arts in the park By Regina Smith, Arts & Events Supervisor, Foothills Park & Recreation District
It became very clear in April, that things would be different this summer. As the Arts & Events Supervisor for Foothills Park & Recreation District, I started to see all of my 2020 event plans crumble before me in a pile of restrictions, mandates, and safety concerns. How could we safely have thousands of people attend concerts in the park? Or even hundreds of people attend Shakespeare in Clement Park when we cannot gather in groups? The answer was, we couldn’t. My goal has always been to bring art to the community. Up until this year, my team and I accomplished this through classes, events, theatre, and dance performances. With this new roadblock before us, it was a moment to pause and pivot. What could we do to engage individuals and small family groups in the arts? I saw local artist, Austin Zucchini-Fowler, gain international attention for his “Walls of Gratitude” mural series around Denver. His murals are colorful, engaging, and were bringing hope and joy to the community. The idea for Arts in the Park was born! Our new goal was to create long lasting pieces of visual art that could be experienced well after the pandemic is over and would give the community an artistic outlet right now. I quickly met with Sarah MacAfee, Parks Volunteer & Operations Coordinator, to identify
16 • Colorado Byline | Fall 2020 16 • Colorado Byline | Fall 2020
potential mural walls in the district. Sarah is a huge supporter of the arts and had been advocating for this type of project. Utilizing Scientific & Cultural Facilities
District (SCFD) grant funds, that the art department is so grateful to receive every year, we had the funding to get started. This type of project isn’t possible without
