Developer Susan Powers is taking an offbeat approach to combating the graffiti that was plaguing her condo development in Denver’s Highland neighborhood.
Powers hired artists Sean Lynch and Zak Fullerton to paint a mural on the temporary covered walkway surrounding the Highland Bridge Lofts now under construction.
“We were getting tagged fairly regularly, just like every other walkway in town,” she said.
Because the city requires businesses to remove graffiti within 48 hours, Powers said she was paying $100 to repaint every time the white walkway was tagged. She paid the artists $2,000 for the mural, which will be up for about a year.
“I thought it was going to get tagged every night and when I came back in the morning I’d have to redo stuff,” Lynch said.
So far, that hasn’t happened.
Lynch spent about three weeks painting the bridges. One side of the building features headless bodies of serpents and mermaids that passers-by can stand behind to complete the image.
“One of the funniest things is that people would walk by and ask, ‘Why are you painting a bunch of headless pictures?’ “ Lynch said. “Adults just didn’t catch on. Kids … just run right over and stick their head on.”
Margaret Jackson: 303-954-1473 or mjackson@denverpost.com
