It will take about 200 gallons of paint made specifically for street surfaces, but once it's completed along the strip of Bannock Street between Colfax and 14th avenues, "Interwoven" will be Denver's largest street mural.
Work on the mural, by artists Pat Milbery and Andre Rodriguez of the So-Gnar Creative Division, started on Wednesday. A release from the city's Department of Transportation and Infrastructure said the colorful artwork is part of the city's attempt to close the section of Bannock Street to cars and open it to pedestrians and events.
The stretch closed earlier this year after two cars jumped the curb onto the plaza.
The $20,000 mural, paid for by DOTI and the city's parks department, will stretch 430 feet and seek to "evoke feelings of comfort and harmony."
"We are extremely excited to watch this mural unfold, particularly at this time when our city is dealing with COVID-19," Mayor Michael Hancock said in a statement. "The artwork will lift our spirits, remind us to celebrate life and maintain hope in a healthy future that allows us to physically come together as a community again."
The mural will include six different elements, including a pinwheel centerpiece showcasing the colors of Colorado sunsets and carpet pastels representing the Native cultures.
"With a pinwheel and sundial design at the center of the mural and its focal point, we create an energy of positive rotation to transition us out of these uncertain times," Milbery said in the release.
The project's next phase will start this summer. The release said the mural should take two weeks to complete, weather permitting. The city is holding off on installing things like trees, tables and chairs until social gatherings are deemed safe again.
