This year is the perfect time to rediscover the stories, people, and places that shaped Greeley. As the nation turns 250, Colorado marks 150 years, and Centennial Village Museum celebrates its 50th, the city’s public art provides a vibrant pathway into the past, transforming streets, parks, and gathering spaces into open-air galleries rich with history and imagination.
This self-guided tour highlights 10 works of art (from more than 150 in Greeley’s public art collection) that bring our nation’s, state’s and city’s heritage to life, beginning and ending in the heart of downtown. Your final stop at Lincoln Park is an easy walk back to the Greeley History Museum. On your way from Lincoln Park to the Greeley History Musem, you’ll pass local restaurants perfect for a lunch break as you reflect on the city’s stories made visible through art.
Before or after your tour, step inside the Greeley History Museum to explore Home News, a compelling exhibit open Friday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Drawing from the pages of the Greeley Tribune, the exhibit offers a fascinating look at how the community viewed the nation’s centennial—capturing the headlines, local voices, and everyday moments that shaped Greeley’s understanding of its place in a growing country. It’s the perfect way to deepen your appreciation of the history reflected throughout the city’s public art.
1 & 2: Greeley: A Visual Resonance by Frank Garza, Painted Mural
PAA Link: Greeley: A Visual Resonance in Greeley, CO
Location: Greeley History Museum, 714 8th St, Greeley, 80631, USA , back side
Laying a Foundation, Mario Echevarria, Ceramic Tile Mural
PAA Link: Laying a Foundation in Greeley, CO
Location: Greeley History Museum, 714 8th St, Greeley, 80631, USA , front side
Walk the perimeter of the Greeley History museum to see two murals, the first by artist Frank Garza, based on vintage photographs. The second by Mario Echevarria features some of Greeley’s major players, including Past President of the Greeley Tribune, Charles Hansen, lover of art and theater and early adopter of xeriscaping, Josephine Jones, as well the founder of baseball team The Greeley Grays, Alvin Garcia. If you go on a Friday, Saturday or Sunday, pop inside, the Greeley History Museum is now FREE!
3. Oasis by Tim Upham, Water Feature of metal, photographic materials, lexan
Location: Greeley Xeriscape Garden, Reservoir Road 1/2 mile W of 23rd Ave
Web: Oasis - Tim Upham - Public Art Projects,
PAA Link: Oasis in Greeley, CO
Artist Tim Upham has interpreted Greeley’s water history and journey in his sculptural water feature, Oasis. From the peaks of the mountains runs the water, as the “Water Pioneers” look on, and actual water flows from the water feature!
4. Committed, Denny Haskew, Bronze and Gold Leaf
Location: Josephine Jones Park, Greeley, CO 80634
PAA Link: Committed in Greeley, CO
Web Links: National Sculptors' Guild Fellow DENNY HASKEW Sculpture Portfolio - NATIONAL SCULPTORS' GUILD
Denny Haskew is a member of the Potawatomi Citizen Nation and his work honors the land that Native Peoples inhabited long before settlers came to the West. Committed is in honor Jack and Ditto Kinkade, long-time, beloved residents of Greeley who frequently donated their time and services to the community. The circular shape behind the figure represents the circle of life and new beginnings.
5. Winds of Change II, Tom Latka, Concrete, tile
Location: W 20th St and 61st Ave
PAA Link: Winds of Change II in Greeley, CO
Ever wonder what Greeley might have looked like before humans even existed? Artist Tom Latka has created his rendition of an ancient formation, juxtaposed with rushing traffic on either side. A row of square blue tiles is attached running down one side to represent water.
6. El Charro de Greeley: Cesar Madera, Cristobal Garcia, Vinyl Wrap Cabinet
Location: 35th Ave & 16th St, NW corner
PAA Link: El Charro de Greeley: Cesar Madera in Greeley, CO
UNC alumni, Cristobal Garcia, has created an ode to Latino culture and his family member, Cesar Madera, who passed in 2020 in a car accident. The traffic box is both a memorial and reminder of Latino culture in Greeley, featuring Madera in his traditional Mexican riding wear.
7. Rattlesnake Kate Box, Katelyn Mia Fusco
Location: 10th St & 39th Ave, NW corner
PAA Link: Rattlesnake Kate in Greeley, CO
Rattlesnake Kate is perhaps the most famous woman, who was know for shooting over 140 rattlesnakes, and creating a dress of their skins (see the actual dress at the Greeley History Museum!). Local artist Katelyn Mia Fusco has taken a modern spin on the iconic imagery surrounding Kate’s legend.
8. Go West Centennial Village Fence by Lisa Cameron Russell, Painting on Panel
PAA Link: Go West CV Fence IV in Greeley, CO
Location, Centennial Village, 1475 A St., SE corner
“Go West” is the phrase most associated with Greeley’s name sake, Horace Greeley, as the West drew settlers of all kinds, including today’s beef industry giants, the Monfort Family. The fence also includes paintings of the Cache la Poudre River, Water Development, and Greeley citizens who “Work Hard, Play Hard and Celebrate”. The paintings are by Greeley artist Lisa Cameron Russell
9. The History of Greeley's Public Transportation, by Kirk Seese, Printed Panel Mural
Location: Greeley Evans Transit Center, N 12th Ave & A St, SW corner
PAA Link: The History of Greeley's Public in Greeley, CO
Ever wondered by some of Greeley’s streets are so wide? Some say it was so a horse drawn buggy could turn around in them! From the buggies to buses, you can see the many eras of transportation in Greeley in this mural by Kirk Seese.
10. The Promise of the Prairie, George Lundeen, Bronze Sculpture
Location: Greeley Lincoln Park, 802 10th Ave, Greeley, CO,
PAA Link: The Promise of the Prairie in Greeley, CO
Pre-American dream, there was the Promise of the Prairie, a place where one could have a slice of land for their own, to farm and raise a family. This bronze by George Lundeen tells the story of a family with hopes of a new life on the eastern slope.
Want to extend your tour to other works of art in Greeley? Check out Greeley’s public art collection with this map. https://publicartarchive.org/embedded-map?slug=City-of-Greeley-Public-Art-Collection