Off The Walls

In June 2020, as Black Lives Matter protests filled Denver's streets, the city's walls and streets were also painted with images and messages of the movement. Denver commissioned a large Black Lives Matter street mural. Well-known Denver muralist Thomas "Detour" Evans painted a series of portraits of Black people killed at the hands of police. But a lot of that art was temporary; it's been painted...

Denver artists Grow Love and Alexandrea Pangburn had noticed a pattern: Most of the opportunities for muralists were going to men. When they connected with other female artists who felt the same way, the idea for Babe Walls — a mural festival celebrating all female and non-binary artists — was born. Babe Walls would showcase local talent and, hopefully, spark some change. But for the artists behin...

When Fathima Dickerson was approached by an artist who wanted to paint a mural of her, she was surprised. To Fathima of Welton Street Café—Denver's oldest Black-owned restaurant—it seemed random. But to the artists, Jodie Herrera and Miles Toland, Fathima embodied the idea of community they wanted to capture in their Five Points mural. As Fathima navigates challenges and changes with Welton Street...

Painting his first mural was a powerful experience for artist David Ocelotl Garcia. But a few years ago, that mural, "Huitzilopochtli," was painted over, without permission. David set out to bring the mural back, but he didn't know how that would go. No one in Colorado had attempted what he was going to do. In the process, David discovered the beauty in not just making art, but reviving it. To lea...

Emanuel Martinez started a community mural movement in Denver in the early 1970s, bringing colorful life to the local Chicano Movement. His mural "La Alma" is a central part of the historic La Alma Lincoln Park neighborhood where he painted it more than 45 years ago. But other murals Emanuel painted at the time have been wiped out. And now, someone very close to him is fighting for Chicano murals...

If you live in Denver, you know the city is full of beautiful murals. But what you might not know are the stories behind these larger-than-life pieces of art. Off The Walls is a new podcast from Denverite and Colorado Public Radio — part of the NPR Network. Hosts Kibwe Cooper and Emily Williams introduce you to the stories and people behind Denver’s street art. Check out the first episode of Off T...