We have all seen the mysterious Fort Collins Pianos that appeared in 2010 and have since been a large part of the cities creative culture.

Pianos About Town started as a collaboration among the Bohemian Foundation, the Downtown Development Authority, the City of Fort Collins, local business owners, and community members to bring spontaneous music and local art to the streets of Fort Collins.

The inspiration behind the Pianos About Town art collection came from British artist Luke Jerran who created a similar art show including a 60-piano installation that has toured the world since 2008. Widely adopted by the name of Jerran Pianos, the art movement has been on display in several major cities such as New York City, London, Sydney, and Sao Paulo. Jerran was also recently featured in the National Geographical Society's travel section for his Melbourne art tour.

When the project originally launched ten pianos were featured in Fort Collins and rotated throughout the city. The Fort Collins Pianos About Town project has grown over the last six years to include 77 beautifully designed pianos all painted by local Northern Colorado artists!

Each piano intends to tell a story to its viewers and listeners and encourage connections. Members of the community are welcome to watch new artists paint their piano in the town square to learn about the story behind the painting and learn their specific painting skills or techniques.

Piano is the number one widespread played instrument. Whether you can play Beethoven or Mary Had a Little Lamb, the next time you see one of these original masterpieces stop and play. You can find one around just about every corner in Fort Collins!

Local artists are encouraged to participate in this unique tradition and can apply through the Fort Collins City Art in Public Places page.

Featured Image Credit: Joe Wolf via Flickr