Inaugural “WeldWalls Mural Festival” Aims to Put Greeley on the Map as a Public Art Destination

GREELEY, CO-- Greeley’s first ever outdoor mural festival, WeldWalls, is making its mark on the City’s public art landscape this Fall. The five-day festival will take place September 17 – 21, adding a collection of new large-scale murals to Downtown Greeley. The festival is being produced by artist manager and creative entrepreneur Briana Harris and visual artist Armando Silva, both long-time residents of Greeley and members of its creative community. The team is partnering with WeldWerks Brewing Co. as the festival site location; the brewery will contribute outdoor walls at their brewery campus for transformation by the festival artists, and will host multiple festival events on site throughout the week.

The festival will include a lineup of at least six artists or artist teams who will create new original murals over the five-day festival span. The artist lineup will be split between local artists living and working in Greeley, and artists hailing from other communities across Colorado and beyond. The festival will conclude with a free community celebration and unveiling event on Saturday, September 21, held at WeldWerks on 508 8th Ave in Greeley, CO. In addition, the festival will present a variety of public programming throughout the week, including artist talks, workshops, and community activations.

“We’re aiming for a real sense of cultural exchange where our audience is introduced to new artists working at the highest levels in this medium, and our visiting artists and out-of-town attendees are introduced to everything our local artists and creative community has to offer,” says Harris. “ We want to make it clear: Greeley is a place where cutting edge public art happens.”

Silva and Harris first met through Greeley’s creative community, and eventually began working together as an artist and manager team.

“My own background and artistic practice is in music,” says Harris, who has performed with and managed the Northern Colorado band The Burroughs for a decade. “I found a lot of the skills I used in music management were valuable in working with visual artists. Armando and I have always connected on the way we think about creativity, entrepreneurship, and community building.”

The official artist lineup announcement for WeldWalls is expected for announcement in June 2024. Full festival schedule and details will arrive in Summer 2024. To learn more, visit weldwalls.com. 

About WeldWalls

WeldWalls is a new outdoor mural festival hosted in Greeley, CO. It will create 6 new murals by 6 artist teams, completed over a 5 day span in September ‘24. Murals will all be installed on the campus of WeldWerks Brewing, and will be accessible to the public for years to come.The festival will result in new pieces added to the City’s public art collection, a brand new community art event, increased tourism for the city, a new network of connected artists, and an updated look for part of Downtown Greeley that adds to the City’s growing profile as a leader in innovative public art programming. The festival is produced by Briana Harris (owner and manager, Harris Artist Management) and Armando Silva (artist, Silva Studios). 

ABOUT WELDWERKS BREWING CO.
Established in 2015, WeldWerks Brewing Co. is an award-winning craft brewery and kitchen located in Greeley, Colorado recognized for brewing an array of beer styles including Juicy Bits, one of the most highly regarded IPAs in the country. Comprised of a passionate group of individuals dedicated to bringing innovative and quality craft beer to the community it serves, WeldWerks Brewing has garnered numerous medals and acclaim on the way, including being named the best new brewery in the country by USA Today in 2016 and multiple medals at both the Great American Beer Festival and World Beer Cup. At WeldWerks, being “dialed-in" is a way of life, helping to ensure outstanding excellence in craft beer, tasty eats, and beyond.