Bringing an abundance of vibrant color and music to Fort Collins, "Pianos About Town" is again in full swing for the upcoming summer months!
For the past seven years, brightly-painted pianos have become a bit of a staple in random places around Fort Collins as part of the Pianos About Town project. You never know when you might come across one of the storied uprights -- just sitting there beckoning you to come plunk out a tune, whether it be "Chopsticks" or the more-advanced "Moonlight Sonata."
Since the beginning, more than 80 pianos have been decorated and placed in rotation around the city, thanks to the project, which is headed up by the Bohemian Foundation, the City of Fort Collins Art in Public Places Program, and the Downtown Development Authority. And this year, between May and October, you can catch various selected artists painting 13 additional pianos under the Art in Action tent at Old Town Square. When each is complete, the pianos will be moved to their surprise locations to bring a dash of whimsy to passing residents' days and lives.
Starting off the season, mother-daughter artist team Carla Gamboa and Marina Avila began publicly painting a piano on Wednesday, May 10, choosing a Day of the Dead design called "Dia de Muertos."
[caption id="attachment_15407" align="aligncenter" width="960"] Photo courtesy of the Pianos About Town Facebook page[/caption]
Other selected artists for 2017's Pianos About Town include Chris Bates, Eduardo Casas, Chelsea Ermer, Jane Glotzer, Kris Grauvogl, Jana Leigh Hillstrom, Leisha Lawson, Pamela Kraft, Sarah J. Kuhn, Barbara and Rachel Lacerte, Werner Schreiber, Larry Tucci and the Northern Colorado Intertribal Powwow Association (NCIPA). The public is always welcome to come watch the piano landscapes take form and visit with the artists as they work.
For more information, check out the City of Fort Collins' Pianos About Town web site.