Denver Urban Art Walls

I’m not sure exactly when Denver, Colorado became cool, but somehow, I believe the time has finally arrived! I’ve lived here for 18 years and yesterday was truly an eye-opener for me.

I spent the day with one of my besties “N” (and one of her friends “K”) at the 10th Annual Denver Crush Walls Festival in the RiNo arts district of the city. It’s essentially an Urban arts festival whereby artists come from all over and create some pretty amazing murals.     

Here is a little blurb about the festival:

CRUSH began its journey in RiNo 10 years ago and has certainly left its imprint on the community. RiNo (River North) Art District defines itself as a community “Where Art is Made” and CRUSH embodies this mantra celebrating the craft of graffiti and street artists who bring life to walls while maintaining the unique cultural identity in this rapidly evolving community.

Instead of using walls to divide, CRUSH uses walls to unite!

I LOVE street art – ever since the documentary about Banksy came out called “Exit Through the Gift Shop”, I’ve been a huge fan. No matter where I am, I search for it!!

This particular arts initiative has essentially transformed this part of town. Historically, it was pretty seedy and not a place to find anything other then nefarious activities! You can now discover some pretty cool stuff in the nooks and crannies of the alleys and on the sides of old and new buildings.

There are tons of great restaurants and breweries in this area as well, so you can make a fun day/night of it. Even without the Crush festival, the murals are everywhere.

Thought I would share some of the favorite images from the day. What I found interesting is that all three of us picked a different favorite! What’s your favorite??