DENVER, Colo. — The skill used to paint the walls in the River North Arts District is undeniable. A mural covers nearly every large, flat surface with a message.
“The amount of hours that go into some of these is crazy when you stop to think about it,” Buck Adams said, looking around.
But one artistic creation on display outside is courtesy of those on the inside.
“It is a collage of artworks we’ve received from inmates from 32 states,” Adams, the head of the company behind the mural, told Denver7.
The overall piece is a bit of a mosaic, made up of over 400 pieces in total.
“The Statue of Liberty stands for home of the free,” Adams said. “So we’ve put that behind bars overlaid on the map of the U.S.”
This speaks to the fact that despite the amount of talent on display, most artists can’t benefit. That’s the message of this mural.
“Prison reform. Making changes to allow inmates to make money while they’re incarcerated,” Adams, the head of Art for Redemption, said.
That money could be used towards restitution, child support, making phone calls to family or friends, or even to save up to have upon their release from prison. It’s a multi-layered issue, as Adams himself recognizes. That’s why the mural itself has multiple layers to it, courtesy an app on your phone when pointing your camera at the mural.
“You unlock it, and it becomes a 3D aspect with the Statue of Liberty inside a cage that opens up with the Statue of Liberty left with the collage of art wrapped around her,” he said.
If you’d like to check out the mural, it’s located at 3722 Chestnut Place in Denver.
Jason Gruenauer at KMGH first reported this story.
