No matter what the medium, all art tells a story. It can be the story of a culture or community, the story about a particular time in history or even just a story based on a feeling or experience the artist had. No matter what the inspiration, artists use their craft to convey a visual story.
The Town of Windsor recently enlisted the help of Fort Collins artist Chris M. Bates to help the community tell it’s own story through its first public art piece.
Bates has been a working artist for about 15 years and Windsor’s piece is one of around 50 murals he has created. The piece took Bates around 180 hours spread over three weeks to complete.
On Friday evening, residents, business owners, town staff and leaders as well as members of the Windsor Downtown Development Authority and Windsor Chamber of Commerce gathered in the little alley outside of the 408 Exchange Tavern to cut a golden ribbon signifying the official unveiling of the large “Windsorgins” mural.
“This is a big day for Windsor and it’s an exciting thing to see come together. People ask me all of the time, what makes Windsor still have a small town feel and I believe it’s things like this,” Mayor Paul Rennemeyer said to the crowd. “There is going to be a lot more public art coming from the commission. We are really excited to have this here today.”
Attendees check out the mural during the unveiling of a new community art mural on the west side of 408 Exchange Tavern at 408 Main St. in Windsor Oct. 14, 2022. (Alex McIntyre/Staff Photographer)
The mural depicts two of the main attractions that contributed to the settlement of the area — bison and trains.
“The native people stayed here when the bison were here and no one lived here permanently until the train came through,” Bates said. “So I played with those two main overarching themes.”
At first glance at the mural, viewers’ eyes are met with bold, bright colors and thick lines with tiny intricate details woven throughout the entire piece. This isn’t the kind of mural where you can see everything in just one trip or by casually walking by. With all the small details, it takes some time to see all of the time and detail Bates put into the unique piece.
“I met a lot of people during my time working on the mural and it’s great to meet people in the community; I like to engage,” Bates explained. “I got a chance to meet people repeatedly and some of the things I talked to people about made it into the mural. My process is kind of organic. I have an outline of what I want to happen but I want to add the flexibility to have the community inform my process.”
The shadows of attendees are cast onto the mural during the unveiling of a new community art mural on the west side of 408 Exchange Tavern at 408 Main St. in Windsor Oct. 14, 2022. (Alex McIntyre/Staff Photographer)
The mural pays homage to a variety of pieces of the town’s past and present such as the EF3 tornado that tore through the town in 2008, manufacturing companies that were housed in the area, agriculture, the area’s schools and more.
“There one gentleman that passed away (in the tornado) and I memorialized him with a tombstone that has his initials in it,” Bates said. “It has the town of Windsor logo as the main piece.”
The building, built in 1890 by Edwards and Hunt Butcher Shop, has housed a variety of businesses over the decades including a gun shop, an insurance company, a card shop and multiple restaurants — all of which are also depicted in the mural.
“This whole event means so much to me, to my family and to the community,” said Jonathan Hitchcock, owner of the 408 Exchange Tavern. “It is a very exciting time for our community and I couldn’t be more thrilled to be here.”
A group of attendees gather to chat during the unveiling of a new community art mural on the west side of 408 Exchange Tavern at 408 Main St. in Windsor Oct. 14, 2022. (Alex McIntyre/Staff Photographer)
“I am really touched by this and it’s such an honor,” Ashlee Hitchcock, Jonathan’s wife, added.
While Greeley is well known for its thriving and vibrant community art located throughout the city, Windsor is a newbie to the public art world.
In 2021, the town board adopted a public art ordinance that paved the way for the formation of the art commission. The commission is responsible for selecting all locations, artists and public art installed in the town.
Members of the art commission include:
- Carolyn Wagner Snyder
- Alexander Block
- Tiffany Elliot
- Shelley Kawamura
- Caroline Nutt
- Laurie Bess
- Carol Clark
Ken Bennett fills the seat of the Windsor Town Board Liaison for the art commission with Culture Supervisor Laura Browarny serving as the staff liaison.
Attendees check out the mural during the unveiling of a new community art mural on the west side of 408 Exchange Tavern at 408 Main St. in Windsor Oct. 14, 2022. (Alex McIntyre/Staff Photographer)
“This has been a long time in the making, but it’s better late than never. We might have gotten a slow start, but we are going to see a lot of stuff happening really quickly here as far as public art,” Browarny said. “I’ve been involved in public art since the very beginning so for me, the finished product is just breathtaking.”
For more information on the Windsor Art Commission, meetings and upcoming projects, go to https://bit.ly/3dq4dgf.
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