Artwork appears in downtown Glenwood Springs

GLENWOOD SPRINGS, Colorado — A giant man made out of metal. Curved pieces of bronze surrounding a multi-colored disk. A tall bronze spike topped by a turquoise chunk of glass. These sculptures, and more, can all be found on the streets of downtown Glenwood.

Seven new sculptures have cropped up downtown this summer. But their appearance is not a chance occurrence. Rather, it is the result of substantial planning and collaboration between members of the Glenwood Springs Center for the Arts and the Glenwood Chamber.

“Three years ago, we received a grant from the tourism board to create the 2 Rivers Art Project Committee,” says Gayle Mortell, arts center director and committee member. The group met with one goal in mind: public art.

In the project, artists' work is selected to be displayed for one year in Glenwood Springs. After a year, one piece is purchased by the city to become a permanent downtown fixture. Other pieces are returned to their artists, replaced by new works.

This year marks the second for the project. However, some citizens may have noticed that last year's distinctive pieces, like the cube in front of the fire station and the bull underneath the Grand Avenue Bridge, are still there. “We enjoyed the artwork so much from last year that we asked the artists to keep their art up one more year, and they all agreed,” says Mortell.

That means that downtown Glenwood will have a double dose of sculpture for the next year.

“I think it just adds to the beauty and vibrancy of our downtown,” says Angie Anderson, committee member and Chamber employee. Though the pieces vary in size, color, texture and material, they all serve to bring beauty and interest to the town.

“I think that it gives the community an identity,” says Mortell. “It also keeps public artists working. That's important.”

The promise of substantial visibility and the potential of having their piece bought draws artists to submit their work. This is the first year that the committee has had to turn away pieces.

Selecting the pieces was dependent on a variety of factors. Beyond simple artistic merit, “We used criteria such as if it would be able to withstand the weather, and just generally how it would fit in our town,” says Anderson.

The reasons why a piece was chosen might be easily seen, but the financial structure that got there is a little less visible.

“With the funding that we got, we were able to get something started,” says Mortell. “Now, we're looking for ways to sustain it.”

The committee plans to sustain the project by applying for more grants in the future. Another possibility is to have businesses or individuals sponsor specific pieces around town. However, they haven't pushed that source as much, because of the added pressure of the recession.

A special grant allowed the committee to purchase two of last year's pieces. The bronze beaver near the Hotel Colorado and the large daisies along Seventh Street are both going to remain permanently in town. The collection of permanent pieces should continue to expand as time continues.

Mortell says that the project has been made easy by the city employees who helped install the pieces, and by all the other community members who helped to make it happen.

“It's added so much to the landscape of Glenwood,” says Mortell. “We're really proud of the whole project.”