DENVER – More than 30 local artists will begin painting a wooden fence created to protect kids from construction of the Central 70 project early Friday evening.
The 16-by-12-foot wooden fence, located north of 46th Ave. and the I-70 viaduct between Columbine and Thompson streets, will be in place for all four years of the active construction site.
The fence was erected to protect students near Swansea Elementary School from dirt and noise caused by the project.
“It’s a pretty substantial space which provides just an enormous canvas for art,” said Rebecca White with the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) earlier this month.
The artists, which have been commissioned to create artwork that represents “play,” will each be paid $800 for their murals. CDOT says that money will come from the construction developer and other private sources.
Because of the proximity to the school, artists will have to work around the clock over the weekend, as work will have to be completed by 5 p.m. on Sunday.
Critics of the art project told Denver7 earlier this month that this is nothing but a "slap in the face” to a community that’s being impacted in a much deeper way.