10th Annual CRUSH WALLS Festival Brings 150K People to Street Art Capital of the U.S.

Denver's Urban Art Festival featured 100 new works of public art, 100 artists

News provided by

VISIT DENVER, The Convention & Visitors Bureau

Sep 17, 2019, 08:00 ET

DENVER, Sept. 17, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- CRUSH WALLS – Denver's international street art festival – saw its largest gathering of artists and spectators ever in celebration of the event's 10^th anniversary. What started as a small, one-weekend gathering of artists and community members in Denver's RiNo (River North) Art District has now grown to feature more than 100 artists from around the world and – organizers estimate – crowds of nearly 150,000 people over the course of a week.

Spectators interact with artists as they create new works of public art during Denver, Colorado's CRUSH WALLS, an international urban art festival. (Credit: Nikki A Rae Photography)

CRUSH (Creative Rituals Under Social Harmony) WALLS originated to both serve the community by bringing people together over shared public art and to encourage wider acceptance of street art. Now, as a result of CRUSH WALLS and various other public art initiatives around the city, Denver has developed a concentrated and thriving street and public art scene, leading AFAR magazine to name it the "Street Art Capital of the Country." The event's initial purpose still maintains a strong presence throughout the week; and the murals that have beautified and united the communities have also become a draw for visitors, bringing them into all of the city's unique neighborhoods.

This year's CRUSH WALLS, which took place from September 2-8, featured 22 invited artists from countries including Cuba, Mexico, Brazil, Australia and Ireland. Together, with nearly 90 local artists, they created 100 brand new works of art, from murals to graffiti to three-dimensional creations. The works span over a 30-block, open-air gallery, spread among some of Denver's top restaurants, breweries, traditional art galleries and more.

Now that this year's CRUSH WALLS pieces are completed, they are available for anyone visit all year through organized tours on foot, by bike or by electric Tuk-Tuk, or self-guided explorations. For more information on the murals and how to see them, go to the VISIT DENVER Website.

About VISIT DENVER, The Convention & Visitors Bureau
Celebrating 110 years of promoting The Mile High City, VISIT DENVER is a nonprofit trade association that contracts with the City of Denver to market Denver as a convention and leisure destination, increasing economic development in the city, creating jobs and generating taxes. A total of 17.3 million visitors stayed overnight in Denver in 2018, generating $5.6 billion in spending, while supporting more than 60,000 jobs, making Tourism one of the largest industries in Denver. Learn more about Denver on the VISITDENVER website and at TOURISMPAYSDENVER or by phone at 800 2 Denver. Denver International Airport (DEN; flydenver.com) connects The Mile High City to more than 200 destinations worldwide. Follow Denver's social media channels for up-to-the-minute updates at: Facebook.com/visitdenver; Twitter.com/visitdenver; Instagram.com/visitdenver; and YouTube.com/visitdenver.

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SOURCE VISIT DENVER, The Convention & Visitors Bureau