Acercamiento (Spiritual Migration)
Centennial Hall; Exterior, Cascade Avenue entrance
Installed in 2003, the colorful tile mural was a collaboration between Colorado Springs and sister city Nuevo Casas Grandes, Mexico.
Blazing Saddles
Centennial Hall; Interior lobby, outside Suite 200
Artist Carrie Fell graciously created a painting exclusively for El Paso County in 2014. The acrylic and oil on canvas piece is 48 inches square.
A Colorado native, Carrie Fell studied interior design in college and began her professional career as an artist in 1985. However, she once worked for former El Paso County Administrator Terry Harris, whose name graces the El Paso County Terry R. Harris Judicial Complex. He encouraged Fell to pursue her art, and she credits him with her success.
Clock
Centennial Hall; Auditorium
Plaque: Johnson Service Company, Milwaukee, U.S.A
The clock is suspected to be from the Waterbury Clock Company.
The mechanism, the hands and pendulum look like work by Waterbury Clock Company. If the cabinet is original, it was probably a special order. The patented Waterbury hands were available on the Swiss import pinwheel Precision regulator movement which is what this clock has. The switch gear inside the clock is very similar to the one in the Master Clock in St Louis, and that would have good actuated by a cam up in the clock mechanism.
The flat brass and steel rods were designed for temperature compensation.
Like many jewelers that contracted with various clock companies to put their names on the clocks so did Warren Johnson. Examples are Tiffany in New York, Mermod Jaccard, in St Louis, Bailey Banks and Biddle. Warren Johnson went a step further and had his cases made different from the normal production cases. Warren Johnson wanted his clocks to be exclusive. So a bit more customizing from the norm made them special. The tradition of having a name appear on a plaque or dial other than the actual maker goes back hundreds of years
Information supplied by David Warner.
Flights of Fancy
Centennial Hall; Interior lobby, auditorium and office areas
From 1935 to 1943 the Federal Art Project was part of President Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal. The Works Progress Administration (WPA), hired hundreds of out of work artists who collectively created more than 100,000 paintings and murals and some 18,000 sculptures.
The Flights of Fancy Collection, by Denver artist Leone Bradbury, depicting nine famous fairy tales and nursery rhymes was displayed at the Ellsworth School in Denver until the building was sold in 1995. The collection was put in storage in 2012 until it was assigned to El Paso County for permanent display in 2016.
- Little Red Riding Hood
- Goldilocks
- Cinderella
- Wynken, Blynken, & Nod
- Little Bo Peep
- Piped Piper
- Little Boy Blue (Come Blow Your Horn)
- Little Jack Horner
Stewarts Commercial Photography Collection
Centennial Hall, Commissioners Hallway
The Stewarts Commercial Photographers collection extends over a period of eight decades and contains images of the Cripple Creek Mining District, Manitou Springs, Colorado Springs, and other communities in the Pikes Peak region. It contains one of the most comprehensive visual records of everyday life in the Pikes Peak region covering a large part of the twentieth century. The entire collection is on file with the Penrose Public Library.
The History of Transportation (mural)
Centennial Hall; Exterior, Cascade Avenue entrance
The mural, approximately 60 feet long, celebrates the many modes of transportation used over time in the Pikes Peak region. Steve Wood designed the mural as a learning tool for students exploring Colorado history. The mural depicts the ever-changing modes of transportation that have served El Paso County. He delved into collections at the Pioneers Museum as he researched the region’s history before creating his artwork. The mural was originally installed in 2002 at the downtown transit terminal before being relocated to Centennial Hallin 2017.
Ken Williams Watercolor
Centennial Hall; Interior hallway
Artist Ken Williams watercolor of the Denver and Rio Grande, Colorado Centennial 1876-1976
Matt Payne
Centennial Hall; Interior, Commissioners Hallway
There are three photographs by local photographer Matt Payne, hanging in the Commissioners Hallway. The prints include Pikes Peak from Garden of the Gods, Paint Mines and Sunflare and Yuca.
You can purchase prints of Matt Payne’s photography at his website, www.mattpaynephotography.com.
Rearing Horse
Centennial Hall; Exterior, Cascade Avenue entrance
Rearing Horse stands more than 12 feet tall. The steel piece was created by local artist Don Green in 1986, his first commissioned public artwork. Green relocated from Nebraska in 1940 as a youth with his farming family. After attending college on a football scholarship, Green was hired in 1956 to teach at East Junior High School, and worked for Colorado Springs School District 11 for the next 30 years. Green spent more than 30 years creating art for the region, including the animal benches at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo.
Wooden Seals
Centennial Hall; Interior Commissioners Lobby and Hallway
Created by a local artist Mark Hodges from Phantom Canyon Carving Co., the wooden (maple) seals measure about 41 inches in diameter and are 1.5 inches thick. They were installed in 2012 during the renovation of Centennial Hall.
Silver Seals
Centennial Hall; Interior Lobby
Date unknown
A collection of seals is installed on the wall near the main entrance to the Centennial Hall auditorium.
- Left Top – Colorado Seal
- Middle – Great Seal of the United States
- Right Top – El Paso County Seal
- Left Bottom – Spain
- Middle Bottom – Mexico
- Right Bottom – France
Large Tile Seals
Centennial Hall; Auditorium
Date unknown
Two large seals made from tiles adorn the walls of the auditorium in Centennial Hall, the historical El Paso County seal and the State of Colorado seal
Centennial Hall is located in downtown Colorado Springs at the intersection of Cascade and Vermijo.
Hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday to Friday.
Closed on all government holidays.
Art at Citizens Service Center
Blue Pinwheel
Citizens Service Center; driveway entrance
Installed in 2017
The pinwheel at the Citizens Service Center is about 20 feet tall and ten feet wide, and serves as a visual reminder of the happy childhoods desired for all children. The collaborative project involved multiple County departments, community partners and local businesses.
CityWorks
Citizens Service Center; first floor hallway
Installed at CSC in 2015
The collection features the photography of Glenn W. Murray documenting local building construction and public works projects from the 1930s through the 1960s. They were made from Murray’s original photo negatives.
The images were previously displayed in the Pikes Peak Regional Building Department facility, and in the Centennial Hall main lobby and auditorium in 2014.
Faces of the Fire Exhibit
Citizens Service Center; 2nd floor outside of Clerk and Recorder offices
Installed at CSC in 2014
The Faces of the Fire photo exhibit highlights the people impacted by the Waldo Canyon Fire (2012), sharing their stories and memories of one of the worst fires in Colorado history. The project was a work of collaboration between local photographer Wendy Pearce Nelson and Colorado Springs journalist Liz Cobb.
Nuevo Casas Grandes mural
Citizens Service Center; 1st floor hallway
Installed in 2013
The Pikes Peak Art Council and artist Roberto Rodriguez donated the mural. It began as a Sister Cities project with collaboration of artists from Nueva Casas Grandes, Mexico. Local artist Roberto Rodriguez completed the mural when the Mexican artists returned home.
Clerk and Recorder Stained Glass Window
Citizens Service Center; Office of the Clerk and Recorder
Installed in 2015
The stained glass piece was a collaborative effort between the County, the founder of Concrete Couch and Workout Ltd. The design highlights aspects of the County and the Clerk and Recorder’s Office, with the youth who created the piece coming up with many of the specific elements. The stained glass piece was originally installed in May 2000 at Centennial Hall, and subsequently moved to the Citizens Service Center after being in storage. The art was made possible by a grant through Colorado Springs Community Trust Fund.
Citizens Service Center is located on the west side of Colorado Springs at 1675 Garden of the Gods Avenue.
Hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday to Friday.
Closed on all government holidays.
Art at Pikes Peak Center
Cascading Light
Pikes Peak Center, Exterior front of building on Cascade Avenue
Installed in 2016
Artist Collin Parson designed the metal and light piece on the front of the Pikes Peak Center. The project was a three-way project Downtown Development Authority Grant, El Paso County and Broadmoor World Arena on behalf of the Pikes Peak Center.
Musical Churn
Pikes Peak Center (Cascade Avenue)
Installed in 2019
An interactive sculptural installation, Nikki Pike and Thomas Dodds transformed a cast bronze butter churn into a miniature musica hall with synchronized choreographed LED performances. The sculpture, created in collaboration by artist Pike and engineer Dodds, features the Colorado Springs Philharmonic led by music director Josep Caballé-Domenech. The compositions are Pierre Jalbert’s Zones, Wang Jie’s Symphonic Overture, America, the Beautiful, and Anthony DiLorenzo’s For Spacious Skies commissioned on the theme America, the Beautiful in celebration of the Philharmonic’s 90th anniversary season (2016-17).
There are additional art pieces in the landscaping outside the Pikes Peak Center, which are part of Downtown Colorado Springs and City of Colorado Springs projects.
The Pikes Peak Center is located in downtown Colorado Springs next to the Citizens Service Center on Cascade.
Box office hours are from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m Monday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday. Hours will vary on event days.
Art at Other County Locations
Zebulon Pike
Terry R Harris Judicial Complex
Exterior: Front of building, near the corner of Tejon Street and Vermijo Avenue
A statue of Explorer and Army officer Zebulon Pike stands outside the courthouse. Commissioned by Colorado native Jasper D. Ackerman, this bronze piece was created in 1985 by Oklahoma sculptor Rich Muno.
Colorful Colorado Histories
Terry R Harris Judicial Complex, Entryway
Painted in 2006; installation date unknown
The mural inside the main entry lobby of the courthouse was hand painted on canvas by Ken Bernstein in 2006. It stretches 14 feet high and 71 feet long in the main lobby, and depicts a collage of historical persons from the Pikes Peak region on the shirts of children representing ethnic diversity, the dynamism of our past, and hope for the future. (There may be more detailed information on the mural specifics inside the courthouse.)
Aspen Grove
Baptist Road roundabout
Installed in 2016
Aspen Grove was created by Reven-Marie Swanson, and includes 12 metal trees standing twenty feet tall. The art was commissioned by Tri-Lakes Views in cooperation with El Paso County, and was the first major work of art to be included in a roundabout on the entire I-25 corridor.
Rainbow Falls Recreation Area Kiosk
Location: Rainbow Falls Historic Site Area
Installed in 2012
The Kiosk was built on site at the entrance to Rainbow Falls Historic Site by artist Steve Wood, volunteers from Concrete Couch, and students from Manitou Springs. The Kiosk was temporarily at Centennial Hall from 2016-2017.
