DENVER — Creativity is blooming along the Cherry Creek and South Platte Trail as eight new murals are being completed thanks to a partnership between HCA HealthONE and Denver Parks and Recreation.
“Really kind of the genesis of this is when we came together last year, at the end of last year, as one health care system under the new name HCAHealthONE, we wanted to not only just talk about it in the community, we wanted to show action. So doing this mural project was showing that action and again showing how we provide incredible health care,” said Angie Anania, vice president of marketing and corporate affairs for HCA HealthOne.
These murals will help beautify the area and make the trails less bare for those who recreate on it. Adam Lind, trails program manager for Denver Parks and Recreation, shared that this is the first time they partnered with HCA HealthONE and are happy to be enhancing parts of the trail.
“It’s a great partnership. It provides us access, some additional funding that we probably didn't have, and also, as part of the sponsorship, will be adding solar lights to the trail,” said Lind. So, we're activating the trail with murals, but we are also increasing safety with new lighting, and it's a great way to really make space more usable throughout the day and throughout all seasons of the year.”
They received over 100 applicants and narrowed it down to a final 8. Catie Michel was one of the artists chosen to bring her unique design to the downtown trail.
“I proposed the idea of an aspen forest, but many folks probably already know that each tree is, part of one organism, beneath the surface, connected by the roots,” said Michel. “I just thought that was a great concept to depict right now and, yeah, so I applied with that, and I was very, very lucky to be selected to make it.”
Growing up in Centennial, Michel has biked and walked the trail many times, making it a special honor to leave her own mark with her design featured on the trail.
“There's already a lot of great work here, and it's really fun to interact with all the trail visitors and public art is really important to me, in that it is accessible on purpose and can depict and celebrate so many different concepts and create connectivity and connections with the viewer, with the art, and also with the site that it's in,” Michel said.
Having an interest in both science and art, Michel found her calling in science illustration and is currently an artist in residence with Flat Forum in Denver, which provides studio space for working arts and an opportunity to teach high school interns in Denver.
- Watch Michel talk about her work in the video player below:
While some bikers and runners moved quickly through the trail, others stopped to take in the bright colors and look out on the design. Even though the mural was not yet finished, Kenna and Steve Yarbrough made the trip down from Loveland to see Michel’s work.
“I just took a class with Katie, who's the artist and, it was all about trying to scale up artwork from something that fits on a piece of notebook paper to something that covers an expanse like this,” Steve Yarbrough said. “To me it’s just, again, it’s pretty remarkable and I just think she does beautiful work, so we had to come see it.”
As the two looked out on the mural, Steve Yarbrough explained that when he worked in downtown Denver, he ran this portion of the trail for several years. Now, looking up and seeing this mural, he expressed his appreciation.
“I was always staring at my running shoes, so this is a really nice, warm kind of a distraction for runners and hikers to see something again on this scale that's that beautiful — it is remarkable,” Steve Yarbrough said.
Michel’s mural is done in orange and blue, not because of the Denver Broncos; instead, these colors are significant to HCA HealthONE.
“ We all kind of fit in together, the orange is very vibrant, and that's what we love about doing this with the artists too,” said Anania. “We want these to look like HCA healthONE. We wanted the artists…to give an interpretation of what they thought HCA HealthONE and this health care system and community should be like coming together.”
While some animals still need to be brought to life on this mural, there already is power on these walls in spreading smiles and making a difference.
“Makes people realize how important it is for our health, not just animals, but our health,” said Kenna Yarbrough. “To have this sort of reminder of how beautiful this state is. “
Next time going out on the Cherry Creek or South Platte trail, keep your eyes peeled for these works of art!
