Local Art Curbs Graffiti and Beautifies Cortez Neighborhoods

Walk around Cortez and inevitably you’ll see graffiti. Over the last few years, people have tagged many of the concrete barriers the city has installed to keep cars off neighborhood paths, affecting the residents who use the paths and local homeowners who have seen their home values fall. One Cortez local wanted to solve the graffiti problem by painting barriers with local artwork, so she worked with an art teacher at Montezuma-Cortez High School to create a program for students to do the work as a class project. LOR’s funding helped the local purchase paint, paint brushes, drop cloths, and other supplies for the program, as well as cover a stipend for the teacher and gift cards for the students. If successful, the city of Cortez aims to use the program throughout the community, counteracting graffiti with local artistry.

This project is fiscally sponsored by Onward! A Legacy Foundation.