Fort Collins Reserves Transformer Mural Program for New Artists at 20-Year Mark

Fort Collins' Art in Public Places program is reserving its 2026 transformer cabinet mural commissions exclusively for first-time muralists as it celebrates 20 years since completing its first painted cabinets in Tenney Court.

The program was founded in 2004 as a graffiti prevention strategy and has since transformed more than 450 transformer cabinets into public artworks across Fort Collins. "For 2026, the APP Program is looking for new/emerging artists that haven't previously completed a Transformer Cabinet Mural in Fort Collins," according to a city announcement released January 29.

Artists and teams must live in the Growth Management Area to apply. Applications are due by 5 p.m. March 4; murals will be painted July or August 2026. The goal is to reduce graffiti and create artful public spaces.

Information and applications are available at FortCollins.gov/PublicArt. Two open houses are scheduled: a virtual session Feb. 11, 6:30–7:30 p.m., with presentation and Q&A, and an in-person session Feb. 25, 5:30–6:30 p.m., at the Center for Creativity.

Early results suggest the strategy works. According to a 2013 Rocky Mountain Collegian article, artist Ren Burke observed that painted cabinets experience less tagging than unpainted ones: "Every time the unpainted cabinets were tagged or covered with graffiti, which was almost every weekend, someone would have to come and sand it down and paint over it … now that they're painted, people don't tag them nearly as much as before."

Ellen Martin, the city's Visual Arts Administrator, described the approach in that same coverage: "This program is innovative in its use of art to help solve the social issue of vandalism on city property."

The program reduces maintenance costs while adding color to the city landscape. Both open houses are open to the public; staff will answer application questions one-on-one.