DENVER — Denver Arts & Venues has announced the completion of three new pieces in the Denver Public Art collection.
Two of the new pieces will be on display at Denver Public Libraries' Smiley Branch and Byers Branch. Another piece has been installed at Denver's Paco Sanchez Park.
"We love our Denver Public Library system and can’t wait for all branches to reopen," said Public Art Program Manager Michael Chavez. "These two new additions, plus the fantastic and fitting tribute to Paco Sanchez by Carlos Frésquez, are perfectly suited to each site and I’m excited for residents to discover them."
> Above video: What's this art in Denver's City Park?
Denver Arts & Venues said the city's Public Art Program has more than 60 ongoing public art projects. Established in 1988, the program directs that 1% of any capital improvement project over $1 million undertaken by the City of Denver be set aside for the inclusion of new public art.
A Life Cycle Story
"A Life Cycle Story" by Maureen Hearty, of Joes, Colorado, is an interactive sculpture of steel screen panels located near the south facing exterior of Denver’s Smiley Branch Library.
Steel panels contain cut-outs of dandelion imagery that reflect a playful storyline of dandelions and small birds. Six sculptural screens are linked together by aluminum pipes which act as an interactive sound component.
Visitors can also borrow a hand mallet from the main library desk to “play” the sculpture.
Time is a Friend of the Future, Not an Enemy of the Past
“Time is a Friend of the Future, Not an Enemy of the Past” by Valerie Savarie of Denver is a large, functional clock created from a vintage encyclopedia set. The piece has been installed over a fireplace mantel at Byers Public Library.
Savarie chose participants from the community for silhouette profiles on each cover of the encyclopedias. The three-dimensional sculpture uses layers of exposed pages for the collage.
Que Viva Paco
Artist Carlos Frésquez of Denver created an piece titled “Que Viva Paco” honoring Francisco “Paco” Sanchez, who in 1954 launched Denver’s first Spanish language radio station. The piece has been installed at Paco Sanchez Park near West 13th Avenue and Knox Court.
The sculpture consists of three stainless-steel disks painted in the colors of the United States and Mexican flags. The disks represent the Mexican and Latin music Paco would “spin” over the local airwaves.
For more information on these projects and to view other artwork in the Denver Public Art collection, visit DenverPublicArt.org.
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