The Garage

The Garage Featured Image

Project

Mural

Location

Denver

In the summer of 2018, the vacant service station down the road was being renovated and turned into a community center for the church next door. The pastor suggested a mural be painted on the outside, something colorful and community-inspired. 

We volunteered to design the art and paint it ourselves. They agreed and rallied the neighborhood to give us a hand. This is what we made.

Disciplines

  • Illustration & Art
1 Collaborative Community Abstract Mural

The vacant service station down the street was converting into a community center. We volunteered to give it a fresh coat of paint.

Churchmural before2

The existing façade was a grid of blank panels on three sides.

Churchmural axon2b

Working off that grid, we designed a pattern of organic shapes.

Churchmural elevationlines art GIF 2
Churchmural markeadamprep2

We chose an earthy but vibrant palette.

Churchmural cleanpatterndetail 2

Simple geometries evoked spaces and scenes.

The design was a paint-by-numbers, so the whole neighborhood could pitch in.

Churchmural penny
Churchmural markedante
Churchmural cornercrew b

Over a single weekend, with an outpouring of help from the community, we managed to cover every inch of the building.

Churchmural final2b

Check it out in person at 3830 W 32nd Ave, Denver. You can't miss it.

Credits

  • Creative Direction

    Marke Johnson

  • Art Direction

    Adam Blake, Marke Johnson

  • Design

    Kyle Huninghake

  • Painting

    Marke Johnson
    Adam Blake
    Kim Johnson
    Kyle Huninghake
    Highlands Community

Acknowledgments

Enormous gratitude to Reverend Bradley Laurvick at Highlands United Methodist Church, who had the idea for a mural in the first place. His enthusiasm, creative courage, and ability to rally the neighborhood made this project possible.