Art in Public Places

Local artist Stephen Shachtman worked with the project team to develop this artwork for the Fossil Creek Trail.

Near the historic site of the brick kilns and just southwest of the recreation bike trail and railroad track, is site of Fossil Creek Sphere, a large flagstone sculpture by Stephen Shachtman. Mr. Shachtman’s sphere draws from the color palette of the Natural Area as well as the historical site. The over-sized sphere plays off the scale of the site and the nearby tunnel, appearing to be the same size as the tunnel opening. The sphere is of flagstone quarried from the nearby site of Arkins Park.

The Fossil Creek Trail area is not only home to a wide variety of native flora and fauna but was also once home to a brick factory from 1902 to 1952. Historical evidence found at the site, in what is now the Redtail Grove Natural Area, includes remnants of bricks and buildings, bases of the tram that carried the brick clay, and a kiln.

Mr. Shachtman will fabricate Fossil Creek Sphere out of 903 brick-like pieces of flagstone, creating a stacked 8 ft. diameter sphere at this site. Visitors to the site will be able to search the sculpture to find a historic brick, paying homage to the history of the site.

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 artist
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.

Fort Collins artist Tim Upham has installed Horsetooth Towers on both sides of the bridge on the west side of the College and Horsetooth intersection. Tim worked with the Project Team to develop light towers created from stainless steel frames and river rock gabion bases that act as beacons on the Canal Bridge on Horsetooth Road. These vertical elements bookend and accent the railing design that alludes to Horsetooth Rock. The upper portion of towers create a puzzle pattern with buff and dark red sandstone while other sections are translucent with polycarbonate and crushed glass.

The image shows one of the towers being installed on the bridge.

Have you seen a crane at Riverside and Mulberry lately? How about the rock sculptures that are beginning to dot the site? Artist Robert Tully has been installing his Mulberry Gateway project. The sculptures are intended to serve as a gateway to Fort Collins. The artwork is a series of sandstone sculptures with colored-metal accents, that will be illuminated for a nighttime presence. Mulberry Street (State Highway 14) is part of the Scenic Byway leading up the Poudre Canyon. While continuing the theme of the stone used on the Mulberry Bridge, the sculptures are also inspired by the prominent buff sandstone cliffs where Highway 14 splits from Highway 287. Once the sculptures are installed, landscaping will finish the design of the corner.

Local artist Jill MacKay is working with the Project Team to expand her earlier mosaic artwork at Twin Silo Park. 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 phase, 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.

The installation is on hold for the winter. It will be completed in the spring.

An image of the photo-luminescent stones glowing at night.

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!