The Largest Mural in the World noted in the Guinness World Book of Records since 1995. These murals span the concrete levee wall along the Historic Arkansas River. The wall was built in 1921 after a major flood in 1920 that left the downtown Pueblo area under 25 ft. of water. The river waters were diverted to the present location and the concrete wall was built to protect the city from future large floods.
In 1978 a group of USC students known as the TEE HEE’s banned together to start one of the first organized murals to be painted on the levee wall. But at this time it was illegal to paint there so they had to do it late at night. So this is where the "Fish in the Bathtub" the 4th Street Bridge was born. The students spent months planning how to carry the paint, work in the dark with flashlights, and also have lookouts in case the police came. Some of the neighbors saw their flashlights and heard them whistle to each other and the police made an attempt to catch the students. But just as they finished the fish they made their escape on one of the trains heading east and jumped off at the Union Depot and ran down Union Ave and found shelter at the Branch Inn with Joey the owner. He was just closing the bar down and let them sleep behind the bar for the night.
This quickly became an issue whether the painting on the levee should be legal or not. At that time our current District Attorney Gus Sandstrom was running for office and proposed that painting should become legal with a permit.
In 1979 a local artist Dave Roberts organized a yearly Paint-A-Thon during May for any artists to come paint the levee and he would supply all of the paint. Roberts would go to paint stores around southern Colorado and take all of their old latex paint and recycle it by painting on the levee. In the early 1990’s Roberts became the major paint recycler for Colorado and still to this day Southern Colorado Recycling works sorting paint and recycling in Pueblo.
The Mural Project is currently over 200,000 sq. ft. of continuous paintings that is on a wall that is 3 ½ miles long. The wall is on the average 65 ft. tall and slopes at a 45-degree angle. Hundreds of artists, non-artists, and students have made their mark on the wall. Currently a reunion of all painters is in the works for 2014 in the spring.
The Mural Project is currently overseen by coordinator Cynthia Ramu a local art teacher at Pueblo School for Arts and Sciences. Ms. Ramu started painting the wall in 1988 and has been the coordinator since 1991. She has painted over 30 murals along the wall with numerous agencies, schools, and individuals. Ms. Ramu has received two Co Visions grants from the Colorado Arts and Humanities Council to create a Historic Mural of the CF&I Steel Mill and the Mujeres Nobles mural with a local youth agency depicting the history of women. The Pueblo Water Conservancy District is the acting agent that is responsible for the up keep of the levee wall.
This next spring will marked the 36 Annual Levee Reunion where the past, present, and future painters will gather to celebrated and shared their experiences and plans for future designs for the project.
In 1978 a group of USC students known as the TEE HEE’s banned together to start one of the first organized murals to be painted on the levee wall. But at this time it was illegal to paint there so they had to do it late at night. So this is where the "Fish in the Bathtub" the 4th Street Bridge was born. The students spent months planning how to carry the paint, work in the dark with flashlights, and also have lookouts in case the police came. Some of the neighbors saw their flashlights and heard them whistle to each other and the police made an attempt to catch the students. But just as they finished the fish they made their escape on one of the trains heading east and jumped off at the Union Depot and ran down Union Ave and found shelter at the Branch Inn with Joey the owner. He was just closing the bar down and let them sleep behind the bar for the night.
This quickly became an issue whether the painting on the levee should be legal or not. At that time our current District Attorney Gus Sandstrom was running for office and proposed that painting should become legal with a permit.
In 1979 a local artist Dave Roberts organized a yearly Paint-A-Thon during May for any artists to come paint the levee and he would supply all of the paint. Roberts would go to paint stores around southern Colorado and take all of their old latex paint and recycle it by painting on the levee. In the early 1990’s Roberts became the major paint recycler for Colorado and still to this day Southern Colorado Recycling works sorting paint and recycling in Pueblo.
The Mural Project is currently over 200,000 sq. ft. of continuous paintings that is on a wall that is 3 ½ miles long. The wall is on the average 65 ft. tall and slopes at a 45-degree angle. Hundreds of artists, non-artists, and students have made their mark on the wall. Currently a reunion of all painters is in the works for 2014 in the spring.
The Mural Project is currently overseen by coordinator Cynthia Ramu a local art teacher at Pueblo School for Arts and Sciences. Ms. Ramu started painting the wall in 1988 and has been the coordinator since 1991. She has painted over 30 murals along the wall with numerous agencies, schools, and individuals. Ms. Ramu has received two Co Visions grants from the Colorado Arts and Humanities Council to create a Historic Mural of the CF&I Steel Mill and the Mujeres Nobles mural with a local youth agency depicting the history of women. The Pueblo Water Conservancy District is the acting agent that is responsible for the up keep of the levee wall.
This next spring will marked the 36 Annual Levee Reunion where the past, present, and future painters will gather to celebrated and shared their experiences and plans for future designs for the project.