Denver Public Art Along the Colfax BRT Corridor

In 2024, Denver Arts & Venues commissioned five artists or teams/organizations to create original artworks for 15 separate stations along the future East Colfax Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) line in Denver. Each artist designed original artwork for three different stations, integrated into the glass canopies above station platforms.

The artists commissioned include Access Gallery (Denver, CO), Justin DeCou (Denver, CO), Lui Ferreyra (Golden, CO), Koco Collaborations, (Denver, CO) and Janelle Stanley (Tempe, AZ).

The goals for the artwork include highlighting and bolstering the history, diversity and spirit of the Colfax corridor. The overall project budget is $2.2 million and includes design, fabrication and installation of the artwork.

The Colfax BRT station artworks were funded through Denver’s 1% for Public Art program. Established by executive order in 1988 and made city ordinance in 1991, the program sets aside 1% of any city-funded capital improvement project over $1 million for the inclusion of art. This means that as Denver builds new infrastructure, art is built right into it, from bus stations to bridges to libraries and more.

“Colfax has always been Denver’s main street, a place full of history, character and people from every walk of life. We wanted the artwork at these stations to reflect that back to the riders who use them every day,” said Public Art Project Manager Megan Deffner. “We received 265 submissions from artists across the country, and a selection panel of community members, neighborhood representatives, civic leaders and arts professionals chose five artists and teams whose work captures the spirit of the corridor. The result is a collection as varied as Colfax itself.”

Phase 1 of the project was completed in September of 2026, with stations from Pennsylvania to Colorado now open. Future stations along Colfax are expected to open in 2027.

Transit map titled “Artists by Station” showing a stretch of Colfax Avenue served by Routes 15 and 15L. Seven center-boarding stations are marked in orange, from west to east, with the artist for each: Pennsylvania, Lui Ferreyra; Downing, Jocelyn of Access Gallery; Franklin/Park, Justin DeCou; Josephine/York, Koco Collab; Fillmore, Janelle Stanley; Madison, Koco Collab; Colorado, Matt MacLean of Access Gallery. Blue lines on either end mark side-stop boarding. — Phase 1 of the East Colfax Bus Rapid Transit line, now open from Pennsylvania to Colorado, features artwork integrated into the glass canopies of seven stations.

Here’s a look at the artists and artworks integrated into the glass canopies of the seven Phase 1 stations.

Pennsylvania Station:

Panoramic landscape of the Maroon Bells in autumn, painted in a faceted, geometric style. Twin peaks of cream and rose-colored rock rise under a blue sky with soft clouds. A dark green evergreen slope frames the left side and hillsides of gold and orange aspens frame the right.

The same Maroon Bells landscape at night. The peaks glow pale pink and cream beneath a purple and deep blue sky full of stars, with a small crescent moon in the upper right. Evergreens and autumn aspens frame either side. — “Maroon Bells (Day and Night)” by Lui Ferreyra, Pennsylvania station (top: eastbound; bottom: westbound).

Artist Bio – Lui Ferreyra

Lui Ferreyra is a Mexican-born artist based out of Denver, Colorado whose work primarily consists of landscapes and the human figure. Both his drawings and paintings deploy a fragmented signature style emphasizing the deconstruction of visual experience. Some of his works can be seen in public spaces, including four murals throughout Denver’s downtown area, four portrait commissions that hang in Boettcher Hall, and a large-scale landscape painting that hangs in Douglas County Library’s newest branch in Castle Rock. His work has been published by New American Paintings, Art Ltd, Wired Magazine, FastCompany, Forbes, Huffington Post, and most recently on the cover of Artists Magazine.

Title: “Maroon Bells (Day and Night)”

Description: The Penn Station work is an autumnal landscape inspired by the Maroon Bells, celebrating the splendor and natural beauty that epitomize Denver’s “backyard.” Interpreted through my signature fragmented style, the work emphasizes the vivid colors, shifting light, and majestic contours that make this landscape so iconic. Rather than a literal rendering, it aims to capture the sense of awe these mountains evoke—an ever-present reminder of the natural grandeur just beyond the city, and a visual anchor connecting the Colfax corridor to Colorado’s larger environmental identity.

Downing Station:

Five side-by-side digital portraits drawn with bold outlines and flat color. From left to right: a woman with a dark flipped hairstyle, yellow headband and white flower, arms crossed, against a blue and orange sunset with orange flowers; two women in green dresses seated side by side in wheelchairs, chins resting on their hands, in front of rainbow stripes; a man in glasses and a purple patterned shirt playing a trumpet against a blue background with water droplets; a woman with flowers in her hair, an orange necklace and a white and pink draped garment over a blue blouse, framed by a gold dotted swirl; and a woman with a tall, swirling black updo against a deep blue bubble-textured background.

Five side-by-side digital portraits drawn with bold outlines and flat color. From left to right: a man in a red jacket, using a wheelchair with colorful wheels, in front of a brick wall; a woman with a sculpted black and gold updo and red lips on an aqua background; a man in sunglasses and a dark suit playing a brass horn in front of a glass block window; a woman in a red patterned headwrap and draped red fabric on a navy background; and a woman with voluminous dark curls highlighted in gold on a green background. — “Untitled” by Jocelyn of Access Gallery, Downing station (top: westbound; bottom: eastbound).

Artist Bio – Access Gallery: Jocelyn

Jocelyn creates art because it’s her therapy, it keeps her alive and happy. She has a good support system that encourages her to keep creating art. She creates portraits of celebrities that she feels are somewhat forgotten. She thinks about the entertainment that they brought to the world and wants to honor them. Her portraits of everyday people signify their auras.

Jocelyn’s preferred media is digital because she likes that she can sit down anywhere and create without the mess. Her favorite subjects are people and animals. She also enjoys writing and abstract painting. What art means to Jocelyn is basically her heart and soul. It is just a way of creating something that she feels at the moment.

Jocelyn created this work as an artist with Access Gallery, where she was part of the community for about two decades. Access Gallery is an inclusive nonprofit organization that engages the community by opening doors to creative, educational and economic opportunities for people with disabilities to access, experience and benefit from the arts.

Title: “Untitled”

Franklin/Park Station:

A dense, overlapping tangle of arms and hands in bright red, teal, purple, orange, pink, green, brown and white on a black background. Stitch-like marks outline each limb. Raised fists and open, reaching hands appear throughout. — “Stronger Together” by Justin DeCou, Franklin/Park station.

Artist Bio – Justin DeCou

Justin DeCou, also known as JUHB is a self-taught artist based in Denver. Known for his large-scale paintings, he mixes bright, chaotic shapes and body parts into unique patterns. He also creates oversized, doodle-like characters that add a playful touch to his work. Using acrylics, house paint and anything else he can find, JUHB enjoys experimenting with different materials. He’s excited to continue his artistic journey and can’t wait to share more of his work with the world.

Title: “Stronger Together”

Josephine/York Station:

Panoramic illustration in soft sunset pinks, purples and teals that blends black silhouettes, grayscale historic buildings, oversized pale flowers and mountain ridges. Scenes include a child reading, a rock climber, a family walking together, a person walking with a white cane, a black cat beneath a full moon, a cyclist pulling a trailer, a person using a wheelchair, a crowd waving flags, a horse-drawn carriage and a musician playing a sousaphone. — “Echoes Through Time” by Koco Collaborations (Aiko Szymczak and Corinne Trujillo), Josephine/York station.

Artist Bio – Koco Collaborations

Koco Collab is the coalescence of artists Aiko Szymczak and Corinne Trujillo. In our practice, we depict ethnically diverse subjects with cross-cultural imagery and themes of nature. By juxtaposing stoic grayscale figures with vibrant backgrounds, we explore the relationship between the inner workings of the mind and the external world. We seek to unravel the complexity of our history by taking various elements of our heritages and weaving them back into new stories. By doing this, we create a platform for the healing process. Within our work, we delve into conversations and projects surrounding mental health, land acknowledgement, introspection and highlighting underrepresented people in the community. We aim to create safe, public spaces in which the viewer can reflect and feel seen.

Title: “Echoes Through Time”

Description: A celebration of community, history and individuality, this artwork pays tribute to the enduring landmarks that have anchored Colfax Avenue at the Josephine/York station for generations. By channeling the avenue’s famously vibrant history, the piece captures the unique moments in time that cultivate a true sense of place. Inspired by the community’s rallying cry to “Keep Colfax Weird,” it reﬂects an inclusive environment where all walks of life are accepted, honoring the rich diversity, people and resilient spirit that deﬁne the neighborhood.

Fillmore Station:

A repeating geometric pattern across ten panels. Horizontal stripes in navy, blue and turquoise, like those on a woven blanket, alternate with rows of shaded bead-like shapes, textured green bands and black-and-white diamond patterns. Diagonal bars in a gold-to-brown gradient frame each panel. — “Beauty” by Janelle Stanley, Fillmore station.

Artist Bio – Janelle Stanley

Janelle Stanley grew up on the Dine’ Reservation, in Tuba City, Arizona. She is (Dziłtł’ahnii) Mountain Cove from Teesto, Arizona and was raised (Tódích’íi’nii) Bitter Water of Red Lake, Arizona, including paternal Acoma Pueblo lineage. Janelle currently resides in the Phoenix metropolitan area. She observed weavers and seamstresses growing up. After raising a family, Janelle pursued the Fibers Program at Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona. As an urban Native public art artist, Janelle is innately connected to her family of northern Arizona and New Mexico. Upon being selected for this project, Janelle researched the indigenous representation of the Denver area and surrounding land base. The notable three long-standing tribes are the Arapaho, Cheyenne and Southern Ute. Janelle created all three canopy designs with hand-stitch designs utilized on Native culture clothing/regalia, and woven blanket patterns created by Southwest tribes that were traded with tribal leaders of the Southern Ute, colors that represent cultural bead work.

Title: “Beauty”

Description: The extensive layered history of trade items among the Arapaho, Ute and Cheyenne tribes has created incredible cultural clothing and tools. Janelle chose to share a glimpse of bead, blanket and pottery design that reflect the time-honored cultural items.

Madison Station:

Panoramic collage of grayscale photographs of neighborhood residents set among flowing ribbons of teal, coral, gold and deep red. Scenes include an older bearded man walking two dogs, a child running, a young person playing trumpet, a woman reading a newspaper, people walking at night and a full moon. The Bluebird Theater’s neon sign appears at left, and a street sign for Madison St and Colfax Ave marks the right end. — “Woven by the People” by Koco Collaborations (Aiko Szymczak and Corinne Trujillo), Madison station.

Artist Bio – Koco Collaborations

Title: ”Woven by the People”

Description: Honoring the profound connection between people and the community they create together. The Madison station serves as a visual archive of local life and shared history. The station’s design shines a light on the ﬂeeting, everyday moments and personal interactions that deﬁne the neighborhood. By reﬂecting on how we capture our memories through one another, the artwork transforms this transit space into a poignant reminder that history is built by the people who inhabit it, creating a welcoming space of ﬂowing color that honors Colfax’s collective story.

Colorado Station:

The words “Colorado Blvd.” in large block letters against a bright blue sky with cartoon clouds. Each letter is filled with a different local landmark or vintage sign: a neon cactus motel sign advertising “No Vacancy” and “Color TV,” a retro 15-cent hamburger stand sign with a chef mascot, a vertical neon “Satire Lounge” sign, the Ogden Theatre’s marquee, a red-and-white bullseye, a gold dome, a cluster of vintage signs including a donut shop sign reading “Open 24 Hr,” and a historic stone building with tall columns.

The words “Colorado Blvd.” in large block letters against a bright blue sky with cartoon clouds. Each letter is filled with a local landmark or sign: Pete’s Kitchen’s neon “Open 24 Hours” sign, a white storefront, a vertical “Motel” sign with “Vacancy,” the Bluebird’s neon script, a stone archway, a brick clock tower, a Dutch Boy Donuts sign and a starry “Celebrity Lanes” sign. — “Colorado East to West” by Matt Maclean of Access Gallery, Colorado station (top: westbound; bottom: eastbound).

Artist Bio – Access Gallery: Matt Maclean

Matt Maclean has been drawing for as long as he can remember, using art as both a way to express himself and to find calm during stressful moments. While his primary medium is graphic design, he also enjoys working with pencils and markers. Matt has a particular passion for drawing Manga, bringing a strong sense of proportion, color and emotion to his characters. Deeply inspired by cities, architecture and Japanese culture, he dreams of traveling to Japan one day. As part of this journey, he’s learning Japanese and practicing small aspects of the culture, like eating with chopsticks each night.

Matt has been an artist with Access Gallery since 2021. Access Gallery is an inclusive nonprofit organization that engages the community by opening doors to creative, educational and economic opportunities for people with disabilities to access, experience and benefit from the arts.

Title: “Colorado East to West”

Description: In “Colorado East to West”, Matt celebrates Colorado Boulevard as a corridor that connects neighborhoods, landmarks and people across Denver. Filled with recognizable destinations, bold color and playful details, the artwork reflects his appreciation for the places that define the city and the experiences that bring communities together.