New Mural Festival Denver Walls Postponed to Next Year

"We look forward to celebrating with the Denver community in 2023."

September 29, 2022

Image: Grimm paints murals in Denver under the moniker A.L. Grime.

Grimm paints murals in Denver under the moniker A.L. Grime. Allie Grimm

Help us weather the uncertain future

We know — the economic times are hard. We believe that our work of reporting on the critical stories unfolding right now is more important than ever.

We need to raise $17,000 to meet our goal by August 10. If you’re able to make a contribution of any amount, your dollars will make an immediate difference in helping ensure the future of local journalism in Denver. Thanks for reading Westword.

Contribute Now

Progress to goal

$17,000

$8,900

Audio By Carbonatix

[
          {
            "name": "GPT - Billboard - Slot Inline - Content - Labeled - No Desktop",
            "component": "23668565",
            "insertPoint": "2",
            "requiredCountToDisplay": "2"
          },{
            "name": "STN Player - Float - Mobile Only ",
            "component": "23853568",
            "insertPoint": "2",
            "requiredCountToDisplay": "2"
          },{
            "name": "Editor Picks",
            "component": "17242653",
            "insertPoint": "4",
            "requiredCountToDisplay": "1"
          },{
            "name": "Inline Links",
            "component": "18838239",
            "insertPoint": "8th",
            "startingPoint": 8,
            "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
            "maxInsertions": 25
          },{
            "name": "GPT - 2x Rectangles Desktop, Tower on Mobile - Labeled",
            "component": "24956856",
            "insertPoint": "8th",
            "startingPoint": 8,
            "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
            "maxInsertions": 25 
          
          },{
            "name": "Inline Links",
            "component": "18838239",
            "insertPoint": "8th",
            "startingPoint": 12,
            "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
            "maxInsertions": 25
          },{
            "name": "GPT - Leaderboard to Tower - Slot Auto-select - Labeled",
            "component": "17676724",
            "insertPoint": "8th",
            "startingPoint": 12,
            "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
            "maxInsertions": 25
          }
        ]

The April announcement of an international mural festival coming to Denver made a big splash, but Denver Walls never materialized in RiNo this month. Instead, organizers have set their sights on next year.

The effort was spearheaded by Ally Grimm, the muralist known as A.L. Grime, who told Westword in April that Denver Walls had enlisted twelve artists and would also include augmented reality to showcase the future of street art. The GoFundMe for the festival, which is an extension of the international Pow! Wow! mural festival, was created in March, but only $20 was raised toward the $50,000 goal.

"Due to some shortcomings around funding and some extenuating circumstances, Denver Walls 2022 will be postponed to 2023," Grimm says. "It is our mission to bring forth the best experience for our artists, collaborators and for the community, and at this time we feel this is the best decision to accomplish that goal....

"We are taking a short pause to regroup before jumping back into planning an amazing event for next year," she continues. "We thank you so much for your support as we continue to build. Our calls for walls and sponsors will remain open on the site as well as our GoFundMe. We look forward to celebrating with the Denver community in 2023."

Emily Ferguson has been the music and culture editor atWestword since November 2021. In her role, Emily writes and edits profiles of local and national musicians, previews of upcoming performances and guides to the best of Denver’s entertainment scene. Her previous work experience includes contributing to the arts sections of the Wall Street Journal, The Spectator and the Free Beacon. While attending the College of Charleston, Emily was a fire performer and worked at music festivals.

A message from Emily Ferguson: If you value independent journalism, please consider making a contribution to support our continued coverage of Denver’s vibrant culture and arts scenes.

Support Today