For Immediate Release
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Terri Takata-Smith
(303) 449-3774
Terri@downtownboulder.org
Pearl Street Mall to Showcase Student Art on Banners, “What I love About Boulder”
Students from Whittier International School, Casey Middle School & Boulder High School prepare to make artistic debut on the Pearl Street Mall
BOULDER, CO [January 9, 2013] -- Starting next week, visitors to downtown Boulder will be welcomed on the Pearl Street Mall by new lamp pole banners created by the talents and imagination of 57 budding artists from Whittier International School, Casey Middle School and Boulder High School. The banners along the Mall will be on display through mid April.
This year’s inaugural theme is “What I love about Boulder”. Designs include images of tubing on Boulder Creek, the iconic Boulder Theater, play areas along the Mall and much more. Mediums to create the designs for the banners range from collage to water colors, pencil art, crayons and photography.
The banner project is produced by the Downtown Boulder Business Improvement District - who based the idea on a similar banner tradition hosted by Downtown Palm Springs. The three schools (in closest proximity to downtown Boulder), as well as the Boulder Valley School District and Photo Craft Imaging graciously agreed to help make this happen - along with a generous grant from the Boulder Arts Commission.
“We’re excited to give kids in our own community the chance to showcase their talents to a wide spectrum of local and global visitors,” said Sean Maher, executive director of Downtown Boulder. “We hope that this becomes a yearly tradition and one that furthers Boulder’s already well established reputation as a creative community.”
Prominent city leaders, school officials and the student artists will come together at a kickoff event on Tuesday, January 15 at 4 p.m. hosted at Antica Roma on the 1300 block of the Pearl Street Mall.
A photo gallery of the banners will be featured on the Downtown Boulder website: BoulderDowntown.com. A few of the banners will also be on display at the Visitor Information Center (1303 Pearl Street).
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About the Downtown Boulder Business Improvement District (BID)
The Downtown Boulder Business Improvement District (BID) is a 49-block neighborhood where property owners tax themselves to make their community cleaner, safer and more vibrant. The tax is used by the BID to purchase services that supplement those provided by the city and provide a comprehensive consumer marketing program.
Working with the city of Boulder and our non-profit partner, Downtown Boulder, Incorporated, the Downtown Boulder BID is leading a new spirit of cooperation among property owners, businesses and the community by providing a range of enhanced management programs including maintenance, marketing, economic vitality and physical improvements. These program areas of the Downtown Boulder BID are designed to retain, expand and attract businesses and investment to improve the Downtown environment.
About The Boulder Valley School district (BVSD):
Located in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, Boulder Valley School District (BVSD) stretches from the peaks of the Continental Divide to the suburbs of Denver. BVSD stands as a leader in academic excellence with outstanding classroom teachers, exemplary schools, and programs that support student achievement. BVSD consistently ranks among the top three of Colorado’s large Front Range school districts – and often as the TOP district – as measured by state and national academic rankings.
Each year, BVSD’s graduates are awarded millions of dollars in scholarships and score well above the state and national averages on the ACT and SAT college entrance exams. Boulder Valley students are at the top in the state in the Colorado Student Assessment Program (CSAP) results. Boulder Valley Schools also receive a tremendous amount of community support. Voters recently approved a tax increase of nearly $300 million for capital improvements to each of our 55 schools over the next six years.
About Photo Craft Imaging:
Photo Craft Imaging has been serving discriminating photographers since 1974. Located in Boulder, Colorado, Photo Craft is all about taking your vision to the next level of excellence, translating what you capture into the finest print possible. Photo Craft offers high quality film scanning; image file work; custom photographic and inkjet printing; and conservation quality print finishing and framing. Photo Craft is one of the few print makers left in the world that images to true silver based photographic materials using the legendary LightJet by Cymbolic Sciences.
About the Boulder Arts Commission (BAC):
The Boulder Arts Commission, established in 1979 to increase awareness and support for the arts, consists of five members appointed by City Council, each to a five-year term. The BAC’s mission is to "assert a leadership role in enriching the lives of the people of Boulder through supporting arts experiences of the highest quality. The arts are a human experience and need to be celebrated as a great community and individual resource."
With a budget received through the City’s general fund and also through a dedicated portion of sales tax, the Arts Commission’s meetings are focused on evaluating grant proposals received from Boulder artists and arts organizations in a variety of grant categories.
The Commission also weighs in on public art projects, administers financial support to the Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art and the Dairy Center for the Arts (with a BAC member appointed as a voting member representing the City’s interests on each of those boards of directors), funds and provides direction to the Boulder Arts Resource (an online database providing information about visual and performing arts in Boulder and beyond, www.artsresource.org, and the Dance Bridge (a project aimed to broaden public participation in dance through support, promotion and the centralization of services and resources). Additionally, a BAC member represents the City’s interests as a voting member on the board of directors of the Boulder Convention and Visitors Bureau.