Art Abounds on the 16th Street Mall
What do the Statue of Liberty, a wizard, and a robot have in common?
They all can be found on the 16th Street Mall in downtown Denver, Colorado, each weekend, entertaining tourists and residents with their artistic abilities.
For centuries, artists of all genres have been enriching, educating and entertaining the masses with performance art, and a recent stroll down the mall proved to be an unintentional walk through the world of art.
I stopped first in front of a miniature Statue of Liberty. I stooped over to read the sign pleading for donations to keep the statue alive and well. Admittedly, it wasn't the best replica of Lady Liberty I've ever seen, but I was considering dropping a dollar in the bucket to help the cause. Suddenly, the statue moved, throwing her arms out and shouting “boo” at me. Startled and laughing as I realized this was a street performer, I dropped my change into the bucket.
I continued down the mall and ran across a young man named Sean Tapp. It was a hot day and he was sweating as he stood next to a line of canvass paintings leaning against the wall of a building near the light rail station. Passionate about his art, he told me it was well worth the effort to have his work seen. The artwork was indeed glorious -- unfortunately none included the colors I needed to take one home.
I chatted with Robo Mike, who donned his robot outfit with huge hair that I'm not sure is real or fake. Then I sat and listened to the many musicians who take up residence in front of businesses. One old man in particular was red-faced as he blew into his saxophone, and his hat was overflowing with money. However good his intentions and how strong his passion, I was pretty sure people were giving him money hoping he would stop blowing out notes that were not pleasing to the ear.
:: Tabatha Deans is a featured blogger for HelloDenver.com. To read more from her, vist TabDeans's Weblog. ::
Posted on March 7, 2012 by Tabatha Deans
