Pianos About Town, a program that brings local art and spontaneous music to the streets of Fort Collins, is excited to announce the artists selected to paint pianos.
Selected artists and artist teams are Ben Hatcher, Chloe Cochran, Chyna Mapel, Janet Gilliand, Jess White, Theo Altmaier, Victoria Endsley and RaDean Mynatt (team), and William Richard Greene.
View all the artist concepts at fcgov.com/artspublic/pianos
Outdoor summer painting starts May 14 at the Art in Action tent on the south side of Fort Collins’ Old Town Square.
Artist Spotlight: Jess White
Jess White is a mixed media artist and creative living in Fort Collins. Over the past decade, White has worked as a full-time graphic artist, which influences her artwork’s bold color schemes and compositions.
White’s piano design is titled “An Ode to a Poudre River Grand Slam” and features a figure fly fishing along rocky riverbeds and shorelines inspired by the Big Thompson River and the Poudre River in Northern Colorado. The back of the piano highlights four types of trout found in the rivers; the Brown Trout, Rainbow Trout, Cutthroat and Brook Trout. A “Grand Slam” is achieved when all four fish are caught and released in the same day.
The concept was inspired by a coworker’s weekend fishing adventures. White credits her time working in an office as an opportunity to learn more about people and their passions through in-person conversations and banter.
“Beauty comes from connection to individuals and ideas you wouldn’t normally have exposure to,” said White. “We just have to stay open to hearing about each other’s lives outside of work and computer screens.”
White’s concept image:
Artist Spotlight: Ben Hatcher
Ben Hatcher is an artist and educator who recently settled in Fort Collins. Hatcher has more than two decades of experience in nonprofit museums, universities, and libraries and has collaborated with a wide variety of artists, curators, and educators across the U.S.
“My interest in the Pianos About Town project stems from my desire to contribute to ourclose-knit community,” said Hatcher. “I believe such projects are important to enrich the environment through art and music.”
Hatcher’s design is inspired by the charm and playfulness of his corgi, Sprinkles, and all the corgis that call Fort Collins home. The design is an ode to the joy of curiosity as seen through the eyes of an energetic corgi.
Hatcher’s concept image:
Piano Donations Needed
Pianos are donated by members of the community before they are transformed into works of public art. The program is seeking full-size upright pianos that are at least 48″ tall and in good working order.
Piano art by Fort Collins Artist Suzanne Farris.
Individuals who have a piano to donate can email a photo of the piano to Liz Good, Visual Arts Coordinator for the City of Fort Collins at lgood@fcgov.com or call (970) 416-2646 to determine if the piano is a good fit for the program. If the piano meets program requirements, professional movers pick up the piano free of charge in Fort Collins, Loveland, Windsor, Wellington or surrounding areas.
About Pianos About Town
Pianos About Town is a collaboration among Bohemian Foundation, the City of Fort Collins Art in Public Places and the Fort Collins Downtown Development Authority. Community members watch as local artists transform donated pianos into public art. The pianos are rotated across 20 locations across town in the summer, and six locations in the winter, the completed pianos offer surprise interruptions of color and music across Fort Collins.