The art of storytelling takes on many forms, and one of Denver’s favorite mediums has long been the mural. As the city’s landscape expands and transforms, we are blessed to share more and more wall space with incredible artists.
While street art isn’t unique to Denver specifically, there are many curated events and festivals in Denver meant to celebrate and publicize the scope of work that quite literally paints our town. As the weather cools, it’s time to hit the pavement and take in all of the mural artwork Denver has to offer.
Colfax Canvas Mural Fest
Kicking off this month, Aurora celebrates their fifth Colfax Canvas Mural Fest with a block party on the 14th of September. The party recognizes that more than 30 large-scale and world-class murals cover buildings all over the Aurora Cultural Arts District, which includes new installments by ten artists on four additional buildings this year. The group of artists will work on the new murals from September 2-14, in the following locations:
• Mango House (10180 E. Colfax Ave.)
◦ Artists: ILL.DES, Anna Charney, A.L. Grime
• Scorpion Tax (1408 Del Mar Parkway)
◦ Artists: George F. Baker III, Isaac Lucero, Sofi Rami
• DIA Market (1408 Del Mar Parkway)
◦ Artists: Danielle SeeWalker, Cante Eagle Horse
• Vintage Theatre (1468 Dayton St)
◦ Artists: BiRD, Dreamscape
The block party on Saturday, September 14 will begin at 5:00 PM in Fletcher Plaza, bringing together the community with, not only art but also food from La Victoria Healing Kitchen, brews from Kombi Keg Front Range, music coordinated by Bruce Trujillo of Manos Sagrados, guided art tours with Art in Public Places, an artisan market and kid-friendly activities. For full details, visit Colfax Canvas.
Denver Walls
RiNo has long been hailed as a street art headquarters for Denver, and mural lovers will flock to the neighborhood in early October for the second Denver Walls festival. Founded by Ally Grimm, Denver Walls is bringing international attention to Denver as a leading destination for street art, while empowering local artists with opportunities to showcase their talents and fostering community engagement through interactive all-ages programming. This year’s festival features:
- International artists painting during DENVER WALLS:
- Artist duo TelmoMiel (Netherlands) paints intricately layered, thought-provoking murals of epic proportions
- Ledania (Colombia) is among the most recognized artists in the Latin American street art scene
- MurOne (Spain) has a whimsical Warhol style he describes as “an acid mixture of pop culture, graffiti, illustration, and graphic design.”
- Prominent NYC graffiti artists Persue and Wane One are collaborating on a mural and bringing their acclaimed ‘Wet Paint’ art show exploring the history of graffiti to RedLine in conjunction with the festival.
The Denver Walls Festival runs from October 3-5 in RiNo, and attendees won’t miss a piece using this interactive map of the latest installations.
Denver Walls operations manager, artist ILL.DES is set to unveil his debut solo exhibition, ‘BLOOM,’ which delves reflecting his evolution as an artist and is inspired by his parents’ needlepoint artwork and their Romanian heritage, on November 1 at 2440 Curtis Street. Based in Denver and Chicago, you can find ILL.DES’s other mural work here.
The Santa Fe Arts District is well-known for its First Fridays Art Walks, showcasing the neighborhood’s galleries and local businesses. But it’s also a great opportunity to take in the mural art of the beautiful historic buildings and alleyways. Santa Fe is one of the art districts to show off Pat Milbery’s three-piece “Love This City” mural installation. (Find the other installments in RiNo and the Golden Triangle Creative District).
Mural Project at the Denver Art Museum
In 2021, the Denver Art Museum put out a call to local artists to complete a mural project in the newly renovated Martin Building. The success of the Mural Project at the Denver Art Museum has spurred a second mural to be displayed this January 2025. DAM commissioned local painter Chelsea Hart to “create a new mural for the Sie Welcome Center entitled Denver Dreams…[following] a request for proposals process calling for submissions to create a large-scale mural telling a story of the Denver metro area,” says the DAM website.
Hart’s vision began with a “series of ‘Dream Boxes’ for Denverites to anonymously submit their dreams of the city.” She will use these shared dreams in the final mural design to “tell the story of our residents on a deep, creative, and inspirational level.” Denver residents can submit their dreams in various locations during the month of September. Visit the project page for dates and locations, and follow Hart’s work on Instagram at @chelseamhart. Hart’s upcoming installment follows the previous DAM Mural Project, “I Invent It, My Hands Draw a Cloud” by Emily Hope Dobkin and Olive Moya.
The great thing about mural art around our city is its constant, free access. If you can’t make it to a festival this fall, you don’t have to miss out on the art. With self-guiding resources like the RiNo Arts District map of every mural in the neighborhood and the city’s round-up of all the arts areas, you can take in the art at your own pace. If you want more guidance and insight, try a walking tour like the Denver Graffiti Tour.
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