"Colfax Canvas" mural festival brings vibrancy to Aurora's East Colfax
A stretch of East Colfax in Aurora is getting a fresh coat of paint. The fourth annual Colfax Canvas Mural Festival is underway, an event that started during the pandemic to bring color and vibrancy into neighborhoods.
This year, artists are taking over a corner of a few buildings on east Colfax that might otherwise be ignored. Tessa Fuqua is one of the ten artists selected to work together to add at least four new murals, including a very colorful creation the Mango House.
"I'm actually an artist from Aurora and I think it's really fantastic they're trying to beautify this area," she told CBS News Colorado.
Since 2020, more than 30 murals have been painted as part of Colfax Canvas. The canvases selected are in neighborhoods where culture and community run deep, but perhaps too deep for some to notice.
"Whenever people think of Colfax, specifically East Colfax, I'm constantly running into, 'It's not safe. It's dirty. It's grimy. Why would I go there?'" said Aaron Vega, executive producer of Colfax Canvas. "And the truth is a lot of these communities, especially here in Aurora's East Colfax, are the most diverse neighborhoods in the country. So, if you start to dig a little deeper, that means there's this beautiful quilt of cultures and ideas and things happening."
That's a big reason why Vega helped start Colfax Canvas – to expose and showcase Aurora's diversity. He also wants to encourage others to enjoy the area he's proud to call home.
"It's an awesome opportunity for people to stop and reflect in a part of town that may have just driven through," said Vega. "The work that comes out of it is so stunning, and I think incredibly representational of this diverse neighborhood that we really love. Just because people don't have a ton of money doesn't mean that they shouldn't live in a place that they're proud of...and I think that's one of the ancillary benefits of public art."
More than a colorful aesthetic, the murals highlight heritage. And, for artists like Fuqua, create a sense of belonging.
"I feel it's important to just be part of what adds good to the community," she said.
Artists began painting on Sept. 2 and will finish their work over the next week before the big celebration. Colfax Canvas is hosting a neighborhood block party on Saturday, Sept. 16 at Fletcher Plaza in Aurora. It runs from 12p.m. to 5 p.m., complete with local food, beer gardens, games for kids, and more. Best part – it's free!
MORE INFORMATION: https://bit.ly/3L8HO4v
New mural locations:
Florence Square Apartments: 9801 E. Colfax Ave.
Florence Street: 1593, 1571 & 1561 Florence St.
Mango House: 10180 E. Colfax Ave.
