Denver Artists Paint Black Lives Matter Street Mural On Broadway
DENVER (CBS4) — "Black Lives Matter."
After weeks of protests, these are three words Denverites near Broadway are accustomed to hearing. Thanks to local artists, those words will be seen, long after protesters are gone.
One section of a busy downtown street closed Friday, while artists and volunteers painted a Black Lives Matter mural in the road.
Broadway between Colfax Avenue and 14th Avenue now reads:
"Black Lives Matter. Remember This Time."
This partnership between the City of Denver and local artists was done in the spirit of collaboration and alliance, creating a platform for voices of color.
"This piece is a positive reflection of what we've seen over the last several days; The evidence of social inequality, racial discrimination, police brutality. All of these things are happening at once. I have this amazing opportunity to do something positive that speaks to all these things," said Adri Norris, a local artist and mural designer.
The answer to racial injustice isn't black and white. It's the collaboration of every color, painting the same canvas.
"Different artists, different styles, different ethnicities. This mural is taking all our differences and making something really unique together," said Pat Milbery, a local artist tasked to help with the Black Lives Matter mural.
Milbery is also behind the 28,680 square foot mural called "Interwoven" on Bannock Street between 14th Avenue and Colfax Avenue.
RELATED: Creating Denver's Largest Mural: Artists Begin Painting 'Interwoven' On Bannock Street
More than 300 volunteers assisted in painting the mural on Broadway. Milbery says it's expected to last up to 45 days. If the mural is vandalized, he says the artists are equipped to make repairs.
The protests are getting smaller and this paint isn't permanent, but the hope is that this message will last forever.
"We have done this so many times before. This time, please, can we recall this?" said Norris.
Murals with a similar message have been popping up all across the country since the protests after George Floyd's death.
