In celebration of Go Skate Day, the Downtown Denver Skatepark will unveil new murals and offer free skate lessons for beginners this Wednesday.
The free drop-in lessons will take place at the Denver Skatepark (2205 19th St.) from 8-11 a.m. Worry not about equipment: Denver Parks and Rec and community partners will have skateboards and helmets you can borrow.
19th Street, between Little Raven and Platte Street, will be closed starting at 8 a.m.
If you can't attend the lessons, a community celebration is planned at 4 p.m. and visitors will be able to check out two new murals by artists Jeremy "Jolt" Ulibarri and Chris Haven, which are expected to remain on display for the next three to five years.
The Guerilla Garden artist Ulibarri's mural is located on the central planter walls and describes his work as a reflection of Denver Skatepark's legacy.
"Some elements of this piece may not be understood by the spectator, that is intentional," Ulibarri said. "The colloquialism and parlance to DPark can only be fully understood with embrace. There isn't any other public space in the City of Denver, let alone the world, such as Denver's Skate Park and its community."
Haven's work draws on the connection between art, skateboard and graffiti culture.
"I have chosen to use aerosol paint to create my murals as an ode to graffiti culture. I have created 3D pieces out of objects in the park to add a visual detail of perspective and depth while applying color to the landscape," Haven said. "This mural means a lot to me as it will represent people we have lost in the skate community. It will also represent people who are or were a big influence to skateboarding in Denver."
