years
Art on the Fossil Creek Trail
Sphere by Stephen Shachtman is inspired by its location near the historic site of the brick kilns and just southwest of the recreation bike trail and railroad track. The oversized sphere made from 903 brick-like pieces of flagstone plays off the scale of the site and the nearby tunnel, appearing to be the same size as the tunnel opening.
Art at Riverside And Mulberry
Mountain Openings, Colorado artist Robert Tully's sculptures located on the northeast corner of the intersection of Mulberry Street and Riverside Avenue is now illuminated.
It is made up of sculptures ranging from 20 to 6 feet. They can be found in groupings that start on the corner and continue north down Riverside and are inspired by sandstone cliffs in the valley where Highway 14 splits from 287. The sculptures include both man-made and natural elements, combining about 140 tons of local buff sandstone with metal accents. The piece is illuminated at night.
Landscaping will finish the design of the corner this spring.
Art at the Poudre River Whitewater Park
Whitewater by John Davis is inspired by water rapids and the associated whitewater that is created by the bubbles generated as water crashes against the rocks and boulders. It creates a connection between the overlook plaza and rapids below. The curving “wave” shapes of the structure mimic the waves of water in the rapids of the Cache la Poudre River below.
Art at Sugar Beet Park
Left: Park Planning & Development staff worked with Mario Miguel Echevarria and Earthscape, an award-winning playground company, to develop the iconic play structure for Sugar Beet Park. The structure was on display at the Fort Collins Museum of Discovery before being placed in the park. The sugar beet is a natural fit for the theme and location of the park at the intersection of Vine Drive and 9th Street, near the historic site of the Great Western Sugar Factory where sugar beets were processed.
Right: Conveyor by Mark Leichliter, which is part of the park's trellis, is based on a simplified and stylized sugar beet and capitalizes on the visual similarity of the trellis to the elevated conveyor belts used to transport the beets into the former factory
Art Under The Riverside Bridge
Artist Carolyn Braaksma worked with project team to design artwork for the Riverside Bridge project. The Riverside Bridge crosses Spring Creek near Edora Pool and Ice Center. Her design is for the wall surface beneath the Riverside Bridge along the Spring Creek Trail. The design was inspired by the site. The wall surface is textured and patterned to represent water and the different fish and water animals relevant to the creek near the bridge.
The graphic design of the animals has also been inspired by the sports and games played in the nearby fields. The chub minnows who swim in schools have a basketball net pattern on their bodies. Sunfish scales look almost like soccer ball patterns. The striped stickleback fish has a spine that looks like the cleats on football shoes.
Art at Twin Silo Park
Local artist Jill MacKay has expanded her earlier mosaic artwork at Twin Silo Park with FLOW: Above & Below. Her first mosaic, Wave Walk, highlights the creek play area and is in the sidewalk at either end of the bridge. It utilizes photo-luminescent stones, which glow at nighttime and take advantage of the darker natural surroundings of the creek.
For this Flow, the placement of a grouping of boulders near the bridge and the creek extend the Wave Walk project. Mirror mosaic on the surface of the boulders reflect the blue sky and clouds, which are the source for rain and snow (where most ground water begins). At the base of the boulders, photo-luminescent stones are embedded in cement representing water flows moving toward the creek, which speaks to where the water comes from and how it moves.
Pianos About Town
Pianos About Town is a collaborative effort between the Fort Collins Art in Public Places Program and community partners Bohemian Foundation and the Downtown Development Authority. This exciting project brings together visual art and music for the public to enjoy. We currently in our 8th season! For updates and to share your photos and videos of the pianos in action, please visit us on Facebook.
Help us care for the pianos! If you enjoy playing the pianos, help us protect them by closing the keyboard cover after each use and using the attached tarp to cover the piano in times of bad weather and overnight—Thank you!
