A massive new mural is taking over the back walls of downtown’s troubled Denver Pavilions complex, with work on the color-splashed project beginning this week.
Denver’s Downtown Development Authority is spending $300,000 for the two-part mural that will span the Pavilions’ southwest-facing walls along 15th Street, between Welton Street and Tremont Place. It’s designed by Denver artist Olive Moya and follows the removal of the existing vinyl banner that featured an image of artist Clyfford Still, which hung on one of the walls for several years.
The new mural is expected to be completed in early August, according to the , which for $37 million and earmarked another $8 million for capital improvements.
The mural is being paid for with revenues generated by Denver Pavilions operations, “including parking and commercial leases, reflecting the DDDA’s commitment to reinvesting in the property and strengthening downtown Denver,” according to a statement.
“We’re excited to collaborate on a project that brings a significant new work by a Denver-based artist to the heart of downtown,” said Michael Chavez, curator of public art partnerships for Denver Arts & Venues. “Public art creates memorable places and invites people to experience downtown in new ways. This mural will become a vibrant visual landmark that celebrates both the city’s creative community and the continued evolution of Denver Pavilions.”
The mural, which faces the side of downtown where the Colorado Convention and multiple hotels draw hundreds of thousands of visitors each year, will be the first visible sign of a major facelift at Denver Pavilions. The DDDA plans to spend about $3 million on capital improvements for the Pavilion’s parking garage, roof, and signs, including the mural along 15th Street, leaders said in May.
The Urban Land Institute earlier this year issued a report that the 28-year-old Pavilions is suffering a slow, painful death along Denver’s pedestrian thoroughfare of 16th Street. Retail and hospitality occupancy at the marquee shopping complex has steadily declined over the years and is not likely to return, hindering the recovery of the rest of Upper Downtown.
“I designed the Denver Pavilions mural to reflect the inevitability of change and the ongoing evolution of a city,” Moya said in a statement. “It’s a celebration of how places are continually shaped by the people and histories that came before them.”
The mural is being installed by Art in Context, which specializes in large-scale, site-specific public art projects, the DDDA said. “Working closely with Moya, the team will recreate the design using a traditional grid system before hand-painting the mural with brushes and rollers. A protective topcoat will then be applied to preserve the artwork’s vibrant colors for years to come.”
