Greeley’s first ever outdoor mural festival, WeldWalls, is making its mark on the City’s public art landscape this Fall. The five-day festival will take place September 17 – 21, adding a collection of new large-scale murals to Downtown Greeley. The festival is being produced by artist manager and creative entrepreneur Briana Harris and visual artist Armando Silva, both long-time residents of Greeley and members of its creative community. The team is partnering with WeldWerks Brewing Co. as the festival site location; the brewery will contribute outdoor walls at their brewery campus for transformation by the festival artists, and will host multiple festival events on site throughout the week.
The festival will include a lineup of at least six artists or artist teams who will create new original murals over the five-day festival span. The artist lineup will be split between local artists living and working in Greeley, and artists hailing from other communities across Colorado and beyond. The festival will conclude with a free community celebration and unveiling event on Saturday, September 21, held at WeldWerks on 508 8th Ave in Greeley, CO. In addition, the festival will present a variety of public programming throughout the week, including artist talks, workshops, and community activations.
“We’re aiming for a real sense of cultural exchange where our audience is introduced to new artists working at the highest levels in this medium, and our visiting artists and out-of-town attendees are introduced to everything our local artists and creative community has to offer,” says Harris. “ We want to make it clear: Greeley is a place where cutting edge public art happens.”
Silva and Harris first met through Greeley’s creative community, and eventually began working together as an artist and manager team.
“My own background and artistic practice is in music,” says Harris, who has performed with and managed the Northern Colorado band The Burroughs for a decade. “I found a lot of the skills I used in music management were valuable in working with visual artists. Armando and I have always connected on the way we think about creativity, entrepreneurship, and community building.”
From Greeley, Silva has built a career as a muralist and artist with a national profile. His previous clients and collaborators include The Denver Broncos, Target Creative, Pfizer, the Denver Zoo, Modelo USA, the Colorado Rapids, and Microsoft.
“Downtown Greeley is where I got my first shot to create a large mural,” says Silva, referencing the now iconic “Einstein Mural” located on 9th Ave. “There has always been incredible space here to try new things as an artist, and the mural festival is a way for me to return so much of the love and support I’ve received over my career.”
The festival’s guiding theme is “The New West,” a reference to Greeley’s own distinctive Western history and heritage, while inviting artists and community members to explore an expansive vision for the growing and changing community. Silva says,
“We’re excited to invite our talented artists to share their interpretation of this phrase and how it relates to their own identities. Murals have the incredible ability to tell stories, and we’re looking forward to creating a new story together at this festival.”
The official artist lineup announcement for WeldWalls is expected for announcement in June 2024. Full festival schedule and details will arrive in Summer 2024. To learn more, visit weldwalls.com.
