12 OCTOBER 16-22, 2025 westword.com WESTWORD | MUSIC | CAFE | CULTURE | NIGHT+DAY | NEWS | LETTERS | CONTENTS | Paint the Town ARTISTS TOOK TO BRICK AND CONCRETE CANVASES AROUND DENVER THIS YEAR. BY KRISTEN FIORE The “Colorful Colorado” slogan may refer to the state’s vibrant mountain views and foliage, but in Denver, the city’s walls are saturated with that color. This summer, artists all over the metro area used brick and concrete canvases to paint the town with new murals, from Wall Fest artwork created along Cherry Creek Trail to one muralist’s “Spraycation” stop in the Mile High. And the paint hasn’t dried yet. Friday, October 17, through Sunday, October 19, is the inaugural KissFist Mural Fest, a deaf- centered celebration at RiNo Art Park that will feature ten artists from the community creating murals over three days. The event was launched by Kate Fitzpatrick, an artist and Child of Deaf Adults, after becoming frustrated with the lack of accessibility she observed at other festivals. “I’ve had a lot of experiences where I’ve approached hearing organizations and asked, ‘Can you put captioning on your videos?’ or ‘Can you provide interpreters?’ and they often say, ‘Oh, it’s too hard. We will someday.’ It’s always someday,” says Fitzpatrick. “Enough of that. I wanted to set up a fun, welcoming, accessible festival that celebrates deaf culture.” The KissFist murals are sure to add to colorful Denver, but for now, here are some of our favorite murals that popped up around the city this year: “Tribute to the Westside” MSU Department of Music Studio, 800 Kalamath Street Earlier this fall, MSU Denver unveiled “Tribute to the Westside,” a piece that pays homage to the culture of Denver’s Westside neighborhood, telling stories of resilience, displacement and artistic presence. Students, high school interns, faculty and other mem- bers of the community collaborated on the mural, which was designed by Mid-Brow Collective. The massive mural wraps around the exterior of the building and depicts Chicano and Indigenous imagery, including a boxer, horses and a child in a headdress. Cherry Creek Trail Wall Fest Murals Cherry Creek Trail, between First and Sixth avenues and Downing Street Last month, seventeen artists painted murals along Cherry CULTURE continued on page 14 KEEP UP ON DENVER ARTS AND CULTURE AT WESTWORD.COM/ARTS This mural by artist Tukeone was part of the Cherry Creek Trail Wall Fest. “Tribute to the Westside” on the MSU Department of Music Studio. KRISTEN FIORE KRISTEN FIORE
