Longmont decorates itself with public art

LONGMONT — Most people, when asked to nominate the artistic capital along the Front Range, probably would opt for Boulder; it’s a fair bet few would choose Longmont.

But that could well change. In recent years a quiet revolution has over-taken the city, and the evidence is everywhere — literally — as sculptures, murals, mosaics and a host of other artworks pop up all over town.

Driving this artistic revival is the strong working relationship between Longmont’s Art in Public Places committee (AIPP), Council for the Arts and Downtown Development Authority. In addition, there is ongoing support — financial and otherwise — from the city council and perhaps most important of all, a very real commitment to public participation and involvement on the part of the community.

A panel made up of interested members of the public recently selected an artist to create artworks in six breezeways running east and west off Main Street.

This commission, worth $100,000 and funded equally by AIPP and the DDA, is part of the planned renovation of the Main Street area and is the largest single project AIPP has been involved with.

AIPP administrator Lisa Spiecker says the project attracted applications from about 50 artists, and a selection panel then narrowed the field to three finalists: Armando Alvarez from New Mexico, Rafe Ropek from nearby Berthoud and Harriet Lee of Manitou Springs.

At the panel’s last meeting on Aug. 18, Armando Alvarez got the nod for his piece “Los Arcos de Longmont.”

While the number of entries was impressive, so was local public interest; nine people were chosen for the selection panel from about 14 applicants. “Usually we get just enough people. This was the first time AIPP had to turn people away,” Spiecker said.

AIPP is funded by the city of Longmont, which designates 1 percent of all capital improvements greater than $50,000 (excluding roads) for public art. That amounts to about $100,000 per year.

It’s a farsighted approach to public art funding that gets two thumbs up from local architect Mike Bensky, an AIPP committee member for four years and chairman for the past two.

“It’s a wonderful program, and the funding arrangement is very progressive on the part of the city council and the people of Longmont,” Bensky said. “I think the community realizes how much public art adds to the quality of life.”

More than a dozen projects have been completed since the public art program began in the early 1990s, Spiecker said. They include a mural on the youth center, a bronze sculpture of children at play in Garden Acres Park and a 35-foot-tall ceramic tile mural at the Safety and Justice Center.

Elsewhere, sculptures blend in with the St. Vrain Greenway; another stands at the senior center; humorous imprints grace the sidewalks along part of Coffman Street; and a steel sculpture of blue herons rests on the Ute Creek Golf Course.

At Willow Creek Park, a new development west of Longmont, a work in progress called “Alphabet Farm,” will bring together a hodgepodge of everything from poetry to a hatching dinosaur’s egg.

Work is due to start next spring on “Nature’s Way,” a series of mostly interactive artworks along Southmoor Park Greenway, and sculptor Jeff Oens will be working on “The Journey,” a bronze flock of geese, due for display in the clubhouse at Isaac Walton Pond.

The AIPP program also seeks to get the community involved, Bensky said. Citizens select the artwork and in some cases, such as the Unity project in Kensington Park, they also become directly involved in construction. Community members worked together to create a colorful mosaic in that eastside neighborhood.

Art in Public Places provides an opportunity to inspire creativity, contribute to civic pride and promote discussion, even when the debate is sometimes negative, Bensky said.

“From time to time there’s some controversy, but that’s the nature of public art,” he said.

Anne Drake has been closely involved in the Longmont arts scene for several years. She is one of the dozen AIPP board members; she sits on the board of the Firehouse Art Gallery; and four years ago, she co-founded ArtWalk.

ArtWalk began as a monthly walking tour of Longmont art galleries but has evolved into an event that embraces music and dance, as well as visual art, in a three-hour program held every four months. The next one takes place Sept. 17.

ArtWalk enjoys great support from the local business community and the public, Drake said. It is just one more reason why Longmont is earning its place on the Boulder County arts map.

“The vibrant arts community in Longmont is one of our best-kept secrets,” Drake said. “Art in Longmont is very diverse. It’s all over the city and has become just part of everyday living. I think it really adds something to the quality of life here.”

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