DENVER — Some walls are built to shut people out. Artist Danielle SeeWalker fills walls with color to let people in.
SeeWalker is a Lakota artist who started painting murals professionally in 2020. Since then, she has done about 50 of them -- many with a message, including a mural she painted on a wall in Denver Central Market's parking lot. It is a colorful painting of a Native women, with the message "LANDBACK."
"One thing I appreciate about street art is the power it has to convey a message, but it’s also accessible by anybody," SeeWalker said as she painted a wall in Denver Central Market's parking lot. "You've got get people to look at it, and hopefully take in the message."
SeeWalker looks to her roots and community for inspiration for what she paints on walls.
"For me it’s about how my community, and when I say 'community,' I mean like, Native community, receives my artwork," SeeWalker said. "I'm inspired by them every day."
Back in May, SeeWalker said she was preparing to paint a mural including wildlife and natural elements for the town of Vail and their Art in Public Places board. The board disinvited her because of a piece of work she created for another show.
"It’s been on my mind to do a piece on the parallels of Native American genocide and what’s happening in Gaza," SeeWalker said back in May, explaining the piece was for a gallery show. "The night of the opening, someone came into the gallery at opening time and bought the piece and left before anyone saw it — it's definitely touching a lot of people."
She posted the painting a couple of times on social media. She said she had prints made and donated the money to the United Nations Crisis Relief Fund.
"It's something that’s resonated with a lot of people and I think that’s what special about it," SeeWalker said.
Back in May, Vail's Art in Public Places told 9NEWS that after "multiple complaints" from concerned community members, they put a pause on the program. They released a statement Thursday afternoon, and said that "Danielle SeeWalker was the artist being considered for the summer residency. While the Town of Vail embraces her messaging and artwork surrounding Native Americans, in recent weeks her art and her public messaging has focused on the Israel/Gaza crisis."
SeeWalker said organizations like Denver Walls have embraced what her work is about.
"One thing I admire is that you’re able to have the creative freedom and control over what you want to create," SeeWalker said.
Denver Walls 2024 organizer Ally Grimm said the festival is "always looking to be inclusive and representational." The festival features 17 artists across 13 walls in its second year.
"We want to highlight artists who have worked hard to create rapid growth in the trajectory of their careers," Grimm said. "I thought what happened in Vail was disappointing. She's a pillar in her Native community and artistic community and all she's ever done is uplift people around her.
"For someone to shut her down for expressing her belief--it sets a bad precedent."
Denver Walls 2024 runs Oct. 3-5 in Denver's RiNo Arts District. The festival's website has a map to help visitors find the new murals.