Local Resident Proposes To Replace Graffiti With Art   July 2011

BY LIZ EMMETT-MATTOX
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Tired of seeing all the graffiti on the walls of the pedestrian underpass at Niwot Road and Sawtooth, local artist Brianne Thiele thought that having a mural on the walls would be a much more attractive option, and might serve to prevent further vandalism.

Thiele conceived the mural as a community art project in which she would create a design, but the actual painting would be done entirely by volunteers of all ages from the community.

In May, Thiele brought her proposal to the Niwot Community Association which enthusiastically supported it. NCA Treasurer Terry Larson has been in contact with the Boulder County Transportation Director George Gerstle who indicated that the county would be willing to approve such a project. While the application process is underway, Thiele said she’s been given the green light to go ahead with the clean-up phase of the project.
Once the tunnel is cleaned and primed, the actual mural painting will begin in July. The mural is scheduled to be completed in time for a dedication ceremony during Niwot Nostalgia Day.

Although the painting itself will be done by volunteers, materials and equipment costs are estimated at $1,500. Larson said that the NCA is willing to help support the mural project, and they may be looking to the Niwot Cultural Arts Association for additional funding.

Thiele said working in this location will be challenging because the tunnel doesn’t have easy access to water or power, which means that they will need to borrow or rent generators to provide lighting inside the tunnel so they can work.
Local community members can be part of the mural project in several ways. Thiele is collecting names of anyone who would like to volunteer with the priming and painting. “Until it gets to the detail work, no artistic ability is required. We just need someone who can roll paint.”

As for supplies, Thiele said, “We’re going to need generators we can borrow, painting supplies, buckets, rollers, tarps. If people have that kind of thing lying around in their garages that they can donate, it will save us from having to buy it.”

Thiele hopes to have a lot of people helping out with the mural, especially students. “The main reason for doing this is to help with the graffiti problem. If the kids are involved in creating the mural, hopefully it will be different. By making this a community art project we want to make it something really special.”

You can support the project  with donations of cash or supplies. Checks made out to the NCAA with a notation for the Mural Project are tax deductible and can be sent to: Niwot Community Association, Inc. P.O. Box 72, Niwot CO, 80544.
To volunteer with painting or donate supplies, contact Brianne Thiele at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Photo courtesy of Brianna Thiele
Detail of artist’s sketch of the proposed mural. This would cover approximately 20 feet of the west wall of the tunnel.