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In celebration of Arts Month 2021, the Pikes Peak Outdoor Recreation Alliance, Fountain Creek Watershed Flood Control & Greenway District, Creek Week, and the Cultural Office of the Pikes Peak Region have joined forces once again to orchestrate the 4th annual Pikes Peak Litter Letter Project. Each year, our local Litter Letter Project produces a unique piece of sculptural art that is constructed with trash collected from public lands and waterways during Creek Week. Modeled after the national Litter Letter Project, and with permission to use their logo and concept, our local Litter Letter Project is a fun and inspiring annual event that signals the official start of Arts Month. It’s also a wonderful cross-sector collaboration between the Arts, Outdoor Recreation, and Environmental sectors that benefits the entire region!
The community is invited to participate in several clean-up sessions throughout our local trails and lands during National Public Lands Day (Sept. 25) and in coordination with our local Creek Week cleanups (Sept. 25 – Oct. 3). Participants will gather litter at several designated sites and then fill giant letters made from recycled metal that spell a different word each year. Our past words have been INSPIRE (2018), PRISTINE (2019), and RESILIENT (2020). This year’s word is: RESPECT.
The litter letters, constructed by local nonprofit Concrete Couch, will be on display throughout the month of October in celebration of Arts Month. Well-sited on a berm, just off Cimarron Street, east of I-25 and south of America the Beautiful Park, the art piece is also visible from the adjacent trail. A billboard in the background will identify all the program partners.
On Friday, October 1 at 4:00 PM, just before the start of First Friday, there will be a dedication ceremony for the 2021 Litter Letter art piece. The dedication event is free and open to the public, and will feature brief remarks by project partners and community leaders. Light snacks and refreshments will be provided, as well as live musical entertainment by Ryan Flores starting at 3:30 PM (courtesy of the Curbside Culture program).
Following the dedication event, everyone is invited to celebrate the start of Arts Month 2021 by participating in the October First Friday Art Walks from 5-8 PM along the Avenue Creative Circuit in Downtown Colorado Springs, Old Colorado City, and Manitou Springs. Throughout the month of October, the local community is also invited to support our Litter Letter Project though a special social media campaign on Instagram, by using the hashtag #PikesPeakLitterLetters to show us how you recreate responsibly, and RESPECT the outdoors.