Art in Public Places

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.

Colorado artist Mario Miguel Echevarria worked with the City of Fort Collins Art in Public Places
Program and Natural Areas Department to replace the McMurry Bridge railing with a design that reflects the surrounding area.

The bridge is over the Poudre River adjacent to the McMurry Natural Area.

With the Avery Park Project Team, artist Lisa Cameron Russell created a design to add a compelling art focal point that ties together the Avery Park theme and accents the architectural elements of the restroom. Lisa has used the imagery of Franklin Avery’s 1872 “New Town” plat.

Colorado artist Mario Miguel Echevarria worked with the Foothills Activity Center project team to create a mural in the gym to support and encourage young athletes, amplify the excitement associated with physical activity and personal accomplishment, and offer youth visual reminders of what is possible if they practice hard.

Local artist Jill MacKay worked with the Twin Silo Park Project Team to develop a concept for art highlighting its natural water feature of the creek. The mosaic, Wave Walk, takes advantage of a dark location in the park so that the photo-luminescent stones can glow and be enjoyed at nighttime.

Fort Collins artist Tim Upham worked with the Twin Silo Park Project Team to develop a concept for art at the site of the park. The artwork, entitled Harvest Sky is designed to complement the theme of  the adjacent Harvest Room space and fruiting orchard. The artwork is integrated into the top of the orchard arbor, adjacent to the Harvest Room.

As part of the City of Fort Collins Art in Public Places program, Fort Collins artist Joe McGrane has designed a public art project for the west side of the new restroom located at Oak Street and the Montezuma Fuller Alley.

The artwork, Alley Views, is designed to provide interest and identity to the restroom
façade and add a playful art element to the new alley landscape. It consists of a 5-foot diameter radiating tile mosaic with five convex mirrors framed by a brick band. Reflected images change relative to the position of the viewer and radius of mirrors.

Gravity Course is an interactive public artwork by local artist Joe McGrane in collaboration with the City of Fort Collins Utilities Department, Webber Middle School faculty, and City of Fort Collins Art in Public Places. The artwork reinforces and complements a new interpretive trail and sign system developed by Webber Middle School students that’s peaks to the storm drainage and water quality functions of the opens space. Gravity Course, located in Dragonfly’s Lair on Wakerobin Lane east of Regency Drive, will serve as an overlook, amphitheater and gateway to the new interpretive walkway.

Fort Collins artist Mark Leichliter developed art for Lincoln Avenue between the Poudre bridge and Lemay Avenue. The artworks are integrated into the design of the corridor and are located throughout the project. The artwork is intended to accentuate the corridor and provide wayfinding elements. Each location along the corridor includes a large sculptural monolith, accompanied by combinations of bike racks and bollards.

Artist Ren Burke created a mural for the roundabout inside the Walk and Wheels Skills Hub. It is located in the Summitview Church North Parking Lot at Drake and Dunbar near the Ross Natural Area south of Rolland Moore Park. The Hub is a community bicycling and walking skills course designed to help people of all ages feel comfortable navigating Fort Collins on two wheels and on foot.  

Fort Collins Artists Todd Kundla and Teddi Parker collaborated to create art for the Downtown Trash Enclosure in the Oak and Remington Parking Lot. Todd Kundla has created a sculpture using recycled fencing on three sides of the structure and Teddi Parker has painted a related mural on the remaining side. The artists are using imagery of a phoenix to symbolize the rebirth of materials through recycling—a reference to the purpose of the enclosure.

Colorado artist Robert Tully has created seven woven nest-like stainless steel sculptures for the medians west and east of the College and Prospect intersection. To complement the median sculptures and as part of the Art in Public Places program, Robert Tully installed three kinetic sculptures that are mounted on the light poles on the south side of the street -- two heading west and one heading east from the intersection. In each, 15 human figures pivot separately like weather vanes depending on the wind direction.

Two Fort Collins artists Todd Kundla and Tim Upham designed this artwork adjacent to the silos near the intersection of Timberline and Prospect Roads. Cascading from the top of one of the remaining three historic silos, this sculpture entitled Ringfall serve as a monument to the two historic silos that once stood on this site.  The 50 foot tall sculptural piece will serve as a monument to the two historic silos that once stood on this site. The public can view the original two silos from this site this fall at the new Twin Silo Park in southeast Fort Collins, which was named in their honor.

Local artist Jill MacKay has created a mirror and natural river rock mosaic on the northeast side of the Mulberry Bridge along the Poudre River Trail. The river itself is the inspiration for this project.

With the use of flowing reflective mirror mosaic waveforms, the design mimics the reflective surface qualities of water. The natural river rock lends strong contrast and further mimics the look and feel of the river. Artist Jill MacKay also created the stone mosaic found in the rain garden on Remington Street between the CSU Trail Gardens and the University Center for the Arts.

Denver artist Barbara Baer has installed two sculptures in the newly remodeled Edora Pool and Ice Center (EPIC) lobby. Suspended from the lobby ceiling, the sculptural shapes act like a mobile, gently moving in the space with the air currents.

The artwork is inspired by the uses of the building, Ice and Water. The sculptures’ colored panels are inspired by ice crystals formed on a window pane (placed on the north side of the lobby) and by a tumbling mountain stream (placed on the south side of the lobby). The artworks will act as wayfinding elements. Enter on the south side with the water ripples painted across the transparent panels, and you will be heading towards the pool area of the building. Enter on the north side of the lobby with the ice crystals, and you’ll be heading in the direction of the ice rinks.

Pianos About Town is a collaborative effort between the Fort Collins Art in Public Places Program and community partners Bohemian Foundation and the Downtown Develoment Authority. This exciting project brings together visual art and music for the public to enjoy. We currently in our 7th 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!