Babe Walls

Denver artists Grow Love and Alexandrea Pangburn had noticed a pattern: Most of the opportunities for muralists were going to men. When they connected with other female artists who felt the same way, the idea for Babe Walls — a mural festival celebrating all female and non-binary artists — was born. Babe Walls would showcase local talent and, hopefully, spark some change. But for the artists behind what was originally going to be a one-time event, Babe Walls has had more impact than they'd ever expected.

The Babe Walls 2021 murals can be found along the Ralston Creek Trail in Arvada, where Ralston Road meets Lamar Street.

We’ve collaborated with Apple Maps to create a guide to the murals and special places you’ve heard about on Off the Walls. It features a map of some of the coolest public art in Colorado, plus photos of the murals we talk about on the show. To check it out, go to apple.co/Off-The-Walls.

Robyn "Grow Love" Frances at work on a long sought-after wall in Wheat Ridge. Oct. 24, 2023.

Robyn "Grow Love" Frances and a long sought-after wall in Wheat Ridge. Oct. 24, 2023.

Robyn "Grow Love" Frances gazes up at a wall in Wheat Ridge she'd spent years orbiting before she got to paint it. Oct. 24, 2023.

Robyn "Grow Love" Frances' incoming mural on a long sought-after wall in Wheat Ridge. Oct. 24, 2023.

Jodie Herrera's and Kristina Maldonado BadHand's mural for Babe Walls 2021, in Arvada, can be seen through an overpass above the Ralston Creek Trail. Nov. 2, 2023.

Alexandrea Pangburn's and Nicole Perez's mural for Babe Walls 2021 in Arvada, along the Ralston Creek Trail. Nov. 2, 2023.

Coco Jenkins' and Jahna RaeBabe's mural for Babe Walls 2021 in Arvada, along the Ralston Creek Trail. Nov. 2, 2023.

Kaitlin Ziesmer's mural for Babe Walls 2021 in Arvada, along the Ralston Creek Trail. Nov. 2, 2023.

Robyn "Growlove" Frances' mural for Babe Walls 2021 in Arvada, along the Ralston Creek Trail. Nov. 2, 2023.

The artists of Babe Walls at the Babe Walls 2021 festival along the Ralston Creek Trail in Arvada.

A mural by Grow Love, AKA Robyn Frances, Moe Gram and Tribal Murals painted during Babe Walls 2020 in Westminster. Jan. 12, 2020.

A mural by Lindee Zimmer and Olive Moya on an apartment building at 7100 Hooker St. in Westminster, part of Babe Walls 2020. Aug. 19, 2020.

A mural by Danielle SeeWalker on the side of the Denver Indian Center in Westwood. Aug. 21, 2021.

Hosts: Kibwe Cooper, Emily Williams
Editor: Jo Erickson
Written and reported by Emily Williams
Mixed by Emily Williams
Denverite editor: Obed Manuel
Additional editorial support: Kevin Beaty, Erin Jones, Rebekah Romberg, Luis Antonio Perez
Theme music by Kibwe Cooper. Additional music via Universal Production Music.
Artwork: Maria Juliana Pinzón
Photography: Kevin Beaty
Executive producer: Brad Turner, Kevin Dale
Thanks also to Hart Van Denburg, Jodi Gersh, Kyle Harris, Desiree Mathurin, Kim Nguyen, Clara Shelton, Rebecca Tauber, Isaac Vargas, Arielle Wilson.

This show was produced with support from PRX, and is made possible in part by a grant from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and a grant from the Bonfils-Stanton Foundation.

Off the Walls is a production of Denverite and Colorado Public Radio — part of the NPR Network.

Denverite.com