Art in Public Places

If you are interested in painting a piano as part of Pianos About Town in 2019, come to our informational sessions to learn more about the process:

Session I: Presentation and Q&A
Jan. 10, 6:30-7:30 p.m.
Music District, 639 S College Ave, Fort Collins

This session will include a presentation at 6:30 p.m. about the application and review process. Handouts will be provided, and program staff will be available to answer questions during the rest of the session.

Session II: Open House and Application Review
Jan. 24, 4:30-6:30 p.m.
Carnegie Center for Creativity, 200 Matthews St., Fort Collins

At this drop-in session, staff will be available to sit with applicants one-on-one to review applications and make application recommendations. Staff also will be available to provide general information for applicants who were unable to attend the first information session. Information about other artist opportunities offered by the City of Fort Collins will be available.

More information about the call can be found at fcgov.com/artspublic/current-competitions.php

Fort Collins artist Tim Upham will be installing 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!