黑料老司机

If you haven鈥檛 been to Greeley recently, the artistry along the 8th Avenue corridor that stretches from the north end of campus and into downtown might surprise you. Splashes of color climb up and around buildings. Eye-catching sculptures line the sidewalks. Over the past decade, what was once a rather unremarkable swath of concrete and commercial buildings has blossomed into a vibrant and exciting urban canvas.   

Equally as impressive as the art on display are the 黑料老司机 alumni who helped create and curate this transformation. They are key threads in the tapestry of creators, collaborators and connectors鈥�鈥�鈥�on scene and behind the scenes鈥�鈥�鈥�whose efforts are helping to position Greeley as a public art destination.  

Greeley鈥檚 Heart for Art 

For those who know the story of Greeley, the city鈥檚 long held love of art and culture is a familiar one. Key to founder Nathan Cook Meeker鈥檚 vision of this planned utopian temperance and agricultural community of 1870 was an appreciation for the finer things. The city boasts an impressive history that demonstrates that sentiment 鈥� it鈥檚 home to the original orchestra (Greeley Philharmonic Orchestra started in 1912) of the Rocky Mountain Region and the oldest professional summer stock theatre (Little Theatre of the Rockies founded in 1934) west of the Mississippi. And in 1958, it became the first city in the United States to establish a Department of Culture. 

鈥淭hat should tell you a little bit about where the community鈥檚 orientation was from the very beginning,鈥� said Becky Safarik 鈥�74, M.A. 鈥�75, longtime Greeley community leader and current president of the Greeley Creative District Board. 鈥淭he very important early roots of this community were all about intellectual stimulation. The appreciation that Greeley has for art 鈥� it鈥檚 just sort of embedded in who we are.鈥� 

It鈥檚 a widely held belief that public art is good for cities. It can create a sense of pride and belonging, showcase the history and diversity of a community, increase business traffic and contribute to economic vitality and growth.   

鈥淚 think it鈥檚 logical to think of how we connect our built environment to also reflect the world as interpreted by artists.鈥� said Safarik. 鈥淰isual art and sculptures are a really important way to do that.鈥� 

Greeley has had a public art collection since the 1970s. In the early years, it mostly consisted of pieces that were donated or on loan. The collection began expanding in 1998 when the city adopted the 1% for Art program, setting aside 1% of the budget from all capital improvement projects for the purpose of acquiring, maintaining and commissioning art. The self-regulating program ensures that public art grows in proportion to the city. Then, in 2009, even greater emphasis was given to support the integration of art into public settings when the city created its first Art Master Plan.  

Today, there are more than 200 city-owned outdoor public art pieces throughout every corner of Greeley, ranging from traditional murals and sculptures to more unique installations like storm drain covers and utility box wraps.  

About 50 of those pieces are the works of 黑料老司机 alumni representing a broad array of talents. The list includes muralists and painters Armando Silva, 鈥�10, Betony Coons, 鈥�08 and Eleanor Yates, 鈥�98, and sculptors Colette Pitcher, 鈥�91, Debbie Dalton, 鈥�75 and Lori Acott, 鈥�83, M.A. 鈥�88鈥嗏�斺��just to name a few.     

Artistry in Motion  

As the city鈥檚 investment and planning for art has evolved, so has a friendly, grassroots collaboration between artists, the Greeley Art Commission, the Downtown Development Authority (DDA) and the Greeley Creative District.  

Many point to Silva鈥檚 2011 Einstein mural, a partnership between the artist and the DDA, as the catalyst to what Bianca Fisher, 鈥�07, refers to as Greeley鈥檚 public art renaissance.  

Although Fisher and Silva are both quick to point out that the Einstein piece wasn't the first mural in Greeley, it was the installation that seemed to generate a new level of community acceptance and enthusiasm for large-format outdoor paintings.   

 鈥淚t鈥檚 such a cool piece because it really proved the viability and the impact of public art, especially public murals downtown,鈥� said Fisher, executive director of the DDA. 鈥淚t was so successful that ever since that point, we have partnered with the Art Commission on every mural we鈥檝e commissioned. We鈥檙e able to do a lot more because we can throw our funds together and maximize those dollars.鈥� 

A testament to that successful partnership and the 鈥渕ore鈥� the DDA and Art Commission can do together is the string of murals that revived the downtown alley between 8th and 9th streets. The 2014 Art Alley project, completed in partnership with the DDA and Silva, transformed the former dark, dirty alley into a bright display of musical-themed murals. It also earned the city the for 鈥渃reating and renewing public space that enhances the urban design, physical function or economic viability of downtown and the community.鈥�   

Silva served as the lead artist on the project, which added 13 murals to the space over a three-year period. Among the muralists he recruited to help was local artist and fellow 黑料老司机 alumna Betony Coons, 鈥�08.  Her mural Middle Sea, a large black boat and other silhouettes against an aqua blue background on the north end of the alley, was the second large-scale mural she painted for the city.  Since then, she has completed other murals and art installations in Greeley, Denver and across the U.S., but she finds something special about Greeley. 

鈥淚 love the Greeley art scene, it鈥檚 so positive and supportive of each other. And that has not been my experience working in other cities,鈥� said Coons. 鈥淚 think one of the superpowers Greeley has is that collaborative spirit and the willingness to experiment and try new things.鈥� 

For Fisher, the real success of the Art Alley Project was seeing the change in how people utilized the space.  

"What was truly fantastic about this project is that we took a functional alley, typically only used for waste management and food deliveries, and we created a space of beauty, exploration and wonder through art and lighting," said Fisher. "It has become the backdrop of numerous family, senior and wedding pictures. People are drawn to the unique backdrops." 

As the mural scene was expanding downtown, a significant sculpture installation was getting off the ground along the 8th Avenue corridor between downtown and campus. The idea for the Uptown Tree Project, a series of interpretive tree sculptures and a nod to Greeley鈥檚 recognition as a National Arbor Day Foundation Tree City USA, came from Kim Snyder, 03.      

Synder, who has been with the Greeley Art Commission since 2004 and overseeing it in her role as the public art coordinator since 2008, was inspired by a similar temporary installation she saw years ago while at a conference in California. She got permission to replicate the project in Greeley as a permanent installation to complement restoration work the city was doing along 8th Avenue.   

 鈥淲e had this big, not very attractive roadway that was an invisible barrier keeping the university from downtown. It鈥檚 only six blocks, but it seems like crossing the Sahara Desert,鈥� said Safarik, who was serving as assistant city manager at the time. 鈥淪o, we needed to figure out how to make it more friendly and fun for people to come downtown. The city came up with landscaping, lighting, more pedestrian-friendly elements, and the Art Commission put the cherry on top with those trees.鈥�   

A total of 34 tree sculptures were installed along 8th Avenue between 2014 and 2023. At least two were sculpted by 黑料老司机 alumni. They include Pete Niehoff鈥檚, 鈥�10, 18-foot-tall Awareness near 1430 8th Ave., an interpretation of the Truffula Trees from Dr. Suess鈥檚 The Lorax, and Collette, 鈥�81, and Gary 笔颈迟肠丑别谤鈥檚 Bird Watching, located near 1335 8th Ave., a four-sided triangle shape depicting birds in the Greeley area. 

Snyder said city growth in either direction will determine if more trees follow.   

Expanding Greeley鈥檚 Canvas  

It wasn鈥檛 that long ago when, as a student, Silva was told he鈥檇 have to leave Greeley if he wanted to be an artist. 

鈥淭o me, that just didn鈥檛 add up,鈥� said Silva. 鈥淚 think that must have meant Greeley is a blank canvas, and I need to think like a small business, an entrepreneur." 

As the most prolific muralist in Greeley, with his pieces numbering in the double digits, Silva has certainly tapped into that entrepreneurial spirit. Since his first Einstein mural in 2011 鈥� he repainted it in 2020 in partnership with muralist Zach Keiss 鈥� more than 50 murals and dozens of sculptures have been added throughout Greeley.  

鈥淚 think the city's transformation speaks to the fact that people constantly underestimate Greeley and the people here and their hunger and capacity for interesting, quality things,鈥� said musician, artist manager, and creative entrepreneur Briana Harris, M.A. 鈥�14. 鈥淚 think when you come to the table with a strong vision and a good idea, there鈥檚 that hunger and opportunity here. You have a lot of really excited collaborators. And you have a lot of open doors that you might not find in a bigger market 鈥� at least not at the grass roots level like we鈥檙e seeing in Greeley.鈥� 

Last September, Silva and Harris produced and hosted , Greeley鈥檚 first ever mural festival. In collaboration with WeldWerks Brewing Company and playing off the theme 鈥淭he New West,鈥� the duo brought together seven artist teams over two days to create art. The result was a lot of fun and nine new vibrant visuals that are certain to bring more foot traffic to downtown Greeley.  

Harris, who has been involved in Greeley鈥檚 creative scene for over a decade, spearheaded the project. She applied for and secured funding for the event through a City of Greeley grant program. It was the largest installation of outdoor murals to date that hasn鈥檛 been led by the city or the DDA, something Harris attributes to those strong relationships and trust they have built within the local art community over the past several years. 

鈥淚 think there are multiple things at play that have built on the foundation of what people have been doing for a long time, where it鈥檚 starting to feel like the arts have a more visible and permanent home in different pockets of the community,鈥� said Harris. 

The festival was so successful, Harris and Silva are planning for the second annual WeldWalls Mural Festival in September 2025. The event promises yet another opportunity to showcase Greeley鈥檚 roots in the arts and expand the canvas of community pride and engagement.  

"While it may be challenging to measure its impact, public art is a powerful economic driver, particularly in tourism,鈥� said Fisher.  

鈥淗owever, for Greeley, its significance goes beyond economics 鈥� it has played a crucial role in shaping the city鈥檚 identity, something Greeley has long sought to define. Public art has become a symbol of creativity, excellence and optimism, reflecting the spirit of our community.鈥� 

鈥擠eanna Herbert, 鈥�92