Pueblo Levee Mural Project: From Illegal Night Paintings to World's Largest Outdoor Gallery
In 1978, a group of college students and artists in Pueblo, Colorado, known as the Teehees, descended illegally down the Arkansas River levee to create murals, establishing the largest outdoor mural gallery globally. Their inaugural artwork, 'Fish in the Bathtub,' earned a Guinness World Record that stood from 1995 until 2016, spanning 178,200 square feet. In 1980, under the guidance of professor Dave Roberts, local officials, including Gus Sandstrom, officially sanctioned the initiative. The original levee wall, constructed in 1921, was taken down in 2016, resulting in the loss of the original murals. Cynthia Ramu is showcasing 'Concrete Creativity: Historic Murals of the Pueblo Levee' at the Sangre de Cristo Arts Center until August 15. Locals are working to regain the world record, now held by a mural in Incheon, South Korea.
Key facts
- The Teehees painted the first mural 'Fish in the Bathtub' illegally in 1978.
- The Pueblo Levee Mural Project held the Guinness World Record for largest outdoor mural gallery from 1995 to 2016.
- The original levee wall was built in 1921 after a flood and was demolished and rebuilt in 2016.
- Cynthia Ramu curated the exhibition 'Concrete Creativity: Historic Murals of the Pueblo Levee' at the Sangre de Cristo Arts Center.
- The current world record for largest outdoor mural is held by a port silo mural in Incheon, South Korea, at 254,983 square feet.
- Shannon Palmer plans to paint a reimagined 'Fish in the Bathtub' this summer.
- Artists must follow guidelines: no logos except local high schools, themes of natural beauty, community history, or ethnic heritage.
- The project has attracted artists from as far as Europe.
Entities
Artists
- Shannon Palmer
- Tia Monson
- Cynthia Ramu
- Dave Roberts
- Gus Sandstrom
- Teehees
Institutions
- Pueblo Conservancy District
- Sangre de Cristo Arts Center
- University of Southern Colorado
- Guinness World Book of Records
- Red Line Denver
- Warhol Foundation
- INSITE Fund
- Rocky Mountain News
- Southwest Contemporary
Locations
- Pueblo
- Colorado
- Arkansas River
- Incheon
- South Korea
- Europe