Dave Roberts, artist and founder of Pueblo Levee Mural Project, dead at 71

Dave Roberts, a prolific Colorado artist and the founder of the Pueblo Levee Mural Project died Oct. 9 at the age of 71, according to his family and friends.

Originally from Colorado Springs, Roberts quickly gained a reputation among artists around the state as an innovator and master of his craft. Roberts studied at the Art Institute of Colorado, the Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design in Denver and at Colorado College in Colorado Springs where he started his art career as a poster artist before becoming one of the most well-known silkscreen artists in the state.

While traveling around producing and teaching art, Roberts noticed some artwork from a group of art students who had begun painting on the levee illegally. From there, he seized the opportunity to get city approval for an official community project.

Roberts' daughter Robin remembers playing on the levee as a young girl after her father successfully argued to the city that the levee belonged to the people of Pueblo and that anyone should be able to paint whatever they want on it, free of charge and official oversight.

"He always wanted to get people involved in art," Robin said. "It wasn't just for people who proclaim themselves to be artists, art was for everyone and it didn't matter how you went about it."

In 1979, Roberts started the now-famous Pueblo Levee Mural Project as a "big thank-you card" to the city and people of Pueblo; a bright, permanent message to prove this city supports the arts.

"The levee is one of the largest canvases in the state," Roberts told the Chieftain in 1982. "A lot of people can see it and it seems to serve no useful function except to keep the city dry. Why not paint it?"

More: Arkansas River levee trail dedication marked by Governor's speech, fireworks

That idea eventually grew into a world-record-breaking mural, comprised of 178,200 square feet of levee painted by local and regional artists. A unique artistic challenge, the project requires artists to work on the 45-degree incline of the levee using a series of harnesses and ropes to maintain their position while working on their murals. Moreover, artists work with the very real risk of falling into the river below.

"The levee has become a place for artists to get together and learn scale, interact with one another and learn new techniques of mural painting," Roberts told the Chieftain in 1984 as more than 100 artists flocked to Pueblo to paint the levee during the 10-day Pueblo Days celebration.

The record for the world's largest mural stood until much of the original art was hammered away in 2016 as the Pueblo Conservancy District, which owns the levee, made much-needed repairs to the cracking concrete.

Today, Cynthia Ramu, a longtime close friend and colleague of Roberts, is leading the project's revival, continuing to honor Roberts' vision of emphasizing community.

"He was an amazing artist and he was such a great mentor," Ramu said. "He was almost like Peter Pan, like, 'We can do this and any of you can come.'"

"I really feel like he actually was able to create opportunities for people that didn't feel connected or who wanted to be connected, it's really about community spirit and possibility. Everyone can put their voice out there somehow, they don't have to be a painter."

When the original mural was destroyed during the repairs, it was clear to Ramu that the levee mural would soon return because, "It belongs to the people, it's about community and creativity and keeping that life going," she said.

"To me, the levee is the soul of this city."

Now, as she coordinates with local and regional artists who want to add their mark to the wall, Ramu feels as though she's still doing the work that Roberts started all those years ago when he welcomed the first artists to join him on the wall.

"I'm building a village or a tribe in the name of Dave because that's what he did," she said.

Throughout his life, in addition to his work, Roberts donated his time and expertise to students and young artists, encouraging anyone who would listen. In a lot of ways, he was offering the support and guidance that he wanted but never got when he first began teaching himself to paint as a kid, Robin said.

"It didn't matter what they wanted to paint or if it looked like it was supposed to, it didn't matter one bit," she said. "Dad encouraged them no matter what."

Roberts was also known for his prowess as a recycler, using his creativity to repurpose items and prevent waste. He would travel around Denver, Colorado Springs and Pueblo collecting unwanted paint from stores and warehouses to be used in his projects, especially the levee in its early years.

In 1994, Roberts was awarded the Governor's Award for Excellence in the Arts for his efforts with community recycling, his artwork and for organizing the Pueblo Levee Mural Project.

In addition to his everlasting impact on the levee mural, the Denver Art Museum, the Metropolitan Museum of Modern Art, the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center and more all retain pieces of Roberts' works in their permanent collections.

Trending: A larger, lasting Legacy: Legacy Bank to merge with InBank

Contact Chieftain reporter Lacey Latch at llatch@gannett.com or on social media @laceylatch.

This article originally appeared on The Pueblo Chieftain: Pueblo Levee Mural Project founder Dave Roberts dead at 71