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Denver Trees Are Turning Green, But Also Blue

DENVER (CBS4) – Downtown Denver is now the home to highly visible trees, with eye catching blue trunks. Volunteers are coloring them in the Denver Theatre District. The art project comes with a strong message about the environment.

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(credit CBS)

"What the blue trees does is try to get people to be aware of the importance of the trees," said Konstantin Dimopoulos, the artist.

LINK: The Blue Trees in Denver

Dimopoulos is leading groups of volunteers who are coloring the trees with environmentally safe blue colorant.

"It's just color and water. Kids play with it. We've done it in over 20 cities," Dimopoulos told CBS4.

Blue Trees Denver 4
(credit CBS)

The color is concentrated on the trunks of the trees and the lower limbs giving the trees a surreal look. Dimopoulos says the color is designed to attract the attention of children.

"It becomes this magical, almost the Lorax concept of, 'I speak for the trees. I speak for the trees because they have no tongues,'" Dimopoulos explained.

LINK: Konstantin Dimopoulos The Blue Trees

He hopes his art installation will get everyone speaking for the trees. He wants the Blue Trees to inspire a community conversation about deforestation.

"The importance of trees. Mother Nature's like your mother and how you take her for granted and all of a sudden she disappears, and she's gone and you think, 'How did that happen?'" Dimopoulos told CBS4.

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(credit CBS)

Volunteers will color a total of 150 trees over the course of the next six weeks. The first group of volunteers came from the Hyatt hotel. They gently painted the tree bark leaving the leaves and top of the tree untouched.

"Colorado, we all love to enjoy our outdoors, so the fact that those outdoors could be taken away from us I think is a really good message," said Allison Malhiot, a volunteer with the Hyatt.

LINK: The Denver Theatre District

The Denver Theatre District is sponsoring the Blue Trees art installation. The Denver Theatre District is a 16-block area adjacent to the Denver Center for the Performing Arts.

"So what we like about it is when you walk over the border of the Theatre District and you see the trees, you'll know you're in a different place," said David Ehrlich, executive director of the Denver Theatre District.

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(credit CBS)

The District has planned several family-friendly and free events to help enliven the art and make it interactive. The District will host group meditation sessions, blues music concerts, and a family day with arts activities for kids of all ages. Dimopoulos is also scheduled to go into Denver area schools and talk about deforestation and the need to protect the trees.

LINK: The Blue Trees on Facebook 

The Blue Trees one of three major arts events that the Theatre District will be hosting this year to help activate Downtown Denver.

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