“Duct Work” — I-70 viaduct work — paints the underside of a concrete leviathan
Jesse Frazier paints with clouds of spray floating above him. (Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite)
The I-70 viaduct has been the center of an enormous amount of debate as activists fight a renovation project that’s set to widen the highway and lower it below street level. This story isn’t about the ongoing dispute over the air quality implications or the displacement the project will cause. It’s a story about bringing color to the viaduct’s grayscale.
Twenty Denver painters have descended beneath the highway to beautify it between Brighton Boulevard and York Street. “‘Duct Work” is a new collaboration between these storied Denver paint artists and a myriad of civic entities like the Denver Urban Arts Fund and the Front Range Mobility Group and development groups like the construction company Kiewit.
On Saturday, Oct. 1, artists will be completing their work while food, music and community activities grace the sidewalks beneath the highway.
Javon the Unique! paints a wall. (Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite)
A lady and her roses, by Detour. (Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite)
Javon the Unique! stands in front of a mural being painted by artist SURJ. (Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite)
Ariel Kiskiras (@ark_artiste on Instagram) and Javon the Unique! hang out on 46th Avenue beneath the highway. (Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite)
Gammagallery towers above 46th Ave. (Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite)
Artist Paige Madden leans against a found object as the glue behind it hardens on the wall. (Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite)
Artist Paige Madden leans against a found object as the glue behind it hardens on the wall. (Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite)
A mural painted by Gammagallery on a pillar of the viaduct. (Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite)
Gammagallery scales a massive ladder to complete one of many pillars in his sights for this project. (Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite)
Art surrounded by multimodal transportation. (Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite)
Dust filters through columns of light. (Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite)
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