This event is canceled for 2021. This is the kind of graffiti that is welcome in neighborhoods. For 10 years, large-scale murals and street art installations have lured art lovers to RiNo for CRUSH WALLS. Now the urban art festival will take over the entire RiNo Art District from September 14 to 20, so space is plentiful. Artists will receive the proper amount of space between each other and there will be ample areas for attendees to walk, pass each other with ease, all while enjoying the art around them.
CRUSH is a week-long celebration of graffiti and street art. This annual event is FREE to the public and is for all ages.
See Colorado-based and invited artists take to the canvas of building walls throughout RiNo Art District, “Where Art is Made.” Many pieces will be collaborations between Colorado and invited artists. Among the collaborations:
- Sydney James and Max Sansing – Erico Motorsports, 29th and Walnut
- Taste and Aerosol Kingdom – Granda Fish Building, 24th and Broadway
- El Mac and Hoxxoh – Ramble Hotel, 24th and Broadway
- Miles Toland and Jodie Herrera – American Bonded – 27th and Larimer back wall
- Bakpak Durden and Hiero Veiga – 2340 Curtis Street
- CRUSH Founder Dread (Robin Munro) and Michael Ortiz – River North Park
Visit crushwalls.org for the latest up-to-date map of all the murals being created. Start here for a self-guided walking tour and the nearest galleries, restaurants, and shops in the district. Most of the murals this year are in the Five Points neighborhood of the RiNo Art District.
Censorship-free: Since its inception, CRUSH Walls has always been about creative freedom. Artists are matched with local property owners and given complete creative freedom, and during these difficult times, we expect some very powerful work. All artists are paid.
Kids CRUSH will include panel discussions and workshops. Here’s the schedule. Find more info on the CRUSH website.
Monday, September 14 — Learn to Wheat Paste Youth Workshop, Instructors: Shawn Bowman with special guests – virtual
Tuesday, September 15 — Street Art vs. Graffiti Artist Panel – Moderator: Justin Anthony, Artwork Archive Panelists: Robin Munro, JHER, Michael Ortiz – at Ratio Beerworks and virtual
Wednesday, September 15 — The Law of Street Art – Copyrights, Contracts, and Other Considerations (Dave Ratner, Creative Law Network and Zach Warkentin, Warkentin LLC) & Street Art Munny Design Youth Workshop Instructor: Shawn Bowman w/ Mike Graves – virtual
Thursday, September 16 — Representation Matters: If Walls Could Talk Artist Panel, Moderator: JC Futrell, RedLine, Panelists: UC Sepia, Jodie Herrera, Hiero Veiga, Thomas Evans, DINKC, Alicia Cardenas, Casey Kawaguchi – at RedLine and virtual
Saturday, September 18 – Interactive Kids’ Wall Demonstration: Wheat Paste, Instructor: Greg Gandy and Interactive Kids’ Wall: Yarn Bombing, Instructor: Shawn Bowman – at RiNo ArtPark
Please do your part to keep others safe. Please wear your mask and try your best to keep a 6-foot distance between you and others. There will be ample sanitizing stations throughout the festival, but you are encouraged to also bring your own hand sanitizer and disinfectant wipes if you have them.
New For 2020: The party will be bumping all week long at the Spray Can Bar. Stop by each day to see how the murals have progressed, grab an ice cold beverage, and see the artists in action.
Unfortunately, this year, the event is moving away from ticketed events and events hosted indoors with tighter capacities. This wasn’t an easy decision, but the right thing to do. Please make sure that you follow @thecrushwalls to tune into any and all online content including updates, interviews, and more!