Mural Installed in George Di Ciero City Building Reflects Beauty of Broomfield

By Kristen Beckman

A mural chosen by the citizens of Broomfield is now on display at the George Di Ciero City Building, which provides numerous city services and also houses the City Council meetings. The building is named for Broomfield’s former City and County Manager who passed away in 2020.

Local artists Stacey Reynolds and Julia Williams were invited to participate in the project based on their experience with largescale, installation-based digital artwork and murals. The artists were asked to come up with a mural design that incorporated elements that reflect Broomfield and the environment in which community members live, work, and play.

More than 3,000 people voted on the two designs through the City of Broomfield’s engagement platform, Broomfield Voice. Reynolds’ design was ultimately selected.

“The building represents a connection between the community and the government workers that support their daily lives,” said Julie Story, director of communications for the City and County of Broomfield. “Both of these groups are key to the success of any community, and installing a colorful mural that both reflects their values and provides a welcoming environment to the city building supports a feeling of belonging for all who work or visit the space.”

Once the mural was selected, a collaborative effort began to install the mural last month in the building’s unique stairwell.

The effort included the city’s Arts & History Department staff, the facilities department, the communications and engagement department, the city manager’s office and local vendor InkMonstr, which produced the vinyl panels that make up the mural.

The project is part of the Broomfield Art in Public Places program overseen by the Arts & History division of the Library, Arts, History, and CSU Extension department. Its mission is to cultivate opportunities to connect, create, and thrive.

“The Art in Public Places program aims to enliven public space, reflect community spirit, engage the community and elevate a sense of belonging, among other goals,” said Story. “This project aligns within all goals, many of which were key elements of the design for both artists.”

Reynolds said her design, titled “Beautiful Broomfield,” is meant to add color and relaxation to the space while showcasing Broomfield’s uplifting vision and providing opportunities for photographs.

“I wanted the mural to be a calming space that reflected the beautiful nature we have around us in Broomfield,” said Reynolds, a professional graphic artist who also channels her creativity into painting in watercolor, block printing, and designing small projects for family and friends. “The building has a really beautiful solar calendar built into its architecture, so I created the design around that to emphasize the beauty of seasonality in changing leaves and upward movement as it climbs the stairs. Each leaf design is based on a tree that is native to Colorado.”

The original design was sketched over several versions on an iPad drawing application, which allowed Reynolds to play with colors and placements as she iterated on the design and referenced photos of local leaves and mountains. The final product was created in Adobe Illustrator, which allowed the design to scale as needed.

This is not the first mural Reynolds has created for Broomfield.

“I’ve done a few traffic boxes and was fortunate to do a mural by the ballpark as well,” she said. “I enjoy these projects because they are creatively open-ended, allowing for the artist’s expression throughout the process. I also really love to create artwork in public spaces for others to enjoy! We have so many beautiful spaces in our community and I am grateful to both live and work here.”