The Sun Valley housing projects have gone through a beautiful transformation. Crime in this impoverished Denver neighborhood has seen a moderate drop over the past decade, thanks to more funding from the city to clean up Sun Valley streets and protect kids who attend Fairview elementary school. Now even the dumpsters are getting new life, thanks to a grant from the city’s 2016 P.S. You Are Here project.

This is Anthony Garcia's second time working with a P.S. You Are Here grant. For this project, his non-profit Birdseed Collective pulled together a dream team of Denver artists, commissioning them to paint 53 dumpsters in the neighborhood. "This is just the beginning," says Garcia. "I have a lot of ideas for project housings in Denver that need the same love, places that need artists to come out and paint."

Garcia, a 2015 Westword MasterMind recipient, has been busy this year: He organized his annual 100 on 100 show, became publisher of 1/1 Magazine and even opened Alto, a gallery in Berkeley.  

Chris Haven creating three murals in an improvised, stream-of-consciousness graffiti style.

Lindsey Bartlett

Neighbors were thrilled so see the artists at work. They offered suggestions, and kids were even able to help some of the artists paint their pieces. “Why are you painting it blue — you just spent all that time painting it white?,” one little kid yelled at Delton Demarest when he arrived home from school and spotted the murals in front of his home. 

Each of the artists involved in the Birdseed Dumpsters beautification project has a very different style and point of view. Here's what they're doing in Sun Valley: 

A mural by Julio Alejandro in Sun Valley.

Lindsey Bartlett

Julio Alejandro 
Instagram @Coqopanda 

The finished murals by project organizer Anthony Garcia Sr., creator of Birdseed Collective.

Anthony Garcia/Facebook

Anthony Garcia 
Instagram @birdseedanthony

Three murals created by artist Joseph Brikos.

Lindsey Bartlett

Joseph Brikos
Instagram @JosephBrikos

Chris Haven and his mom in front of two of the three murals Haven painted for the project.

Lindsey Bartlett

Chris Haven
Instagram @chrishaven

Tom Bond as he starts on his three dumpsters for the project.

Lindsey Bartlett

Tom Bond
Instagram @wellingtonprojects

Javon the Unique in front of his murals for the #BirdseedDumpsters project.

Lindsey Bartlett

Javon the Unique
Instagram @javontheunique

Murals for the #BirdseedDumpsters project (from left) by Thomas Evans and Thien Tao.

Lindsey Bartlett

Thomas Evans (left)
Instagram @detour303

Thien Tao (right)
Instagram @tinman190

Thomas Scharfenberg doing his thing in Sun Valley.

Lindsey Bartlett

Thomas Scharfenberg
Instagram @sharp_mountain

Artist Sheridan Anderson Furrer getting the kids involved in #BirdseedDumpsters.

Anthony Garcia/Facebook

Sheridan Anderson Furrer
Instagram @sfurrer2501

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A work-in-progress shot captured by a friend of artist Mariah Madrid.

Mariah Madrid/Facebook

Mariah Madrid
Instagram @therealmariahmadrid

A colorful dumpster by Robert Carfbajal.

Lindsey Bartlett

Robert Carbajal
Instagram @robert_carbajal

Two dumpsters painted by Ozjuah Sepia in Sun Valley.

Lindsey Bartlett

Ozjuah Sepia
Instagram @ozjuahsepia

A blue bronco-themed mural painted by Samuel Reeves.

Samuel Reeves/Facebook

Samuel Reeves
Facebook

PlatteForum's Alexandria Jimenez paints in Sun Valley for the #BirdseedDumpsters project.

Lindsey Bartlett

Alexandria Jimenez
Facebook 

A pair of dumpsters freshly painted by Chelsealyn Graeber.

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Chelsealyn Graeber
Instagram @colorconductress

A beautiful dumpster created by artist Joe Seraj.

Anthony Garcia/Facebook

Joe Seraj
Instagram @joeseraj

Delton Demarest begins work on his dumpsters, with the collaborative help of artist Dan Castillo.

Lindsey Bartlett

Delton Demarest
Instagram @deltondemarest

A front-side view of three dumpsters colorfully re-imagined by Victor Escobedo.

Lindsey Bartlett

Victor Escobedo
Instagram @the_art_of_victory

Vinny Alfonso works on his mural for #BirdseedDumpsters.

Lindsey Bartlett

Vinny Alfonso
Instagram @i_touch_art

Anthony Garcia/Facebook

Walter Macias  
Instagram @onvermacias

Continue scrolling to see more photos from the week of painting #BirdseedDumpsters in Sun Valley.

Dan Castillo hand-painted the quotes for murals by Delton Demarest.

Lindsey Bartlett

Details on one of the murals by Chris Haven.

Lindsey Bartlett

Work by Alexandria Jimenez on both ends, and a mural painted by Walter Macias in the center.

Lindsey Bartlett

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One of the finished dumpsters painted by Alexandria Jimenez.

Lindsey Bartlett

Leonard Peltier is quoted in this mural by Delton Demarest.

Lindsey Bartlett

A Marcus Garvey quote and portrait, painted by Delton Demarest.

Lindsey Bartlett

Amerlia Earhart, immortalized by Delton Demarest for #BirdseedDumpsters.

Lindsey Bartlett

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