Denver’s Five Points neighborhood is a hotbed of creativity and construction taking place among powerful sites of heritage. Led by Graham Coreil-Allen, the New Public Sites – Five Points walking tours and immersive map installation showed how regular people have helped shape the history, design and current uses of public spaces around Five Points. Taking place within and around RedLine‘s 48 Hours of Socially Engaged Art and Conversation, the New Public Sites – Five Points Denver provided a range of opportunities for learning about and activating the power of public space within a truly beautiful, challenging and inspirational neighborhood.

The New Public Sites tours were free and open to the public as part of RedLine’s 48 Hours of Socially Engaged Art and Conversation summit. The first tour took place on Wednesday, August 10 from 11am-12:30pm, and focused on sites of heritage and change around Welton Street. Stops will included Lawson Park, Cousins Plaza, speculative/construction sites, and the Five Points intersection itself. The second tour took place on Thursday, August 11 from 6-7:30pm, and investigated the positive and negative impacts of urban planning and development around the RiNo arts district. Sites will include Broadway’s triangular spaces, Sustainability Park, and The Temple.

During the tours, Coreil-Allen recited poetic terms and definitions identifying specific types of public sites and experiences unique to Five Points. Along the way, he also invited neighborhood experts, such as residents, workers and other stakeholders, to help identify, interpret, and activate their own public spaces. Guest speakers included Centro Humanitario organizers Nancy Rosas and Judith Marquez, Blair-Caldwell Librarian Terry Nelson, long-term resident and RTD Title-VI Specialist Shontel Lewis, Five Points Fermentation owner Asia Dorsey, and The Temple Director Adam Gordon. The project was also informed by a range of interviewees included Tyrone Beverly, Beverly Grant, Lyz Riley, PJ DAmico, George Perez, Hadiya Evans, Julie Rubsam, Nikki Pike, and Celia Herrera. The tours culminated with participants contributing found objects to an immersive map and photography installation at RedLine.

New Public Sites - Five Points Denver
Redline Contemporary Art Center
Denver, CO
August 10 & 11, 2016