Under the Bridge

On a recent visit to downtown Castle Rock, south of Denver, I happened upon some slightly hidden bits of artwork. In Festival Park, you will find a trail that takes you underneath Perry St. There on the underside of the bridge, you will find some silhouettes depicting various outdoor activities. 

The opposite side features a number of tiles painted with various images and messages from the children of Castle Rock. Of course, those kiddos are twentysomethings now, as many of the tiles seem to have been dated in the year 2000.

Both of these displays could stand to have someone give them a bit of a cleaning, but it's still fun to find these hidden bits of artistic expression. Festival Park is located at 300 2nd Street in downtown Castle Rock, Colorado.

Littleton Municipal Courthouse

I love to see our communities here in Colorado grow and develop new features as the community changes. However, I also have a great appreciation for the historic buildings that still grace the landscape. A wonderful example can be found sitting on a hill overlooking downtown Littleton; the Littleton Municipal Courthouse.

The building was originally built as the Arapahoe County Courthouse in 1907. Previously, Denver had been the county seat of Arapahoe County, but in 1902 an amendment to the state constitution was passed, creating the City and County of Denver. So a bit of a competition started between Littleton and their neighbor to the north, Englewood, to see who would become the county seat of the new version of Arapahoe County. Littleton won out and construction began on this impressive building.

In 1948, a new wing was added to the west side of the building. It's no longer there, and I say "good." It was definitely a case where progress had a negative effect on the look of a historic building. In all truth, even the original building was in danger of being demolished after Arapahoe County moved out of the building in the late 80's. Luckily the city of Littleton stepped in to start using the historic structure as its municipal courthouse. Landmark status was awarded to the building in 1998.

You can find the Littleton Municipal Courthouse at 2069 W Littleton Blvd.

Mural - Family Star Montessori

Denver is a fantastic city for street art and murals. On one of my recent excursions, I came across this piece that graces the south side of Family Star Montessori, located at the corner of Federal Blvd and 22nd Ave in Denver.

This mural was painted by street artist Bimmer Torres with assistance from a group of youth from a local detention facility. The colors of this beautiful piece really pop in the Colorado sunlight. Find it at 2246 Federal Blvd in Denver.

Sun Spot

Like most folks, my family faced our share of challenges during the months of pandemic related shutdowns. One of those was having to say goodbye to our dog, who had been a part of our family for fifteen years. That's something that is never easy, even when you know it's the best thing for your loyal friend. After waiting several months, we have welcomed a new four-legged member of our family, who we found through RezDawg Rescue. Throughout the Denver area, there are many great organizations for adopting pets, including the Denver Municipal Animal Shelter. Paying a visit to their South Platte Campus has the added treat of experiencing a giant piece of art called Sun Spot.

Created by artists Laura Haddad and Tom Drugan, Sun Spot is a 25-foot tall sculpture of a dog. What breed, you may ask. Well, it's meant to be a composite of several varieties of man's best friend. Sun Spot is an appropriate name, as the piece shines in the sunlight due to being composed of over 90,000 stainless-steel dog tags.

Sun Spot sits in the southeast corner of the property, looking toward downtown Denver. He can be spotted from the Platte River Trail and southbound Interstate 25 (more so in the winter when the trees aren't full). Pay the big fella a visit at 1241 W Bayaud Ave in Denver, and maybe pick up a new friend while you're at it.

Roaring Elephant

Here is another piece that is a part of the Museum of Outdoor Arts display in the Denver Tech Center. This sculpture/fountain is called Roaring Elephant, and it sits in a space just south of 6399 S Fiddler's Green Cir in Greenwood Village.

The bronze sculpture was created in 1990 by artist Daniel Ostermiller. It's based on a fable about an elephant and a mouse. You can spot this life-sized elephant quite easily while driving by, but you'll need to get out of your car to get a look at the mouse. He sits at the edge of the fountain and is a bit bigger than your average mouse, to be honest.

While you're checking out the fountain, right nearby you'll find a wall that serves to hide some of the unsightly power boxes behind the building. An artist has gone ahead and painted some Colorado mountain scenes to pretty things up a bit. 

Concrete Cowboy

Federal Blvd is one of the Denver area's main thoroughfares. Spanning 20 miles, it starts in Littleton to the south, runs up through Denver, and ends in Westminster, north of town. Just before you hit the spot where Interstate 76 passes overhead, you will find a tall figure guarding the west side of the road. This nameless cowboy has stood in that spot for 65 years.

The cowboy marks the entry to the Rustic Ranch mobile home park, though he was originally meant to welcome visitors to an amusement park that never came to be. His left boot clearly indicates he was sculpted by an artist named John Sutton in 1955.

The last 65 years haven't always been easy for this cowpoke. He stands precariously close to a very busy stretch of road, so he's encountered the business end of more than his fair share of automobiles. Vandals are also an occasional annoyance. The big man still stands, though. You can find him at 5565 Federal Blvd in Denver, as the base he stands on proclaims.

Littleton Blvd and Spottiswood St, Mid-Century Modern Architecture

Our journey down Littleton Boulevard's "Mid Mod Mile" continues with a look at two buildings you can find at the intersection of Littleton Blvd and Spottiswood St. These are two of the most unique buildings due to some eye-catching features.

We begin with the Courthouse Building designed by Eugene Sternberg, who also designed the Martin Miller Law Offices Building; located just one block east and featured in a previous post. Sternberg's own office once resided in this building. Now, don't let the name fool you, this is not the Littleton courthouse. That building is just adjacent to this structure to the west.

The Courthouse Building's most notable feature is its folded-plate roof. Not only does the shape of the roof grab the attention of passersby, but check out that bright yellow underside! This is probably my favorite of the buildings along the Mid Mod Mile.  Find it at 2009 W Littleton Blvd.

Over on the south side of the intersection, you'll find the Title Guarantee Building designed by Louise Marlow. Driving by it from the west, the building doesn't really draw the eye, but come at it from the east, and its impossible to miss the unique mosaic that graces the front porch. Quite appropriately, the building is now home to an architecture firm. Find it at 2000 W Littleton Blvd.