Poudre River Mural Project

Community-Based Art Connecting People to the River

About the Poudre River Mural Project

The Poudre River Mural project connects communities in the watershed to the Poudre River through collaborative art projects, helping to illustrate how the river plays an important role in the lives of Northern Colorado residents.

“Murals are powerful. They can positively transform public spaces, act as catalysts for new ideas, and even play a role in shifting individual and community perceptions.” – Colors of Connection

Poudre River Mural at Bas Bleu Theater - Call for Artists

Application Deadline: June 12 at 11:59 PM

The Poudre River Mural Project is seeking an experienced mural artist or artist team to create the third mural in an ongoing public art series honoring the Cache la Poudre River and the greater Poudre River Watershed.

Located in the heart of Old Town Fort Collins on the historic Bas Bleu Theatre Company building, this mural aims to celebrate the ecological, cultural, and community significance of the Poudre River; Northern Colorado’s shared lifeline.

While the river sits just minutes from downtown, it often remains underrepresented in Fort Collins’ built environment despite being central to the region’s history, ecology, agriculture, drinking water, recreation, and identity. This project seeks to make that connection more visible through public art.

Artists are encouraged to bring their own creative voice and interpretation to the theme, whether through realism, abstraction, or somewhere in between.

View Artist Call & Apply

Completed Murals

Chappelow Arts Magnet School - What Does the River Know? (2023)

The first mural in this series, completed by 8th grade students at Chappelow Arts Magnet School in Evans, CO, in collaboration with local artist Armando Silva, Greeley-Evans School District 6, and Coalition for the Poudre River Watershed (CPRW), melded science and art to create a piece of art that will be enjoyed by the community for years to come.

Over the summer and fall of 2023, students from Mrs. Myers’ 8th grade art class worked with Armando to design and paint this 8x10’ mural that will be displayed at Chappelow for years to come. The design process started with several in-class workshops and a field trip to the Poudre Learning Center. Following this hands-on and interactive trip to the Poudre River, students continued working with Armando to design and paint a mural that represents their connection to the river and their community.

Thank you to the Coalition for the Poudre River Watershed, Armando Silva, the Poudre Heritage Alliance, Greeley-Evans School District 6, and the Poudre Learning Center for supporting this project.

Eastman Park Mural - The Four Directions (2024-2025)

Working with the Town of Windsor and Denver-based artist Kristina Maldonado Badhand, this second mural in our Poudre River Mural series brings a beautiful piece of public art to the newly completed Eastman Park Phase II along the Poudre River in Windsor, CO.

Artist Statement: This mural uses rich symbolism to represent the four cardinal directions and the cycle of life. The East stands for beginnings and wisdom, marked by the dawn. The South symbolizes growth and nurturing, featuring native plants like natural grasses found in the park and chokecherry and cottonwood. The North honors ancestors and inner healing, with images of milkweed, monarch butterflies, and stars—referencing beliefs that monarchs guide souls on their journey after death and that the road beyond is along the stars. The West represents power, water, and the passage into the spirit world, where thunderstorms originate. A mosaic design symbolizes the Poudre River, followed by simple beadwork and ribbon-like stripes. The base includes blue to represent the water of the river. The mosaic designs on the corners are to emulate beadwork and have star designs- seven on the black side for the seven sacred ceremonies. Colors like Black, Red, Yellow, and White stand for the four directions, while Blue represents the sky, Green the earth, and Purple the spirit.