Pianos About Town - Fort Collins, CO

Pianos About Town is a long standing tradition in Fort Collins, Colorado with nearly 200 pianos completed. This public art opportunity is a collaborative project between Bohemian Foundation, the City of Fort Collins and the Fort Collins Downtown Development Authority. Our goal is to seamlessly blend music and art and allow the community to be a part of the process from beginning to end. We are looking for 10 artists/artist teams to paint full-size upright pianos in Old Town Square during the summer of 2026. Artists will be compensated with a $1,000 stipend. 

History

Pianos About Town is a long standing tradition in Fort Collins, Colorado with nearly 200 pianos completed. This public art opportunity is a collaborative project of Bohemian Foundation, the City of Fort Collins and the Fort Collins Downtown Development Authority and has been in existence since 2010. The program was inspired by British artist Luke Jerram, who created a 60 piano installation touring the world, stopping in New York City in 2010. 

Goal

The goal of Pianos About Town is to take the two artistic mediums of visual art and music and seamlessly blend them into one. Because our pianos are painted in our city Square, it gives the community an opportunity to watch as the process unfolds and ultimately become the benefactor of these playable pianos that will then be displayed throughout town.

Scope

• We are looking for 10 artists/artist teams to complete murals on our standard sized, upright pianos.
• Artists will have twenty days to complete their mural.
• All artists will be provided with a 10' x 10' area with a tent, tarp and one primed piano.
• Pianos will come in a variety of sizes and the back will be covered with plywood so that artists will have a solid surface to work with.
• All surfaces of the piano need to be painted or decorated.
• Paining or embellishments to the piano must not hinder its ability to be played, tuned or moved.
• Painting will occur 2 artists at a time and in Old Town Square.
• Artists are required to be on site during the first weekend (Friday, Saturday and Sunday) and the last day of their allotted time to provide for media opportunities. The time spent on the project in between those times is flexible, however we would greatly appreciate a consistent presence for the benefit of the program.
• Artists are required to use high-quality acrylic based products. High quality artist acrylics or exterior house paints are acceptable.
• Artists are encouraged to interact with the community and serve as an ambassador for the Pianos About Town project.
• All artists/artist teams will be paid a $1,000 stipend for their mural.

Timeline

• March 2, 2026 - Call Opens
• April 24, 2026 - Call Closes
• May 1, 2026 - All artists notified of acceptance or regret
• May 15, 2026 - Completed paperwork due

Painting Schedule

• Pianos 1 & 2 - June 5 - June 25
• Pianos 3 & 4 - June 26 - July 16
• Pianos 5 & 6 - July 17 - August 6
• Pianos 7 & 8 - August 7 - August 27
• Pianos 9 & 10 - August 28 - September 17

• Artists are asked to submit a complete design on the templates provided through our website (Front, top, sides and back)
• Artists are asked to provide 3 examples of previous work.
• Designs must be picture based and not word based.
• Designs that include logos, copyrighted or trademarked images, advertisements, political, commercial, religious or sexual themes, symbols or messages will not be considered.

This public art opportunity is open to all artists over the age of 18 residing in Colorado.