Before I Die

by Susie Grade on 01/01/13

Ok, seriously people, this is very cool – we all must go – check it out.

Interactive Mural on Display Outside McNichols Building

Wednesday, January 9th thru February, McNichols Building, 5-8pm

‘Before I Die…’ engaging visitors at Colfax and Bannock

Before I Die…, a worldwide art installation by Candy Chang, has made its way to downtown Denver and is on display until February.

The interactive mural is located on the grounds of the McNichols Civic Center Building at the corner of Colfax Avenue and Bannock Street. With blackboard space next to the words “Before I die I want to…” the mural invites visitors to pick up a piece of chalk, reflect on their lives, and share their personal aspirations in a public space.

To celebrate the installation’s residency in Denver, a reception will be held on Wednesday, Jan. 9 from 5-8 p.m. at the McNichols Building.

The mural was installed in Denver’s Sonny Lawson Park by the Community Coordinating District No. 1 last summer and moved to the McNichols Building grounds in early December. It was brought to Denver through a partnership of Arts and Venues Denver, the Community Coordinating District, Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design, and Denver Design Build LLC.

The original Before I Die… mural was installed in New Orleans, where Chang transformed the side of an abandoned house in her neighborhood into a giant chalkboard and stenciled it with the sentence. By the next day the wall was entirely filled out and it kept growing. The wall turned a neglected space into a constructive one where neighbors had an outlet to get to know each other and remember their loved ones.

Before I Die… murals have been installed in more than 20 countries and reproduced in more than 10 languages. For photos and more information, visit http://beforeidie.cc/site/denver 

For more information on Denver’s Public Art Program, visit www.artsandvenuesdenver.com/publicart or call 720-865-4313