Sustainable Gardens - Art in Action

Coloradoan.com
August 4, 2009
Painting takes Old Town spotlight
BY TREVOR HUGHES
TrevorHughes@coloradoan.com

A Fort Collins artist chosen for a new "Art in Action" program in Old Town Square has begun work on her project, five steel panels painted with wildflowers and pine cones. Lisa Cameron officially began working on the north end of the square Monday, setting up the panels and her paints, and then filling in some of the solid background colors. Cameron paints in a "drip" style, first painting with large blocks of colors and then drizzling paint over that to create images. One side of each of the panels she's painting will show wildflowers, and the other sides will bear pinecones. When viewed from an angle, the panels merge to form one larger image.

Downtown businesses are funding Cameron's project through the Downtown Development Authority property tax. Once complete, the panels will be installed within the DDA boundaries and a new artist commissioned for next year, DDA project planner Anne Aspen said. On Monday, Cameron's work quickly drew curious onlookers, which is exactly what the DDA was hoping.

"I think it's a great idea," said Cathy Stewart, a Vermonter visiting family in Fort Collins, as she and her daughter watched Cameron's progress. Stewart said the art project is just another reason why she and her daughter, Amy Hammond, 16, were enjoying Old Town so much, in addition to the mix of shops and friendly people. "I'm really curious to see where she's going to go with it," Stewart said. "We'll have to come back down in a couple of days."

Cameron said she's done other public art projects before but none for so long or in such a highly visible location.

Aspen said the DDA is considering whether to relocate Cameron to the south end of the square, where the Transcends statue currently sits. The statue is being moved but likely not for another month. The DDA said it wants to move the statue to make room for future Art in Action projects, although Transcend was intended to be a permanent installation.

Cameron will paint during varied hours over the next month to let morning, afternoon, evening and weekend shoppers have the opportunity to see her work live.

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