CULTIVATING YOUTH AS CREATIVE WORKFORCE WWW.ARTS-STREET.ORG
715 GALAPAGO STREET, DENVER, CO 80204-4441 303-328-1868
STUDIO: 574 W. 6TH AVE., DENVER, CO 80204 720-423-9046
What’s the difference between tagging and mural art? ….
Urban Arts ‘Show Down’ Plays up Art Experiences
DENVER – Arts Street is looking for partners and participants for OFF the WALL – Urban Art Festival, an art mural contest designed to draw young artists away from tagging private and public property. This friendly competition and community event will explain Art is human expression. Tagging is simply marking a spot.
OFF the WALL – Urban Art Festival is scheduled for July 18 at Lincoln Park, near the LaAlma Rec Center at 11th & Mariposa, in conjunction with a free city concert the 6h Annual Latino Rhythms. The concert will run from noon to 4 p.m. and is expected to draw more than 4,000 people.
In addition to support from the City of Denver, Xcel Energy, IndyInk is providing the paint at great discount, LaAlma Rec Center is providing more art supplies, and Maria Ruiz is making breakfast tamales for a very small fee. Wahoo’s Fish Taco, the event’s first committed commercial sponsor, will provide lunch for all 120 team members.
Each of the 20 teams will also be seeking a commercial sponsor who can provide tee shirts and the cost of printing them with team-designed logos and messages. With little expense, a sponsor can have its name in front of thousands of people in the park that day. Newspeak, a tattoo and art gallery, was the first OFF the WALL – Urban Art team sponsor, but Wahoo’s Fish Taco has joining to adopt a team. The Arts District on Santa Fe will sponsors two teams.
“Denver spends about $2 million per year on graffiti abatement,” said Stella Yu, Executive Director of Arts Street, the organizer of the event. “The neighborhood around La Alma is one of the highest tagged areas, and the city statistics show the problem is increasing each year. They’ve stepped up abatement and punishment, but haven’t seen an effect. The Urban Arts Festival is about prevention. It will give young artists the chance to act as agents of change.”
“One mural isn’t going to solve the problem,” said Bob Luna, art teacher at La Alma
Rec Center. “We need to send a clear message that tagging and vandalism are different from art. And open a conduit to resources where kids can learn more about art.”
In order to show alternatives to tagging and highlight resources to young artists, the urban arts festival is also seeking community arts organizations to be team supporters. For a small donation ($100), these organizations can gain exposure to their programs by showing off their programs and make connections with up and coming artists.
Arts Street is a nonprofit organization that promotes youth creativity by channeling it to healthy alternatives, productive change and technology training to produce a smarter workforce. The OFF the WALL – Urban Art event will present young artists with an alternative means to earn fame and respect by crediting them with media and public acknowledgement, encourage civic contribution, provide opportunities to sell their art and win awards.
In 2008, the city of Denver removed more than 4 million square feet of graffiti. Arts Street and others appreciate the attention to abatement, but wish these city resources could be freed up for other uses. Would kids prefer the city made improvements to their rec centers? Built more skate or bike parks? Or cleaned up graffiti? Arts Street is organizing the event with support from the Denver Office of Cultural Affairs, LaAlma Rec Center, the LaAlma Lincoln Park Planning Group, West High Mural Club, Denver Partners Against Graffiti, US Bank, La Gota de Meil, Jose Aragon Real Estate and Avalon Medical Spar, Denver City Council members Judy Montero and Paul Lopez, and Denver Parks & Recreation.
Call or email media contact: Terry Talty at 970.485.9914 or terry@LimitlessIdeaProject.com.
Or for more program info, contact Arts-Street executive director: Stella Yu at 303.328.1868 stella.yu@arts-street.org.