For their community project, DUG’s 2025 Youth Service Fellowship (YSF) cohort painted a mural at Horsebarn Community Garden, located next to the DUG office. The main goal of the mural project was to include community voices in the design process with a focus on culture and history. The YSF cohort did this by collecting responses and input in a survey to the gardeners in that space. In collaboration with a local artist, the cohort designed and painted the mural during their final summer stretch of service with DUG.
They hope the community-centered art becomes a vital element of Horsebarn for years to come.
What else have you painted for DUG?
Edison Elementary, and my partner and I painted the Utica St Garden.
(see photos to the right)
Tell us about your background and relationship to DUG?
As an artist, I am deeply passionate about social and food justice, environmental conservation, and the transformative power of public art. Collaborating with Denver Urban Gardens has been especially meaningful, as it has allowed me to merge two core passions: creating accessible, community-centered art and supporting equitable, sustainable food systems. Through this work, I aim to spark dialogue, celebrate resilience, and contribute to a more just and beautiful world.
What supported the inspiration behind the mural design?
“Rooted Together,” a wrap-around mural for Horse Barn Garden, celebrates the rich cultural heritage and resilience of this historic space. Inspired by community input, the design transforms vegetables and flowers into stylized pillars of unity, representing the diverse traditions and people who come together to grow, share, and heal through gardening. Layered with patterns and imagery that honor both ancestral foodways and the site’s past as a hub for Denver’s horse-drawn streetcars, the mural intertwines history, nature, and collective care—making visible the legacy and ongoing story of this vibrant community space.
