EXPERIENCE DOWNTOWN ART
Experiencing Fort Collins’ natural beauty is a no-brainer. You only need to step outside and take a look around on any given day to witness spectacular scenery and exquisite vistas. But in Downtown Fort Collins, this outdoor splendor has been enhanced, mirrored, honored and interpreted by the arts and craftsmanship of some tremendously talented human beings, many of whom call Fort Collins their home. Fort Collins is not just a college town, or a mountain town, it’s an art town! Take some time to appreciate the artistic endeavors that contribute to the unique culture of Downtown Fort Collins:
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First Friday featuring Gallery Walk
Take a gander at the galleries downtown with a vibrant visual arts visit on the First Friday of each month! Not wanting Fort Collins to be perceived as a “second-class arts community,” Marcy Oliver, owner of Old Town Art and Framery, founded the First Friday Gallery Walk in 1997. On the first Friday of each month, from 6 p.m. – 9 p.m., many Fort Collins art galleries and museums invite you stroll downtown for a self-guided gallery tour. These galleries are open all year round and welcome you visiting! Galleries offer changing exhibits, so there is something new to see every month! |
 For participating galleries and a map, please see:
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Art in Old Town
Art abounds in the heart of Downtown Fort Collins! Sculptures, mosaics, murals and more are all just steps from the city center, Old Town Square.
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Art in the Alleys - Transformer
Cabinet Mural Project
The road less traveled never looked so good – thanks to the innovative Art in the Alleys project.
In part to combat a growing graffiti problem, Fort Collins Utilities and the City of Fort Collins have collaborated to further develop the Art in Public Places program to include Art in the Alleys. This creative, ever-evolving public arts program seeks local artists to beautify unexpected places around the city, including electrical transformer cabinets that are so often targets for graffiti. |
  Artists have participated in this art initiative for several years - see all of the details on this project and other Art in Public Places projects from around the community. Art in Public Places |
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To learn more about Fort Collins’ efforts to combat graffiti and beautify the downtown area, read Stacy Nick’s article “Tag! You’re Art!” from the Fort Collins Coloradoan. Take a self-guided Fort Collins Art in the Alleys tour! For Transformer Cabinet Murals map, click here. |
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Pedestrian Paver Project
Take a walk on a work of art! The Pedestrian Paver project lays the groundwork for a gorgeous sidewalk stroll through Fort Collins. In addition to more than 50 public art projects already commissioned, the Art in Public Places Program is also collaborating with the City of Fort Collins Engineering Department to incorporate art into pedestrian pathways. The Engineering Department works to provide safe pedestrian access by creating new routes as well as improving existing ones. For the Pedestrian Paver Project, local youth are asked to submit designs depicting transportation methods or life in Fort Collins.
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 Selected designs are sandblasted into granite pavers and placed in sidewalks throughout the city. Peruse the Pedestrian Pavers in Fort Collins! |
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Pianos About Town
Pianos About Town is a collaborative project between Bohemian Foundation, the Downtown Development Authority, and the City of Fort Collins’ Art in Public Places Program. Multiple pianos, painted by local artists, are placed throughout Old Town Square and Downtown. Pianos About Town is intended to be a fun experience that creates an additional element of whimsy and surprise to Old Town Fort Collins. The pianos are placed in familiar areas of Old Town, the impromptu nature of the project will add the color of music to enliven these areas this holiday. |
 Check out other people’s experiences and share your own at www.facebook.com/pianosabouttown |
Other Fort Collins Art Resources:
Fort Collins Downtown Business Association
19 Old Town Square, Suite #230, Fort Collins, CO 80524 Phone: 970.484.6500
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