Fruita will unveil new banners on the Fruita COOP Tower this Friday, Sept. 25, at 4 p.m. The ceremony, scheduled for Mulberry Park, marks the first time the iconic roadside building’s artwork has been changed in roughly a decade. City officials say the contributions from local residents will be visible in high detail, thanks to a newly installed telescope in Mulberry Park.
The new artwork will adorn both the east and west sides of the unmistakable tower, which is visible from Interstate 70. According to a municipal press release, one banner will feature a cyclist, while the other will depict “Greta,” the 20-foot-tall dinosaur statue located in Circle Park. Also included are approximately 150 flowers, drawn in a wide variety of styles by area residents.
Artist Andrea Downs, who designed the new banners, confirmed that every flower design submitted by locals was incorporated into the final piece. These community contributions range from casual doodles to detailed illustrations, and even included one quilt square depicting a flower. Downs gathered these hand-illustrated flowers online and through community engagement events at the local farmers market.
Downs expressed the deep community connection inherent in the project. She noted that she "really, really wanted to make this like a love letter to Fruita" and that the designs carry a sincerity from within the community. She added that she felt encouraged by the participation across all ages, observing that many people feel comfortable drawing a flower, even those who might be shy about making art. She emphasized the value of engaging with real human beings and their handcrafted contributions, especially in an age of aggressive AI, calling the outcome a "lovely, happy, defiant, beautiful thing."
For those who contributed to the artwork, the new telescope in Mulberry Park will allow them to admire the fine details of the west-facing banner and locate their individual flower designs. Downs sketched out both designs with pencil and paper before creating digital versions. She then filled open space on the west-facing banner with scanned copies of all the resident-submitted flowers.
This project represents a significant shift for Fruita. A call for artists went out in March of this year, marking the first time the city opened the door for submissions to replace the banners on the decommissioned silo. While the Fruita COOP Tower is privately owned, the massive decorative banners are allowed under a lease agreement with the city. Downs described the opportunity to design the banners as a dream come true, saying she had to pinch herself a few times.