After seeing the success of murals on city facilities, the City of Englewood is expanding its search for public art to local businesses and properties.Lucia Magnuson, Englewood’s web and digital content strategist, said the program is designed to identify and select local businesses in the city that would be ideal locations for large-scale murals.“The goal is to expand public art across the city, support local artists and enhance the character of our neighborhoods with vibrant, creative spaces,” Magnuson said....
After seeing the success of murals on city facilities, the City of Englewood is expanding its search for public art to local businesses and properties.
Lucia Magnuson, Englewood’s web and digital content strategist, said the program is designed to identify and select local businesses in the city that would be ideal locations for large-scale murals.
“The goal is to expand public art across the city, support local artists and enhance the character of our neighborhoods with vibrant, creative spaces,” Magnuson said. “By making it easier for businesses to participate, we’re creating more opportunities for mural projects and strengthening Englewood’s public art scene.”
The idea for the program came about after the city saw the success and positive response from the community in regards to some of its other public art projects, including murals from the yearly Murals & Mason Jars event.
“Public art brings people together and helps shape a city’s identity, so we created a system to connect property owners with artists and make the process easier,” Magnuson said. “This program also gives the Engewood Cultural Arts Commission a way to collaborate more with the artist community and engage residents in the mural selection process.”
Magnuson said the city is now inviting local businesses owners to express interest in hosting a mural.
“If you have a building with an exterior wall that could be a great canvas, submit your information to the mural location list,” Magnuson said. “Your property will be added to an internal directory, which the Cultural Arts Commission will use to help plan and prioritize future mural projects.”
The Englewood Cultural Arts Commission oversees the initiative, which is funded through the city’s Art in Public Places program which was established in 1998 and it allocates one percent of the city’s Capital Improvement Budget. The funds are deposited in an Art in Public Places reserve account to be used for acquiring, maintaining and commissioning art.
“Murals do more than just brighten up walls – they create a sense of place, celebrate local culture and make public spaces more welcoming,” Magnuson said. “They also provide valuable opportunities for artists and help attract foot traffic to businesses. By expanding murals citywide, we’re fostering creativity and strengthening Englewood’s identity as a hub for public art.”
Going forward, Magnuson said the city hopes to see murals in all parts of the city to fulfill its long-term vision of creating a thriving mural program for local artists that engages the community.
For those interested in submitting their information to the mural location list visit //bit.ly/mural-location-list.
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Originally from Oklahoma, Elisabeth Slay has been a reporter for the last 11 years. During that time she's worked for various publications across Oklahoma, Kansas and Colorado covering local news. She...