Lakewood’s 40 West ARTline gains ground; 4-mile trail connects parks
Lakewood’s soon-to-be 4-mile art trail is moving forward after the city and the 40 West Arts District finalized its route and settled on a new name for what could be one of the city’s most notable amenities.
The 40 West ARTline, previously known as the 40 West Arts Loop, was renamed mostly because of its route shape and currently has a call out for artists to submit applications for various projects throughout the eastern part of Lakewood near West Colfax between Sheridan and Wadsworth boulevards. Lakewood could see some work starting as early as this summer.
“A 4-mile continuous art experience will be such as an asset, not just for our community, but for visitors as well,” said Bill Marino, board chair of the 40 West Arts District.
The city of Lakewood and the 40 West Arts District recently finalized the 4-mile, newly named 40 West ARTLine, which will take place over the next year-plus, with signage and new arts projects along the route.
The city of Lakewood and the 40 West Arts District recently finalized the 4-mile, newly named 40 West ARTLine, which will take place over the next year-plus, with signage and new arts projects along the route. Source: The city of Lakewood.
The goal of the ARTline is to connect Lakewood residents and its visitors with three of its largest and most used parks through a route full of public art and easy means of pedestrian transit, such as biking or walking. Those parks are Walker-Branch, Aviation and Mountair. The line won’t have any new infrastructure aside from some possible bike lanes, but signage and art projects in the three parks and throughout the path will denote various stops along the way.
“It gives opportunities for it to connect to other places in the future and doesn’t isolate to this one loop area,” Lakewood principal planner Alexis Moore said of the route design.
The project got off the ground last May when the district, in partnership with the city, was awarded a $100,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Arts. The grant was the maximum available for the project and the largest amount of money a Colorado organization received last year.
The grant requires a match from the city, which will bring the project’s budget to more than $200,000, but Moore said there isn’t a final number yet on the total cost.
Since May 2016, the city has sought feedback from the community on what it would like to see along the 4-mile stretch that will go as far north as Aviation Park near West 19th Avenue and Teller Street down near the West Rail Line and into Mountair Park near Lakewood’s eastern border with Denver.
Moore said there is a lot of potential for art projects that could be phased in and out, making the ARTline an ever-changing experience.
“We definitely heard that (the community members) want it to be an interactive experience,” Moore said.
Lakewood arts programming curator Lorene Joos said that she feels the city has always been supportive of arts and culture in Lakewood and that this project, a unique one in Colorado, is the latest example.
“They really get that art is something that people really enjoy and that it brings people to the city, particularly with this area, which is an area of economic need,” Joos said. “The art has really helped ignite this area.”
Lakewood Mayor Adam Paul, who held walks in the community to go through part of the proposed route and engage with residents, said he has heard from many who are excited about the ARTline and how it can improve the east part of town, a place that has already seen improvement since the creation of the 40 West Arts District in 2012.
“I’ve talked to a lot of people who are interested and excited about what is happening on West Colfax. Day by day things are changing,” Paul said.
Maddie Nichols, a longtime resident of the Two Creeks neighborhood that borders Colfax and includes part of the ARTline, said she is excited for the new amenity and she thinks it will help improve the image of her part of town and possibly increase property values.
“I think it will be a boon for the area, not just Two Creeks, but northeast Lakewood and Colfax,” she said. “There are some areas that need some sprucing up and I think that will help.”
The 40 West Arts District has already made an impact for the eastern part of Colfax in Lakewood, adding art galleries as well as public murals and art pieces in the area. One example is “Connected,” a Christopher Weed puzzle piece sculpture at West 14th Avenue and Lamar Street.
Artists such as Sean Doherty have also taken up residence in the area, finding a home to create and sell their art.
Doherty, a sculptor known for his many flower pieces on South Broadway in Denver, moved into the district a year ago and will see the ARTline go nearly up to his studio’s front door at West 16th Avenue and Reed Street.
Doherty called the ARTline a game changer for the area that will bring more opportunity to him and fellow artists.
“I just think art is enlightenment,” Doherty said. “If you get that along the route it can change an attitude, create a community and relax people from the tyranny of their day.”