This tour was curated by: City of Thornton, CO
City of Thornton - Arts and Culture Division
"A Contemplation on Peace" is a metal sculpture with cutouts revealing brightly colored painted images. The piece is by Kemba Opio of Austin, TX. The sculpture can be viewed on the east side of the Margaret Carpenter Recreation Center parking lot in Thornton, Colorado.The sculpture is two-sided, with each side measuring 28' in length. The side facing the parking lot (east/southeast) has words in multiple languages. The side facing Colorado Blvd. (west/northwest) has images only.The art was completed in June 2023.
"Thornton SkyDance" is a large, curving sculpture suspended from the ceiling of the Carpenter Recreation Center atrium. The sculpture is made of steel tubing with colorful acrylic elements and hanging Swarovski crystal elements. The sculpture is mainly illuminated by natural light, with five built-in LED lights providing subtle lighting during darker times of day. The sculpture was created by Seth Palmiter of Rockport, ME.
"Urban Trees" is a series of three stylized steel trees with red, yellow, and green acrylic leaves. The tree branches curve away from the wall they are mounted on, allowing the acrylic leaves to cast colorful shadows. "Urban Trees" was created by Chris "C.J". Rench of Hood River, OR.The sculptures provide visual interest to the Thornton Crossroads/104th Ave. commuter rail station.
"Bloom" is a large sculpture standing in the bus loop on the southwest side of the Original Thornton/88th Ave. public transportation station. The sculpture is made of metal with a white finish, with brightly colored acrylic insets. Two overlapping circles form the curving stems of its base, and a colorful flower "blossoms" on top of the sculpture. "Bloom" was created by artist Chris "C.J." Rench of Hood River, OR.
This "Untitled" mural is by artist Patrick Maxcy formerly of Arvada, CO. The mural features brightly painted ocean animals including whales, sharks, octopuses, jellyfish, and other smaller creatures. The mural wraps around the front entrance of Thornton's City Pool, continuing across the outdoor entrance to the changing rooms, with additional animals being painted on an outbuilding on the west side of the pool area.
"Butterfly Totems" is one of four "pollinator habitat" sculpture installations made by Andrew Woodard of Santa Fe, NM.The sculptures are made of cast concrete, painted steel, and a 3D printed lattice, and were designed to provide space for caterpillars, cocoons, and butterflies to have safe refuge. The design was made specifically for native butterfly species.
"Periodic Reflection" was created by Pneuhaus Studios of Rumford, RI. The sculpture is a 5' cube consisting of a lattice of interlocking chrome-plated squares, and is elevated above the ground by a 6' pole. "Periodic Reflection" reflects different views of the surrounding park, people, and sky, depending on viewer's angle.
"RAE", short for The Robotic Art Experience, was created by artist Volkan Alkanoglu (V/A DESIGN) of Portland, OR. The sculpture is located at the median at E. 136th Ave. and I-25; the address provided for this entry is an approximation for driving purposes."RAE" is 3D printed sculpture standing on three metal legs. Its shapes are inspired by shapes found in nature, from veins of a leaf, to paths taken by wildlife. The colors were inspired by Colorado's legendary sunsets.
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"Muse of Earth" was installed at Thornton's northernmost commuter rail station (Eastlake/124th Ave.) when the transit station opened in 2022. The sculpture is by artist Jodie Bliss of Monument, Colorado. Together with "Muse of Water", the two metal sculptures flank a pedestrian walkway that leads to the train boarding area.
"Muse of Water" depicts a curving figure topped with rainclouds and a silvery orb. The sculpture was created by artist Jodie Bliss of Monument, Colorado, and is located directly south from the "Muse of Earth" sculpture. This pair of sculptures clank the main pedestrian walkway to the E. 124th Ave. commuter rail boarding area.
"Aperture" is a three-part sculpture in the roundabout in front of Thornton's Trail Winds Recreation Center. The sculpture is by Owens + Crawley, LLC of Indianapolis, IN. "Aperture" consists of three abstracted mountain forms made of aluminum and colorful acrylic elements and includes internal lighting elements. A round, central space between the three forms changes and amplifies ambient sounds, creating public art that is both visual and aural.
"Skywards" was created by Skunk Control artist group from Victoria University in Melbourne, Australia, and can be seen near the main entrance of Thornton's Active Adult Center. The sculpture depicts a flower, its long stem rising above the building. The flower is made of white powder-coated stainless steel, with the flower petals having dichroic glass elements.
This Tour is a Driving or Biking Tour.
Get a QR Code for this tour
A self-guided, driving tour visiting select art installed by the City of Thornton since 2020. Addresses and GPS coordinates are accurate and may be used with this website's navigation, or a maps app of your choice. An additional printable map is also available on the City of Thornton's website at: https://www.thorntonco.gov/community-culture/festivals-events/arts-thornton-public-art-tour
