CENTRAL SPRINGS, Colo. (KOAA) — A vacant building at Portal Park in Colorado Springs is getting a second life as a canvas for community art.
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Portal Pool has been out of commission for some time. Since the Portal Pool closed in 2020 after leaks and foundation issues, it has sat empty and unused for 6 years, leaving the pool fenced off from park-goers. The closure is a reminder of the neighborhood's deep mining history. Underneath the pool is a coal mine shaft.
Now, the Papeton Neighborhood Organization is working with artist Joe Ziegler and local nonprofit Shutter & Strum to transform the plain white building into a mural that reflects the history and culture of the Papeton and Cragmor neighborhoods.
"This place is just sitting here vacant and kind of being trashed by tags and graffiti and different things like that, we wanna put some pride into the neighborhood and show some beauty and color and represent the culture of the neighborhood," Brian Tryon said.
Ziegler said the mural is designed to draw people in and tell the story of the area through imagery.
"We sort of wanted to create a portal that would bring you in from either side of the building to see these little vignettes, almost these portal views on the history and the future and places that have meant so much to this area, Ted's bicycles and you know more newly the Papeton Print co op," Ziegler said.
That history runs deep. Tryon said the neighborhood's story spans mining, indigenous heritage, and more.
"It's got a mining history, but it also has indigenous land here. It's Ute Indian land, and also when the sanatorium was up at UCCS, the Navajo folks were up there, being taken care of, and they were able to speak their own languages. They were able to keep their own diversity and culture, and they did a lot of artwork," Tryon said.
Tryon, owner of Shutter and Strum, said he hopes the mural does more than beautify the building — he wants it to bring neighbors together.
"I've lived in this neighborhood for so long now that I wanted people to start caring about their communities that never thought that they would see some cool mural, never thought to see the pool come back or haven't even known the history of everything behind it. So I think it's just going to lock and tie more people in as community members, and get more people talking to each other," Tryon said.
The project is still in its beginning stages, but neighbors are already gathering to plan. Ziegler said the goal goes beyond paint on a wall.
"The goal with the mural is to present this space as a place worth saving and worth investing in as a community and we're looking forward to getting going on it," Ziegler said.
The project is still in the early stages, but the Papeton Neighborhood Organization is gathering funding through donations and community support. They are working on getting students, community members, and anyone who wants to take part involved.
