Superior Mural Festival set for Sunday, Oct. 4

Note: The Superior mural designs have not been revealed. The images above are examples of previous projects by the participating artists.

New works from 14 artists will be unveiled at the event

By Steve Graham

The Boulder County town of Superior is about to get a lot more colorful.

Fourteen area artists will paint murals as part of the inaugural Superior Mural Festival. The event is on Sunday, October 4, and coincides with the Superior fall festival and the final summer market. 

“This is a great opportunity to see downtown Superior come alive with murals, live music, arts, engagement and arts vendors along with great food and fun,” said Mikaela Gregg, events and volunteers manager for the town of Superior.

She said the idea originated with Superior’s Cultural Arts and Public Spaces Advisory Committee.

“The community has been expressing interest in wanting more murals and more arts,” Gregg said. 

Street Wise Arts was an obvious partner for the event. The group has produced seven successful mural festivals and installed more than 170 murals in Boulder County. Gregg said the Superior event is an expanded festival designed specifically for the town. 

She said there are murals in some underpasses, but these new murals will be the first major installations in the town. 

“We look forward to working alongside the town to celebrate its unique character through world-class public art that neighbors can enjoy for years to come,” said Leah Brenner Clack, founder and executive director of Street Wise Arts. 

A call for artists drew 200 applications, which was narrowed to 14 muralists who will add their creations based on the theme of nature and regrowth. Gregg said the town is proud of its 630 acres of parks and open space, and 35 miles of trails.

The muralists include:

• Alexa Mae, a biracial multimedia artist from New Mexico with artwork on Second Dawn Brewery in Aurora and the RedLine Contemporary Art Center in Denver.

• Denver painter and muralist Chelsea Hart, who has created work at the Denver Art Museum, and public spaces from Grand Junction to Windsor.

• David Swartz, who painted elephants onto the Griffiths Center in Colorado Springs, bears onto Improper City in Denver and other colorful animals onto walls nationwide. 

• David Fratu (aka ILL.DES), a Romanian-American artist whose geometric designs color walls in Boulder and Fort Collins.

• “Cultural Surrealist” Juls Mendoza, whose Warren Village birds are a landmark on West Alameda Avenue in Denver.

• and acclaimed muralist and 3D chalk artist Naomi Haverland.

In addition to the live mural installation, the festival includes a panel discussion and exhibit by the selected artists, mural walking tours and art workshops.